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Culture connects children School holiday activities at Pakenham library saw local tykes connect with culture on Bunurong land on Monday 25 September. Celebrating Indigenous culture and language, a Welcome to Country, traditional smoking ceremony, mural painting and story time helped educate library goers about First Nations practices.
Melody puts her artistic flair on a community mural at the Pakenham Library. 362129 Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS
Voice ‘confusion’ “There’s a lot of confusion. “I think it’s going to be an uphill battle.” Despite the negativity surrounding the vote, Professor Gunstone said it was positive to see engagement in Aboriginal affairs, with recent ‘Yes’ rallies in Melbourne and across the country among examples of positive engagement. “What I want to see for this country is more non-Indigenous people engaging with Indigenous issues,” he said. The work of reconciliation will continue past the referendum, he said. “(People) shouldn’t base their decision on a 12588394-AI05-23
A local professor has hit out at the discourse surrounding the Voice, calling the conversation “very disappointing”, asking voters not to base their decision on lies or scare campaigns. As South East residents prepare to vote in the upcoming referendum on altering the Constitution to recognise the First Peoples of Australia by establishing an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice - with pre-polling centres to open in Pakenham and surrounds from Monday 2 October - Federation University’s Berwick
campus hosted a conversation on the vote. The conversation, between Federation University Australia Associate Deputy ViceChancellor Reconciliation Professor Andrew Gunstone and Yorta Yorta man and First Nations Foundations chairperson Ian Hamm, saw about 15 community members attend on Friday 22 September. Speaking to Star News before the event, Professor Gunstone said the conversation around the vote so far had been upsetting to see. “It’s about recognition and it’s about listening,” he said.
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lie or on a fear campaign.” Professor Gunstone said it would be a hard truth for Aboriginal people to face if the vote was lost. “My heart will break for them,” he said. Speaking before the event to Star News, Federation University Engineering lecturer and community advocate Harpreet Singh Kandra said he has also been busy teaching culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities across the South East about the impact of the vote. Continued page 2
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Renee
Heath mp Member for
Eastern Victoria Region YOUR VOICE FOR EASTERN VICTORIA CONTACT RENEE: 51 James Street, Pakenham 3810 5941 1112 ReneeHeathMP ReneeHeath.com.au Renee.Heath@parliament.vic.gov.au Authorised by Renee Heath MP, 51 James St, Pakenham
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By Matthew Sims