Activity 2: FNC
Considering the course content leading up to and including week 7, along with my life experiences I have composed the below response to the following question which was asked of a panel from ABC’s Q&A program (abcqanda, 2020) to gain a range of perspectives regarding reflections on the interactions between First Nations culture and multiculturalism:
“Why do we insist on promoting multiculturalism when it so clearly hinders us from a unified national identity and culture?”
While I feel it is important for all cultures to have the freedom to celebrate and practice their cultural traditions and beliefs, it should not come at the expense of overshadowing FN culture which is largely under-represented and less widely understood and appreciated when compared with more popular dominant diverse cultures. I agree and echo a panellist’s response, that we should work towards embracing FN culture to be at the heart of Australian identity, a culture we can all be proud of and celebrate together. I feel, however, this is still very much a journey that will encounter many road bumps to an idyllic outcome as many Australians still need time to acknowledge and accept with empathy the wrongs of the past and even still present which means facing the fear of what this will bring.
Fear of change can feed blissful ignorance as I have witnessed time and time again, and it slows progress with stagnancy that prevents more progressive positive movements to embrace authentic reconciliation. This challenge is hindered further by the other issue discussed this week regarding FNPs being a minority within multicultural communities that are often overshadowed in comparison to other cultures. Many communities across Australia lack genuine knowledge and understanding of FN cultures due to a deficiency to seek out and embrace FNP educational experiences of rich traditions/beliefs. This fear inhibits healing and asking who we really are as Australians and what is important to us so we can form a unified identity for all Australians. I feel a unified identity could come through genuine authentic reconciliation with healing through connection with FNP, acknowledging and accepting our true history. This means recognising the wrongs of the past and present so we can move forward and embrace FN culture at the heart of our Australian Identity, for a positive future together which we can all be proud of, celebrate and treasure.
References
abcqanda. (2020, 3 March 2020). Multiculturalism and the Australian Identity | Q+A. abcqanda. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NLRMXS2i35k
