Acknowledging our Indigenous heritage
Moreland City Council is committed to Indigenous Australians and through its Reconciliation Policy and Action Plan is supporting Aboriginal rights.
We make the following Statement of Commitment to Indigenous people.
Council recognises:
- that Indigenous Australians were the first people of this land
- that the Wurundjeri are the traditional owners of country now called Moreland
- the centrality of Indigenous issues to Australian identity
- that social and cultural dispossession has caused the current disadvantages experienced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians
- that Indigenous people have lost their land, their children, their health and their lives and regrets these losses, and
- the ingenuity, spirit and contribution of indigenous people.
Council supports:
- the right of Indigenous people to live according to their own values and customs, subject to law
- the vision, as expressed by the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation, of a united Australia which respects this land of ours, values the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander heritage and provides justice and equality for all
- campaigns for Indigenous people’s rights, especially to land and native title to land, and
- a national Treaty that enshrines the rights of Indigenous Australians.
Council commits itself to:
- build a trusting, collaborative and supportive relationship with Indigenous groups
- respect identified Aboriginal sacred sites and special places
- education itself and others on the strength and unique contribution of contemporary Aboriginal cultures, and of the facts of colonisation
- contribute towards the promotion of accurate information on current Indigenous issues, and
- equity and access for all members of Indigenous communities to culturally sensitive services.
Reconciliation Week
Council each year conducts a series of activities during National Reconciliation Week 27 May to 3 June, based on themes of recognition, support and commitment for Aboriginal people both locally and nationally.
