Reconciliation Week - A time to reflect

Published 26 May, 2020

Words by Neil Morris – VMDO First Peoples

Reconciliation Week is an important time to consider the place we all take upon this land that is considered sacred by First Peoples as it has been for thousands of years. Every day we all walk this land, breath the air on this land, and a vast majority, listen to music on this land. So where does value lay within all of this music ? Who determines it? There are so many parameters of quantifying that exist within the ascertaining of value scaling from that of the casual music listener to the Industrial lenses that be.

How amidst this does one place Value on a music that has been on this continent since time immemorial? Can it even be assessed in any way remotely similarly to all other content?

This is a case of essence and the source of this essence. It takes a deeper look then, to fully comprehend the essence of First Peoples music on this land. In simple words. The value of First Peoples music of this land cannot be underestimated in importance. First Peoples song has been here as an intricately critical component to life since time immemorial . As music sector and community it is an important time to reflect on that value.

The stark sobering reality is, we could have just as easily not had anymore First Nations Music on this land had colonialism continued in the directly oppressive way It had done under strict assimilation policy through the best part of the 1900’s. Lest We Forget the original Songs of this land of First Peoples were once forbidden entirely through bleak periods of colonisation as parts of strict assimilation processes.

Yet the resilience of First Peoples has stood through those difficult times and found a way to endure. This resilience against the odds has meant that we can now be at a place where we have a visibly vibrant system of First Peoples music upon this land. A music which spans across genres, and themes, often challenging some of the more difficult issues of contemporary society on this land, highlighting some of the beauty and connection to land and place, and constantly providing unique content that is world-class in importance and power.

This years theme for Reconciliation week is “In this together”. What does this “In This together “ look like? And where is everyone located within this? Where does one start with this?

To truly demonstrate being In This Together, one must Acknowledge that First Peoples Voices and contribution are not more important this week, or on a particular day. To be in this together one must acknowledge the systemic injustices that have prevented First Peoples from thriving 365 days a year. This includes strict Colonial regimes such as the Frontier Wars, Eugenics, Assimilation Policy and Systemic Racism which have all played a heavy hand in decimating Indigenous families through fragmentation of families and culture,and loss of many lives itself.

It must be acknowledged that First Peoples custodians of this land cared for this land in a special way for 60,000 plus years that led to copious resources being present at time of Colonisation.

It must be acknowledged that the building of all things that now exist on this continent occurred as a direct result and exploitation of that . The music Sector is one of those constructs.

Due to these injustices it is vital that priority must be provided for First Peoples to take their place and opportunity to thrive and lead upon lands nurtured with the hands of their ancestors for thousands of years. This extends into the realms of Music Where possible.

There is a required commitment and understanding that, empowering First Peoples means that we can collectively walk more appropriately and respectfully on this land. This applies to the music sector as much as to any sector, if not more when one considers the ‘cultural’ value that music holds to societies that is widely discussed and championed including at times such as during this Covid-19 period. This cultural importance of music has to apply to First Peoples music as much as any group. In First Peoples music, the word ‘ecosystem’ is not an industry catch word, but an actual reality of the place of First Peoples whose song is embedded in the ecosystem of this land and the ecosystem embedded in the song as one and the same.

There is action required to walking together. It cannot blossom without water and sun. Allowing First Peoples to set the agenda on what being “In This Together” on this land can truly look like in a powerful and importantly just way is a necessary first step. Embracing and Prioritising engaging with First Peoples Music this week can be a critical element to achieving this.

How can you support Reconciliation Week?

Below are a few suggestions from VMDO First Peoples of things you can do for Reconciliation Week within Music:

Research, Share and Platform

Research, Share and Platform the history, and Impact both past and present of First Peoples Music to help raise awareness of the powerful and important history and value of First Peoples music. Tribes of the Indigenous Nations of this part of country itself have a Rich first peoples history in music. With examples such as First Peoples Music Groups that travelled along the Murray River in the 1800’s including the the Yorta Yorta people, who translated ‘Turn Back Pharoahs Army’ that they learnt Jubilee Frisk Singers in 1886 into the song now known as ‘Burra Ferra’. Preceding that, all across this land, song keepers such as Wurundjeri man , Billibellary whom lived from the late 1700’s until 1846 held other high cultural responsibilities as well as song in protecting sacred sites. The depth to the histories is complex and of great breadth. The reverberations of this work are still in this land and are evoked in different ways by song carriers in the now, with bloodlines and deeply embedded cultural DNA passed down generationally.

Listen to and share New First Peoples music