Tearfund supports the case to vote ‘Yes’ to the referendum question of whether a First Nations Voice should be enshrined in the Constitution. We believe this is an important step towards justice and we are committed to listening to and learning from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the process of its establishment.
Don't miss this fantastic opportunity to hear from a Christian First Nations leader about the Voice to Parliament and reconciliation – watch these videos with Torres Strait Islander Elder Uncle Gabriel Bani.
Uncle Gabriel Bani is Wagedagam Koey Buway, from Lag Mabuyag, Torres Strait. He is a direct descendent of Athe Bari, and the Kuyku garka (Head man) of the Major Tribe of Wagadagam. Uncle Gabriel is a councillor in the Torres Shire Council and an Elder at the Full Gospel Church on Thursday Island.
In 2017 Gabriel Bani was one of more than 250 delegates, drawn from 13 Regional Dialogues, at the First Nations National Constitutional Convention at Uluru. This Convention was the culmination of a deeply consultative process, designed and led by First Nations people, that brought remarkable consensus to the complex issue of constitutional change. Uncle Gabriel was part of that process and a signatory to the Uluru Statement from the Heart that was adopted at this Convention .
As part of the proceedings at the First Nations National Constitutional Convention Uncle Gabriel presented a mat to the Traditional owners of Uluru, The Anangu people. The grass mat, and weaving in general, has deep cultural significance to the people of the Torres Strait, and as Uncle Gabriel explains in this speech is an apt metaphor for the First Nations Voice to Parliament and for the unique role that Christians can play as Christ’s ambassadors for reconciliation.
Uncle Gabriel supports the proposed First Nations Voice to Parliament and speaks powerfully about the need for us to “create a common memory for our children because we, here now, don't have that common memory.”
He says that in order to come together and move towards a better future, we must begin with understanding and he uses the metaphor of a traditional woven Torres Strait Islands mat to share his vision of that future.
We have to sit on some form of a mat because outside of that both sides will take up arms. We have to find a space. We need a place to sit down and listen.
He also speaks to the essential role of the church in working to build that better future. He draws from Colossians to remind us that it is only God’s reconciling work in Christ that makes a way for peace and complete restoration.
We learn from listening to Uncle Gabriel about aspects of his culture and why he wants the church to support the calls of the Uluru Statement from the Heart for Voice, Treaty and Truth. He says that this all begins with the Voice: creating that place for us to sit down together on a mat of understanding.
[The church] that God is building. That's the answer for the issues here to do with relationships, covenant making, sitting down and moving forward.
Tearfund provides support for Australia's First Peoples through programs led by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Christian leaders. Together, we mobilise Australian Christians for a more just and equitable society for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
