National Reconciliation Week is held every year between May 27 and June 3. It prompts all Australians to engage with the ongoing effects of these histories, cultures and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. With origins dating back to the early 1990s, this week serves as a powerful reminder that the movement toward Reconciliation in Australia is an ongoing process. John Paul Janke, Reconciliation Advocate John Paul currently serves as a leader in the reconciliation movement. He underscores why this moment is so important, particularly considering the momentous events that have significantly changed the lives of First Nations Australians forever.
This week should be a time to celebrate, but not the end of. This is equally an opportunity for education and engagement in workplaces, schools, community organizations, and among individual Australians across the country. Janke’s nonprofit leads interactive, virtual field trips for K-12 students. These experiences provide helpful lessons as we look back on the history of reconciliation in Australia. This year’s theme focuses on the importance of continuing to develop momentum for genuine reconciliation. The nation that repents for its past is the one that truly shortens the road to a common future.
The cultural history of the National Reconciliation Week is very interesting and wide-ranging. In 1993, this led to the first Week of Prayer for Reconciliation. The original 1993 event was held during the International Year of the World’s Indigenous Peoples. Recently in 1996, Australia observed the very first National Reconciliation Week. The Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation was instrumental in the creation and success of this event. Unequivocal recommendations from a Royal Commission led to this initiative being realized. The commission looked into Aboriginal deaths in custody all the way back in 1991.
Auntie Rita Huggins, Janke’s mother, is a pioneering and powerful activist for Indigenous rights. She was the catalyst for the success of the 1967 referendum, when more than 90 percent of Australians voted to count Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in the census. This landmark decision was an important and symbolic turning point in Australia’s recognition of its Indigenous community.
The successful 1967 referendum and the High Court’s Mabo decision on June 3 are two key milestones recognized during Reconciliation Week. Attending these events is a powerful opportunity to learn from the past about the current reconciliation journey in Australia. Janke calls on all Australians to familiarise themselves with these dates and their significance for First Nations peoples.
In 2000, National Reconciliation Week reached a milestone when approximately 300,000 people participated in a walk across the Sydney Harbour Bridge. This event symbolized a collective commitment to reconciliation, rallying support from diverse communities across the nation.
Professor Jackie Huggins, a well-known historian and academic, says though there’s still a long way to go, things are a lot better. “It’s 25 years since the famous Sydney Harbour Bridge Walk for Reconciliation,” she notes. “2000 was a pinnacle year for that 10-year process from 1991 to really build a people’s momentum towards reconciliation.”
While celebrating these wonderful achievements, a stark reality persists as to the issues still affecting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today. The ongoing need for justice and equality is echoed by various advocates who highlight concerns about children entering care systems and disparities within the criminal justice sector.
“There hasn’t been a let-up in children going into care, foster homes or other care,” one speaker noted. “It also particularly relates to the criminal justice system and with our young folk in jail.”
The hope from a successful reconciliation is unmistakable as everyone gets back home and recalls the need and value of the tireless advocacy, advocacy, and effort. Like everyone, Janke knows there’s a lot of hope and excitement in the air. This doesn’t mean that he doesn’t know that we still have a long way to go.
“National Reconciliation Week is always a week to really feel excited about,” he stated. “But at the same time we know that there’s a long way to go.”
The long fight for justice and place within the Australian story is a battle still very much alive today. All of this recent news, especially discussions around more referendums, have made Huggins convey a message of healing. That’s why he thinks this is more important now than ever.
“Post the 2023 referendum, people are saying we need reconciliation more than ever,” Huggins remarked. “We need to actually finish what we call the unfinished business of this country.”
As National Reconciliation Week unfolds, organizations across Australia are preparing events and activities that foster understanding and meaningful dialogue between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. The Australian National Maritime Museum will celebrate Reconciliation Week 2025. They’re showing an installation of twelve hand-painted sea turtle shells by Torres Strait artist Gail Mabo.
Janke’s organization funds a lot of education activities, including virtual field trips for students across the state. These sessions work to bring young minds together to discuss the importance of reconciliation and its historical relevance.
“On Monday, we have our virtual excursions for school students,” Janke explained. “Any school student around the state can dial in… This virtual excursion will be about the history of Reconciliation Week in Australia.”
