Practical Reconciliation

Book Review by Rod Bower

Practical Reconciliation - Strengthening Relationships for All Australians in 7 Easy Steps
by Munya Andrews and Carla Rogers

I was inspired last year during the Voice referendum debate by someone saying "most Australians don't have an aboriginal friend or colleague they can talk to about this". That was true in my case and it felt like a missing piece in my life experience, so I set myself a goal to make at least one new aboriginal contact, and hopefully a friend.

I had already read Bruce Pascoe's Dark Emu and Henry Reynold's Truth Telling, and recently watched Our Law and Rachel Perkins's Australian Wars on SBS, and felt I had a reasonable handle on the colonisation history and some of the problems the aboriginal community faces. But  (as far as I knew) I hadn't met many aboriginal people and certainly not made any aboriginal friends.

Thinking about why, I found my problems were: not knowing who are the appropriate people to speak to; and some worry about saying or doing something offensive to the people I meet.

Buying this book was my first step into trying to deal with those problems and it has definitely helped. It gives me a good start to better understanding current indigenous culture, and it does so in a friendly, relaxed way.

It also opens a door to further learning through the Evolve Communities program. It has given me some confidence to get out of my comfort zone and have a go at a new adventure. 

As a non-indigenous Australian, I would highly recommend adding this book to your reading list if you'd like to be a be more than an "ally" and aren't sure where to start.

You can purchase your copy from the Evolve website here.