As a proud Aboriginal woman, I am here to appeal to your humanity.

We have before us a Yes or No referendum to amend the Constitution to recognise our First Nations people and provide a Voice to Parliament.

Your vote is essential.

It is even more critical when you see that this is simply a fundamental human right for First Nations peoples.

A vote of this magnitude has never been proposed to the Australian people. This is why there is so much discussion about it… and exactly why I am appealing to you today.

If I need to come to you “with cap in hand” to place a human face in front of the political rhetoric, hoping it will encourage you to vote “Yes”, then I will.

I have been listening and reading intently to both sides of the debate and two camps have come into focus for me: the No campaign with its political rhetoric and the Yes campaign with a solid humanitarian grounding.

It seems to me the disproportionate fear coming from the No campaign is catastrophising worst-case scenarios compared to what a humanitarian perspective could bring to First Nations lives and their future generations.

I must use my voice to shut down the No campaign’s incorrect statements that “colonisation didn’t have an impact on Aboriginal people” or that it had a “positive impact”.

At what stage could my fellow Australians have lost their humanity to espouse such inhumane myths, misconceptions and stereotypical views that shame, blame, demonise, and vilify First Nations peoples’ true history and personal stories?

Let’s all stand on the shoulders of the Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people who carved out this path for us towards prosperity for all.

My ancestors had been thriving as a complete civilisation on this beautiful land we now share for over 60,000 years. They were the keepers of humanity, and in so doing, they did no harm to other people worldwide.

Yet in no time, Aboriginal disadvantage has taken hold and has not lost its grip.

Let me share with you the four significantly inhumane national policies that have had an extraordinary impact on my life since I was born in 1955:

1911 Aborigines Act  – This Act intended to “protect” Aboriginal people, considered a dying race. But it segregated many Aboriginal people and co-located them on reserves away from non-Aboriginal people.

1934-39 Use of Exemption Certificates – These certificates granted Aboriginal people an exemption from the Aborigines Act (1911) only upon rejecting that person’s Aboriginality. It became increasingly common, and they were often very divisive in Aboriginal society. Once exempted, the person was not allowed to “consort” with unexempted Aboriginal people other than immediate relatives, and then only with many restrictions.

1951 Assimilation Policy – this new policy of “assimilation” stated that all Aborigines were expected to eventually “attain the same manner of living as other Australians and as members of a single Australia”. Aborigines were expected to adopt the same customs and attitudes as white Australians.

Stolen Generation – In 1964, I became a part of the Stolen Generation and experienced every form of violation.

Between 1869 and 1970, the Australian Government forcibly removed First Nations children from their families in a period in history known as the Stolen Generations. This dark period saw many of these children fostered out or adopted by white families, or brought up in orphanages, homes, or other institutions run by governments, churches and welfare bodies.

Has our world changed for the better following the cessation of these abhorrent policies?

Between 1971 and 2023, First Nations politicians have entered and left state and federal parliaments like a revolving door. When there, they do their best to fight and campaign for First Nations peoples. Yet here we are in 2023, and Aboriginal disadvantage is not only still evident, it has escalated.

Why is this?

I can see two overwhelming reasons why we need Australia to get behind an Indigenous voice to Parliament.

Firstly, Aboriginal disadvantage has escalated because politicians are restrained from making any meaningful difference because they are voted in by their Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal constituents.

And, two, I know there is still this invisible, silent barrier lurking in and around, up and down, permeating the walls of Parliament Houses. This is none other than covert and overt racism.

If we want to change things, we have to recognise they exist.

For 235 years, political rhetoric was and still is designed to dehumanise the First Nations peoples’ experience of genocide that began in 1788.

My ancestors faced outright warfare, germ warfare and psychological warfare. This final one remains as the “silent barrier” in 2023.

I now dedicate my life to transforming Aboriginal disadvantage into Aboriginal prosperity. Don’t maintain those “silent barriers” to Aboriginal prosperity.

To the undecided voter: we have come such a long way together, with many thanks to our Aboriginal and non-Aborigninal ancestors who fought and campaigned together throughout the 20th century. If they could talk to us today, they would tell us that we still have a way to go to bring this country to a place where no one lives in disadvantage the way our First Nations still do. The Constitutional recognition of First Nations people and the Voice to Parliament is another stepping stone.

Don’t you want to be on the right side of history when we put this in place?

To all Australians who are unsure, I call on your humanity to support a Yes vote. It is the right thing to do. Let’s make our future generations proud of the choice we made.

Australia, I’m calling on your humanity with all my might.

Let’s all stand on the shoulders of the Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people who carved out this path for us towards prosperity for all.

Rosemary Wanganeen is a grief counsellor who founded the Healing Centre for Griefology. She has worked in health, welfare and social justice for Aboriginal people for 30 years.