During the past week at St. Joseph’s, students have been immersed in Indigenous culture and discussion around reconciliation. The students have contributed to a reconciliation display which can be viewed in the school foyer. The school has also purchased 3 large pieces of Indigenous fabric as part of the display to support Indigenous artists. Each of these designs tell a story and utilises traditional artistic skills of storytelling in order to express the artists’ message. The Indigenous rosary beads and corner stones on display were purchased from the Aboriginal Catholic Ministry of Victoria. They are designed and made by Victorian Indigenous people.

National Reconciliation Week is a time for all Australians to learn about our shared histories, cultures, and achievements, and to explore how each of us can contribute to achieving reconciliation in Australia.

2020 marks the twentieth anniversary of the reconciliation walks of 2000, when people came together to walk on bridges and roads across the nation and show their support for a more reconciled Australia.

Reconciliation is a journey for all Australians – as individuals, families, communities, organisations and importantly as a nation. At the heart of this journey are relationships between the broader Australian community and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

 The dates for National reconciliation week remain the same each year; 27 May to 3 June. These dates commemorate two significant milestones in the reconciliation journey— the successful 1967 referendum, and the High Court Mabo decision respectively.