Not since the 1998 Wik controversy had Noel Pearson and I enjoyed a pleasant conversation. But we did at the 2020 Summit. Back in 1998, the Labor Party was adamant that the Howard government amendments to the Native Title Act were utterly unacceptable, and they would be reversed at the first opportunity. Wik and the Native Title Act hardly featured in any 2020 Summit discussions.
The Summit was an opportunity to leave old conflicts at the door and look beyond the short-term political future. With a new government in Canberra after 11 years, all came with their favourite agenda item and wish list. But even these had to be scrutinised and packed down with an eye to Australia in four elections' time, regardless of who might be in government and who might be running for election — Samantha '20 or whoever.
I was one of 20 or 30 non-indigenous Australians privileged to join the
largely indigenous group discussing options for the future of
indigenous Australia. I came to Canberra hoping to hear new, young Aboriginal voices. Some of them were there, but unfortunately they were not heard above the media din surrounding the established Aboriginal leaders occupying their well known positions.
Much of the media commentary since the Summit has drawn lines between those committed to a rights agenda (constitutional recognition, treaty, representative bodies to replace ATSIC, UN declarations etc.) and those committed to alleviating the plight of children in remote communities.
But being an ideas summit for the long term, this meeting was not either-or. It was both-and. We were allowed to dream and strategise about closing gaps while also wondering how best to recognise the enduring rights and entitlements of indigenous Australians once the gaps are closed, and even while we are working together to close the gaps.
The symbolism was strong from the beginning, with the indigenous welcome to country in Parliament House, following upon the National Apology two months before. Whatever the blemishes in Brendan Nelson's February apology speech, the summiteers saw the apology as a new beginning, as a bipartisan commitment to put the past behind us and do the hard work in closing the gaps in health and education as completely as possible.
The nation was introduced to a bold new idea in the presentation at the opening plenary by 24-year-old PhD student Sana Nakata, who spoke proudly of her mixed heritage, proclaiming