Uluru — The Work Continues, With or Without a Voice
Monday, May 26, marks the eighth anniversary of the Uluru Statement from the Heart — an important day in our shared Australian history.
The product of decades of activism and advocacy, the Uluru Statement represents an invitation from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to all Australians to walk together on a path for a better future.
That invitation — generous, courageous and deeply considered — culminated in the 2023 Referendum. It was supported by more than 80 per cent of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, including those in remote communities across the NT who voted heavily in favour.
But the result of the Referendum did not reflect that support. For many, it was a difficult and painful outcome. But as Nigel Browne, CEO of Aboriginal Investment NT, affirms: "We know the result, we accept the result, but we must move beyond the result. Aboriginal self-determination did not start with the Uluru Statement, and it did not end with the Referendum."
This anniversary marks more than just the passage of time — it also marks the start of a re-elected political term and the end of a campaign where Aboriginal people were again used to ignite culture wars across the country.
"We know the results of the Referendum will inevitably be thrown back into the spotlight," Mr Browne said.
"Some commentary will be productive, some will not."
Yet through all of it, the guiding principles of the Uluru Statement endure.
"Ultimately, we must stay true to the fundamental values of the Uluru Statement — recognition, empowerment, and self-determination of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. A shared future for all Australians built on mutual respect, truth and fairness," he said.
At Aboriginal Investment NT, these values are "more than aspirational — they are operational".
"We have the single greatest opportunity to support and empower Aboriginal Territorians to self-determine their own lives. Every decision we make is grounded in the self-determination of our people and informed by our Aboriginal-majority Board who come from all corners of the NT," Mr Browne said.
This model — community-led, culturally informed, and driven by lived experience — is "a working blueprint" of what the Uluru Statement asks us to build.
"We work every day to ensure Aboriginal Territorians can fulfil their own economic, social and cultural needs, achieve their own visions of success, live well according to their own values, and realise their own hopes for their children and future generations," Mr Browne said.
The anniversary of Uluru is not a moment for despair. It's a call to deepen our resolve.
The Uluru Statement continues to remind us of the imperative need to achieve real and lasting change for the First Peoples of this land we now all call home.
Too much is at stake if we don't.
The calls in the Uluru Statement from the Heart remain relevant, now more than ever.
Let's not lose sight of its vision for a better — fairer — future.
National Indigenous Times,
May 26, 2025