Statement

The Women's Climate Congress (WCC) acknowledges the ongoing stewardship of Cultural Custodians past, present and emerging for this place on which we stay, meet and work. We recognise that First Nations stewardship of this land, seas and waters has been held and practised sustainably for over 60,000 years - since time immemorial - and acknowledge that First Nations’ sovereignty was never ceded.

We respect the First Law, cultural protocols, beliefs and customs of all First Nations Cultural Custodians. We see our role as building respectful relationships with our First Nations colleagues, and promoting to non-indigenous people respect for First Nations rights to self-determination.

Poor environmental stewardship by successive governments over the last two centuries has led us to the brink of ecological collapse and our current systems of governance cannot be maintained if we wish to sustain life on this planet. Under these same governments, First Nations people have endured what the Uluru Statement from the Heart describes as ‘the torment of our powerlessness’.

We respectfully embrace and support First Nations’ constitutional reform efforts to provide a voice for First Nations people and communities. We recognise that ‘The Voice’ that is proposed in the current referendum is one of the diverse ways that they have chosen to effect change for their peoples and that this process is at its heart an invitation for togetherness.

We also recognise that First Nations are not a single entity and express support for First Nations people and communities who are pursuing alternate objectives to achieve the independence of their nations, the return of their homelands and self-determination of their people.

We support First Nations people involved in the development of the proposed constitutional reforms and their intention that it will advance efforts to achieve a fairer and more inclusive law for everyone.

We believe that the proposed constitutional reforms will set us on a better pathway and open the door to deeper and more significant reform to allow First Nations’ stewardship, leadership and custodianship of this land to flourish.

This statement is the WCC's commitment to walk alongside our First Nations sisters and brothers, and to continue to bring women together for two-ways national conversations towards a future of inclusion, abundance and togetherness.

This always was, and always will be Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander land.

Statement endorsed by the WCC Steering Circle ( Board) on 22 August 2023