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The current political debate about what Australia should look like frames diversity as a problem. First Nations cultures teach something very different.
This continent has never been a monoculture. My mob have been practising diversity, belonging and inclusion for a very long time. For tens of thousands of years, First Nations peoples lived across hundreds of nations and language groups. Yet diversity did not mean disconnection. We remained connected through our love of Country and kinship with shared values of belonging, respect and responsibility.
First Nations peoples are again offering Australia something generous: an invitation to celebrate, listen, learn and walk together. It’s an opportunity to ask what First Nations wisdom can teach us about living well with diversity, rather than fearing it.
One First Nations teaching that speaks powerfully to this moment is kanyini. It is a Pitjantjatjara word that loosely means to support, nurture, protect and care for the land and others. At its heart, kanyini reminds us that we are not separate; we are connected, and responsible for the wellbeing of the whole.
In addition to kanyini, Dreaming teaches us that we are never truly alone. The old people (ancestors) are with us, and Country is with us, which means we are connected to each other and to every living being.
When you understand that, conflict looks different. The person across from you is not simply an opponent. They are someone you are connected to, even in disagreement. This is powerful wisdom for a country that needs to remember how to listen, belong and live well together.
Fear-based politics often tells us there is not enough to go around. Not enough belonging, safety, or opportunity. This fear asks us to protect ourselves by pushing others away. If we continue along this path we risk becoming an increasingly divided country, where we’re not taught to sit quietly with disagreement, but are instead taught to defend, explain, correct and win.
Kinship teaches us that everyone has a place, and with that place comes responsibility. In Aboriginal culture, there are no outsiders or orphans. Everyone belongs somewhere because they are connected and have a responsibility to others. A kinship way of thinking asks a different question: how do we stay in the “right” relationship?
That does not mean pretending conflict doesn’t exist. Conflict is found in families, communities, the workplace, and between nations. What matters is whether we approach the conflict with enough openness and curiosity to understand another view, even if we do not fully agree.
While the Voice referendum may have closed a chapter of constitutional debate, it did not end the deeper questions it exposed about trust, truth and how we live together. The renewed support for politics built around fear of difference shows many Australians are feeling distrust and disconnection.
The push for monoculture that we’re seeing now is a fear response and a belief that difference threatens belonging. First Nations culture has always known the opposite to be true. Diversity, across hundreds of nations and languages, was never our weakness. It was how we survived.
Over many years, I have learnt that people do not move forward through shame, blame or guilt. Shame shuts people down. Blame makes people defensive. Guilt can leave people frozen.
But no shame, no blame and no guilt does not mean no truth. It does not mean no responsibility. It means we tell the truth in a way that invites people to take the next step forward.
This NAIDOC Week, I hope Australians receive the deeper invitation: to practise kanyini, learn from Country and kinship, and ask what kind of country we want to become together.
First Nations wisdom is ancient and it is still here – lived, practised and passed on every day. That wisdom will help us move forward together.
Aunty Munya Andrews is an author and a speaker.
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