ABORIGINAL elder Aunty Trish Hill-Wall says racism is “creeping in again” following the alleged attempted bombing of an Aboriginal protest march in Forrest Chase earlier this year, warning many are now living with fear and exhaustion.
The senior elder and clinical psychotherapist is helping deliver a new one-day anti-racism training course through Evolve WA, noting this year’s National Reconciliation Week carries the theme “All In”.
Aunty Trish said the alleged Forrest Chase attack deeply unsettled Aboriginal communities already struggling in the aftermath of the Voice Referendum.
“I spoke to someone who was there, who was a very close friend of mine, and I was quite appalled by it,” she said.
“Look, we’re aware that anti-Semitism is around. We’re aware that the Referendum got people thinking differently and a lot of Aboriginal people in our community are quite fearful.”
“They are feeling quite unloved and uncared for since the Referendum went haywire.”
A man has been charged over the alleged Forrest Chase bombing and the matter remains before the courts.
Aunty Trish said the incident intensified fears racism was becoming more openly expressed.
“The thing in Forrest Chase, was just the icing on the cake for them,” she said.
“For me, it was very, very disturbing to think that perhaps Aboriginal people were being targeted,” she told the Herald.
“It leaves you with a little bit of fear and trepidation.
“I actually believe since the Referendum that agencies are quite unaware that racism is creeping in again and that discrimination is real.”
Aunty Trish said she had also noticed increasingly racist online commentary.
“The comments about the incident at Forrest Chase were really quite disgusting; comments like, ‘it should have blown up’, ‘we would have got rid of some of the rubbish’ type thing,” she said.
“And that to me, is very hurtful to your heart.”
Targeting
She said younger Aboriginal people were also being affected, and says people are being driven to suicide.
“It’s not just about the older people in the community, they’re targeting our young people as well,” she said.
“They’re experiencing this because young people are born into a digital world, they’re always on Facebook seeing this.”
Aunty Trish said the rise in racism highlighted the need for stronger anti-racism education.
“The course I deliver through Evolve WA, and they’re an amazing organisation, targets what racism really is and what it does to any person who’s been targeted with racism,” she said.
“This course really unpacks the impacts of racism, stereotypical stuff, cultural bias, lack of understanding and acknowledgement of the struggle that Aboriginal people are still dealing with.”
The Anti-racism in Action course was developed by Evolve WA and is based on the National Anti-Racism Framework.
Evolve WA director Katrina Bercov said the course aimed to help people move beyond simply considering themselves “not racist”.
“As a Jewish person, I am deeply aware of the growing divisions in society and wanted to do something to combat it,” Ms Bercov said.
“The time has come for all of us to step up.”
Aunty Trish said the course was designed to gently challenge participants’ understanding of racism without blaming them.
“You’re not going to have people in a room that are discriminative and fully blown racist,” she said.
“But it’s people that are in a group that believes they’re not racist that now spread the word.
“You’ve got to take them on a journey.”
She said governments and institutions still underestimated the scale of racism experienced by minority communities.
“I think we’re being paid a little bit of lip service,” she said.
“They’re trying very hard, but I do not believe that they fully acknowledge the immensity of racism that’s happening in this country.”
Aunty Trish said tackling racism required collective responsibility.
“All of us need to stand up, step up, and speak out,” she said.
“We cannot stop doing that, because if we do, then everything is lost.”
For more information, visit evolvewa.com.au/courses/anti-racism-in-action
by STEVE GRANT