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It’s time we called for an Advancement Movement — where we can learn and cherish our Indigenous culture while still meeting the same standards that every other Australian is expected to meet.

During the referendum, allies and opponents alike would often ask me, “Well, what do you think is the way forward for Indigenous Australians?”

I offered some answers but really my focus was on the question the Australian people were being asked: did they want to be divided by race in our constitution.

Having settled that question, I have given a lot of thought to the REAL solutions we need.

You’ll have read about some of them in these emails over the last year.

But last weekend The Australian published my extended thoughts on what comes next.

And while there are practical things like the cashless debit card that will help address disadvantage, I wrote about the need for an entire cultural change about how we deal with Indigenous issues and reconciliation.

Because for too long this debate has been driven by activists and academics who take a catastrophizing view of history and, quite frankly, treat Indigenous people as children needing help and not full human beings capable of being a part of our society.

It starts by being honest about our history.

I copped a lot of flack for my comments last year that highlighted the positives about colonialism, but I was stating a fact.

Pre-colonial Aboriginal history was not all rainbows and lollipops.

And then colonialism brought democracy, freedom and prosperity that were not known to Indigenous people.

It doesn’t mean crimes and murders didn’t happen.

I simply expressed the fact that Australia is a reality and we need to accept that if we’re ever to move forward.

It’s Time for an Advancement Movement

Likewise, we need to be honest about the parts of Indigenous culture that are holding us back.

We need to be forthright about practices like cultural payback that would be unacceptable in the suburbs of Sydney, but that we tolerate in the outback of the Northern Territory.

It’s the double-standard that found expression in the concept of the Voice that ultimately needs to be dealt with.

And then we need what I call an “advancement movement”.

A movement where we can learn and cherish our Indigenous culture while still meeting the same standards that every other Australian is expected to meet.

We need to do away with separatism and black-armband views of history.

We need honesty, but we also need accountability – for Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians alike.

The simple fact is that no one is disadvantaged just because they are Indigenous.

But those who are disadvantaged will remain so if we don’t learn the lessons of our past and move forward together.

You can read my full piece here.

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Image courtesy of Unsplash.