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Australia is often considered a young country. The Australian anthem puts this unequivocally: “Australians let us rejoice, for we are young and free”.

In the Sydney suburb of Redfern, a mural puts a different spin on it: “Australians, why should we rejoice? For some of us are old and oppressed”.

What is going on here?

Part of being an ethical pilgrim is about understanding the unique cultural contexts of where you are entering. Remember that after the coming of the Holy Spirit, the apostles were empowered to speak effectively to people from different nations. While such cross-cultural exchange may be difficult, it is also one of the most valuable aspects of a WYD.

The mural above is referring to the status of Indigenous Australians (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders), whose history and culture go well beyond 1788, the year Europeans established a penal colony in Sydney cove.

Before the arrival of Europeans it is estimated that there were over 600 distinct tribes living in Australia and the Torres Straits. For tens of thousands of years these different Indigenous groups developed resilient and ingenious cultures that allowed them to thrive on an often inhospitable continent.

The reference to oppression is a reference to the disadvantaged place Indigenous Australians have in contemporary society.

As the NSW Aboriginal Land Council notes, on all major indicators –health, housing, education, employment- Indigenous people remain the most disadvantaged group in Australian society. The average life expectancy of Indigenous Australians is 17 years less than non-Indigenous Australians.

While the causes for this are complex and interconnected, it is primarily a result of dispossession (the forced removal from land) and the destruction of families and resulting loss of culture and language through past policies, which included the forcible removal of Aboriginal children from their families.

The first Oceanic WYD is a good time to reflect on the place of all Indigenous peoples in this region. Indeed the entire region is still negotiating its imperial past. The dances and cultural performances you will see at WYD are important but so too is asking the difficult questions about how to create an authentic peace for the people of the region.

LINKS: Cultural protocol - What is 'Acknowledgement of Country'? - Misconceptions - Useful information