Young First Nations people ‘searching for answers,’ Indigenous leader says

One of the leaders of the Illawarra Yes campaign, Jaymee Beveridge, says young First Nations people are shattered by the referendum result.

“They are searching for answers. There was so much hope just around humanity prevailing, and sadly that is not what we have woken up to this morning,” Ms Beveridge said.

“For some, they have phrased it as, ‘Why does the nation hate us?”

The Murri woman and the University of Wollongong’s vice-president, Indigenous Strategy and Engagement said the result was another wound for First Nations people.

“It will just be another scare that sadly we have to work to heal,” she said.

“Trans-generational trauma exists regardless of what the No campaign wanted people to believe that colonisation didn’t have an effect on my people.”

Ms Beveridge said she was also incredibly concerned by the misinformation used by the No campaign in the referendum.

“It shows there is no governance mechanism to address false information, there is no recourse for blatantly lying and misleading the truth, and that was apparent through the No campaign,” she said.

“I don’t believe we are a racist nation. I just think potentially the system contributed to allowing mistruths to be the narrative.”

She said the No result had pushed reconciliation back years.

“For our people, there is going to be more distrust, not just in government. I think we will be reading rooms and counting and thinking who were our allies,” she said.

“We saw so many businesses, many corporations come out in support of the Yes campaign, and in the future we will hold those organisations accountable and they will have to walk the walk in spite of that outcome.”

But Ms Beveridge said she still remained hopeful moving forward.

She is speaking to ABC reporter, Kelly Fuller.