We're all aware that Australia has a Black history.
But now, a historic referendum will officially provide Australian citizens with the opportunity to constitutionally acknowledge First Nations voices in all forms of democracy, including informing policy and influencing the legislature.
Legislation to hold a referendum to determine whether Indigenous Australians should be recognised in the constitution, via the establishment of a Voice to Parliament, passed the Senate on Monday.
It will be the first referendum to decide on a change to the constitution in 24 years.
The vote is something that many First Nations people have been calling for since the release of the Uluru statement from the Heart in 2017.
Under Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's Labor government, the opportunity to rectify the constitution-which currently holds no mention of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders as the traditional custodians of this land, nor acknowledges that their sovereignty was never ceded-is being explored.
If a majority 'yes' vote is achieved, First Nations people will have a direct Voice to government that is permanently preserved in the very foundations of Australia's government.
But what exactly is the "Voice", and why is a referendum needed to ensure one is provided for First Nations people.
Below, we explore the pertinent and pivotal significance of the referendum in both substantially and symbolically providing a path of self-determination for First Nations people.
The Voice to Parliament emerged as a recommendation from the 2017 Uluru Statement, which was delivered to former Prime Minister Scott Morrison after 12 dialogues with First Nations leaders were held around the country.
These dialogues served as the basis for the National Constitutional Convention, which stipulated First Nations people's recommendations for how they should be constitutionally recognised by the Australian government.
As a result, two main objectives were laid out.
Within the statement, First Nations people called for "the establishment of a First Nations Voice enshrined in the Constitution" and the creation of a "Makarrata Commission to supervise a process of agreement-making between governments and First Nations and truth-telling about our history."
Simply put, this Voice will be a formalised system for First Nations people to meaningfully guide and influence policy making across all areas of government that they're impacted by, and one that is embedded into law and can not be changed.
So, why a referendum?
Within Australian law, the constitution can not be legally changed without a nation-wide vote, known as a referendum.
Because the Uluru statement called for this Voice to be enshrined in the constitution, the Labor government has upheld their request by issuing the upcoming referendum.
The results of the vote are legally binding, and will either change, or not change, the constitution pending on the outcome.
In early 2023, the federal government laid out exactly what we can expect come time to vote. At the polling booths, Australians will be asked the following question:
"A Proposed Law: to alter the Constitution to recognise the First Peoples of Australia by establishing an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice. Do you approve this proposed alteration?"
What the government hasn't revealed is what the Voice will actually look like, should the Voice be voted in.
But, if a majority 'yes' vote is received, you can bet that First Nations people will play a crucial role in determining and setting up the structure of their own direct line to parliament.
Exactly when the referendum will be held is yet to be determined, however it must be conducted at least two months from when the bill passed, and no more than six months later. By our calculations, that narrows it down to somewhere between August and December of this year.
The Voice is something that many Labor leaders, including our Prime Minister, are in support of.
"I believe this country is ready for this reform. If not now, when?" Albanese said in July 2022.
Minister for Indigenous Australians, Linda Burney, said to The Guardian that the Voice is "about drawing a line on the poor outcomes from the long legacy of failed programs and broken policies, and listening to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people."
"Things like incarceration and child removal. Housing, health and educational outcomes. This Voice is about making sure that what happens in the federal parliament is going to be a positive step forward both in terms of us as a nation, but also the life outcomes for First Nations people in Australia," she added.
As per the official website for the Uluru Statement, 80% of First Nations people support the Voice based on independent research they conducted in early 2023.
So far, both 'yes' and 'no' campaigns for the vote have commenced, but as with anything we will have to wait until the polling results come out for a firm answer to the government's question.
But as the 'yes' campaign explains, this Voice will constitutionally provide what First Nations have been doing for over 60,000 years: speaking, telling stories, and making history.