Racist attacks on First Nations people in Bendigo are emerging from the fierce Voice to Parliament debate, according to a group of regional Indigenous groups.
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A joint statement from Bendigo District Aboriginal Cooperative (BDAC), Dja Dja Wurrung Group (Djaara), Bendigo NAIDOC Committee, and Reconciliation Committee chiefs has advocated for community safety in the wake of "several verbal racist attacks in public".
BDAC CEO Dallas Widdicome told the Bendigo Advertiser his collective had been alerted of a case where a First Nations woman had been subjected to Voice-related abuse at a local cafe in the lead-up to the referendum.
"A lady [asked the woman], 'oh, are you an aboriginal?'," Mr Widdicome said.
"She said, 'yeah, I am'. And then [the woman] said, 'why should you have a voice? You already get everything else'."
In another instance, a First Nations family lining up to attend an event at Rosalind Park during NAIDOC Week were reportedly berated by a passer-by who said, "why should Aboriginal people get a whole week if we only get a day?".
It was these types of incidents that had sparked the group's advocacy, Mr Widdicome said.
"One of the things that really concerns me is these sort of incidents that I'm hearing about were never a part of this community before the referendum," he said.
Mr Widdicome compared the heightened climate to the same-sex marriage plebiscite in 2017 and the ways the respective debates "bring out best and the worst in people".
"The main thing is that those opinions just really need to remain respectful," he said.
"I definitely don't want it to come across as though I want everyone to vote "yes", or anything like that. But it's just about respectful conversations."
Some of the most vocal proponents for a "no" vote stem from First Nations people, including Independent Senator Lidia Thorpe and her Blak Sovereignty Party's "no to the referendum, and no to the Voice" position.
Mr Widdicome said the targeting of Indigenous people in the community suggested all people were being grouped into the "yes" vote category because of their skin colour.
"There's a lot of Aboriginal people in in this community that haven't necessarily called for a referendum," he said.
"So it's unfair to be relating anything to do with Aboriginal people to the referendum and that is what's going on."
See it, call it out urge groups
The rise in racial abuse goes beyond public view, with the eSafety Commission recently reporting an increase in complaints that centre on material posted online in reference to the referendum that seeks to denigrate, insult, threaten or otherwise abuse First Nations people.
When reflecting on the abuse, Mr Widdicome said what stood out for him was the power a non-Aboriginal person has when witnessing a racial attack.
"How powerful would it have been to have the non-Aboriginal person in those circumstances stand up and say, 'hey, what you just said is not okay'," he said.
"It is so powerful if we can have our allies and community members say, 'that is not right'."
For Djaara CEO and co-signee of the statement Rodney Carter, the abuse was a missed opportunity for bystanders who he urged to call-out discriminatory behaviour.
"It can be subtle and even courteous," Mr Carter said.
"Shaking your head, or putting your hand up to say you don't tolerate it.
"I think we owe it to ourselves to call it out."
Mr Carter said the public commentary and abuse surrounding the referendum could have a detrimental impact on the social and emotional wellbeing and safety of members of the First Nations community.
"When it turns to the colour of your skin, or misconceptions of your ancestors, they're the cheapest, most derogatory ways of insulting people," he said.
"It gets to their their heart and can hurt people.
"And they could carry that for the rest of their life, you just never know."
And if you or someone you know needs support, contact:
- Lifeline 13 11 14
- Talk it Out, 1300 022 946, talkitoutmurray.org.au
- BeyondBlue on 1300 22 4636 or beyondblue.org.au
- Headspace Bendigo, 5406 1400, headspace.org.au/
- If life is in danger call Triple Zero (000).
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