- Australian Agenda
- Posts
- The FULL Uluru Statement from the Heart is more than just one page
The FULL Uluru Statement from the Heart is more than just one page
Not just one page, but 26 pages of essential context
The full Uluru Statement is not a one page document. Rather, it is around 26 pages and is available from the government here. There is a dispute about whether the full 26 pages are the Uluru statement or whether they are essential background. However, 26 pages provide essential context, meaning, and definition.
The relevant text is is document 14 of the PDF, starting at page 87. This is the full Uluru statement, as reportedly confirmed by the government itself.
It has been claimed that the 26 page document is mere background, context and explanation. The implication is that the one page summary is the Uluru statement and the 26 pages are explanatory. However, Professor Megan Davis, who was part of the Uluru Dialogues, has specifically stated that it is more one page. Recordings of here statements were captured by Peta Credin, here. Megan Davis has statement:
“‘The Uluru Statement from the Heart isn’t just the first one-page statement; it’s actually a very lengthy document of about 18-20 pages'; ‘The Uluru Statement from the Heart is occasionally mistaken as merely a one-page document'; and ‘The Uluru statement in totality is closer to 18 pages’.”
Even if the government maintains it only supports the one page summmary, the background documents provide essential information on how the Voice will operate and what its goals and objectives are. This is essential context because while the one page summary mentions “makarrata” (i.e., treaty), we need to context to know what that means.