A voice for generations: Miriam Maloinato

“National Reconciliation Week is a journey we move through – yearly for some, and daily for others.

“To me, this year’s theme, “be a voice for generations”, means we require the Australian community to recognise and respect the traditional owners of this land; to acknowledge the past injustices, and the ongoing inequalities, experienced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples since colonisation; and to commit to working towards a more equal and respectful future as a nation.

“It means continuously finding a more equal and respectful way to work towards the future by promoting the need to collaborate to create a more just, reconciled and equitable country.

“There are so many ways the lives of our people can be improved daily; just ask us.”

Miriam Maloinato is a proud Ngiyampaa/Wiradjuri woman and Aboriginal health practitioner with the Westmead Hospital Dragonfly Midwifery program.

This National Reconciliation Week, Western Sydney Local Health District Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff speak to what the 2023 theme, “Be a voice for generations” means to them.