Does the Uluru Statement Help Aboriginal Australians?

Will Smith of the Indigenous All Stars holds the The Australian Aboriginal flag during pre-match ceremony before the match between the Men's Indigenous All Stars and the Men's Maori All Stars at CommBank Stadium in Sydney, Australia, on Feb. 12, 2022. Mark Kolbe/Getty Images

Commentary

I recently read an article on an ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) web page with the headline “Prime Minister Albanese’s commitment to Uluru statement gives First Nations communities hope.” Having read the Uluru statement several times, I ask myself, “hope for what?” Might it be hope that all Aboriginal people have ready access to the same services and opportunities that I and the leading Indigenous proponents of the Uluru statement take for granted? That is, to live in safe environments with access to good education and meaningful jobs?