I write this reflection with a heavy heart as I experience the overwhelming conflict that this time of year brings to my people.

My name is Maddison (Maddi). I am a Biripi woman and the newly appointed First Nations Social Justice Advocate. I am a saltwater woman. I did not grow up in culture, nor did I grow up with a strong identity for who I am. I cannot speak to you in my people’s language (yet – it’s a work in progress), nor can I share stories passed down from those who should be my Elders. It is not because I didn’t yearn to have these things – they simply were not available to me. Like many of my brothers and sisters, I walk this nation living in two worlds: the world I have chosen to embrace as my birthright, and the world that was chosen for me upon the arrival of non-First Nation people over 250 years ago. 

I might be a new face to the Fair Treatment campaign, but I’m not new to Uniting NSW.ACT. My time in the Local Area Coordination Program is where I began to embrace my identity as an Aboriginal woman and lean fully into my cultural journey. Guided by my Elders, I connected with community and uplifted the voices of my brothers and sisters through deep listening, shared stories, and showing up with an open heart. 

Stepping into this role, I carry both the grief of what was taken and the strength of what remains. 

And nowhere is that tension more present than in conversations about justice – especially when it comes to our drug laws. 

Many of my people share my story, one grounded in the dispossession brought by colonisation and the Stolen Generations. Colonisation, land theft, and the forced removal of children from their families created deep and lasting trauma within our communities. This trauma has disrupted cultural identity, family structures, and community cohesion across generations.  

This intergenerational trauma is linked to higher rates of substance misuse among First Nations people. Research shows that intergenerational trauma stemming from colonisation and the Stolen Generations contributes to increase vulnerability to alcohol and drug use as a coping mechanism and is recognised as a significant factor affecting individuals social and emotional wellbeing. 

In a few short weeks we will commemorate the 2008 National Apology, delivered by PM Kevin Rudd. An important moment of truth-telling that recognised the profound harm caused by the forced removal of our children and the generations of trauma that followed. Yet we must ask ourselves, what has changed since?  

I am writing this to you, as an Aboriginal woman who is deeply tired of reading the relentless negative narratives of her people. Narratives that are written in a history of oppression, systemic racism and harm. 

I seek a future where dignity and respect are not conditional – where every person, including those who use drugs, is met with care, not criminalisation. 

This year, I will be elevating the voices of my people and welcoming others to share in this space. Together, we will continue to trench through the systemic hurdles towards a world of unity, grounded in self-determination and respect. 

I invite you to join in on the conversation where our current drug laws are a First Nations Justice issue.