'If Australia were a child, she would be traumatised by a past that she is told to forget. She has witnessed her custodians being murdered and raped, scattered to the margins of society. She suffers for what she has seen. She cannot forget. Her heart beat is fading.
On 26 May 2017, a historic moment at Uluru gave this country hope. Those custodians came together, reached in to their own hearts, and gifted us with a roadmap to find the heart of the nation - The Uluru Statement from the Heart. When you read this book, you will be feeling the pulse of this beautiful country, Australia. Finding the Heart of the Nation is a book full of stories about extraordinary people who will take you on an unforgettable journey to a place where we can start a new beginning. This book is a call to action that you will never forget.'
tdash; Thomas Mayor, 2018
Two years ago, a gathering of around 250 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leaders signed the Uluru Statement from the Heart. It is a proposal to commit Australia to a process of truth-telling about its colonial history and treaty making through the establishment of a Makarrata commission, and to enshrine a First Nations representative body in the Constitution.
Since the convention, Thomas Mayor has travelled the country, meeting with Indigenous and non-Indigenous people to talk with them about the hopes and aims that come with Uluru Statement. Thomas, along with many Australians, believes that we will never find the heart of our nation until the First peoples edash; the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders ldash; are recognised in the Australian Constitution.
In this book, Thomas shares the stories of people he has met all around the country. They are Indigenous leaders in their communities and they attended the Convention. Through these 20 interviews and Thomas;squo; own story, readers will gain unique and thoughtful insights into the important place Indigenous people have in our country, and the road map gifted to the whole community to find a fuller expression of Australialsquo;s nationhood.
This is a journey for Thomas ydash; he travels from the capital cities, to towns, remote communities and back to the heart of the continent, Uluru. And he brings readers with him with his words, the interviews and the stunning photos that illustrate his travels.
