| Summary |
Huggins speaks of her work on the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation when she joined in 1995 at the beginning of its second term, the new members and the dominant voices, how its program was run and dominated by the Executive functioning as an old boys' club, her impressions of Ian Viner, Ray Martin and Patrick Dodson as the Chairperson, how they defined reconciliation, her version of reconciliation, the cliques and personalities composing the Council, her role as a conciliator, Coombs' Treaty Committee in the 1980s, travelling with Patrick Dodson, the issues before the Council, particularly native title, leadership styles, the stolen generations, political pressures on the government, Dodson's resignation and Evelyn Scott as new Chairperson, new style of administration, composition of the Council in its third term starting 1998 characterised by a more democratic Executive, task allocation, gender issues, how Jackie and Evelyn were refused service by a taxi driver in Sydney.
Huggins speaks of being in charge of the Draft Declaration working with David Malouf, the Government reaction to the Draft, the community reaction blamed Jackie for being too soft, the version issued by John Howard and Geoff Clarke's role, the apology, how the Treaty appeared on the agenda and her views on the treaty proposal, the public march across the Sydney Harbour Bridge and her reaction to it, what reconciliation means to her, Reconciliation 2000 and who attended, the emotions of some of the speeches at the Opera House, how she feels about the attitudes of white Australia, the issue of forgiveness, how the Treaty proposal arose, relations between the Council and ATSIC, the purpose and plans of Reconciliation Australia, membership and fundraising.
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| Biography/History |
Jackie Huggins is an Aboriginal writer, historian and activist. She graduated with Bachelor of Arts from the University of Queensland and has completed a Diploma of Education and Honours in History and Women's Studies from Flinders University. Jackie is a member of the Australian Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation, Co-Commissioner for the Stolen Generation Inquiry, and Deputy Director of the Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander Studies Unit at University of Queensland. Her book "Auntie Rita" was shortlisted for the Nita Kibble Award for Australian Women Writers, 1995.
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