Gail Mabo discusses her art - and the meaning of reconciliation

Gail Mabo - the photo does not do justice
to the beautiful vibrant colours in the artwork

This National Reconciliation Week, my dayjob workplace (the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations) held a panel discussion featuring people from the department's executive, Reconciliation Australia and Gail Mabo.

Gail is the daughter of Eddie Koiki Mabo and Boneta Mabo - her father being the person with his name forever bound to Native Title rights thanks to his tenacious activism and Australia's High Court.

Gail is an accomplished painter, and three of her pieces were on display at the event. She talked with me afterwards about the stories behind them. And I learnt a few things along the way:

Exploring the beauty of a creekbank cutting

Some of the observations Gail shared during the panel discussion:

I tell my kids we are all rainbow people - we all bleed the same colour. That's what reconciliation is about. It starts at home.

When Indigenous people meet, they first place the person into a mindmap of everyone they know. Then they have a relationship to talk about. When you're introduced to someone, as soon as you take an interest in where they're from, you open the path for conversation.