178. Navigating the Emotional Echoes of the Referendum
Heidi Mippy on the Voice to Parliament & beyond
Heidi Mippy is a Noongar and Thiin-Mah Warriyangka woman, and a pioneer in Aboriginal education support and community development. For over 25 years, Heidi’s been leading and sharing in many brilliant success stories, with renowned integrity, smarts and spirit. Here, Heidi joins Anthony in the lead up to Australia’s national referendum on an Aboriginal Voice to Parliament this weekend, with no predetermined agenda, clear cut positions, or knowledge of what each other was thinking, going in. We hope this very personal and raw conversation adds something to your deliberations too, as the referendum approaches, and beyond.
“I feel like I haven’t been able to have honest conversations around this topic, and most people I mean, I feel like anyone who knows me knows that I’m a very honest person and pretty transparent about what I think and how I feel. Oh damn, I can feel myself already getting emotional, and this is the thing, is this issue has really got me so emotional at the moment. ”
In an atmosphere charged with emotions and complexities, Heidi and Anthony unravel layers of history, government initiatives, and community expectations. From the polarising conversations within the community to the anxieties that cloud the day after the referendum. We also examine the potential of the referendum, and the Uluru Statement as a whole, and the challenges that loom ahead either way.
But this isn't just about the referendum. It's about the power of community, the potency of 'what ifs', and how to harness that together to finally address our most urgent of needs, and realise our greatest of opportunities.
Head here for automatic cues to chapter markers (also available on the embedded player above), and a transcript of this conversation (please note the transcript is AI generated and imperfect, but hopefully serves to provide greater access to these conversations for those who need or like to read).
Recorded online on 9 October 2023. And produced with human intelligence.
Title slide: Heidi Mippy (sourced here).
Find more:
Voice to Parliament referendum 2023.
Australian government fact sheet on the Voice.
You can hear the previous time Heidi was on the podcast in ep.143, Visited by the Rainbow Serpert. (There are photos on that web page too)
The best-selling book Heidi wrote a chapter for, Rising Matriarch.
Music:
Regeneration, composed by Amelia Barden, from the soundtrack to the film Regenerating Australia.