Makarrata Assembly 2025: Listening, learning, and walking together in solidarity

On Thursday 15 May, Sacred Heart College came together in Quambi for our annual Makarrata Assembly – an invitation to our community to engage in truth-telling, justice, and reconciliation.

Makarrata is a Yolngu word meaning “coming together after a struggle.” It reflects the call to truth-telling, justice, healing, and treaty-making.

Throughout the assembly, more than 20 students led readings, prayers, and reflections that guided the College through key moments in the history of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. We honoured the resilience of the Stolen Generations, acknowledged the truth of frontier massacres, and listened to the voices of First Nations peoples through submissions to the Yoorrook Justice Commission.

Our Mercy values call us to not only learn about injustice but to stand in solidarity with those who have been wronged.

The assembly also marked the launch of our school’s journey to becoming a FIRE Carrier School. We are entering a partnership with the ‘Opening the Doors Foundation’ and committing to reconciliation through education, encounter, and action.

Although National Reconciliation Week officially runs from 27 May to 3 June, we took the opportunity to explore this year’s theme early: “Bridging Now to Next.” It’s a call to reflect on the journey so far, and to commit to the next steps.

We concluded with Goanna’s “Solid Rock”, a song born of awakening, written after the lead singer visited Uluru and recognised the impact of colonisation for the first time. The song has been chosen by Reconciliation Australia to unite community choirs and schools across the nation in a shared moment of reflection and resolve.

Our Makarrata Assembly is a reminder that reconciliation is a daily responsibility. Together, we are called to walk in solidarity, shaped by truth, justice, and love.