The members of the Board of Iyengar Yoga Australia recognise the long-term disadvantage of First Nations peoples and acknowledge that without a permanent Voice to Parliament Indigenous communities across Australia will continue to be adversely and disproportionately impacted by the decisions of lawmakers.
The Voice to Parliament, which will go to a referendum later this year, seeks an important amendment to the Australian Constitution to recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the first custodians of our land, and to respect their right to be consulted on matters that directly affect them and their communities.
While we do not speak on behalf of IYA members, we do encourage you to consider what is being asked of Australian citizens in voting on this referendum so that you are well informed and able to take the action you feel is appropriate. If you visit https://voice.gov.au/ you can find a wide range of materials, including the original Uluru Statement from the Heart.
In supporting the YES campaign, board members note our own deep connection to lineage, going back to Patanjali, the Yoga Sutras and the Iyengar family, in acknowledging First Nations peoples as the original custodians of this land, with strong connections to place, and with the right to have a say in how they live and contribute to Australian society. The Board’s endorsement of the “Yes” campaign for a Voice to Parliament is to highlight the importance of this debate in determining how we, as a country, recognise and respect our Indigenous peoples.