Over fifty per cent of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people believe Australia is a racist country, reports the Australian Reconciliation Barometer (ARB).
The survey, which examines relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people, also found an increase in the instances of racism towards First nations people compared to four years ago.
Growing levels of support for a Voice to Parliament and treaties were also identified.
'Foundations strong, challenges ahead'
The Reconciliation Australia report, released on Wednesday, seeks to identify "which areas are progressing and where more effort is needed for a more reconciled Australia".
For Reconciliation Australia CEO Karen Mundine, the report is, in most parts, a win.
"Overall, we're seeing that on all of the key measures of reconciliation ... they're still holding pretty strong and that's really heartening for us," she told NITV.
Ms Mundine says the results signal a strong foundation from which reconciliation efforts can be continued.
"That being said, we've still got some challenges ahead. And that just means that all of us have a role to play in this," she said.
"It has to start somewhere and so it's how we deepen those relationships, how we build on them, how we unpack things like racism, and how we lean into those bigger conversations around truth-telling around what does treaty really mean and what does the voice look like?
"How do we give agency to First Nations peoples?"
Reconciliation Australia CEO Karen Mundine spoke to NITV about the 2022 ARB. Source: AAP / Rohan Thomson/AAP Image
'We need our allies to step up'
The report also found that 60 per cent of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people surveyed had experienced at least one form of prejudice in the past 6 months - up from 43 per cent in 2018.
This is despite a reported decrease of racist interactions with police, shop staff, real estate agents and medical staff.
Ms Mundine attributed the decrease to the implementation of "racial discrimination laws and policies" and improvements in "diversity and inclusion", and noted that the report did not capture online abuse and racial vilification, which could explain the higher overall rate.
"We need greater understanding about what racism is, and also this is where, from a reconciliation perspective, we need our allies to step up and step in," she said.
While only 42 per cent of the general population agreed Australia was a racist country, 57 per cent of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people agreed.
This is down from 60 per cent in 2020, measured in the midst of the Black Lives Matter movement.
Racism experienced 'on a daily basis': UTS report
The ARB results come the same day as the release of the inaugural University of Technology Sydney's Jumbunna Institute Call It Out report.
The report examined 267 validated reports of racism across six months.
It found that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people experience racism of all forms and all levels on a daily basis.
The report noted an increase in the rates of racism experienced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Source: AAP
Ready for Referendum
The ABR also measured increased support for both Treaty and a Voice to Parliament.
Almost 80 per cent of those involved in the ARB supported formally recognising Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and cultures in the Constitution.
Eighty-six per cent of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people wanted to establish a representative Indigenous body, and 87 per cent wanted it installed into the Constitution to protect it from changing governments.
From the Heart Director, Dean Parkin said the findings on constitutional protection "are telling”.
“It shows that Australians know the Voice to Parliament has to be above conventional party politics and the only way we can do that is by putting it in the hands of the people through a referendum,” he said.
“The Australian community know we can’t keep doing the same thing and expect real change. Constitutional recognition through a Voice to Parliament is our opportunity for a fair and practical change that will unify our nation.”
Treaty and truth-telling gain mammoth support
Support for Treaty increased massively by 25 per cent in four years.
Over 85 per cent of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people support developing a treaty, with 72 per cent of the general population agreeing.
Ms Mundine believes much of the take-up is a by-product of Victoria's progress toward Treaty.
"I think support comes when people start to understand things a little bit more. They're seeing the practicalities, they're seeing it play out, and they're seeing that it's not the sky is not falling in," she said.
"So, [there is] greater awareness because things are happening on the ground."
According to Greens Senator Lidia Thorpe, who has remained an advocate for Treaty, it remains "unfinished business".
“Treaty was promised by Bob Hawke's Labor government in the 80s and it’s still unfinished business today,” she said.
“There’s growing support for First Nations people to be in the driver’s seat when it comes to making decisions about our community, our Country, and our culture.”
When it comes to truth-telling, 83 per cent of Australians support a formal truth-telling process, with 86 per cent believing it’s crucial for “all Australians to learn about past issues of European colonisation and government policies for First Nations Australians”.
Greens Senator Lidia Thorpe in the Senate chamber at Parliament House in Canberra, Tuesday, October 25, 2022. Source: AAP / MICK TSIKAS/AAPIMAGE
