Racist hate mail received by local Indigenous leaders has prompted a call to action in the district community.
The husband and wife team at the head of Yarkuwa Indigenous Knowledge Centre - Jeanette OAM and David Crew - say the latest letter, received late last week, has prompted them to make their experiences public.
The letter contained cut out images of the Crews from this newspaper, which were labelled with personal and racial slurs.
It stemmed from their involvement in the National Reconciliation Week’s recognition walk in Deniliquin earlier this month.
It is the second letter the Crews have received in the past 12 months, on top of numerous phone calls and visits which they described as harmful and threatening.
“When you have these types of conversations, these inflammatory words, it makes people feel threatened and it doesn't go away,” Mr Crew said.
“What people have got to realise is that when there's an attack, or what is seen as an attack, it triggers all the other stuff that's happening in people's lives.
“So this is an event, and it's derogatory, it's insulting and it hurts. But again, it triggers that this is part of everything else that's happening.”
Mr Crew said they want to use their own personal experiences as an “example of the hurt that can happen”.
“We want people to continue to contribute to the conversations, but please keep it civil and don’t attack people,” he said.
“I want the issue to be about how we have a mature and respectful conversation.”
The Pastoral Times also understands that district school children have been subject to similar racial attacks because of their Aboriginal heritage.
With important discussions about First Nations people taking place right now - prompted by The Indigenous Voice to Parliament debate - the Crews are now calling on local leaders and state and federal politicians to publicly condemn this racist behaviour.
Mr Crew said he’s contacted NSW Member for Murray Helen Dalton, deputy leader of the National Party and local Federal Senator for NSW Perin Davey, Federal Member for Farrer Sussan Ley and Edward River Council Mayor Peta Betts and asked them to speak out against such behaviours.
“I want those four to speak as one, to say this matter has come to their attention and that significant people in town have been vilified,” Mr Crew said.
“Not for anything they've said but just for being who they are.
“That can't be tolerated, and shouldn't be tolerated.
“Whenever we see that happening, we should be calling it out.
“This is an opportunity for them to step up as leaders.
“It doesn't matter whether they agree or not, this community is going to go through some tough conversations and I expect our leaders to help our community get through that – that's what I think leadership is.
“This is a catalyst to do that, because it actually has happened.”
Senator Davey has responded to Yarkuwa, and also told the Pastoral Times that racism is “never okay under any circumstances, or for any reason”.
“To hear that David and Jeanette Crew, and Yarkuwa Indigenous Knowledge Centre, have received vile and racist messages is extremely disappointing,” she said.
“I have dealt with David, Jeanette and Yarkuwa over many years across a range of issues.
“They are people absolutely dedicated to our community and to sharing knowledge and understanding. They have worked hard to provide opportunities for our local indigenous peoples which ultimately benefits our whole community.”
Member for Farrer Sussan Ley said the hate mail received by the Crews is “not the way decent members of the community behave”.
“I’ve said a number of times during this debate, all of us need to keep a respectful tone,” she said.
Mrs Dalton and Cr Betts were also contacted for comment, but have said they wish to have discussions with the Crews before making any public comments on the matter.
Mr Crew reiterated that Yarkuwa’s doors are always open to people, regardless of their stance on the Voice, to come in and have those conversations.
“We're coming up to the referendum,” he said.
“We need to clear the decks for polite and civil conversations.”
He said the recognition walk, which was organised by local business owner Steve Fawns in partnership with Yarkuwa, is an example of how people in the community can also show their support and recognise First Nations people.
“What we need is for the rest of the community to start coming forward and working to celebrate what is local, what is here,” he said.
“It's everyone's responsibility, not just the Aboriginal community’s responsibility.
“And just taking an understanding that we have a shared history. History is history. We learn from it. We understand this. We recognise the impacts of that and we work together to go forward.”
Deniliquin Police have been notified of the communications received by the Crews, and are investigating.