At the College鈥檚 Reconciliation and Inclusion Assembly on 5 June, Year 11 student Daniel Rivas delivered a powerful and heartfelt speech about his journey as a young Indigenous man from Darwin. Daniel spoke openly and bravely about the pain of cultural disconnection and the struggle to find identity鈥攁 legacy of the Stolen Generations.
Through the support of the Clontarf Academy and his time at St Pat鈥檚, Daniel has begun to reconnect with his heritage and find strength in his story. His message was a powerful call to action: Reconciliation is not just a word鈥攊t鈥檚 about truth, respect, and creating space for all voices to be heard.
Good afternoon students and staff of 乐播传媒视频鈥檚 College.
My name is Daniel Rivas, and I鈥檓 a proud Indigenous young man from Darwin, in the Northern Territory. While I carry this pride with me every day, I want to speak honestly about something that has deeply shaped my journey鈥攖he feeling of disconnection.
Living in the Northern Territory often feels like being caught between two worlds. It鈥檚 a place rich in culture, community, and breathtaking landscapes鈥攂ut also a place marked by deep hurt, especially for young Aboriginal people like me.
Growing up, I saw disconnection all around me鈥攁nd I felt it within myself. I didn鈥檛 grow up with a strong connection to my culture. Many of the ties to my heritage were lost before I even had the chance to understand them. I know I鈥檓 not alone in this. Thousands of others have experienced the same loss, largely due to the impacts of the Stolen Generations. Because of that, many of us struggle with identity. It creates a silence inside鈥攁 space that鈥檚 hard to explain. It鈥檚 like searching for a part of yourself that everyone says is there鈥� but you just can鈥檛 find it.
I feel that silence most when I鈥檓 around other Indigenous people who are strong in their culture鈥攖hose who know their language, their stories, their Mob, and their Country. In those moments, I often feel like an outsider looking in. Like I don鈥檛 belong. Like I鈥檓 an intruder in my own identity. It鈥檚 a feeling of shame, as if I鈥檓 not 鈥渆nough.鈥� And that feeling doesn鈥檛 just live in my head. I feel it in my skin, in the way I stand in a room, in how I speak, and in how I carry myself. You start to see the distance between who you are and who you wish you were and it can be isolating.
I carried those feelings for a long time. But in 2021, I joined the Clontarf Foundation and things began to change. Through Clontarf, I was given the opportunity to attend this great school. And now, here I am, standing before you, sharing my story. Clontarf gave me something I didn鈥檛 expect: a chance to start understanding myself.
Moving to Victoria wasn鈥檛 easy. It was cold and still is! The school felt big and overwhelming. And I was far from home and family. But what made it feel right was knowing that my Mob is from this region. I鈥檓 walking on Country that is part of me even if I didn鈥檛 know it growing up. And that鈥檚 powerful.
Clontarf didn鈥檛 just give me a school, they gave me support, direction, and opportunity. They gave me space to grow. They helped me find confidence. And they support my dream of studying medicine so I can return to remote communities and help where it鈥檚 truly needed.
They also introduced me to Aboriginal art which has become a way for me to express who I am, even when words fall short. They helped me find strength in my story, not shame.
I鈥檓 still learning. I鈥檓 still reconnecting. I鈥檓 still figuring out who I am. But for the first time, I feel like I can. I feel like I deserve to.
Reconciliation is about truth. And the truth is, disconnection hurts. But healing is possible. It doesn鈥檛 happen overnight. Healing is a journey. And when we make space for young people like me to learn, grow, and flourish鈥攚hether it鈥檚 through Clontarf, in classrooms, or in everyday life鈥攚e move forward.
We carry culture forward, not just for ourselves, but for future generations.
So, when we talk about reconciliation, let鈥檚 remember: it鈥檚 not just a word or a week. It鈥檚 an action. It鈥檚 listening. It鈥檚 rebuilding trust, supporting one another, and showing respect. It鈥檚 about telling the truth of our history and believing in a better future.
Thank you.
