’The Ancestors are with us’: Lucashenko’s call to action

Miles Franklin winner Melissa Lucasheko recieves her honorary doctorate at ANU. Image: Tracey Nearmy/ANU. Acclaimed author Melissa Lucashenko has called on Australians to "choose a radically different path" when it comes to the treatment of women, Indigenous Australians and our land, while being honoured for her services to literature at The Australian National University (ANU). The 2019 Miles Franklin winner accepted an honorary doctorate on Tuesday 8 February as part of the University's 2022 graduation ceremonies. Ms Lucashenko used her speech to call out the bullying she sees as the "default setting" in Australian politics.   "Because many Australians have never experienced being treated with full respect, this epidemic of bullying and belittling remains invisible," she said. In her speech, Ms Lucashenko referenced the mistreatment of women in Parliament House. She noted that "rape culture" has been a long-standing issue in Australia's colonial history.   "There's talk of rape culture as well as bullying, but what's is rarely acknowledged is that modern Australia was born out of rape culture and has not evolved past it."  The proud Aboriginal writer of Goorie (Bundjalung) and European heritage also spoke about the climate emergency we're currently facing, and the urgency needed to "save our only home".   "We can choose a radically different path.