Christianity Doesn’t Belong To The White Man

In this session, Jane Kennedy talks with Dr Tanya Riches and Rev Tau'alofa (Lofa) Anga’aelangi. Both work in, and have made an important contribution to, the academic and practical space around Indigenous and Pasifika peoples’ experience with religion and spirituality. They reflect on the ways colonisation has robbed these communities of culture and spiritual practices. Jane asks them both, ‘How do you stay Christian?’

Tanya’s work captures the ways in which Aboriginal people lead their churches and bring the richness of community to the way they live and lead. Lofa’s work enables Pacific-Indigenous connection and shared history. We look forward to learning more from them. 

*A note here, Australian Indigenous people often carry the burden of speaking on topics like this along with the heaviness it can bring, and have then been met with public scrutiny and inadequate compensation. We will continue to extend the invitation for Indigenous inclusion in future events but also carry the weight of these topics, without speaking for our Indigenous friends, as is appropriate also.

We acknowledge the Indigenous people of the lands we have recorded on. Our speakers and hosts are located on Aboriginal Country all across the lands now called Australia and Maori lands across Aoteoroa. We pay our respect to Indigenous elders who are custodians of these lands and extend that respect to any Indigenous people attending our event.