It’s hard to make sense of the events of the last 24 hours – or the last five days.
The only thing we know for sure is that a family is heartbroken. And that Alice Springs is grieving.
That Kumanjayi Little Baby is gone and her death has sent ripples right across the country.
As the days ticked on, everyone remained hopeful and then came the news none of us wanted to hear. We’re all struggling to deal with how we respond and how we react in collective grief.
While we have seen something horrific happen, we’ve also had a national spotlight on what people who aren’t familiar with Alice Springs are likely seeing for the first time – how incredible our community is.
And maybe after a history of unfair judgement, people have seen who we actually are, how we come together and show deep love and caring in a situation that is every parent’s worst nightmare.
We have been able to show how deeply we love and care for our children and what we will do to bring babies home to the arms of their families. Our community rallied to provide assistance during the search, and we will continue to come together to mourn this terrible loss.
The strength and heart that the nation has seen this week, is the strength that the community will draw on as we navigate out of this tragedy.
But while we are hurting, we need to keep the words of Kumanjayi Little Baby’s family in mind, as they remind us not to lash out.
They have told us that violence is not the answer. They have told us justice will take its course but now is the time to mourn.
It’s important people know there are supports out there and I encourage people to use these services.
The violence we saw was not excusable. The unrest we have seen in Alice Springs is not acceptable in law and lore, but what it shows is the depth of emotions being felt in the community.
It’s also a sign from the community that the grief they feel is visceral and it will take leadership to bring change.
It is not the time for blame or finger pointing. It’s not a time to stir emotion on social media for click bait or to be a hero.
There will be a time to prosecute issues that may have contributed to this tragedy.
And we should examine any failure in corrections and justice policies.
When the time comes, we need to examine failures in social and housing policies.
When the time comes, we must ask how a young woman looking after a beautiful young baby ends up in overcrowded housing.
This was not a failure of a family, or a community. Kumanjayi Little Baby was loved.
The Secretariat of National Aboriginal and Islander Child Care and other community-controlled organisations have been signalling that structural change is desperately needed. We have been saying there is not enough appropriate support for our families and our children.
We have collectively and repeatedly called for change in our justice systems that addresses the underlying drivers to of crime like poverty, education and community safety.
Being tough on crime doesn’t mean more people in jails, it means doing the hard work that is repeatedly ignored.
These things are true, and they are real, and they are very serious. They are issues that have been on the table for a long time and not being listened to.
But at the heart of all those unanswered questions, is a genuine concern for what happened to this little girl and acknowledgement that her family is in tatters.
The conversation we need to have is one that starts with calm, one of safety, one of caring, and one that reminds us how we come together and protect each other.
Now is a time when we need to hold our babies that bit closer as we remember Kumanjayi Little Baby.
I leave you with the words of her grandfather, Robin Granites in his response to the incredible messages of support from people across the nation “All I can do for now for our beautiful little baby is say thank you, and cry”.