To Caitlin Miller and Shonekqua Donovan family is everything and this Reconciliation Week they are calling on the community to get educated about Australia's history.
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At the heart of reconciliation is striving for a positive relationship between the broader Australian community and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
In year 12 at Wauchope High School, Caitlin said, to her Reconciliation Week is about everyone coming together as one.
"I want to see a place where Indigenous and non-Indigenous people come together and celebrate both our past and future," Caitlin said.
"Reconciliation Week is important because it is a chance for us all to pause and learn about what happened in the past, so that we can all be educated."
The dates for National Reconciliation Week remain the same each year; May 27 to June 3 to commemorate two significant milestones in the reconciliation journey.
The first is the successful 1967 referendum which allowed Aboriginal people to be counted in the census and the High Court's Mabo decision.
Caitlin said she is proud to be Aboriginal and makes her feels a sense of belonging.
"I love it, increasingly there are more and more opportunities open to me and I am excited about the future," she said.
"I would love to see more Indigenous and non-Indigenous people coming together and celebrating what makes us unique."
The theme for Reconciliation Week 2019 is Grounded in Truth, Walk together with Courage and both girls encourage the community to consider how to enact that in daily life.
Shonekqua is in year 7 at Wauchope High School and said she hopes national events like Reconciliation Week, Sorry Day and NAIDOC Week shine a light on what is important.
"I think people should ask about things before they pretend to know what they are talking about," Shonekqua said.
"It is easy to judge people but harder to listen and to try and actually understand things.
"So I hope people take a moment and use Reconciliation Week to learn something new."
For Reconciliation Week in Wauchope, a walk will take place at 4.30pm at Rocks Ferry Reserve on Wednesday, May 29.
There will also be a free film screening of Utopia at Wauchope Community Arts Hall on Saturday, June 1 at 5.30pm.
