The only surviving founder of the Aboriginal tent embassy in Canberra yesterday (23 May) told a Wollongong forum that indigenous sovereignty was not a matter of if, but when.
Speaking at a legal symposium held at the University of Wollongong’s Innovation Campus, Michael Anderson said indigenous people had a legal right to sovereignty, which would lead to a complete change in the legal and political dynamics of Australia.
‘‘When our claims are upheld, Australia has to come and talk with us and we have to negotiate how we live together in this country,’’ he said.
‘‘We just have to change the whole dynamics of this country and our relationship ... but it’s not going to be a change to the detriment of the nation, it will be a change for the betterment of the nation.’’
The symposium was organised by legal academics at UOW and Southern Cross University, who said this year had seen renewed focus on the issue of sovereignty, which is the ultimate power to govern or have authority over land or territory.
Some lawyers and Aboriginal activists argue that sovereignty was never extinguished when the British colonised Australia.
Forum co-convener and Southern Cross University lecturer Dr Alessandro Pelizzon agreed with Mr Anderson that sovereignty was undeniable.
‘‘We’re actually beginning a dialogue, a legal dialogue, on the issue because it’s undeniable that there is a claim to sovereignty, it is a fact, and it’s not something that can be denied,’’ Dr Pelizzon said. ‘‘So what we are exploring here is ‘what are the implications?’.’’
Dr Pelizzon said there had been a renewed campaign for sovereignty since Aboriginal activists articulated their claim in Canberra on January 26 this year.
‘‘It’s not a new discourse,’’ he said, ‘‘but it’s a newly supported claim, which hasn’t been supported like that from the grassroots movement so far and the testimony to that is that 40 years ago there was one tent embassy in Canberra ... but since January 26 more Aboriginal tent embassies have [been formed].’’
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More Aboriginal activism is reported at National Unity Government and Treaty Republic.
