eddie mabo speech transcript
My people are the Gangulu from the Dawson Valley in Central Queensland. It's the anniversary of a court decision that recognized for . Mabo | Film Analysis, Summary, Themes & Characters Eddie Koiki Mabo was a Torres Strait Islander, known for his role in campaigning for Indigenous land rights and for the landmark decision of the High Court of Australia that overturned the legal doctrine of terra nullius ('land belonging to nothing, no one') which characterised Australian law with regards to land and title. We cross rivers and we are changed like the water itself. A case was made, and took 10 years to reach a decision. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people should be aware that the National Archives' website and collection contain the names, images and voices of people who have died. And it was this; hardly any compensation has come our way despite all of the fear mongering over the years about the rivers of compensation that would flow from the realization of our rights under land rights and native title. At: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/Development/Pages/RealizingaVisionforTransformativeDevelopment.aspx (viewed 9 June 2015), [8] N Collings, Native title, economic development and the environment, Australian Law Reform Commission Journal 15, 2009. Born on 29 June 1936 in his village of Las on the island of Mer in the Torres Strait, Eddie Koiki Mabo was the fourth child of Robert Zesou Sambo and Poipe (Sambo) Mabo. Help your class to explore the life of Eddie Mabo with this engaging and educational biography-writing task. [1] Cast [ edit] Jimi Bani as Eddie Mabo Gedor Zaro as Young Eddie Deborah Mailman as Bonita Mabo (ne Neehow) Mabo (film) - Wikipedia Eddie Koiki Mabo died of cancer on 21 January 1991, before the case was resolved. My predecessor Dr Tom Calma explained the impact of never implementing a social justice package in 2008: this abyss is one of the underlying reasons why the native title system is under the strain it is under today[5]. This service may include material from Agence France-Presse (AFP), APTN, Reuters, AAP, CNN and the BBC World Service which is copyright and cannot be reproduced. When the decision overturning Terra Nullius eventually came, the judges referred to the policy as "the darkest aspect of (our) national history" and one that left "a legacy of unutterable shame". Les Malezer, chairman of the Foundation for Aboriginal and Islander Research Action, is critical of the native title system for its failure to deliver for indigenous people. Those cases resulted in the acknowledgment that Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples had the right to claim the land they and their ancestors had lived on for thousands of years. A lawyer heard the speech and asked Eddie if he would like to challenge the Australian Government in the court system, to decide who the true owner of the land on Mer was, his . The issue of compensation goes to the core of the initial intent of addressing the historical dispossession of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples from their lands and waters. Keating begins by discussing the moral and legal implications of the decision. "From self-respect comes dignity, and from dignity comes hope": Meeting Justice John Willis said: "In Australia it is the colonists not the Aborigines are the foreigners.". When voices within democracies silenced and marginalised are demanding to be heard, we are bringing oursand challenging our democracy to examine itself and for our constitution to be seeded in the first footprints, not just the first settlers. [1] J Altman., (2014) Scullion Peddles pipedream reforms, Journal of Indigenous Policy, At: http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/journals/JlIndigP/2014/33.pdf (viewed 5 June 2015). Credit: Alex Ellinghausen No wonder Mr Abbott was visibly moved as he thanked "Aunty Gail" for . In going down this track we have to understand and have to get these institutions to understand that there is a fair dinkum business case for doing this because we have had enough of welfare and charity. 2017 presentation by Professor Megan Davis, Pro Vice Chancellor Indigenous, University of New South Wales. But despite the success of the '67 campaign, in 1972 Eddie Mabo still had to get permission from the Queensland authorities to visit his dying father on Mer Island. Milosz wrote into the horror of the 20th century as he saw war all around him. Mabo expressed disbelief and shock. Despite the fact that the challenge of gaining native title is still a fight that many of us share, there has been a shift in focus now and we have started to see a gradual change in terms of ownership. To Eddie Koiki Mabo and chief justice Sir Gerard Brennan. In 1981, Eddie Mabo made a speech at James Cook University in Queensland, where he explained his people's beliefs about the ownership and inheritance of land on Mer. Eddie Mabo was a great hero to the Australian people. Eddie Mabo was a man of courage and principle who fought for the inherent rights of the Meriam people, and ultimately for the rights of all Torres Strait Islanders and Aboriginal peoples. Eddie Koiki Mabo | AIATSIS We all know about the legacy of native title left by Meriam and Murray Islanders Edward Koiki Mabo, David Passi and James Rice. Two generations talk about the impact of the 1967 Referendum and the 1992 Mabo Decision . A clear theme from the Broome Roundtable revealed a common frustration among many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. That was Eddie Mabos gift. Australian PM makes historic visit to Mabo's grave - BBC News The truth: This was his land. In some ways our systems of governance is a defining feature of the oldest living culture on this planet. What Exactly Is 'Mabo Day' And Why Is June 3 Such An - ELLE This is our land. Rob was at the forefront of the fight for land in Western Australia, particularly at Nookanbah and when the WA Government led the resistance to national land rights legislation. Our News I walked into the news meeting at the ABC with words. The conference, 'Land Rights and the Future of Australian Race Relations', was sponsored by the Townsville Treaty Committee and the James Cook University's Student Union. [12] Native Title Act 1993 (Cth), preamble. In 1992 the High Court handed down its historic ruling. A human rights based approach has been a key part of advocacy of all Social Justice Commissioners. Mabo was a Torres Strait islander from Mer (Murray Island), off Australia's north-east coast. Mabo: Life of an Island Man - Wikipedia The former president of Western Australia's Liberal Party, Bill Hassel, said the ruling was greeted with "outrage". As Kevin Mason divedin the ocean, a compliance officer waswatching on the cliffs above. Friends we are the First Peoples of this country and we are the oldest living culture in the world because of our ability to adapt to ever changing environments and circumstances. Finally, the remaining key theme of the meeting was the issue of our right as Indigenous peoples to development. I was no lawyerbut I knew I sensed this was different. Suggested answer: While working as a grounds keeper at James Cook University in Townsville, Eddie learnt about Australian land ownership laws. I have heard it at dawn as the earth crackles, the river waters run, and the animals stir as the Sun peers above the hills and the light strikes the trees on my beloved Wiradjuri country. About 800 kilometers north of Cairns sits the small remote community of Mer (Murray) Island in the crystal blue waters of the Torres Strait. The Court also recognised that all Indigenous people in Australia have rights to their land. Mabo Collection | National Library of Australia Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander viewers are advised that this resource and resource page may contain the image, name or voice of deceased persons. These skills will enable us to make better and informed decisions for maximum benefit and I look forward, as I am sure you do, to the release of IBAs investment principles, which they are currently developing in partnership with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and organisations across the country. Jenny Macklin MP, Minister for Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs. At 31, this affrontery became his epiphany. Eddie Mabo and Gerard Brennan overturned the terra nullius policy and changed Australia forever. AEST = Australian Eastern Standard Time which is 10 hours ahead of GMT (Greenwich Mean Time), abc.net.au/news/eddie-mabo-lecture-stan-grant-terra-nullius-gerard-brennan/101126466, The man who 'took on the government' and won, Supplied: Australian Institute of Marine Science/Ray Berkelmans, Kevin was fishing for his family when he was confronted by a 'compliance officer', Australia's biggest drug bust: $1 billion worth of cocaine linked to Mexican cartel intercepted, Four in hospital after terrifying home invasion by gang armed with machetes, knives, hammer, 'We have got the balance right': PM gives Greens' super demands short shrift, Crowd laughs as Russia's foreign minister claims Ukraine war 'was launched against us', The tense, 10-minute meeting that left Russia's chief diplomat smoking outside in the blazing sun, 'Celebrity leaders': Mike Pompeo, Nikki Haley take veiled jabs at Donald Trump in CPAC remarks, Hong Kong court convicts three members of Tiananmen vigil group for security offence, as publisher behind Xi biography released, 'How dare they': Possum Magic author hits out at 'ridiculous' Roald Dahl edits, Vanuatu hit by two cyclones and twin earthquakes in two days, the colonists not the Aborigines are the foreigners, Justice Lionel Murphy rattled the bones of the Australian settlement, Ngunnawal traditional owners announce plans to lodge native title claim over ACT and parts of NSW, These men have 'unfinished business' with native title and their case could change Australia, Gail Mabo was with her newborn son when she learnt her father had corrected history 30 years ago, Former High Court Chief Justice who wrote lead judgement on Mabo decision dies one day before its 30th anniversary, Rare sighting of bird 'like Beyonce, Prince and Elvis all turning up at once', Emily was studying law when she had to go to court. Mabo gained an education, became an activist for black rights and worked with his community to make sure Aboriginal children had their own schools. Uncle Eddie 'Koiki' Mabo. Mabo : Working with Indigenous Australians The Roundtable was held after there was significant interest on this issue when Commissioner Wilson and I undertook some consultations around the country last year. To seek justice we had to speak the words of British law. It was awarded Best Documentary at the Australian Film Institute Awards and the Sydney Film Festival.It also received the Script Writing Award at the New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards. He knew about hope and he knew about justice. "The High Court, which is not elected by anybody, not accountable to anybody, had presumed to move into the legislative area to make a whole new law," he said. However, most importantly of all, we are now faced with the challenge of how to make the most of our rights to land and native title once we have them, for our prosperity and sustainability. Edward Koiki Mabo ( n Sambo; 29 June 1936 - 21 January 1992) was an Indigenous Australian man from the Torres Strait Islands known for his role in campaigning for Indigenous land rights in Australia, in particular the landmark decision of the High Court of Australia that recognised that indigenous rights to land had continued after the British Overwhelmingly, what participants told us at the Roundtable was that whilst there had been an expansion of the Indigenous estate since the commencement of the Native Title Act that it largely has not delivered sustainable outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. (2013 lecture transcript), 2012 Presentation by Professor Henry Reynolds. 2006 Presentation by Professor Larissa Behrendt. Document: 00003849.pdf 1 Page(s) Speech at the Gurindji Land Ceremony. This is our land. Watch all your favourite ABC programs on ABC iview. OM95-26 Mabo Cutting Books 1990-1994 - (2 vols.) Rejected at each turn. The second key theme that was raised at the roundtable was the issue of financing economic development within the Indigenous estate. To sign treaties. They then said to tell you they are aware of your continued fight for your culture and your country and salute you for your ongoing struggle. But 20 years after the judgement, there's still a debate among constitutionalists, lawyers and politicians about the legacy of Mabo. The new conversation that we need to be having around our rights to land and resources has been captured in the thematic areas I have just spoken about. And in some cases native title had become a millstone, almost drowning people in a sea of regulation, red tape and process without any semblance of necessary support. Of law. At: https://www.humanrights.gov.au/sites/default/files/document/publication/social_justice_native_title_report_2013.pdf (viewed 5 June 2015), [5] T Calma, Native Title Report 2008, Australian Human Rights Commission (2009), p 46. The nation remained diminished. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are advised that this site may contain names, images or voices of people who have passed away. According to accounts of the conversation, the two scholarly figures looked at each other and then, delicately, told Mabo that he didn't own the land and that it was Crown land. He knew about suffering. When I looked over the lives of these two great Australians I was struck by the similarities of their struggles and the qualities they each . Mabo expressed. Mabo - as in Eddie Mabo, who famously fought a winning fight against the legal doctrine of terra nullius to enshrine Aboriginal land rights in law - is referenced on two occasions. Eternal. In 1979 Wiradjuri man and law student Paul Coewalked the path that Eddie Mabo would follow all the way to the High Court of Australia. It goes on to mention the yet unfulfilled nature of redress through a social justice package that I alluded to earlier: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have been progressively dispossessed of their lands. : he world to possession and I emfphasise Opossessions The High Court is the highest court in Australia's judicial system. During this time he enrolled as a student and studied teaching at the College of Advanced Education, which later amalgamated with JCU. The decision. Mabo's credibility as the primary witness for the case was savaged . On 3 June 1992 the High Court of Australia ruled that a group of Torres Strait Islander people, led by Eddie Mabo, owned the island of Mer (Murray Island). 2004 Presentation by Fr Frank Brennan SJ AO. The justices spoke of a legacy of "unutterable shame"and that the dispossession of Indigenous people was the darkest aspect of Australia's history. Mabo/The Man/Justice Moynihan's Findings The theme of this years conference is Leadership, Legacy and Opportunity. What did Eddie Mabo say in his speech? They both endured early hard lives that steeled them for the struggles that would eventually come their way. At: http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/features/property-rights-will-help-economic-development-of-indigenous-australians/story-e6frg6z6-1227365821530 (viewed 3 June 2015), [4] T Calma, Native Title Report 2005, Australian Human Rights Commission, 2005, p82. The new Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, says there will be a referendum to enshrine a voice an Indigenous representative body in the Australian constitution. He also co-operated with members of the Communist Party, the only white political party to support Aboriginal campaigns at the time. The most important revelation arising from Eddie Mabo's claim and the High Court's decision was that an ancient title connected to the traditional occupation of the land by Aboriginal and Islander people had survived the . He was, if you like, an Australian Nelson Mandela, someone who led his people in a struggle against incalculable odds, to what was rightfully theirs. The preamble to the Native Title Act makes it clear that the objectives of the legislation are to: rectify the consequences of past injustices by the special measures contained in the Act to ensure that Aboriginal peoples and Torres Strait Islanders receive the full recognition and status within the Australian nation to which history, their prior rights and interests, and their rich and diverse culture, fully entitle them to aspire.[11]. In New South Wales, the most populous state, Aboriginal people have title over only 0.1% of the land. The significance of Mabo Day - ABC Education These organisations could assist in under-writing costs, insurance and risk as well as helping explore options for Indigenous specific loan products. The fall of the golden house of is but not the end. Tenacity, fearlessness, fearsome, tireless are some of the words that come to mind when the names Rob Riley and Eddie Mabo are mentioned. . The National Archives holds a diverse array of records relating to the Mabo case. In 1973 Mabo founded the Black Community School in Townsville, which was created to educate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and preserve traditional knowledge and practices. No transcript available, 2016 Lecture Presentation by Professor N M Nakata, Pro-Vice Chancellor for Indigenous Education and Strategy, James Cook University (Transcript), 2016 Lecture Presentation by Professor N M Nakata, Pro-Vice Chancellor for Indigenous Education and Strategy, James Cook University (2016 Lecture Transcript), 2015 Presentation by The Hon. Mabo and his fellow plaintiff's fought for land on Mer - their ancestral gardens and home.
eddie mabo speech transcript