‘Voice’, ‘recognition’, ‘sovereignty’ and ‘treaty’ have become a significant part of the language used to discuss the development of Australia's relationship with its Indigenous peoples. For most people these are just words but for First Nations people, they symbolise hope for a better and more inclusive future, with more involvement in the decisions that directly affect their lives.
Every 26th of January Australia marks the beginning of British colonisation in 1788.
Over time it's been called many things - “Anniversary Day”, “First Landing Day” or “Foundation Day” - and in 1994 was renamed again to “Australia Day”.
But it's a controversial name - many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples since 1938 have seen January 26th as a ‘Day of Mourning’, and in recent times many have referred to the day as ‘Invasion Day’ or ‘Survival Day’.
Some multicultural communities call it simply “January 26”.
Behind the different names is the concept of Sovereignty: the inherent jurisdiction of Indigenous Australians over their lands and peoples that existed prior to European arrival and was never ceded.
However amongst Indigenous groups, there are different views about how Sovereignty should be recognised.
This is the starting point of Australia’s public debate about “Recognition”, “Treaty”, “Voice”, and “Truth”.
Making constitutional change to recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people is no simple matter.
The process as it stands in 2020 has been underpinned by recommendations from decades of expert panels, Senate inquiries, constitutional commissions and referendum councils.
The Uluru Statement from the Heart is the most well-known model to be put forward.
The aim of recognising Indigenous Australians in the Constitution is to give them a “Voice” that would enable them to influence decisions on matters that concern their communities.
The federal government has put together three advisory bodies to co-design a ‘Voice’ for Aboriginal people, working at national, regional and local levels.
