Od presude Mabo do savremene Australije: stalna priča o pravu na zemlju autohtonih naroda

Australia - Bungle Bungles - Eco Tourism

Tamba Banks of the Jaru tribe, whose family once lived in the Bungle Bungles, [known to her people as Billingjal], is one of the traditional owners of the Purnululu national park. Credit: Barry Lewis/Corbis via Getty Images

Australija je širom svijeta poznata po bogatim i raznolikim kulturama svojih Prvih naroda. Ali kada je riječ o native title-u i zemljišnim pravima, možda se još uvijek pitate šta tačno znače. Saznajte šta native title predstavlja u Australiji, kako je započeo sa slučajem Mabo, šta propisuje Zakon o native title-u i zašto je sve to važno za sve Australce.


Najvažnije
  • Native title je pravno priznanje da aboridžinski narodi i narodi Torresovog Moreuza imaju trajnu vezu s kopnom i vodama, zasnovanu na tradicionalnim zakonima i običajima.
  • Native title omogućava zajednicama Prvih naroda da zaštite svoju kulturu.
  • Većina ljudi, posebno onih koji žive u gradovima i u vlastitim domovima, nije direktno pogođena native title-om, ali njegovo razumijevanje može pomoći u učestvovanju u razgovorima o njemu.

UPOZORENJE: Ova priča sadrži slike i imena preminulih osoba.
Native title, zemljišna prava i ugovor (treaty) su tri različita pristupa koja se koriste kako bi se ojačala ova kultura i kako bi Aboridžini i narodi Torresovog moreuza ostali povezani sa zemljom. Više o zemljišnim pravima i ugovoru možete saznati u našim prethodnim epizodama.

Ova epizoda se fokusira na native title - pravu autohtonih naroda na zemlju, šta je njegova historija, kako se razlikuje od zemljišnih prava i šta znači danas.

Kako je nastao native title?

Više od 200 godina Australija je bila proglašena terra nullius, što znači „ničija zemlja“, ne priznajući Aboridžine i narode Torresovog moreuza koji su ovdje živjeli prije dolaska bijelih doseljenika.

To se promijenilo jednim historijskim pravnim slučajem – slučajem Mabo.

1982., grupa naroda Meriam predvođena Eddiejem Koikijem Mabom pokrenula je sudski postupak tražeći priznanje svog tradicionalnog vlasništva nad Murray ostrvima u Torresovom moreuzu — maloj grupi ostrva iznad vrha Queenslanda, na samom sjeveru Australije.

Slučaj je bio dugotrajan i trajao je gotovo deset godina. Zatim je 1992. Visoki sud Australije donio presudnu odluku priznajući da narod Meriam ima native title nad svojom zemljom. Ova presuda bila je historijska; srušila je dugotrajnu pravnu fikciju ‘terra nullius’.

Nakon te odluke, 1993. godine u Federalnom parlamentu usvojen je Zakon o native title-u (Native Title Act 1993).

15. novembra 1993., tadašnji premijer Paul Keating obratio se naciji, izlažući odgovor australske vlade na presudu Mabo.

„Odluka Suda je nesumnjivo bila pravedna. Odbacila je laž i priznala istinu. Laž je bila terra nullius – zgodna fikcija da je Australija bila ničija zemlja. Istina je bila native title – činjenica da je zemlja nekada pripadala Aboridžinima i narodima Torresovog moreuza i da je na nekim mjestima pravo na nju preživjelo 200 godina evropskog naseljavanja.“


Šta znači native title (pravo na zemlju autohtonog stanovništva)?

Native title je priznanje da neki pripadnici Prvih naroda i dalje imaju prava na svoju zemlju i vode, zasnovano na njihovim tradicionalnim zakonima i običajima.

Ta prava ne dodjeljuju vlade niti nastaju pregovorima — ona se priznaju od strane australskih sudova.

Native title se često opisuje kao „svežanj prava“ jer obuhvata mnoga različita prava, a ne samo jedno. Ta prava mogu uključivati korištenje zemlje i voda za lov, ribolov, ceremonije i brigu o važnim kulturnim mjestima.

Ona priznaje kolektivna ili zajednička prava koja potiču iz dugotrajnih kulturnih i duhovnih tradicija, a ne iz komercijalnog vlasništva.

Međutim, native title ne zamjenjuje druge načine korištenja zemljišta, poput poljoprivrede, rudarstva ili aktivnosti lokalne uprave. Na mnogim mjestima, ti načini korištenja postoje zajedno s native title-om.

To znači da pripadnici Prvih naroda često dijele prava na zemlju s drugima, poput farmera, rudara ili općinskih vijeća.

Za aboridžinske i zajednice moreuza Torres, native title je mnogo više od zemlje — on je pitanje identiteta, kulture i pripadnosti.

Profesor Peter Yu, Yawuru vođa i akademik, objašnjava:

„Ono što native title čini jeste da vam pruža priliku da redefinišete prirodu temeljnih pravila koja upravljaju vašom zajednicom i odnosima. Dakle, u osnovi, to je u kontekstu moje vlastite zajednice. Ono što čini takođe pruža obnovljenu osnovu za učenje i ponovno učenje jezika, pjesme i plesa, te kulturnog znanja, kako bismo mogli nastaviti put izgradnje nasljedničkih sposobnosti u našim porodicama i našim plemenskim skupinama.“

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Australian Prime Minister Paul Keating (1993).

Zašto je native title složen?

Postizanje priznanja nije jednostavno.

Da bi se uspostavio native title, zajednice moraju pokazati stalnu vezu sa zemljom — često kroz usmene historije, priče i zapise prenesene s generacije na generaciju.

Pravni proces je složen, a tradicionalni zakoni i običaji se ne uklapaju uvijek lako u zapadne pravne okvire.

Advokatica Gwynette Govardhan, koja se specijalizirala za native title i zakon o naslijeđu, objašnjava izazove:

„Pokušavate uklopiti tradicionalnu kulturu u neki okvir, mi samo pokušavamo to nagurati i učiniti da funkcioniše, dok zapravo postoje inherentni izazovi u tome što stvara probleme, jer sam sistem u koji pokušavamo uklopiti nije stvoren niti je okvir dizajniran za to.“
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Pravnici iz Yinhawangke, Marlon Cooke (lijevo) i David Cox ('Barndu') (desno) s Gwynette Govardhan u zemlji Yinhawangka tokom terenskog izleta radi prikupljanja dokaza (priča i oznaka na terenu) o kulturnoj baštini.

Koliki dio Australije je obuhvaćen native title -om?

Ipak, native title je donio stvarne i trajne promjene.

Pomogao je zajednicama da ožive svoje jezike, obnove tradicionalne načine brige o zemlji i vodama, te preuzmu snažniju ulogu u odlučivanju o svojoj zemlji.

Od kada je uveden Zakon o native title-u native title sada obuhvata 40 posto Australije, većinom u udaljenim i regionalnim područjima, gdje je tradicionalna veza s teritorijom očuvana.

Ali važno je zapamtiti da je ovo različito od vlasništva nad zemljom.

Ako živite u gradu ili regionalnom području, kao mnogi migranti, native title vjerovatno neće mijenjati vaš svakodnevni život — ali njegovo razumijevanje je korak ka poštovanju i pomirenju.

Gwynette Govardhan objašnjava:

„Mislim da je zaista važno znati, vrlo općenito govoreći, da prava i interesi poput native title-a zapravo neće utjecati na ljude na ličnom nivou…“


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Yinhawangka Country in the Pilbara region taken by Gwynette Govardhan during an on Country field trip.

Zašto je native title važan za sve Australce?

Kao što je Paul Keating rekao osvrćući se na presudu Mabo, uvođenje native title-a u australijski sistem upravljanja zemljom nije bilo samo pitanje pravde za narode Prvih naroda, već i korak naprijed za sve Australce.

„Možemo gledati na Mabo kao na ogromnu priliku koju predstavlja. Priliku da ispravimo historijsku nepravdu. Priliku da prevaziđemo historiju oduzimanja zemlje. Priliku da obnovimo vijekovnu vezu između aboridžinske zemlje i kulture. Priliku da izliječimo izvor gorčine. Priliku da priznamo aboridžinsku kulturu kao odlučujući element našeg nacionalnog identiteta i da jasno pokažemo da ova Australija – moderna, slobodna i tolerantna Australija – može biti sigurno i plodno mjesto za sve – uključujući i Prve Australce.“


Rasprave o zemljišnim pravima, ugovorima (treaty) i native title-u i dalje se vode širom Australije. Ove tri stvari imaju različite pravne i političke procese, ali sve imaju cilj priznati vezu naroda Prvih naroda s njihovom zemljom i podržati njihovu samoodređenost.

„Treba da imamo svoju zemlju, svoju kulturu, svoj jezik i svoju zajednicu. Nismo protiv razvoja, ali nam je potrebno da ovo bude temelj,“ kaže profesor Yu.

Native title je jedan dio kontinuirane priče Australije o priznanju — i o održavanju povezanosti najstarijih živih kultura na svijetu s njihovim zemljama i vodama.


Audio snimak obraćanja premijera Paula Keatinga iz 1993. godine, uz ljubazno dopuštenje National Archives of Australia (NAA).

Pretplatite se ili pratite podcast Australia Explained za više vrijednih informacija i savjeta o prilagođavanju na novi život u Australiji.

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SBS acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country and their connections and continuous care for the skies, lands and waterways across Australia.

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You're listening to Australia Explained, an SBS audio podcast helping you navigate life in Australia.

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Warning, this story contains the names of people who have passed.

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Native title continues to evolve with new agreements shaping how land, water, and heritage are protected for future generations across Australia.

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I'm Nikayah Hutchings, a proud Wanneroo Rongai woman, and today I'll be hosting this special episode of Australia Explained. Australia is known around the world for its rich and diverse First Nations cultures, but when it comes to native title and land rights, you might still wonder what they actually mean. So, what is native title, and how did it come about?

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Native title, land rights, and treaty are three different approaches used to strengthen this culture and keep Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders connected to the land. You can find out more about land rights and treaty in our previous episodes. This episode is about native title. We'll explain what it is, the history, and how it differs from land rights and what it means.

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For more than 200 years, Australia was declared terra nullius, meaning empty land, not recognising the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples who lived here before white settlement.

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That changed with one historic legal case, the Mabo case. In 1982, a group of Meriam people led by Eddie Mabo began a legal case seeking recognition of their traditional ownership of the Murray Islands in the Torres Strait, a small group of islands just above the tip of Queensland at the very top of Australia. The case was lengthy, lasting nearly a decade.

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Then in 1992, the High Court of Australia made a landmark decision

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recognising that the Meriam people held native title over their lands, this ruling was historic. It overturned the long-held legal fiction of terra nullius. Following that decision, the Native Title Act 1993 was passed by the Federal Parliament. On 15 November 1993, then Prime Minister Paul Keating addressed the nation.

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Outlining the Australian government's response to the High Court's Mabo decision,

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The court's decision was unquestionably just. It rejected a lie and acknowledged the truth. The lie was terra nullius, the convenient fiction that Australia had been a land of no one. The truth was native title, the fact that the land had once belonged to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians, and that in some places a legal right to it had survived the 200 years of European settlement.

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Native title is recognising that some First Nations peoples still have rights to their land and waters based on their traditional laws and customs. These rights are not given by governments or made through negotiation.

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They are recognised by Australian courts. Native title is often described as a bundle of rights because it includes many different rights, not just one. These rights can include using land and waters for hunting, fishing, ceremonies, and caring for important cultural places.

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It recognises collective or communal rights that stem from long-held cultural and spiritual traditions rather than private or commercial ownership. However, native title does not replace other land uses such as farming, mining, or local government activities.

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In many places, these uses exist alongside native title. This means First Nations peoples often share land rights with others, like farmers, miners, or councils. For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, native title is about far more than land.

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It's about identity, culture, and belonging. Professor Peter Yu, Yawuru leader and academic, explains

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What native title does is provide you with the opportunity to reframe the nature of fundamental rules that govern your community and relationships. So that's basically in terms of my own community. What it does do is it also

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Provides a reinvigorated foundation for learning and relearning languages and song and dance and cultural knowledge so that we are able to continue the path of building succession capabilities in our families and in our tribal groups.

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But achieving recognition isn't simple. To establish native title, communities must show ongoing connection to the land, often through oral histories, stories, and records passed down through generations. The legal process is complex, and traditional law and custom don't always fit neatly into Western legal frameworks. Lawyer Gwynette Govardhan, who specialises in native title.

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And heritage law explains the challenges.

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We're trying to fit a traditional culture into like a framework. We're just trying to stuff it in and trying to make it work when really, and yeah, there's inherently challenges in that which creates problems because the system itself that we're trying to fit into has not been created. The framework has not been designed for that.

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Even so, native title has brought real and lasting change. It has helped communities revive their languages, restore traditional ways of caring for land and water, and take a stronger role in decisions about their traditional land and waters. Since the Native Title Act was introduced, native title now covers around 40% of Australia.

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Mostly in remote and regional areas where traditional connection to country has been maintained, but it's important to remember that this is different to land ownership. If you're living in a city or regional area, like many migrants, native title probably won't change your daily life, but understanding it is a step toward respect and reconciliation. Gwynette Govardhan again.

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I think it's really important to note, and this is very

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generally speaking, but something like native title rights and interests are really not going to affect people on a personal level. People think it's going to affect their life on like a day to day, and I can't really see it doing that.

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As Paul Keating said when reflecting on the Mabo decision, bringing native title into Australia's land management system was not just about justice for First Nations peoples. It was a step forward.

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For all Australians.

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We can move on to see Mabo is a tremendous opportunity. It is an opportunity to right an historic wrong, an opportunity to transcend the history of dispossession, an opportunity to restore the age-old link between Aboriginal land and culture, an opportunity to heal a source of bitterness, an opportunity to recognise Aboriginal culture as a defining element of our nationhood, and to make clear.

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This Australia, this modern, free, and tolerant Australia can be a secure and bountiful place for all, including the first Australians.

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For many First Nations peoples, native title is not just a legal process, it's a way to keep their ancestors' stories alive. For people new to Australia, understanding native title helps us see the deep connection First Nations peoples have with the land.

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A connection that's thousands of years old and still alive today. Native title continues to evolve with new agreements shaping how land, water, and heritage are protected for future generations across Australia. Land rights, treaty, and native title all have

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Legal and political processes, but all aim to recognise First Nations peoples' connection to country and support self-determination.

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We need to have our land, our culture, our language, and our community. We're not opposed to development, but we need to have this as the foundation.

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Thank you for listening to this episode written by me, Nikyah Hutchings. Australia Explained managing editor is Rosa Germian. Sound design and mix is by Maram Ismail.

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This was an SBS audio podcast. For more Australia explained stories, visit sbs.com.au/australiaexplained.

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Subscribe or follow the Australia Explained podcast for more valuable information and tips about settling into your new life in Australia. Do you have any questions or topic ideas? Send us an email to australiaexplained@sbs.com.au.

END OF TRANSCRIPT

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