What does Indigenous Recognition mean?

‘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.

An umbrella in the colours of the Aboriginal flag and the word 'deadly' written on it. (AAP Image/Lukas Coch) NO ARCHIVING Source: AAP

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 a 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 proposal currently at the forefront of these discussions came from Australia's Red Centre on Anangu country, back in 2017.

The Uluru Statement from the Heart is the most well-known model to be put forward.

Dean Parkin is Director of 'From the Heart,'  a public awareness campaign aimed at generating more support for the Uluru Statement in general, and in particular for an Aboriginal advisory body enshrined in the constitution.

Our mandate is 100 per cent the Uluru Statement. Voice, Treaty, Truth (are) very much part of our agenda and as I said within that, the idea of a voice to parliament that is representative of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and speaks to the parliament, speaks into Australian democracy and has the protection of the Australian constitution so it can't be just disbanded like other entities have in the past.

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