Learn about Mabo Day, commemorating a historic court decision recognizing the land rights of Aboriginal peoples and Torres Strait Islander peoples
Learn about Mabo Day, commemorating a historic court decision recognizing the land rights of Aboriginal peoples and Torres Strait Islander peoples
A discussion of Mabo Day, celebrated on June 3, which commemorates Torres Strait Islander activist Eddie Koiki Mabo and the historic Mabo decision, in which the High Court of Australia acknowledged Torres Strait Islander peoples' and Aboriginal peoples' land rights.
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Transcript
HOST: Today is Mabo Day. It's the anniversary of a court decision that recognized for the first time that aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have a special connection to the land of their ancestors. So we asked special guest reporter Dwayne to give us his insight into what that connection is all about. But first, a warning to aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander viewers-- this story contains images of people who've died.
DWAYNE COULTHARD: My name is Dwayne Coulthard. I'm an Adnyamathanha Kokatha person from South Australia. On June the 3rd, we always celebrate Mabo Day. It has been a great day for aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in recognizing Australia's acknowledgement of prior existence of aboriginal people in Australia.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have been here for tens of thousands of years. This land has always been important to us. But long ago, life was very different. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people were the first Australians. They lived all over the country as different groups of people with their own languages, ways of life, and dreaming stories.
NARRATION: The Mimis are happy spirits. They come out as night falls to keep the country tidy. They look after the land.
COULTHARD: In different areas, they lived in different ways. They developed skills and knowledge based on the environment. But everywhere, the relationship to the land was strong. They took what they needed and made sure the areas where they lived and hunted were allowed to regenerate and survive. They cared for the land and respected it.
But things changed when European settlers arrived. During settlement in 1788, the British then employed the doctrine of Terra Nullius, which means that nobody, essentially, lived in Australia when the British arrived, which we now know today as untrue. The settlers thought their own way of life was the best way to live and that aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people should try to behave more like them.
For a long time, aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders had very few rights and no claim to the land of their ancestors. In the 1980s, a guy called Eddie Mabo fought the idea of Terra Nullius in court. And in 1992, he won. On that date, we now celebrate Mabo Day.
The Mabo decision was about recognizing the continuing culture of aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Australia, that despite colonisation in 1788, the culture's still continued today and will continue on in the future. That's really important, because while a lot of time has passed, for aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, our connection to land is still very strong. Your home is always where your people have come from. And it's important now for aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people to acknowledge that, to embrace that, and be proud about their history. And a big part of that is their connection to country and their ancestors connection to country that have spanned thousands of years.
There have been many challenges for aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. But one thing won't change. Your country is a significant part of who you are. And that will never change, despite the fact that you may live in different areas of Australia.
You might not live on your local, traditional lands. But you still have that connection to the country as a whole. And I think that has been something that has continued on to this very day, is that idea that we belong to this land, and this land belongs to us.
DWAYNE COULTHARD: My name is Dwayne Coulthard. I'm an Adnyamathanha Kokatha person from South Australia. On June the 3rd, we always celebrate Mabo Day. It has been a great day for aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in recognizing Australia's acknowledgement of prior existence of aboriginal people in Australia.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have been here for tens of thousands of years. This land has always been important to us. But long ago, life was very different. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people were the first Australians. They lived all over the country as different groups of people with their own languages, ways of life, and dreaming stories.
NARRATION: The Mimis are happy spirits. They come out as night falls to keep the country tidy. They look after the land.
COULTHARD: In different areas, they lived in different ways. They developed skills and knowledge based on the environment. But everywhere, the relationship to the land was strong. They took what they needed and made sure the areas where they lived and hunted were allowed to regenerate and survive. They cared for the land and respected it.
But things changed when European settlers arrived. During settlement in 1788, the British then employed the doctrine of Terra Nullius, which means that nobody, essentially, lived in Australia when the British arrived, which we now know today as untrue. The settlers thought their own way of life was the best way to live and that aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people should try to behave more like them.
For a long time, aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders had very few rights and no claim to the land of their ancestors. In the 1980s, a guy called Eddie Mabo fought the idea of Terra Nullius in court. And in 1992, he won. On that date, we now celebrate Mabo Day.
The Mabo decision was about recognizing the continuing culture of aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Australia, that despite colonisation in 1788, the culture's still continued today and will continue on in the future. That's really important, because while a lot of time has passed, for aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, our connection to land is still very strong. Your home is always where your people have come from. And it's important now for aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people to acknowledge that, to embrace that, and be proud about their history. And a big part of that is their connection to country and their ancestors connection to country that have spanned thousands of years.
There have been many challenges for aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. But one thing won't change. Your country is a significant part of who you are. And that will never change, despite the fact that you may live in different areas of Australia.
You might not live on your local, traditional lands. But you still have that connection to the country as a whole. And I think that has been something that has continued on to this very day, is that idea that we belong to this land, and this land belongs to us.