Indigenous Australian self-determination, also known as Aboriginal Australian self-determination, is the power relating to self-governance by
Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander
Torres Strait Islanders () are the Indigenous Melanesian people of the Torres Strait Islands, which are part of the state of Queensland, Australia. Ethnically distinct from the Aboriginal people of the rest of Australia, they are often grouped ...
peoples in Australia. It is the right of
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
Indigenous Australians or Australian First Nations are people with familial heritage from, and membership in, the ethnic groups that lived in Australia before British colonisation. They consist of two distinct groups: the Aboriginal peoples ...
peoples to determine their own political status and pursue their own economic, social and cultural interests.
Self-determination
The right of a people to self-determination is a cardinal principle in modern international law (commonly regarded as a ''jus cogens'' rule), binding, as such, on the United Nations as authoritative interpretation of the Charter's norms. It stat ...
asserts that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples should direct and implement Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander policy formulation and provision of services. Self-determination encompasses both
Aboriginal land rights
Indigenous land rights are the rights of Indigenous peoples to land and natural resources therein, either individually or collectively, mostly in colonised countries. Land and resource-related rights are of fundamental importance to Indigenou ...
and self-governance, and may also be supported by a
treaty between a government and an Indigenous group in Australia.
From the 1970s to 1990s, the Australian government supported Aboriginal groups moving from large settlements in remote areas back to
outstation communities in formerly traditional lands. Also from the early 1970s, Aboriginal communities began running their own health services, legal services, and
housing cooperative
A housing cooperative, or housing co-op, is a legal entity, usually a cooperative or a corporation, which owns real estate, consisting of one or more residential buildings; it is one type of housing tenure. Housing cooperatives are a distinc ...
s.
1960s-70s
During this period, the
Whitlam Government changed
Australian Indigenous
Indigenous Australians or Australian First Nations are people with familial heritage from, and membership in, the ethnic groups that lived in Australia before British colonisation. They consist of two distinct groups: the Aboriginal peoples o ...
policy significantly by moving away from
cultural assimilation
Cultural assimilation is the process in which a minority group or culture comes to resemble a society's majority group or assume the values, behaviors, and beliefs of another group whether fully or partially.
The different types of cultural assi ...
and towards self-determination.
Federal Council for the Advancement of Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders
The
(FCAATSI) was founded in 1957 as a
non-governmental organization
A non-governmental organization (NGO) or non-governmental organisation (see spelling differences) is an organization that generally is formed independent from government. They are typically nonprofit entities, and many of them are active in h ...
to advance Aboriginal rights, composed of various member organisations.
Department of Aboriginal Affairs
The
Department of Aboriginal Affairs
The Department of Aboriginal Affairs was an Australian government department that existed between December 1972 and March 1990.
History
The Department had its origins in the Office of Aboriginal Affairs (OAA), which was established ...
was founded by the
Whitlam Government to replace the government agencies responsible for Indigenous affairs, the
Council for Aboriginal Affairs, and the
Office of Aboriginal Affairs, while also providing a route for self-determination by employing Indigneous Australians.
National Aboriginal Consultative Committee
The
National Aboriginal Consultative Committee
The National Aboriginal Conference (NAC) was a national organisation established by the Australian Government to represent Indigenous Australians, that is Aboriginal Australians and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
The NAC was originally establi ...
(NACC) was the first elected body representing
Indigenous Australians
Indigenous Australians or Australian First Nations are people with familial heritage from, and membership in, the ethnic groups that lived in Australia before British colonisation. They consist of two distinct groups: the Aboriginal peoples ...
on the national level, having been established by the
Whitlam Government in
1972. It was composed of 36 representatives elected by Aboriginal people in 36 regions of Australia.
In 1983, the elections reached a turnout of approximately 78%.
However, the organisation was marred by friction with the
Department of Aboriginal Affairs
The Department of Aboriginal Affairs was an Australian government department that existed between December 1972 and March 1990.
History
The Department had its origins in the Office of Aboriginal Affairs (OAA), which was established ...
, while internally lacking coherence.
National Aboriginal Conference
Following a review in 1976, the NACC was abolished by the new
Fraser Government in 1977.
To replace it, the
National Aboriginal Conference
The National Aboriginal Conference (NAC) was a national organisation established by the Australian Government to represent Indigenous Australians, that is Aboriginal Australians and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
The NAC was originally establi ...
(NAC) was founded.
1980s-90s
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC)
Following the election of the
Hawke Government in 1983, two reports were commissioned into a replacement of the NAC. The O'Donoghue report argued that the NAC did not effectively represent its constituents or advocate specific policies.
The Coombs report made the case for an organisation with representation of regions and existing indigenous organisations.
To respond to these recommendations, the
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission
The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC) (1990–2005) was the Australian Government body through which Aboriginal Australians and Torres Strait Islanders were formally involved in the processes of government affecting ...
was founded in 1989.
Following allegations of corruption, it was abolished by the
Howard Government in 2004.
Aboriginal Provisional Government
The
Aboriginal Provisional Government
The Aboriginal Provisional Government (APG) is an Indigenous Australian independence movement.
History
Earlier activity
The idea of an Aboriginal government was developed by some Aboriginal delegates of the Federation of Land Councils at its ...
has campaigned for Aboriginal sovereignty in Australia, and is headed by an Elders Council.
It also issues
Aboriginal passports.
2000 - current
The dissolution of ATSIC in
2004
2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO).
Events January
* January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 6 ...
was seen by some as an end to self-determination as a policy. Nevertheless, calls for it have continued among Indigenous Australians.
Uluru Statement
The ''
Uluru Statement from the Heart
The ''Uluru Statement from the Heart'' is a 2017 petition by Australian Aboriginal leaders to change the constitution of Australia to improve the representation of Indigenous Australians.
The statement was released on 26 May 2017 by delegates ...
'' was a call for a "First Nations Voice" and a "
Makarrata Commission" to drive "agreement-making" and "
truth-telling
A truth commission, also known as a truth and reconciliation commission or truth and justice commission, is an official body tasked with discovering and revealing past wrongdoing by a government (or, depending on the circumstances, non-state act ...
", made by a First Nations National Constitutional Convention in 2017. This suggestion was refused by the
Turnbull Government.
Victorian First Peoples' Assembly
In
2018
File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the United ...
the state of
Victoria
Victoria most commonly refers to:
* Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia
* Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada
* Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory
* Victoria, Seychelle ...
passed legislation which established the legal framework for an Aboriginal representative body with which the state could negotiate a
treaty
A treaty is a formal, legally binding written agreement between actors in international law. It is usually made by and between sovereign states, but can include international organizations
An international organization or international o ...
.
This resulted in the
2019 Victorian First Peoples' Assembly election
An election to elect representatives to the First Peoples' Assembly in the Australian state of Victoria occurred in 2019. The election filled seats to the body which was charged with the responsibility of preparing for negotiations with the Go ...
, to elect the 21 members of the
First Peoples' Assembly.
Indigenous voice to government
On 30 October 2019, Wyatt announced the commencement of a "co-design process" aimed at providing an "
Indigenous voice to government". The Senior Advisory Group (SAG) is co-chaired by Professor
Tom Calma
Thomas Edwin Calma, (born 1953), is an Aboriginal Australian human rights and social justice campaigner. He is the sixth chancellor of the University of Canberra, a post held since January 2014, after two years as deputy chancellor. Calma is th ...
, Chancellor of the
University of Canberra
The University of Canberra (UC) is a public research university with its main campus located in Bruce, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory. The campus is within walking distance of Westfield Belconnen, and from Canberra's Civic Centre. UC ...
, and Professor Dr
Marcia Langton
Marcia Lynne Langton (born 1951) is an Australian academic. she is the Redmond Barry Distinguished Professor at the Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne. Regarded as one of Australia's top intellectuals, L ...
, Associate Provost at the
University of Melbourne
The University of Melbourne is a public research university located in Melbourne, Australia. Founded in 1853, it is Australia's second oldest university and the oldest in Victoria. Its main campus is located in Parkville, an inner suburb nor ...
, and comprises a total of 20 leaders and experts from across the country.
The models for the Voice are being developed in two stages:
#First, two groups, one local and regional and the other a national group, will create models aimed at improving local and regional decision-making, and identifying how best federal government can record Indigenous peoples' views and ideas. The groups consist mainly of Indigenous members.
#Consultations will be held with Indigenous leaders, communities and stakeholders to refine the models developed in the first stage.
The first meeting of the group was held in Canberra on 13 November 2019.
See also
Australia
*
1967 Australian referendum (Aboriginals)
The second question of the 1967 Australian referendum of 27 May 1967, called by the Holt Government, related to Indigenous Australians. Voters were asked whether to give the Federal Government the power to make special laws for Indigenous A ...
*
Aboriginal land rights in Australia
Indigenous land rights in Australia, also known as Aboriginal land rights in Australia, relate to the rights and interests in land of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Australia, and the term may also include the struggle for thos ...
**
Native title in Australia
Native title is the designation given to the common law doctrine of Aboriginal title in Australia, which is the recognition by Australian law that Indigenous Australians (both Aboriginal Australian and Torres Strait Islander people) have rights ...
***
***''
Mabo v Queensland (No 2)
''Mabo v Queensland (No 2)'' (commonly known as ''Mabo'') is a decision of the High Court of Australia, decided on 3 June 1992.. It is a landmark case, brought by Eddie Mabo against the State of Queensland. The case is notable for first reco ...
''
***''
Wik Peoples v Queensland
''Wik Peoples v The State of Queensland''. (commonly known as the Wik decision) is a decision of the High Court of Australia delivered on 23 December 1996 on whether statutory leases extinguish native title rights. The court found that the stat ...
''
*
Australian Aboriginal sovereignty
*
Constitutional recognition of Indigenous Australians
Constitutional recognition of Indigenous Australians has been campaigned for since 1910, including having an Indigenous voice to parliament enshrined in the Constitution of Australia.
1958: FCAATSI
From its formation in Adelaide in February 195 ...
*
Indigenous treaties in Australia
Indigenous treaties in Australia consist of proposed or historic legal documents defining the relationship between Indigenous Australians (that is, Aboriginal Australians and Torres Strait Islanders) and the Government of Australia or the governm ...
*
General
*
Indigenous self-government in Canada
Indigenous or Aboriginal self-government refers to proposals to give governments representing the Indigenous peoples in Canada greater powers of government. These proposals range from giving Aboriginal governments powers similar to that of local ...
*
Native American self-determination
Native American self-determination refers to the social movements, legislation and beliefs by which the Native American tribes in the United States exercise self-governance and decision making on issues that affect their own people.
Conceptua ...
*
Indigenous rights
Indigenous rights are those rights that exist in recognition of the specific condition of the Indigenous peoples. This includes not only the most basic human rights of physical survival and integrity, but also the rights over their land (includ ...
References
External links
{{Indigenous rights footer
History of Indigenous Australians
Indigenous Australian politics