Aboriginal Peoples have waited 200 years for recognition. Today they still wait for a response. A treaty is a basis for self determination, for the opportunity to live equally and with dignity on the lands they have inhabited for thousands of years. A treaty addresses their political and social challenges and begins to bridge the gaps that exist between indigenous and non-indigenous Australians.

In contrast to countries such as Canada or New Zealand, there have never been treaties between the British or Australian government and the Aboriginals concerning their common laws. The indigenous peoples have simply been ousted. That’s the reason why the main basis for their existence is missing.

Join us! Demand from the Secretary General of the Commonwealth, Mr. Kamalesh Sharma to make his weight felt for the Aboriginal Peoples in Australia!

Sign our petition here!

Background

The Aboriginal Peoples in Australia have never given up their sovereignty. Even more than 225 years of British colonization could not prevent that. However, the colonial rulers from Britain declared the Aboriginals to subjects of the British Empire. This has had consequences until today: Australia doesn’t grant the Aboriginal Peoples their right to self-determination. In contrast to countries such as Canada or New Zealand, there have never been treaties between the British or Australian government and the Aboriginals concerning their common laws. The indigenous peoples have simply been ousted. That’s the reason why the main basis for their existence is missing. Since the 1970s, the Aboriginals have demanded a treaty that would ensure their rights but all requests have been rejected by the respective governments so far.

The Society for Threatened Peoples in partnership with the Australian human rights advocacy group Concerned Australians supports the efforts of the Aboriginal Peoples in Australia for an overarching treaty with the Australian government. We are committed to create an ongoing debate for a treaty between Indigenous Australia and the Commonwealth of Australia. Moreover, we want to provide means and resources for an independent legal consultation in order to empower the Aboriginals to get their demand accepted on their own. The Australian government opposes this initiative.

Join us!

Sign the letter to the Secretary General of the Commonwealth, Mr. Kamalesh Sharma here!

Brief historical overview

The call for a treaty is not new. The first time a concrete proposal was submitted was 1979. This was done by the National Aboriginal Conference (NAC), an advisory panel consisting exclusively of Aboriginal people. It was not successful for a number of reasons.

Almost a decade later in 1988, Australia commemorated 200 years since British colonisation with a full calender of festivities across the country. With the spotlight now on Australia, Indigenous writer and activist Kevin Gilbert took this opportunity to reignite the treaty debate. Through a variety of actions he highlighted the struggle of Aboriginal people for self-determination to the international community in the hope of generating support from further afield.

In the same year, the Jawoyn people of Northern Australia handed over ‘The Barunga Statement’ to the then Prime Minister, Bob Hawke calling yet again for a treaty. Bob Hawke supported this however politics got in the way and it was never presented to parliament.

Since a couple of years, calls and demands for a treaty have been growing ever louder. With these and numerous other attempts to bring the treaty debate to life, the Australian government over time have come to recognise the issue is not going away. Discussions about a treaty seem to be continually dismissed and the most recent acknowledgement of the issue by the government came as an amendment to the Australian constitution: that the Aboriginal Peoples would be officially recognised as ‘First Nations People’. This was received with mixed response, but largely seen as symbolic as it does not address the fundamental concerns of the Aboriginal Peoplea – those of self-determination, respect for Aboriginal identity, control and compensation for land and equal economic and social rights.

The amendment to the Australian constitution is not enough!!

Request together with us that the rights of the Aboriginal Peoples of Australia are finally mantained!

Further information about Concerned Australians and the topic of the treaty can be found here: Concerned Australians