Since growing up in the heat of our movement and because of the current political climate, I feel now is the time for such discussion, but you will ultimately decide as the reader…
Psychological, Silent, Secret, Undeclared War!
An aunt raised the issue of illegal occupancy in this country, with me first some years ago. “If we could just receive 5% land tax, 5% travellers tax and 5% of air space tax, we may have a lot more answers to a lot more of our needs, approximately $5 billion per year towards self sufficiency as one people”. Was basically what was said, if memory serves me right.
Not long after, an in-law and I spent a good while talking about how the original orders of the king were disregarded and instead Joseph Banks reported our people as being nothing more than mere brutes and James Cook used the cop out of terranullius. We were then said to be discovered and settled by explorers when we were clearly invaded, colonised to create a penal colony. I thought both were either, unacceptable terms of taking occupancy of a sovereign people’s land, according to international law, and if not are these not crimes of war (dispossession, genocide and loss of basic human rights)? And are we therefore still in a state of undeclared war (as I heard another aunt say)?
Having never ceded extinction of original title (as stated in the Barunga statement), as the first people of this country we are still sovereign people of this land. Because we tilled the earth (with our fire stick farming methods, back burning etc, rejuvenating native plants and providing continuous food for animals), having our own written history (cave paintings and art work etc) and because we have our own law. Is’nt the only way to legally overturn this, being to declare war on our country and have won?
How many countries have still today unresolved issues, pertaining to legal residency issues of it’s newer arrivals - are we part of a small minority? With the apology taken place, talks of amending the constitution been thrown around like a hot potato, the forming of a national body and more importantly the forced conditions on our people and land in the N.T.etc (Too many to list as with allot of our stuff), I feel now is the time for real talking and real people to start it.
When will Australia be occupied legally by the people who are so happy to now call this place home? The irony of and the stigma surrounding boat people, gotta laugh.
To be continued...
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