Using the elegant legal drafting of a preamble, delegates of our First Peoples attending a constitutional convention release The Uluru Statement from the Heart. It was read by Professor Megan Davis as the sun set at Uluru. It states the never-ceded sovereignty of the Indigenous Nations through their connection to the land, a spiritual notion. It calls for Makarrata (a Yolngu word) in order to negotiate a treaty and provide truth and reconciliation. It is the most significant constitutional document produced in Australia for years. Republicans should note that our First Peoples have thrown off their timidity and are making their demands of our Governments cleverly and forcefully. The statement should be compulsory reading for every Australian. This elected constitutional convention was the culmination of 12 regional dialogues that rejected constitutional recognition as a symbolic gesture unlikely to bring about significant change. To read the one-page statement click on the link below.
Woman for an Australian Republic, Adelaide Ironside, republican poet and artist 1831-1867
Self portrait 1855, Newcastle Art Gallery NSW
