Six months ago, we reported that the developers, AV Jennings had moved in and were attempting to knock down sacred trees, on land that is Yuggera/Ugarapul land; and, in our report, we talked about how it’s become customary to acknowledge the traditional owners of country that we’re standing on. This is important, but land is still being stolen from Aboriginal people. It is hypocrisy for people to acknowledge country, but not to stand with Aboriginal people resisting the theft of land by vested interests.
Just one day after May Day 2023, one of the sovereign owners of the land at Deebing Creek, Daniel Kinchela, was watching on as scabs were taking his shelter from the land of his people, that is of his parents and his grandparents. Kinchela has blood ties to Kamilleroi and Yuggera/Ugarapul ancestors. His Kamilleroi ancestors were forcibly moved up from Kamilleroi/Gomeroi country (New South Wales) and brought onto a mission outside of Ipswich now called Deebing Creek.
Daniel Kinchela has a voice; and he is trying to exercise that voice. But Ipswich Council and developers like AV Jennings, Stockland and Frasers, all developers want to demolish his land and the sacred trees; to take it over in order to make a lot of money on these expanding housing sites where they charge about a half a million dollars each. How is a mortgage of $400,000 – $500,000 affordable or sustainable? How can these homes be affordable to the working poor? The Reserve Bank has just put up interest rates again in the hope of curbing inflation. This will produce more unemployment and even bigger mortgages.
Well, here is some truth from a report made just one day after May Day.
Treaty before Voice leaflet handed out on May Day
During the May Day March in Brisbane, this flyer was handed out. Along the way towards the exhibition grounds, we could hear aboriginal people chanting ‘treaty before voice’. I understand that Prime Minister Albanese was delayed in the march because of this protest. I am told leading Sovereignty activist and Kooma man, Wayne Wharton, was ringed by a half a dozen police while he argued for a treaty with his people.
Although I think that ‘treaty’ and ‘voice’ are different processes I get their argument. The conflict between the First Nations People and settlers has never been resolved. The leaflet argues that the voice is: “Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s plan to involve Australian voters in a reference to that yes or no on recognising indigenous people into the Constitution.” This is incorrect. Aboriginal people were recognised in the Constitution in the 1967 referendum. As a result of the overwhelming Yes vote in the 1967 referendum, the Commonwealth of Australia could make laws about aboriginal people (plus they were counted in the Census). Of course the states and the colony had been making laws about aboriginal people since the 19th century. However, at federation in 1901, the legal status of Aboriginal people shifted from British subjects to wards of the state.
Despite undertakings from the Hawke Labor government in 1988 for a treaty with aboriginal people this has not occurred. It is difficult because First Nations people are made up of many tribes and nations who have been scattered by colonisation. Perhaps ‘the voice’ is a pathway to ‘treaty’? I don’t know. But I do agree with the leaflet which says: “Constitution recognition is said to be about equality and civil rights but what we’re fighting for is the right to determine our own destiny.” – Boe Spearim.
On 12 June 1988 Galarrwuy Yunupingu speaking at the Barunga Sport and Cultural Festival reminded Bob Hawke and the governments that followed that the Barunga Statment about Treaty was: ‘something to remind any government […] that Aboriginal people will always be in front of their policy making and decision making’. – https://vimeo.com/271802726
Ian Curr
4PR – Voice of the People
2 May 2023
Remembering the Forgotten – Deebing Creek
A History of the Deebing Creek Aboriginal Mission in Queensland
1887-1915 by Bill Thorpe (2004) Seaview Press Adelaide