Indigenous Perspectives: The Day of Mourning, the Freedom Ride, and the Tent Embassy - Essay Example

Running Head: INDIGENOUS PERSPECTIVES Indigenous Perspectives Name Course Institution Date Indigenous Perspectives Introduction The Day of Mourning (1938), the Freedom Ride (1965) and the Tent Embassy (1972) are some of the key events in Australia’s history that epitomize the struggle against the inferior citizenship status given to Indigenous people. Following the “white men’s” seizure of Australia, people from indigenous communities were reduced to mere second-class citizens with no rights to own land, vote or make decisions that affected their lives. Consequently, indigenous people were subjected to years of mistreatment and discrimination. With time, indigenous civil right movements begun to emerge in a bid to fight and advocate for full Indigenous citizenship rights. Hence, the occurrence of events such as the Day of Mourning (1938), the Freedom Ride (1965) and the Tent Embassy (1972) (Broome, 2010; Maynard, 2007). The key aim of this essay is to critically analyse events surrounding the Day of Mourning (1938), the Freedom Ride (1965) and the Tent Embassy (1972) and subsequently identify the commonalities between the three events. The Day of Mourning (1938) The date, 26th January holds different meaning to the Australian people. For some, this date marks the celebration of the arrival of British settlers in Australia in 1788. However, for others especially people from indigenous communities, this date marks the beginning of an era characterised by bitter wars, brutal deaths, discrimination, inhumane treatment and a continuing struggle for equal rights and survival for indigenous people in Australia. 26th January 1938, was to be the 150th anniversary of European settlement in Australia, however in response to this celebration a 'Day of Mourning’ was organised on the same day to protest against the inferior citizenship status given to Indigenous people. For many Aboriginal people there was nothing much to celebrate since this date commemorated the loss of their sovereign rights, their land, their families and the right to practice of their culture. As a result, most indigenous people refer to this day as the “Day of Mourning”, “Survival Day” or “Invasion Day” (City of Sydney, 2012; Maynard, 2007). Prior to the commemoration of the first “Day of Mourning” in 1938, there are certain events that instigated the occurrence of this day. In the book, “Vote Ferguson for Aboriginal Freedom”, Horner (1974) provides an insightful account of the events surrounding the “Day of Mourning” in (1938). According to Horner (1974) the three key people that were behind the organisation of this day included; William Cooper, Jack Patten and William Ferguson. In the previous years, Aboriginal leaders such as Ferguson, Patten, Cooper and many others who set up the Aboriginal Progressive Association (APA) boycotted the Australia Day celebrations in protest of the deplorable conditions and status that indigenous people were subjected to. However, their protests were often ignored by the media and the government. As a result, they sought more proactive approaches that could capture the attention of the media and the government (Burgmann, 2003; Dawkins, 2004). Early in January 1938, William Cooper presented a petition with over 1814 signatures to the National Cabinet to allow the representation of Indigenous people in the Federal Parliament. It was Cooper’s hope that the petition would be forwarded to King George VI by the Prime Minister, Joseph Lyons. Basically, the government acknowledged the petition presented by Cooper however, no indication or assurance was given that the petition would be presented to King George VI (AIATSIS, 2012; Horner, 1974). On 12th January, two weeks before the celebrations, Jack Patten and William Ferguson sent out review copies of their manifesto to the national libraries, the press and a few selected people. The manifesto was entitled, “Aborigines Claim Citizen Rights!” Horner (1974) observes that the key focus of the manifesto was to show why the 26th January was a day of mourning for Aboriginals and a day to protest the position given to Aborigines as lower caste citizens in Australia. From the point of view of Aborigines, the manifesto also described the conditions that the Aboriginal people in Australia are exposed to and the rights of children (AIATSIS, 2012; Horner, 1974). Evidently, the efforts put forth by Ferguson, Patten, Cooper and other APA supporters did not yield the expected outcomes especially when it came to realising equal rights for ingenious people in Australia. Subsequently, Ferguson, Patten, Cooper and other APA supporters planned the first Day of Mourning. They distributed leaflets inviting people to the first Day of Mourning. In protest of the 150th anniversary of the arrival of the British settlers in Australia, the Aboriginal leaders held the first Aboriginal civil rights gathering, the “Day of Mourning” to commemorate the beginning of an era that marked the loss of their sovereign rights, their land, their families and the right to practice of their culture. The event was held in the Australian Hall in Elizabeth Street, Sydney and attracted over 1000 people from the Aboriginal community (AIATSIS, 2012; Horner, 1974; Maynard (2007). The day started with a march from the Sydney Town Hall through the streets of Sydney. Both the Aboriginal people and supporters from non-Indigenous communities participated in the march. Subsequently, a political meeting exclusively for the Aboriginal people was held at the Australian Hall in Elizabeth Street. During the meeting, Ferguson, Patten, Cooper and other APA supporters distributed copies of the “Aborigines Claim Citizen Rights!” Manifesto in order to create awareness. The information presented in the manifestos criticised the Aborigines Protection Board and the Aborigines Protection Act 1901 which diminished the rights of Indigenous people. At the meeting, the Aboriginal leaders resolved that, they vehemently protest against the deplorable treatment subjected to the indigenous people for the past 150 years and as a result they appealed to the Australian Nation to enact laws for care, education, equality and full citizen status for the indigenous people (City of Sydney, 2012; Horner, 1974). Following this event, the Day of Mourning protests have been held consecutively since 1938. Maynard (2007) observes that the publicity generated from this event marked a turning point in the Aboriginal struggle for equal rights as it created awareness of their civic rights. This day made an impact by drawing media attention and an agreement by the Prime Minister to receive an Aboriginal delegation (City of Sydney, 2012). This event also set the center stage for counter-movements on Australia Day and Aboriginal cultural events. In addition Martin (1996) notes that, this event to some extent influenced the course of government towards Indigenous people. The Freedom Ride (1965) The Freedom Ride 1964 to 1965 is also one of the monumental events in the historic struggle of equal rights for Indigenous Australians. In what began as a fact finding mission, the event culminated into a historic activism undertaking against discrimination of Aboriginal Australians. The Freedom Ride was an initiative coxed by a group of students from the University of Sydney. These students were mainly concerned about the discriminatory barriers that existed between the non-Indigenous Australians and the Indigenous Australians and focused on encouraging Aboriginals to fight against discrimination imposed on them( NMA, 2012; Poll, Yuill & Curthoys, 2011). In order to realise their mission, they formed a group known as Student Action for Aborigines (SAFA) in 1964. The group comprised of students from the University of Sydney who numbered 33 in total. Some of the key leaders of SAFA included; Charles Perkins, the president of the group, Ann Curthoys, Jim Spigelman and Darce Cassidy (NMA, 2012; Curthoys, 2002). Later, SAFA planned a trip to the countryside on a fact finding mission that would attract media coverage and sensitize the public on the existence of racism in the country. Although this event was mainly geared towards drawing public attention to the dilapidated state of health, education, sanitation and housing of the Aboriginals, it later developed into the sensitisation on the existence of deplorable acts of racial discrimination in Australia (NMA, 2012). The organisation of this event was mainly inspired by numerous cases of racial discrimination taking place in the United States that challenged a number of students in the University of Sydney to take a look into their own back yard for discrimination taking place in their localities. The students therefore opted to travel by bus to various rural towns majorly; Walgett, Gulargambone, Kempsey, Bowraville and Moree to create awareness (NMA, 2012; Curthoys, 2002). The Freedom Ride tour was marred by an array of reactions from local authority and communities in each of the towns they visited. Further, most of these reactions were bent towards thwarting their efforts on making the racial discrimination that existed public knowledge. The students were faced by stiff resistance that range from their bus almost being rammed off the road, to facing confrontation by the local police and communities in the towns they visited (Curthoys, 2002). Although these varsity students faced opposition to their course, they were not deterred. While the authorities and communities in the towns dismissed the students’ claims on racial discrimination of Aboriginals and the existence of racial discrimination in Australia altogether, the segregation of the Aboriginals from accessing social amenities such as swimming pools, shops and sports clubs was very much evident to the students in all the towns that they visited(NMA, 2012). Consequently, the opposition would only serve to popularize their activities through the media and bring more attention to their undertakings. The story of the Freedom Riders was carried on to the world by both local and international broadcasters. Subsequently, the media made the students quite popular in the period through which they visited the towns demonstrating at pools and social gatherings. In the long run city dwellers could no longer afford to be ignorant of the existence of racial discrimination in the country side; eventually mounting pressure on the government to put an end to the vice (NMA, 2012). The Tent Embassy (1972) In April 1971, Justice Blackburn gave a court ruling against a group of Aboriginal people of Yirrkala who were claiming rights of their ancestral land. The Yirrkala people were displeased by this ruling and as a result, they sent representatives to Canberra to advocate for the rights to the then Prime Minister, William McMahon. The Prime Minister assured the Aboriginal representatives that the Ministerial Committee looking into Aboriginal issues would consider how to safeguard reserve lands for Aboriginal recreational, ceremonial and religious use(Rowse, 2000; NMA) 2008). A significant number of members in the Ministerial Committee were greatly opposed to Aboriginal rights to land. After months of deliberation, the government following the advice of the Ministerial Committee decided not to grant Aboriginal title to land. Instead, the government recommended that under Northern Territory legislation, the Aboriginal people could apply land leases under the condition that they would put the land to reasonable social or economic use. This declaration was announced on ‘Australia Day’, 29 January 1972 (Rowse, 2000; NMA) 2008). In protest against, the announcement made by the government regarding the dismissal of Aboriginal right to land, four young Aboriginal activists namely; Toney Coorey, Bert Williams, Billy Craigie and Micheal Anderson travelled to Canberra. They set camp on the lawns facing the Parliament House and erected a beach umbrella and signs written “Aboriginal Embassy.” The beach umbrella was afterwards replaced by a number of tents. Subsequently, a considerable number of Aborigines and non-indigenous supporters came from different parts of the country to join the protests. It is estimated that there were over 2000 protestors in the Aboriginal Tent Embassy procession. In the weeks that followed, the protestors were joined by black activists such as Gary Foley, Denis Walker, Gordon Briscoe, Roberta Sykes, Chicka Dixon and many others. Anderson, one of the young activists who organised the Aboriginal Tent Embassy protests told the press; “The land was taken from us by force ... We shouldn't have to lease it ... Our spiritual beliefs are connected with the land.” The press critiqued McMahon’s stand to refuse Aboriginal rights over their land and generally gave the protestors a sympathetic hearing (NMA, 2008b). Basically, the tent embassy protests signified the plight of the Aboriginal people and how they were alienated by the government. The tent embassy epitomized an image of poverty, insignificance and alienation. Bobbi Sykes, an Aboriginal rights activists and author observed that, the Aboriginal tent embassy was appropriately and strategically placed, opposite Parliament House such that politicians and the general public are forced to see the faces of those who they continue to oppress (Green Left, 2012). Similarly, Goodall (2008) observes that, the setting up of the Aboriginal Tent Embassy symbolised a sense of exclusion of the Aboriginal from their own land and Australia as a nation. After a few weeks of setting camp outside the parliament, the police were called to dismantle the tents and disperse the protestors. Violence ensued between the police and the protestors and as a result a number of activists were seriously injured. Bullivant (1984) notes that, these events received coverage by both the local and international media thus there was a wide public outrage over the actions of the government. This in turn tainted the image of Australia in the international community. In addition, this event was a major issue in the December 1972 election campaigns. Consequently, the Labour Party under the leadership of Gough William won the election (Bullivant, 1984). A considerable number of literature depict that the outcomes of the Aboriginal Tent Embassy protests were very significant in the struggle for Aborigines right to land and equal citizen status. For instance, Goodall (2008) notes that these protests created awareness on the plight of indigenous people. Due to the intense media coverage of these protests, the activists gained support from both indigenous and non-indigenous supporters from different parts of the country. Public intellectual figures and even some politicians came out in support of Aboriginal right to land (Green Left, 2012). Moreover, Griffiths (2006) illustrates that these protests also instigated policy reforms that promoted the assimilation of indigenous people as full citizens of Australia with the rights to own land. Following a series of attacks and mishaps, in 1992 the Aboriginal Tent embassy was officially re-established as a permanent occupation and was subsequently included in the official Register of the National Estate (Prentis, 2008). Commonalities Evidently, The Day of Mourning (1938), the Freedom Ride (1965) and the Tent Embassy (1972) are some of the key events in Australia’s history that mark fervent protests against the inferior citizenship status given to Indigenous people. Although, these events occurred in different times in the Australian history, they have certain similarities. These similarities mainly revolve around, their causes, tactics used and the outcomes realised. Firstly, the inferior citizenship status given to Aboriginal people following white settlement in Australia is the main cause of these events or protests. For instance, the “Day of Mourning” was organised so as to commemorate the beginning of an era that marked the loss of Indigenous sovereign rights (Maynard, 2007). The Freedom Ride (1965) was organised so as to create awareness on the dilapidated state of health, education, sanitation and housing that the Aboriginals were subjected to whereas, the Tent Embassy (1972) was organised so as to protest against the government’s refusal to acknowledge Aboriginal rights to land. Another similarity evident in these events is embedded in the tactics employed by the protestors or activists. All activists or organisers of these events chose to employ non-combative or peaceful tactics in order to air their grievances. Although in some instances (for instance, the Tent Embassy) violence ensued, the initial tactics employed by activists in these events was non-combative. Lastly, all these events did not bring about drastic outcomes however, they helped create awareness on the plight of indigenous people in Australia. To some extent, these events instigated policy reforms that promoted the assimilation of indigenous people as full citizens of Australia (Griffiths, 2006). Conclusion Basically, this essay has analysed events surrounding the Day of Mourning (1938), the Freedom Ride (1965) and the Tent Embassy (1972) and subsequently identified the commonalities between the three events. The findings of this essay illustrate that, these three events are monumental in Australia’s history since they epitomize the struggle against the inferior citizenship status give to Indigenous people in Australia. It is established in this essay that although these events occurred in different times in the Australian history, they have certain similarities that are mainly embedded on, their cause, tactics used and the outcomes realised. . References Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS) (2012). Day of Mourning: Background. Retrieved on January 4 2013 from Broome, B. (2010). Aboriginal Australians: A History since 1788. 4th Ed. Crows Nest, NSW: Allen & Unwin. Bullivant, B. (1984). Pluralism: Cultural Maintenance and Evolution. Clevdon, England: Multilingual Matters. Burgmann, V. (2003). Power, profit and protest: Australian social movements and globalisation. Crows Nest, NSW: Allen & Unwin. City of Sydney (2012). Significant Aboriginal events in Sydney. Retrieved on January 4 2013 from Curthoys, A. (2002). Freedom ride: a freedom rider remembers. Sydney: Allen & Unwin. Dawkins, K. (2004). Day of Mourning. Retrieved on January 4 2013 Green Left, 2012, Aboriginal activists speak on Tent Embassy 40-year milestone, Retrieved on January 4 2013 Griffiths, M. (2006). Aboriginal affairs 1967-2005: Seeking a solution. Crow Nest, NSW: Rosenberg Publishing Goodall, H. (2008). Invasion to embassy: land in Aboriginal politics in New South Wales 1770- 1972. Sydney: Sydney University Press. Horner, J. (1974). Vote Ferguson for Aboriginal freedom. Sydney: Australian and New Zealand Book Company. Martin, C. (1996). Aboriginal history 'didn't end in 1788. Retrieved on January 4 2013 from Maynard, J. (2007). Fight for liberty and freedom: the origins of Australian Aboriginal activism. Canberra: Aboriginal Studies Press. National Museum Australia (NMA) (2008).Aboriginal Embassy 1972: Background. Retrieved on January 4 2013 from National Museum Australia (NMA) (2008b). Australia Day under a beach umbrella. Retrieved on January 4 2013 from National Museum Australia (NMA) (2012). The Freedom Ride, 1965. Retrieved on January 4 2013 from Poll, M., Yuill, K, & Curthoys, A. (2011). Freedom riders: art and activism 1960s to now, University of Sydney: University Art Gallery. Prentis, M. (2008). Concise Companion to Aboriginal History. Crow Nest, NSW: Rosenberg Publishing Rowse, T. (2000). Obliged to be difficult: Nugget Coombs Legacy in Indigenous Affairs. Melbourne: Cambridge University Press. . Read More