Makarrata !

The question - of putting together a question of how our Indigenous people should be treated in the Australian Constitution - is in itself a minefield that can not possibly please everybody.  As a matter of convenience the government of Britain decided to declare the Australian continent an " empty land " when they decided to establish a penal settlement on our shores.  That fallacy persisted when Australia achieved Federation and we presently have a Constitution that ignores those here before white settlement.

Slowly and surely that anomaly is being corrected.  An earlier referendum granted the Indigenous people citizenship and the High Court has bestowed land rights in some circumstances, and a sprinkling of Indigenous people have won seats in parliament, but the vast majority earn less, have a shorter life and poorer health than the average Australian citizen.

From the Indigenous community comes a call for a " Makarrata " Conciliation Commission to thrash out exactly what will be put to the Australian population in the form of a referendum to change the Australian Constitution.   That is fraught with danger.  The greatest calamity would be for a badly worded and poorly thought out question being rejected in a national vote.   That would broaden a gulf between this nations " first people " and the Australia of today that might take centuries to heal.

One of the problems is that hot heads on both sides have unrealistic ideas of what is possible. Suggestions range from the concept of a formal treaty to a block of seats reserved in parliament to give Indigenous people a say in the affairs of the nation.  Some form of lands rights recognition is also high on the agenda and will undoubtedly clash with our rural farming and cattle industry.


One of the dangers is pressure from several quarters to rush this question to finality and have the basis for a referendum ready to go by the end of this year.  That begs the question of finding out exactly what the broad spectrum of Indigenous people want and that is not clear from the angry voices of what has emerged as the " Aboriginal industry " that they speak for the masses.  In many ways the loudest voices seem to be fulfilling political aspirations rather than expressing tribal thinking.

A Makarrata is a workable idea - if it is given the time to percolate across the many layers of the Indigenous community - and here we have great extremes.  A significant proportion is closely integrated with the broad stream city and town Australia and is highly articulate.   Another huge segment lives a semi tribal life on the fringes of society and it will tale skill and perseverance to get their opinion on what is proposed.

The final outcome will be heavy with compromise.  No doubt many will claim it does not go far enough - and others will claim it goes too far, but this will be the compromise we have to live with if we want a united Australia.

It will fail to achieve that end if it becomes a political football between the existing sides of politics.