[ Central Land Council and Antar issue statements after week of
silence, with latter claiming voice defeat an ‘unparalleled act of
racism by white Australia’]
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INDIGENOUS GROUPS SAY REFERENDUM LOSS PROVES AUSTRALIA IS A
‘COUNTRY THAT DOES NOT KNOW ITSELF’  
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Sarah Basford Canales
October 21, 2023
Guardian
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_ Central Land Council and Antar issue statements after week of
silence, with latter claiming voice defeat an ‘unparalleled act of
racism by white Australia’ _

Young Indigenous Australians are ‘in shock and disbelief’ after
the voice to parliament was defeated, the Central Land Council says, .
Photo Lukas Coch/AAP

 

Indigenous groups have broken a week of silence after the defeat of
the voice referendum to express sadness and disappointment, with some
describing the no result as “an unparalleled act of racism by white
Australia”.

Australians overwhelmingly rejected the proposed Indigenous voice to
parliament on 14 October, with the highest yes vote
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in the Australian Capital Territory at 61%, followed by Victoria at
45%. Queensland had the lowest yes vote at 31%.

After a vow to remain silent for a week
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grieve after the vote’s results became clear
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groups on Sunday shared their dismay, condemning the “dog whistling
and misinformation” of some in the no campaign.

The Central Land Council, one of four land councils in the Northern
Territory, said the referendum result showed Australia was a
“country that does not know itself."

“Those of us who have been around for a long time recognise how it
feels,” it said. “We have been here before. We are sad but we know
that we must stay strong.

“Others in our communities, especially young people, are in shock
and disbelief. We need to work together and support each other. We
will keep fighting for equality, fighting for land, fighting for
water, fighting for housing, infrastructure, good jobs, education,
closing the gap – a future for our children.”

The CLC noted that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people all
over remote Australia voted yes.

The council said while the outcome was disappointing, it recognised
the courage of the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, for bringing the
request for a voice to a vote.

Australians for Native Title and Reconciliation (Antar) said it was
“deeply saddened” by the results but would not back down for
voice, treaty and truth – the key aims of the 2017 Uluru statement
from the heart.

“Once again an opportunity to be more than a former colony of the
British Empire has been missed, despite a proposition which was so
gracious, modest, and accommodating to mainstream values,” it said
on Sunday.

“We don’t accept that this is the end of the movement for change.
The voice was only one mechanism for progressing First Nations rights
and justice.”

The group said many First Nations people felt lost and placeless in
their own country.

“We are hearing that for many, the unfolding events of 14 October
felt like an unparalleled act of racism by white Australia,” Antar
said. “But there are more stories of resilience and resistance of
leaders who won’t back down.”

The group said it was clear that “dog whistling and misinformation
were critical factors at play” in the 14 October result.

Nine newspapers reported on Sunday
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had been division among some yes campaigners over the wording of an
official joint statement.

A draft copy, according to Nine, blamed the federal Coalition
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referendum was “doomed from the time the National party and then the
Liberal party said they would oppose it and bipartisanship was
lost”.

It was reported to have stated: “The truth is that the majority of
Australians have committed a shameful act whether knowingly or not,
and there is nothing positive to be interpreted from it. Only the
shameless could say there is no shame in this outcome.”

Albanese has so far resisted revealing the government’s next steps
but has committed to listening to Indigenous groups
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_Sarah Basford Canales
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political reporter for Guardian Australia, based in Canberra.
Email: [email protected]
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via [email protected]
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_Scroll less and understand more about the subjects you care about
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* Australia
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* Aboriginal rights
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* First Nations
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