By James Grubel
CANBERRA (Reuters) – The rundown aboriginal protest embassy
in the center of Canberra’s political district is an eyesore
and that’s exactly how the inhabitants like it.
“It sits there in silence, but it’s a pain in the bum for
the politicians,” Michael Anderson, who helped set up the camp
site more than 30 years ago, told Reuters.
Aboriginal leaders set up the protest camp in 1972 on the
lawn in front of Australia’s first national parliament to
support their campaign for traditional land rights, declaring
the collection of tents and campfires as a “tent embassy.”
The tent embassy is Australia’s longest continuous protest
and has been recognized with national heritage status.
But the Australian government has now become fed up with
years of complaints about rowdy camp behavior and, with many
black leaders withdrawing support for the embassy, wants to
clean up the site and end the protest.
Australian Territories Minister Jim Lloyd wants the tent
embassy replaced with some kind of permanent memorial, but its
inhabitants are determined to stay.
“At different times the tent embassy has been hijacked for
different purposes,” said Lloyd, whose portfolio covers the
site.
“In its current configuration, I don’t believe it
represents the aspirations and vision of Aboriginal people,” he
said.
Until 1988, when parliament moved to its new building a
short distance away, the tent embassy was in the foreground of
the sweeping views from the prime minister’s office.
The tent embassy existed on and off for 20 years but became
a permanent fixture in 1992 when an old shipping container
painted with aboriginal designs was placed on the site.
SYMBOL FOR BLACK RIGHTS
A small band of hardy protesters have lived there on a
rotation system ever since.
In its 33 years, the tent embassy has become a powerful
symbol for black rights and has been credited with fostering
new levels of political consciousness and black activism.
Successive governments have tried several times over three
decades to shut down the tent embassy and move the protest on,
but each attempt has led to angry and often violent
confrontations between Aborigines and police.
Many indigenous leaders agree with Lloyd, believing
progress for aborigines now lies in working to resolve problems
rather than through the tent embassy’s confrontational approach
and campaign to overturn Australia’s constitution and laws.
Matilda House, an elder of Canberra’s Ngunnawal aboriginal
people and one of the original tent embassy protesters, is one
of those who has now withdrawn her support.
“I want to see the tent embassy actually do what it was set
up for in 1972,” said House, adding that the embassy should be
pushing new campaigns, such as traditional sea and fishing
rights for indigenous people.
“It is not supporting the issues of people who want to move
on. It doesn’t really represent the whole of Australia in their
issues,” she told Reuters.
Designed to contrast with the expansive embassies of
Canberra’s plush diplomatic district, the tent embassy was
erected to be a daily reminder to politicians as they entered
parliament of the problems faced by Aborigines.
Australia’s 490,000 Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders
represent about 2.4 percent of the population but make up the
most disadvantaged group in Australia.
Aborigines suffer higher rates of unemployment,
imprisonment, alcohol and drug abuse, and preventable illness.
They also die an average 17 years younger than white
Australians.
EYESORE PROTEST
Anderson, who still regularly visits the site he helped
establish in 1972, believes the tent embassy remains relevant
as a focus of black protest in Australia.
“That embassy stands for something that is wrong in this
country,” he said.
Aboriginal leaders remain angry with the government’s
disregard of spiritual issues, such as Prime Minister John
Howard’s refusal to apologize for past injustices, and its sole
focus on often tough practical solutions for indigenous
affairs.
In the past year, the government has scrapped the elected
indigenous body which had control of spending for health and
housing in aboriginal communities, replacing it with an
advisory board of indigenous leaders hand-picked by the
government.
Anderson said the embassy was a vehicle for both black and
white Australians to express their grievances against the
government, and it would continue to provoke controversy.
Lloyd hopes to have settled on a new plan for the embassy
site by late October.
Anderson, however, is adamant it will stay.
“It doesn’t have a use-by date,” he said. “Until proper
justice and until the government deals with the true issues
then the embassy will always be here, and it will always be an
eyesore.”
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