Sydney New Way Summit - Report

Reject the names invaders gave us

Goodooga, northwest NSW, 15 May 2010

"By registering our children under their birth registration the oppressor gets to own our children and us," the New Way summit was told.

While it was very difficult for many people to attend, the internet is very effective at getting to a large audience, Mr Anderson said.

The issue of the continuing sovereignty of Australia's Aboriginal nations was the centre piece of the weekend's discussions and the summit decided that Aboriginal people must assert their continuing sovereignty by identifying their territory and clan country as it was before the British invasion.

"People must reject the nominated names that the invaders gave to us and return to our original names," Mr Anderson said.

"It is not an easy task to throw away the names and tags that have been imposed upon our peoples throughout Australia, but it is a challenge that we as Aboriginal nations face," says Mr Anderson.

"The invader has imprisoned us within his society just with name tags that they own. By registering our children under their birth registration the oppressor gets to own our children and us," the New Way summit was told.

"Mabo Judgment number 2 exposed Australia's weakness to hold claim over the Aboriginal nations. This is borne out by the Chief Justice alluding to the fact that the High Court of Australia was not the appropriate judicial location for this question to be answered as it belonged to another jurisdiction.

"This means the only appropriate court is the world court and there is already a precedent in the Western Sahara case. In this judgment the International Court of Justice said that sovereignty always remains with the people," said Michael Mr Anderson.

"The existing Australian society and parliament assert a right of claim. Trying to get them to talk to us about a New Way forward and settlement on our claim to this country on equal terms for negotiations is like asking the thief 'did you take it'. He will always find a way to say NO, I did not," Michael Anderson argues.

"What is the claim of 'right'? It appears that this claim of right comes from the 'Bible' where Abraham was told by God that his children would go out and take the lands of others.

"This is the basis upon which the Papal Bulletins were issued to England, France, Spain and others who set sail to locate other lands and settle them for their kings and queens and thereby assert a right of claim upon settlement," said Mr Anderson.

"In our case we have never ceded nor relinquished our sovereignty to the invaders, the British, nor have we treaties with the existing government," Mr Anderson said.

"These issues are the ghosts that haunt this country and we must lay to rest this question.

"It is a very daunting task and I understand that people will say 'what about the assault we are experiencing from these existing governments.

"To that I reply: How many times can a dog stand being kicked? It is time to stand up and say 'no more'.

"Our people must have a long hard look at our current position and situation. You cannot stand on the sideline and be spectators.

"We must get into the game, and not be cowards and wait for the players of defiance to play the game and when they take some yards from the opposition you step in and take this position from which you yourselves will benefit while tacitly siding in part with the enemy in fear of a loss," Mr Anderson said.

"There is a plan of action that the delegations will act on and these actions will be rolled out over the rest of this year.

"We are one and we must work together; if we fail, all will be lost," Mr Anderson said.