Sovereign Union moves forward - 3 Nations already declared their independence

 Sovereign Union Communiqué of 24 November 2013 pdf

Pangarte Rosalie Kunoth-Monks and Ghillar Michael Anderson (Image: Geoff Bagnell, National Indigenous Times)

Sovereign Union Communiqué of 24 November 2013

Seventeen Nations were represented at the inaugural Gathering of Nations, held in the House of Representatives in Old Parliament House and at the Aboriginal Embassy, Canberra. Three of these Nations have already declared their continuing independence and pre-existing Statehood. They are the Murrawarri Republic; the Euahlayi Peoples Republic and the Republic of Mbarbaram, West of the Atherton Tablelands, Far North Queensland.

Pangarte Rosalie Kunoth-Monks of the Alyewarre Nation and Ghillar Michael Anderson, Head of State of the Euahlayi Nation, were chosen unanimously as joint head spokespersons for the Sovereign Union on behalf of the Nations present.

The Sovereign Union provides the umbrella organisation for Nations that have declared their independence, and assists other Nations in the process of becoming independent.

The Sovereign Union provides a flexible structure for the declaring of independence, with templates of the documents that can be used as a guide. The criteria for statehood are: a land base; population; ability to develop an economy and be sustainable; ability to govern; and the ability to trade, treaty and enter into international agreements.

The Sovereign Union has initiated the establishment of a commission of inquiry into all massacres and killings of Aboriginal people. Wayne Brennan of the Gomeroi Nation, has been appointed the National Coordinator to establish a framework for our own public coronial enquiry into the killing of our people. This will be inclusive of a full review of the Royal Commission Report into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody and the implementation of its recommendations.

From the women’s working group some key concerns raised were: the wellbeing of children, the safety of Sovereign Union members; and the condemnation of reasons for the Commonwealth government’s Northern Territory Intervention, in particular, the claim that all Aboriginal men in NT communities are paedophiles.

The men’s working group has agreed to call upon all Tjilpi, Head Law men and Law women to come to the next Gathering at Uluru in 2014 to affirm Our Law.

Regarding the proposed issuing of 99-year leases in the Northern Territory, the Sovereign Union supports the Alyewerre Nation and Peoples’ opposition to the threat of these leases over their land. By seeking 99-year leases the Commonwealth Government makes an ‘admission against interest’, that is, they admit that Aboriginal Nations still hold radical title to the land, subsurface, waters, seas and airspace.

The Alyewerre Nation informed the Gathering of Nations that they continue to hold sovereignty, dominion and radical title under their Law and culture. The Gathering concluded that the ambition of the Commonwealth government to lease the lands from Aboriginal Nations, is a recognition of the continuing sovereignty of the free and independent Aboriginal Nation States.

The Sovereign Union participants agreed to attend the Gathering of Nations at Uluru, being called by Maurie Ryan of the Gurindji Nation and Rosalie Kunoth-Monks of the Alyewerre Nation, in the first half of next year 2014. The Sovereign Union will invite foreign ambassadors and other international observers.

 Sovereign Union Communiqué - First Nations Telegraph