National Congress 'Tent Embassy' event on 26th is not ours

Michael Anderson, Coonable, NSW
11 January 2013

"It must be known that the event being organised by the National Congress of Australia's First Peoples for 26 January 2013 at the Aboriginal Tent Embassy, Canberra, is NOT an Aboriginal Embassy initiative, but Congress has chosen the Embassy for its discussion on 'Sovereignty, the Constitution and Congress'.

"We must remember that the National Congress of Australia's First Peoples is a government funded organisation that has not gained the majority support of grassroots First Nations people.

"Nevertheless this debate on continuing First Nations sovereignty and its relationship to the Constitution from Britain needs to be had and I recognise Congress's efforts to have a national conversation. But there is still an odious stench of contradiction surrounding this, because Les Malezer and Congress are publically supportive of the token Constitutional reform.

Their failings are paramount when we realise that Congress has no model they promote themselves for any Constitutional inclusion that does not affect our sovereignty, our inalienable inherent right as First Nations Peoples.

"If Congress understands that sovereignty is an issue on the lips and minds of every First Nation person, Congress must put out their thoughts for scrutiny so that we are not dealing with slogans. With modern technologies even people in remote areas can join in these significant discussions and increase their understanding of what is at stake. As Peoples we cannot go blindly supporting ideas and the solution has to be a progressing reality that grows in communities.

"Just like the decision by the Federal government to put this Constitutional reform on hold for the moment, so that the public can become educated about it, we also need to continue to educate our people at the grass roots about sovereignty and its implications.

"In recent discussions with community Elders across 3 states, sovereign rights and the right to self-determination takes on some real meaning when we realise that the amongst the Elders are those able to differentiate between the fear of freedom and importance of being self-determining.

"The burning question on grassroots people's lips and minds is how can sovereignty stop the police harassment and bullying by government officials.

"As importantly our people continually ask how can sovereignty counter the organised professional paedophilia predators that were brought back to our shores by PM John Howard's law that saw Australian paedophiles prosecuted for their paedophilia operations in South East Asia.

Now our communities are bearing the brunt of their depraved activities. The horrific reality expressed by Elders is not just police harassment of our youth, but also the overall extent of the external paedophilia operations within our communities throughout Australia.

Elders now argue that we as Peoples must become self-determining as soon as possible, so that we can wrest control our way, under our Law and custom, to rid our communities of these depraved external predators. In this way we can reduce youth suicide and delinquency within our ranks.

"Our people yearn for change in their current life circumstances to a point where the social and economic disadvantage can be measured by real change and our kids are no longer being removed at the current alarming rate.

"We know the governments' agenda is to control us and create developments towards total assimilation. Congress should realise that Marcia Langton, Noel Pearson and Warren Mundine are a far greater influence on government policy and directions than Congress. So if Congress truly wants to make a mark it must sit down in the gutters to help our people fight their way out to freedom.

"The process of decolonisation is true liberation from colonialism.

"If we are talking about First Nations Rights and the negotiation of treaties amongst the First Nations, then non-indigenous Australia needs to free itself from its colonial ties with England first as the majority of Australians are no longer descendants of British convicts and could become a republic.

"Our call as the Sovereign Union is to create a meaningful Constitution that not only establishes a Bill of Rights, but also includes all our inherent rights and protections that we, as First Nations Peoples, have been calling for as a significant way to achieve our liberation."

Contact: Michael Anderson 0427 292 492 ghillar29@gmail.com