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November 9th 2010 : Australia’s head of government announced a referendum on amending the Constitution to formally recognise Aborigines as the country’s first inhabitants.
Encouraging news keep coming from Australia ! Last August, for the first time in history, an Aboriginal became member of the House of Representatives. At 58, Ken Wyatt indeed won the Hasluck seat, in the State of Western Australia.
As to the ceremonial opening of Parliament in September, it started with an aboriginal ceremony called “the smoking ceremony“, supposed to demonstrate acceptance of this cultural heritage in the country’s history. Ken Wyatt then appeared in traditional dress and gave a maiden speech expressing his pride in representing his people in this democratic institution.
Some time later, on November 9th, Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard announced the holding, within three years, of a referendum on a constitutional amendment: an initiative of real symbolic importance since it would, if adopted, formally recognise Aborigines as the first inhabitants of the country.
Initially, a panel of experts will be established to issue, by the end of 2011, recommendations for adding a paragraph on this subject in the Constitution. This committee will be composed of representatives of all communities in the country, including Aborigines, as well as Members of Parliament.
However, victory is not foregone, as such an amendment had already been unsuccessfully proposed in 1999. The debate is resumed, and if the amendment goes ahead, it will certainly be considered a great step forward for the Aboriginal people who had been completely excluded from the country’s first Constitution in the early twentieth century.