Editors --- "Update: The 1967 Referendum; Australian Reconciliation Convention; Wanda Koolmatrie Incident; In this Issue" [1997] IndigLawB 41; (1997) 4(2) Indigenous Law Bulletin 2

Update

The 1967 Referendum

May 27th is the anniversary of the 1967 Referendum which gave the Federal Parliament power to make special laws in relation to Aborigines. The importance of this historic referendum is still being felt today. This power was used to pass the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders (Qld Discriminatory Laws) Act 1975 (Cth) which attempted to invalidate the racially discriminatory laws of the Queensland Parliament. Also under this power the Racial Discrimination Act 1975 (Cth) was passed-which stood in the way of the Queensland's government's attempt to halt the Mabo case by extinguishing native title in 1985. It also enabled the passage of the various State Land Rights Acts and the Native Title Act 1994 (Cth).

Contributions which address the relative merits of citizenship for Aborigines the relevance of the Constitution would be welcome here at the ILB - a topical issue as the People's Convention on the Republic will be held at the end of the year.

Meanwhile, a Forum sponsored by the Aboriginal Law Centre entitled 'The 1967 Referendum: Aboriginal Rights 30 Years Down the Track' is to be held at the University of New South Wales on Friday 9 May. The Speakers will be Chicka Dixon and Lois O'Donoghue. The Forum is to be held between 3.30pm and 5.00pm, in the Hal Wootten Moot Court (Room 1039), 10th Floor UNSW Library Tower Building. For further information, please call the Aboriginal Law Centre on (02) 9385 1266 or (02) 9385 2850.

The Australian Reconciliation Convention

The Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation will be holding a three day conference, the Australian Reconciliation Convention, to formulate an approach to reconciliation, as a leadup to the centenary of Australian Federation in 2001. The theme of the Convention is "'Renewal of the nation" though building better relationships between indigenous peoples and the wider community to fulfil the Council's vision of "A united Australia which respects this land of ours; values the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander heritage; and provides justice and equity for all" '.

The Convention is a culmination of much activity by the Council all over Australia, including many public meetings where people from Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities were encouraged to speak about issues they believe are relevant to the reconciliation process, and the sort of nation Australia should look to being in the year 2001.

A highlight of the Convention will be presentation of the Australian Reconciliation Awards, which will recognise the efforts being done by individuals, organisations and communities around the country to make reconciliation a reality.

The Convention will be held from 26 to 28 May 1997 at the World Congress Centre, Melbourne. For further information about costs and obtaining registration forms, contact:

The Meeting Planners, 108 Church Street, HAWTHORN VIC 3122

Phone: (03) 9819 3700

Fax: (03) 9819 5978

Email: <reconciliation@meetingplanners.com.au>

Or phone the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation on 1800 807 071.

Wanda Koolmatrie Incident

Last month, the award-winning Aboriginal author, Wanda Koolmatrie, was self-outed by her creator, a 47 year old white male named Leon Carmen. My Own Sweet Time was published in 1995 by Magabala Books, an Aboriginal publisher which specialises in the works of Aboriginal authors. The surname Koolmatrie is a well-known Aboriginal name in South Australia.

The author's biography recounted how she had been born in 1945, and was removed from her Pitjantjatjara mother in 1950, to be raised by foster parents in the western suburbs of Adelaide. The book won the 1995 Debbie Award for a first novel by a woman writer, and the accompanying $5,000 first prize. It was also used in the 1996 NSW HSC exam among an anthology of Australian auto-biographies. Leon Carmen has now returned the 55,000 first prize money to Perpetual Trustees. Stay tuned for further instalments. (Neil Lofgren)

In this Issue

Our coverage of the Wik case continues! Extracts from the Indigenous Position Paper on the Wik decision and mooted amendments to the Native Title Act are commences on page 8. Meanwhile, the 10 points in the Coalition Government's response to Wik appear on page 10.