tansi ninôtemiki,
It is not often that we get to see individuals express their hurt and anguish about colonization directly to the people in power responsible for it. On Monday, October 21, Indigenous-Australian Senator Lidia Thorpe expressed her pain directly to King Charles III during his address to the Australian Parliament House.[1] Interrupting the King’s speech, Senator Thorpe protested:
You are not our king. You are not sovereign. You committed genocide against our people. Give us our land back. Give us what you stole from us. Our bones, our skulls, our babies, our people. You destroyed our land. Give us a treaty, we want a treaty in this country. You are a ‘genocidalist’. This is not your land. This is not your land. You are not my king. You are not our king.[2]
While some critics have expressed a dislike for Senator Thorpe’s protest, claiming it was done so at the wrong time, there is certainly something to be said for an individual valiantly taking a stand against the status quo to vocalize their hurts regarding genocide. Unfortunately, it is quite common for outspoken people of colour to be labelled “angry” or “hostile” for expressing their frustrations. Perhaps there is
another perspective through which we can
view these passionate outcries.
Similar to the history of colonialism in Canada, the doctrine of discovery and principle of terra nullius was also applied on Indigenous Australian land.[3] Furthermore, Indigenous Australian children were forcibly separated from their families and communities in an effort to assert European values and work habits in service for colonial settlers.[4] The colonial violence of land disposition and family separation is a reality that Indigenous Canadians can relate to all too well. As such, communities damaged by colonization must stand together in solidarity to raise awareness for the reconciliation and healing still required for victims of colonial violence – when one of us hurts, we all hurt.
Senator Thorpe’s courage in speaking out for her Gunnai, Gunditjmara, and Djab Wurrung heritage is a powerful example for those of us afraid to take up space in political and colonial environments. Her words challenge us all to continue advocating for our communities with the same fearless resolve and serve as a reminder that reconciliation is not simply an apology or a symbolic gesture. Reconciliation requires real action: the return of stolen lands, treaty rights, and genuine accountability.
ekosi,
The ReconciliACTION Team
Citations
[1] The Associated Press, “‘You are not my king,’ Indigenous Australian senator yells at visiting King Charles” (21 October 2024) online: <https://www.ctvnews.ca/world/you-are-not-my-king-indigenous-australian-senator-yells-at-visiting-king-charles-1.7080698>.
[2] Kate Lyons & Karen Middleton, “King Charles heckled by Indigenous senator Lidia Thorpe at Australia’s Parliament House” (21 October 2024) online: <https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2024/oct/21/king-charles-australia-visit-heckled-senator-lidia-thorpe-parliament-house-canberra>.
[3] Australian Human Rights Commission, 2008 Face the Facts, (Sydney: Australian Human Rights Commission, 2008).
[4] Australian Human Rights Commission, Bringing them Home: Report of the National Inquiry into the Separation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children from Their Families, (Sydney: Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission, 1997).
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