“You committed genocide against our people. Give us our land back! Give us what you stole from us!” yelled Australian Senator Lidia Thorpe when acknowledging King Charles who was on his first world tour following his cancer diagnosis. Thorpe was also pictured turning her back when “God Save the King” was played before Charles’s arrival. After disregarding Britain’s sovereignty over Australia, she was escorted out of the chamber, calling for a treaty to protect Indigenous rights. Coming from Gunnai, Gunditjmara and Djab Wurrang descent, she became a senator for Victoria in 2020, when she represented the country’s natives as the first aboriginal senator from the state. Before entering politics, she had a history of Indigenous activism when she served as the chairperson of the National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee (NAIDOC). She worked to teach Australians about First Nations cultures and histories. Her recent actions were of no surprise to individuals as she’s made similar controversial remarks about the monarchy. In 2022, when she was being sworn into parliament after re-election, she called the queen a colonizer. These events have sparked conversations online over Australia’s relationship with the British Crown.
During the 1999 referendum, citizens decided to keep the Crown as their head of state however groups including the Australian Republic Movement have advocated for the country to transform into a republic and sever ties with Britain. In 2023, the country had another vote to decide whether Aboriginals should be recognized in the constitution. According to a report published by the Australian National University, only 39.9 percent of voters were in favour of this referendum. Those who voted “no” were worried that it would divide the country. Following this, Indigenous Leader Marcia Langton told reporters that “It’s very clear that reconciliation is dead.” The country had been under British colonial rule for over a century, with a violent past of over 200,000 aboriginal deaths by colonists. Britain had previously tried to remove native culture in many territories including Canada and the United States. These attacks had become more lethal over time. In 1928, the country reported its last known slaughter known as the Coniston Massacre, where over 60 people were killed throughout the Central Desert Region. A descendent from a survivor of these attacks told The Guardian that “[They] want everyone to understand why so many of [their] innocent men, women and children were murdered in cold blood.” When recounting stories of the traumatic events, he went on to say that “many kartiya (white men) were too greedy for [their] land and didn’t see [them] as fully human.”
Despite the tragic history, prominent figures have shared their views on Thorpe’s actions. Former Prime Minister Tony Abbott said the occurrence was “unfortunate political exhibitionism.” These views were shared by Nova Peris- a former senator and first Aboriginal woman in parliament- who labelled these actions as “embarrassing and disappointing.” Through social media, she shared that “Australia is moving forward in its journey of reconciliation… as hard as that journey is, it requires respectful dialogue, mutual understanding and a shared commitment of healing- not divisive actions that draw attention away from the progress we are making as a country.” However, others disagree. Those such as lawyer and author Vanessa Thurnbull-Roberts said that there was “nothing more harmful or disrespectful” than inviting the monarchy to visit their country.
Australia has had a violent past with colonization, similar to other nations who were previously apart of the British Imperial Rule. Despite progress between aboriginal communities and governments, racial discrimination and inequalities continue. Citizens such a Thorpe are advocating for recognition and reconciliation for Aboriginal groups.
Written by Suriya Rampersad
