Aboriginal Tent Embassy
In 1972, the Tent Embassy was established in response to a federal ruling rejecting Aboriginal land rights. No Aborigines were involved in the decision, and Aborigines across the country were deeply disturbed by the ruling. Many protesters met on the lawn of the Parliament House, made up a list of demands, and refused to leave until their demands were addressed. Over thirty years later, they are still there. There have been a few minor violent confrontations when the government tried to force the Tent Embassy to disperse,
but it has never gone away. Its staying power, despite its rickety, temporary architecture, has become an important symbol to many Aborigines.
When the 2000 Olympic Games cames to Sydney, Aborigines set up a second Tent Embassy on the Olympic grounds. The peaceful demonstration became a part of the show, with many Olympic athletes gave offerings and prayers to the Aborigine ritual fires.
The Tent Embassy promotes Australian Aboriginal Sovereignty. Their demands included land rights and mineral rights to Aboriginal lands, legal and political control of the Northwest Territory, and compensation for land stolen. Their demands have been consistently rebuffed.
The group describes itself as an embassy, a designation the Australian government objects to. The group claims to represent a displaced nation of peoples, unjustly occupied by the Australian government. The subject is very controversial in Australian politics.History
Issues