Fight for Aboriginal land rights expected to intensify at Alice Springs summit
The fight for Aboriginal land rights in Tasmania is expected to intensify in the wake of a national Indigenous summit in Alice Springs today.
Hundreds of Aboriginal people from across the country will attend, including politicians, land rights council representatives and community members.
Tasmanian Indigenous activist Michael Mansell, who is attending the event, said Aboriginal people had not had a strong voice on national issues since the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC) was abolished in 2005.
Mr Mansell said Tasmania's Indigenous community is set to campaign for ownership of a range of areas including World Heritage Wilderness areas and some national parks.
"That would give us not only a sense of justice, but also give us direct access to an economy, because if we Aboriginalise those areas the people that are going down there will want to look at Aboriginal people and Aboriginal culture and they will pay for it," he said.
Bay of Fires, Cradle Mountain and Tasmania's great Southern Wilderness are part of the campaign.
Mr Mansell said Indigenous Australians had secured only a small fraction of potential claims.
"We've only got point 1 per cent of the 67,000 square kilometres taken from us," he said.
"And Aboriginal people, because we don't have that land base, because we were shunted off when they wanted to take the land, it means nor do we have an economic base."
He said the National Uniform Land Rights legislation proposed by then prime minister Bob Hawke could be revisited.
"There's been a lack of progressive policies from federal and state governments, all, we think, because there hasn't been a national voice and Aboriginal people have been shut out of the process," he said.
