Explained | Australia’s referendum to include an Indigenous ‘Voice’ in its Constitution Premium

Read The Hindu explainer on why Australia is conducting a referendum on rights of its Indigenous population. Who are in support and against of constitution recognition for Indigenous people?

The story so far: A bill passed by the Australian Parliament earlier this week has set the stage for a historic referendum on constitutional recognition for the Indigenous people, who account for 3.2% of the country’s nearly 26 million population. 

On June 19, the Senate approved the Constitution Alteration (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice) 2023, which proposes a change in the Constitution to establish a representative body that will advise Parliament and the government on matters related to Indigenous people. The Lower House passed the draft last month.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has called on Australians to “make history” with a ‘yes’ vote. “Parliaments pass laws, but it is people that make history. This is your time, your chance, your opportunity to be a part of making history. It will be a moment of national unity, a chance to make our nation even greater,” the PM said at a press conference.

The Australian government defines Indigenous people as those who “are of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent; identify as being of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander origin; and are accepted as such in the communities in which they live or have lived.” The Torres Strait Islands are now part of the Australian state of Queensland. 

Aboriginal Australians are believed to have inhabited the continent for tens of thousands of years, long before British colonisation of Australia in the 18th century. “Aboriginal people are known to have occupied mainland Australia for at least 65,000 years. It is widely accepted that this predates the modern human settlement of Europe and the Americas,” the National Museum of Australia says. Communities include hundreds of groups with distinct languages, cultural practices and traditions. National Geographic says about 250 such language groups are spread throughout the continent.

The British colonisation of Australia was catastrophic for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. It had a devastating impact on Indigenous society and economy and its effects are still felt today.

In the late 18th century, Lieutenant James Cook was instructed to take possession of new territories in the southern hemisphere “with the consent of the natives.” But that didn’t happen. Despite opposition from inhabitants, Cook and his crew declared possession, for they considered Australia to be terra nullius, Latin for nobody’s land. The ‘First Fleet’ of 11 ships with over a thousand prisoners arrived in Australia in 1787, establishing the first European settlements on the continent. Over 1.5 lakh convicts were transported to Australia by the end of 1868.