ANKARA <\/p>\n
Over 300 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leaders in Australia sought a new national representative body following the failure of the 2023 Voice to Parliament referendum, local media reports said on Thursday.<\/p>\n
The Council of First Nations organized a three-day gathering in Port Douglas, a town on the Coral Sea in the tropical far north of Queensland, where participants discussed and expressed in-principle support for the formation of a new national representative body led by Traditional Owners, according to ABC News.<\/p>\n
Supporters argued that the new body should be led by Traditional Owners and provide a stronger national voice for First Nations people.<\/p>\n
However, there were concerns that the meeting was dominated by government-recognized native title bodies and Aboriginal Land Councils, leaving out broader grassroots voices.<\/p>\n
According to Richie Ah Mat, acting CEO of the Cape York Land Council, the majority of the attendees were government-recognized native title representative bodies and Aboriginal Land Councils.<\/p>\n
Delegates will now return to their communities to seek feedback on the proposal, with funding and membership structures yet to be determined.<\/p>\n
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are the “First Peoples of Australia,” having lived on the continent for over 65,000 years.<\/p>\n
In 2023, the majority of Australians rejected a historic referendum to recognize the role of Aboriginal minorities in the Constitution.<\/p>\n
Dubbed a “Voice to Parliament,” if passed, it would have received a constitutional right to advise parliament on policies related to it for the first time in the nation’s history.<\/p>\n
*Writing by Islamuddin Sajid<\/p>\n