Sorrow, anger as Indigenous Australians weigh referendum defeat

Aboriginal Australians on Sunday grieved the collapse of a landmark push for Indigenous rights and recognition that was spurned by the country’s white majority in a binding constitutional referendum.

Indigenous leaders called for a “week of silence” to mourn the “bitter” outcome of Saturday’s landside vote, which has called into question decades-long reconciliation efforts.

With more than 70 percent of ballots counted Sunday, around 61 percent of Australians said “no” when asked if the 1901 constitution should be changed to recognise the country’s first inhabitants.

In doing so, Australians also voted against creating a new consultative body — a “Voice” to Parliament — that could have a say on issues related to Indigenous communities.

The proposal was defeated in every state of the country, despite being backed by Australia’s centre-left government, leading sports stars, celebrities and corporations.

Aboriginal advocacy groups said Sunday that millions of Australians had ignored the chance to atone for the country’s colonial past and the “brutal dispossession of our people”.

“Now is the time for silence, to mourn and deeply consider the consequence of this outcome,” a joint statement read.

“The truth is that we offered this recognition and it has been refused. We know now where we stand in our own country,” it added, before calling for a “week of silence” to grieve and reflect.

Indigenous voter Shirley Lomas was defiant, saying the defeat had done nothing to crush her resolve.

“Aboriginal people have been here for 60,000 years and we’ll continue to be here,” she told AFP in the wake of the result.

“Voters voted ‘no’ because they fear change. Most of them wouldn’t even know an Aboriginal person.”

Just under four percent of Australia’s 26 million population are Indigenous.

Other Indigenous Australians expressed feeling pain and rejection, after a vote that will change the way some “yes” voters see their neighbours and their country.

At a community group in Sydney’s historically Indigenous suburb of Redfern, people attended a small event for those struggling to come to terms with the result.

They lit eucalyptus leaves in a traditional smoking ceremony designed to