Jenny Munro

Chairperson of the Metropolitan Local Aboriginal Land Council in redfern and veteran activist in the struggle Aboriginal rights. Jenny is also chairperson of the National Aboriginal History and Heritage Council, which was recently successful after a five year battle to obtain a permanent conservation order for the Day of Mourning Site on Elizabeth Street in Sydney.

Thank you very much for that warm welcome Ladies, it’s a pleasure to be here with you today. Happy women’s day all of you. Seeing that the subject is Native Title and women and our struggle to survive in this world I thought I would wear this T-shirt with a little home truth, and it says "always was and always will be Aboriginal Land" and that’s what this fight is all about today in Australia. Whatever the laws that came in 1788 with those boats that sailed in here, they aren't’t the laws of this country, the laws of this country go back thousands and thousands of years so far back they still don’t know how far back. They haven’t invented the technology to determine those small truth’s yet.

Native Title is about our right to our land our people’s right to survive on their country with their totems with their dreamings. In what we called paradise before 1788, we didn’t know the wickedness of the world that was brought here in those days, we were an innocent and naive people to a large extent and we gloried in that simplicity of life. The laws that came down for thousands of years were honed by wisdom’s of old people from time immoral. The Grey hair was the sign of coming of wisdom nothing else, old people have said whatever these white men come with their guns their bibles their buildings it doesn’t matter child you come from this country, you will return to it she is your mother.

We have a lot of confusion going on in public debate today about Native Title, we have a lot of so called Aboriginal leaders that get up and profess a vested interest, what happened in 1993 was one of the greatest tragedy’s in Aboriginal politics in this country today and people still don’t realise the ramifications. Where ten percent over ruled ninety percent of the people - Aboriginal people the sell out in 1993 by the National Indigenous Working Group that meant that all my people got in the Southern States was extinguishment of Native Title. It wasn’t about recognition of our right to land, it wasn’t about recognition of the prior ownership of my people, or recognition of the dispossession and genocide that occurred for 200 years, it was a legal process of extinguisment for the first time that validated the theft of land. Murders of people genocide’s of clans and tribes. This country we stand on today belonged to the Gadidal people, always was always will be Gadidal land. Doesn’t matter what John Howard says, doesn’t matter what Bob Carr says any premier that precedes them and any premier that comes after them they are just a little speck in the sands of time. Our people make a river, that river runs right through this country, its our bloodlines, it’s the sand that you walk on out at Bondi Beach, it’s the sand that you walk on the rivers inland. That’s were I come from an inland tribe, Wiradjuri people who stood and fought and defended their land. Windra died the hero of my people.

Do you know the hero of the Eora people Pemulwui, his head still sits in a museum in Scotland. Where is the justice in this world, the man who stood and defended, honoured his country for our people is not even offered the slightest bit of respect by the people. He stood and fought well, caught like a general in Napoleons Army, he was that much of a tactician, that much of a military minded man that they couldn’t find a way to beat him, that’s how he got the name rainbow warrior, they thought they had killed him at least half a dozen times but he came back and even when they took his head to Britain our people's law and legend said the rainbow warrior is coming back. He will reclaim his land, there is a campaign that is going to be started after we have got this building and that will go until 2002, the anniversary of Pemulwui’s death. We want his body intact, we want to bring him home so he can rest in piece. Our hero of this land that none of you want to recognise that none of want to honour even today because it’s a bit too close to the bone the truth about what happened here. This is also what Native Title is also all about ladies it is about cutting down to the bone getting to the truth of those stories those skeletons in cupboards. About who did what to who to take what in this country. It is our land it always will be, you have taken our land, you have destroyed our families our people are a shadow of what they once were and what they can and will be if we have justice in this country. We died in numbers that you can’t even contemplate, we have parents that bury their children in numbers that you don’t imagine. In any society that is one of the worst crimes of humanity for a parent to have to put a child in the ground. And to live with that loss, our people have to do that regularly because of the society we live in today because of the racism of people like John Howard want to perpetuate and propagate with his Menzies style of leadership all over again. Racism of the highest order is what leads this country and that is what we have to work about destroying if we are genuine and real in this dream of sisterhood and solidarity lets get down and get the work done. I Remember talking a couple of years ago and I was reminded the other day by a sister about a speech I made to a woman’s Day gathering in Hyde Park, "it’s time to take the toys away form the boys", they have been playing games with our lives and our children for too long. Let the wisdom of women come through and lead us where we should be because it is the women who make the backbone of the family and it is the women who make the backbone of the community and it is the women who make the backbone of society. Now lets get it on and get our act together and instead of coming back for a march every year and having a feel good day lets get serious about doing some work and changing things in this society. Girls I have a suggestion! I have lot of people telling me it’s a stupid suggestion but I will make it anyway. I think its time we started our own political party, women of Australia unite and fight for justice and Native Title and the recognition of our laws, let Aboriginal law stand on the same level as the white mans law, let us fight it out as equals together, not one race forever subjugating another race because if we let John Howard continue that’s what we will get people, one race continuing to subjugating another race and that is not peace and that is not what this country can be it should be and will be something better than that if we have anything to do with it girls, so lets get it on

Tour 96 | Tour 97 | Tour 98
Act Local Network Global
IWD Australia Home   Email c/- PO Box 1 Annandale NSW Eora Country NSW 2038