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Carmody, Kevin --- "Bicentennial Comment - ABC News Commentary" [1988] AboriginalLawB 7; (1988) 1(30) Aboriginal Law Bulletin 4


Bicentennial Comment - ABC News Commentary

by Kevin Carmody

January 26, 1988

I speak to you as one of the indigenous people of this, our vast and sacred ancient land. We in this part of our continent refer to ourselves as Murries.

I have been asked to comment upon your Bicentennial. This I will do, though the Truth will no doubt offend you, the European, ethnic majority.

In 1788, European time, the first small band of European, radical aggressors invaded our lands. They formed a beachhead on the continent's east coast and proceeded from there, by violent and savage means to subjugate the rest of the land, and our people, the Murri inhabitants.

As a Murri person I do not comprehend how you could leave your spiritual and cultural homelands in Europe and intrude here so arrogantly and permanently, without recompense or recognition of our sovereignty.

You are an insensitive and barbaric people.

This undeclared war raged the width and breadth of this continent, and to this day our struggle continues unabated as witnessed by the horrendous statistics of our people's deaths in custody (they are our most recent martyrs for the struggle), look at our infant mortality and health figures, our education and our economic poverty.

We as a nation knew no jails, no private property; no standing armies; no leaders; no shackles; no leg irons; no chains; no police, and no whippings of our fellow human beings.

My mother's mother, my great uncles and aunties were forced by you onto reserves, town fringes and missions. My grandfather, uncles and aunties were delivered up to the hands of these new materialist, technological savages, whose Creed of Greed blinded them to the basis of their imported Christian theology: i.e. "to love one another, and to do unto others as you would have them do to you".

You have not yet learnt the harmony, balance and gentleness needed to co-exist with the fragile earth as Murries do. You must display respect and forge a rapport with the Mother earth, as we have done for millennia.

Where is the quality of your existence?

You are a shallow, rootless, hollow people. Your system destroys the forests and erodes the land to the rivers mouth.

Your actions show your society is savagely barbaric.

You are spiritual paupers.

You must learn to smell the warm honey-scented spring air.

You must learn to experience the beauty and the majesty of the waning autumn moon.

You must learn to imagine a gentle evenings rain upon the deserts flowering red sands.

These things are an intimate part of our Murri heritage.

Because you are not a Murri you do not understand the essence of the earth. This is your European short-coming. From us you must learn, or your civilization will destroy this earth.

I as a Murri person find this late too horrific to contemplate.

You are the ultimate global nomads, whose destructive technological progress and developments, if allowed to proceed unchecked, will eventually annihilate all mankind.

Is this the legacy to which you wish us, as Murries, to aspire?

You ask us to be thankful and indeed to admire your concept of "progress". This I cannot and will not do, and as my forebears before me resisted this "regression" so too will I.

My culture has given me a pride and a dignity a sense of awe and humiliation at the majesty and the vastness, the enormity, diversity and sacredness of all Creation.

Please do not delude yourself that I as a Murri am your "Problem". You and the Bicentennial are mine.

Thank you.


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