Northern Territory Aboriginal land councils join ‘week of silence’ in Voice fallout

Northern Territory land councils and other Aboriginal organisations have joined their counterparts across the country in a week’s silence ‘to grieve’ to the referendum result. Read their statement.

Territory land councils and Aboriginal organisations will join Indigenous leaders across the country for a “week of silence” in the Voice referendum fallout.

Australian Electoral Commission results show 60 per cent of Territorians voted no, similar to the national majority.

However polling place results show the majority of remote Territorians were in favour of the Voice.

In joint statement published by the Northern, Central and Anindilyakwa land councils among others across the country, Indigenous leaders said they would take a week of silence to “grieve”.

“For more than six years, we have explained to our nation why the Voice was our great hope to achieve real change for our families and communities,” it read.

“Now is not the time to dissect the reasons for this tragic outcome.

“This will be done in the weeks, years and decades to come.

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

The joint statement asked every Australian to reflect on the outcome of the referendum.

“Much will be asked about the role of racism and prejudice against Indigenous people in this result,” it said.

“The only thing we ask is that each and every Australian who voted in this election reflect hard on this question.”

The Central Land Council’s 90 delegates, each elected from their communities across Central Australia, asked Australians to vote Yes in the Voice referendum. Picture: AFP/Central Land Council/Tina Tilhard.

The statement was also shared by the Aboriginal Peak Organisations Northern Territory, which represents the four land councils, Aboriginal Medical Services Alliance NT and North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency among others.

It comes just a week after the Central Land Council’s 90 delegates gathered at Uluru, calling on the country to vote yes.

All four of the NT Land councils, representing 76,000 Indigenous Territorians, had backed the Voice.

While the no vote in the bush seat of Lingiari gained a 55 per cent majority, polling place results show the majority of remote Territorians supported the Voice.

All but one remote mobile polling station had a yes majority, with the yes vote as high as 84 per cent at the Tiwi Islands, 92 per cent at Wadeye and 88 per cent at Maningrida.

Originally published as Northern Territory Aboriginal land councils join ‘week of silence’ in Voice fallout