Recognise heritage, racism are key for us: Yunupingu

Galarrwuy Yunupingu believes ­recognising Australia’s indigenous heritage in the Constitution must be a top priority.

Galarrwuy Yunupingu with granddaughter Latoya Gurruwiwi at Gulkula in Arnhem Land, the site of the Garma Festival. picture: Amos Aikman

Galarrwuy Yunupingu believes ­recognising Australia’s indigenous heritage in the Constitution “can be and really must be” the top priority for Aboriginal people and the focus of national indigenous affairs debate.

Arnhem Land’s most powerful leader, who is seen by many as a ­father of modern land rights, also regards constitutional prohibition of racial discrimination as vital, ­although he acknowledges his thinking is still evolving on the issue.

Constitutional recognition and a treaty were “two different things”, and that pursuing constitutional recognition was the right approach now. He was still searching for a clear conception of what referendum “success” would mean in terms of changes to the everyday lives of his people.

“At present I’m looking for one, and it’ll be quite a while to look for one, to be able to find it,” he said.

“It’s important for the image of Aboriginal people and who we are, to be accepted as what we are and who we are.”

The comments come at an ­important time for Mr Yunupingu’s Gumatj clan, which is undergoing a slow leadership transition as he ages and delegates more responsibility to senior members of his family.

Ceremonies beginning at Garma Festival this weekend will acknowledge his contribution, spanning almost four decades, as one of Australia’s most important Aboriginal figureheads.

Once those ceremonies end, he is expected to retreat to focus on his health. In an exclusive interview with The Weekend Australian, Mr Yunupingu said it was up to Aborigines to decide how they wanted to be recognised in the Constitution and that they, rather than governments, were respon­sible for orchestrating the process.

He declined to back any of the referendum models being debated and predicted settling on the right form of words would take some time. Mr Yunupingu warned against expecting “copycat” success of the 1967 referendum vote.

“Aboriginal people from my side will have to think about it hard, to get together and find the real answer to that question — and that’s what we’re going to do,” he said.

“There should be a clause in the Constitution to wipe that (racial discrimination) right out. I think it’s not negotiable right from the start, right from where we start the discussion.”

Commentators have voiced fears that trying to insert a racial discrimination clause into the Constitution could invite judicial activism and dissuade conservatives from backing the vote.

But Mr Yunupingu said that need not be the case, if the words were chosen carefully. “It has to be clearly stated, whatever decision we make,” he said.

In 2008, Mr Yunupingu ­handed then prime minister Kevin Rudd a petition on behalf of the Dilak council of Yolngu elders, which called for constitutional recognition that would protect cultural diversity, land and water, economic independence and rights to responsibility.

The 2008 petition drew upon the famous 1963 Yirrkala bark ­petitions, to which Mr Yunupingu’s father Mungarrwuy was a signatory, and the 1988 Barunga Statement, which Mr Yunupingu helped bring forth.

Speaking yesterday, he said the form of words handed to Mr Rudd was no long a suitable model, and that yet to be clearly defined “harder questions” needed to be asked.

Other national indigenous leaders, including Noel Pearson and Patrick Dodson, are attending this weekend’s Garma Festival and are expected to discuss constitutional recognition.

The bunggul dance today will be a Gumatj tribute to Mr Yunupingu’s ­leadership. Djawa Yunupingu, Mr Yunupingu’s brother, said all of northeast Arnhem Land’s Yolngu clans would gather in the coming weeks.