Recognition: Cape York people say talk to us

Torres Strait Island and Aboriginal people on Cape York believe they have been left out of the recognition debate.

William Bero, the head of the traditional owners’ group on Mer Island. Picture: Brian Cassey

Torres Strait Island and Aboriginal people in remote communities on the tip of Cape York are backing the push for constitutional recognition of indigenous Aust-ralians, but believe they have been left out of the debate.

A week after Tony Abbott backflipped on his opposition to indigenous-only conferences ahead of a planned 2017 referendum, elders and community members in the region have told The Weekend Australian that constitutional recognition was needed and deserved.

Yet William Bero, the head of the traditional owners’ group on Mer Island — the Torres Strait island where native title was first won with the 1992 Mabo decision of the High Court — said he feared most of his community were ­unaware of the proposed referendum. “People are not talking about it, because most don’t really know or understand what is being discussed or proposed,’’ he said.

“We are like many remote communities in the Torres Strait and around Australia in that it is very difficult for us to follow what is going on, what is being discussed in the cities, even if it is about us.”

Only a handful of Torres Strait Islanders and community members in the Northern Peninsula Area communities of Bamaga ad Injinoo, on the tip of Cape York, said they knew anything about the push for constitutional recognition of their people.

Mr Bero, who talked with the Prime Minister about the need for assistance in rebuilding crumbling local infrastructure and the now-dead local fishing industry during the latter’s visit this week to Mer, said poverty and dealing with the cost of living were most on the minds of locals.

Nevertheless, he welcomed the idea of a regional forum to discuss constitutional reform, so that the issue can be discussed within the community. He also backed the idea of Cape York leader Noel Pearson for an enshrined indigenous advisory council.

“It has to be discussed within our own people, to find consensus about how it should go ahead,’’ he said. “I like the idea of a government advisory council but it also has to include people from the communities, not just the educated people, so that everyone knows what’s going on.”

Mr Abbott told The Weekend Australian that constitutional recognition was not raised by anyone during his meetings in communities this week in the Torres Strait and NPA. “Well, it’s interesting it hasn’t actually been raised at all up here,’’ he said.

“And I think that is because it’s not front of mind on a day-to-day basis even for indigenous people, let alone for the rest of the Aus­tralian community.”