Australia’s Freedom Riders: A Legacy of Courage

At the AIATSIS Summit in Darwin a fortnight ago, Alyawarre elder and admired leader Pat Anderson AO said out loud what many of us have been thinking and saying in our own circles for years. "Time is up," she declared, calling out the long-standing Indigenous leaders who have been at the table for decades. "When are these people, who have been in charge for decades, going to step aside and make room for the next generation?"

I have a confession: I almost cast a donkey vote at last weekend's federal elections. I was tempted to draw a smiley face on the ballot paper, not turn up, and just cop the $20 penalty. I'm not alone in feeling disillusioned with politics, not just here but globally. But then I remembered and was reminded by others: as Indigenous Australians, our right to vote was hard-won.