In the aftermath of the state election, not one single politician who stood before the cameras to claim victory or negotiate power mentioned a single word about Tasmania’s Aboriginal people.
While they celebrated their wins and spoke about their plans for the future, they failed to even acknowledge the true owners of the land they now claim to govern.
The Palawa people have survived two centuries of brutal invasion, dispossession, and forced assimilation. Yet as the new government prepares to wield power over every inch of Lutruwita/Tasmania land that was taken without consent or treaty,our people were completely invisible in their victory speeches, in their promises for the future, and in their priorities for the state.
While politicians congratulated themselves and made pledges about the economy, infrastructure, and jobs, they said nothing about the true owners of this land.
They made no mention of returning land, of protecting Aboriginal heritage, of a Treaty, or of justice for the Palawa community. This silence is telling.
How can any government claim to represent this state while ignoring the oldest continuing culture on earth? How can they talk about Tasmania’s future without acknowledging those whose rights, land, and dignity continue to be denied?
We remind the incoming parliament that they hold power on stolen land.
Our survival is proof of our strength, and our struggle will continue.
We will not be erased, we will not be silenced, and we will continue to fight for land, justice, and truth in Lutruwita.
Nala Mansell
Campaign Manager
Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre
