Australian Aboriginal Sovereignty

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Australian Aboriginal Sovereignty is a political movement amongst Indigenous Australians and supported by others in the 20th century, demanding control of parts of Australia by Indigenous peoples.

As is the case in many other countries where native people were displaced by European settlers, such as New Zealand, the United States and Canada, the issue is complicated and controversial.

In 1972, the Aboriginal Tent Embassy was established on the steps of Parliament House in Canberra, the Australian capital, to demand sovereignty for the Aboriginal peoples. The protest has remained in place for over thirty years. Demands of the Tent Embassy have included land rights and mineral rights to Aboriginal lands, legal and political control of the Northern Territory, and compensation for land stolen.

Many events in Australia (particularly left-wing or activist events) begin with a Welcome to Country and Acknowledgement of Country.

Notable proponents of Aboriginal sovereignty included Isabell Coe and Charles Perkins.