Australian Indigenous People: Aboriginal leader dead

One of the most important Australian indigenous people is dead: Galarrwuy Yunupingu died at the age of 74. He campaigned for the rights of the Aborigines and was respected and revered for his commitment by politicians and indigenous people.

The Aborigines mourn the loss of one of their most important representatives: Galarrwuy Yunupingu, politician and campaigner for the rights and land rights of Australia’s Indigenous people, has died. He died on Monday at the age of 74 in the north-eastern Arnhem Land region, his family said.

“Giant of the Nation”

Yunupingu of the Yolngu people was born in 1948 in the Northern Territories. For more than two decades he was Chairman of the Northern Land Council (NLC), which supports Aboriginal people in acquiring and managing land. Yunupingu has met with all prime ministers since 1972 and participated in drafting laws for indigenous peoples’ rights.

In 1978 he was named “Australian of the Year”, and other honors followed. In 1998 he was included in the list of “Australia’s 100 Greatest Living People”. “It is difficult to put into words what this loss means to this country,” said Minister for Indigenous Australia Linda Burney. The Yothu Yindi Foundation referred to him as a “giant of the nation”.

Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese also honored him. He will propose to Yunupingu’s family to honor him with a state funeral. “He was a leader, a statesman, a great Yolngu man and a great Australian,” he wrote on Twitter. According to Albanese, he moved between two worlds with authority, strength and grace and worked to unite them.

Referendum for Aboriginal recognition

Prime Minister Albanese only announced details of a referendum on constitutional amendments at the end of March. A vote is to be taken this year on whether the indigenous people should be recognized in the constitution as Australia’s first people and given a vote in parliament. On the occasion, he also spoke to Yunupingu again, Albanese explained.

The relationship between Australians and the indigenous population is difficult. Aborigines have inhabited the continent for 65,000 years, according to the National Museum. After the arrival of the first British settlers in Sydney on January 26, 1788 and the colonization that followed, Aboriginal children were snatched from their parents for many decades.

Aboriginal people make up around 3.2 percent of Australia’s population. They have only been allowed to vote since the 1960s. Many complain of racism and discrimination. To this day, the indigenous people are fighting for the recognition of their land rights.