Megan Davis' essay 'Gesture Politics ' in the December 2015-January 2016 edition of the The Monthly is an excellent commentary on Indigenous perspectives on Indigenous policy in Australia. It provides essential background and context to the fraught debate on constitutional recognition.
I don't propose to revisit her arguments, but merely take the opportunity to recommend it as essential reading for anyone keen to understand the state of play on constitutional recognition, and in particular, the political underpinnings of what is often portrayed as a legal issue.
Davis' key paragraph is this:
We are not seeking recognition. We are seeking more. We are seeking formal, institutionalised safeguards and the right to be consulted, and to participate actively in decision making.
This aspiration goes to the heart not just of the debate on constitutional recognition, but to the place of Indigenous peoples within the nation.
