Treaty Talks Emerge From Ashes of Referendum Failure

Indigenous leaders are trying to pave a new way forward after the failed voice referendum, with treaty negotiations continuing across the country. More than 35 years after Bob Hawke was handed the Barunga statement in Arnhem Land, Indigenous leaders are still waiting for a treaty. Frustrated with a lack of federal progress, in 2018 then Northern Territory chief minister Michael Gunner took matters into his own hands. He re-signed the Barunga statement, which requests a treaty between government and Indigenous people, and committed to treaty talks. One territory government, two leaders and three Aboriginal affairs ministers later, progress has been slow. A treaty commission, initially established to consult with communities, was disbanded in 2022 after handing down its final report....