National Aboriginal Conference

The National Aboriginal Conference (NAC) was a national organisation established by the Australian Government to represent Indigenous Australians, that is Aboriginal Australians and Torres Strait Islander peoples.[1][2]

The NAC was originally established as the National Aboriginal Consultative Committee (NACC) in 1973 by the Whitlam government with a principal function to advise the Department of Aboriginal Affairs and the Minister on issues of concern to Indigenous peoples. Its members were elected by Indigenous people.[1] The reorganisation of the Committee into the National Aboriginal Conference did little to fundamentally alter the characteristics of the original Committee: The Conference's members too were selected by Indigenous peoples, and it remained in an advisory role.[2]

Although Indigenous leaders desired the Conference (and previously the Committee) to take on a greater and more direct role in the creation of policy,[1][3] the organisation maintained an advisory role over the course of its existence. However, these leaders found political leverage in the Conference. They utilised this leverage, and through actions on the international stage and in domestic media campaigns, the Conference was able to exert pressure on the Governments of the day to adopt a more involved approach to Aboriginal affairs.[1][3]

The Conference is known for its recommendation of a form of treaty between Aboriginal peoples and the Australian Government, using the Yolngu word makarrata to describe this.[4]

Relations between the Conference and the Commonwealth Government progressively deteriorated over the course of its life, and the Conference was eventually abolished by the Hawke government in 1985.[2]

  1. ^ a b c d Quentin., Beresford (2007). Rob Riley : an aboriginal leader's quest for justice. Aboriginal Studies Press. ISBN 978-0-85575-502-7. OCLC 220246007.
  2. ^ a b c Gunstone, Andrew (2017), Devere, Heather; Te Maihāroa, Kelli; Synott, John P. (eds.), "Reconciliation, Peacebuilding and Indigenous Peoples in Australia", Peacebuilding and the Rights of Indigenous Peoples: Experiences and Strategies for the 21st Century, The Anthropocene: Politik—Economics—Society—Science, vol. 9, Cham: Springer International Publishing, pp. 17–28, doi:10.1007/978-3-319-45011-7_2, ISBN 978-3-319-45011-7, retrieved 4 January 2022
  3. ^ a b De Villiers, Bertus (30 August 2019). "An ancient people struggling to find a modern voice – experiences of Australia's Indigenous people with advisory bodies". International Journal on Minority and Group Rights. 26 (4): 600–619. doi:10.1163/15718115-02604004. ISSN 1385-4879. S2CID 150403697.
  4. ^ Fenley, Julie (1 September 2011). "The National Aboriginal Conference and the Makarrata: Sovereignty and Treaty Discussions, 1979–1981". Australian Historical Studies. 42 (3): 372–389. doi:10.1080/1031461X.2011.583257. ISSN 1031-461X. S2CID 143732881.