ABSTRACT
It has not been openly discussed in regard to Indigenous Australians except when the federal government had to deal with the issue of native title and Aboriginal land rights. Nor is it a major point of discussion in the everyday life of most Aboriginal community residents throughout Australia. This chapter focuses on a state or experience of sovereignty from an Indigenous Australian perspective. The Maori are considered a strong and culturally active Indigenous population, and have gained and regained their place in their homeland since its occupation by the British. In Australia, the proportion of Indigenous Australians is considered to be so minor that governments are able to evade the recognition of sovereignty and self-determination. Exclusion and denial of Indigenous Australians’ rights to sovereignty and self-determination are as effective as the previous attempts by governments to deny our humanity and existence.
