White possession, according to Goenpul academic activist Aileen Moreton-Robinson, impacts our knowledge production in the form of dominant forms, values and beliefs. Being settlers in a colony like Australia means we find ourselves engulfed within the colonised narrative of Indigenous bodies, land rights and sovereignty. This edition, despite all its collaboration and communication, features a lengthy discussion of the Indigenous Voice to Parliament that is up for a vote soon. The edition is curated majorly by settlers who are learning along the way but broadly profit off the heinous possession of this land.
“The act of making a radical case for the Voice is an integral part of our historical contribution to the struggle for civil and political rights. It is Honi’s opposition to the Vietnam War, its support for queer and women’s liberation, its ongoing critique of Invasion Day which come to mind in this history.
“The referendum facing us now is different to these issues. The Voice has been proposed by the government and has received support from broad swathes of the political and corporate establishment. Yet, it is nonetheless incumbent on Honi, and all left-wing students, to support the Voice because it is fundamentally right to do so. Australian citizens must vote in this referendum. A ‘Yes’ vote will provide a foundation upon which the radical work towards true First Nations justice can begin.”
This edition, however, is thankfully full of our reporters’ pieces too. Khanh Tran speaks of the crisis facing the Aboriginal Legal Service (p. 14), and Grace Mitchell recalls the history of a Glebe women’s refuge (p. 8). Where Nicholas Osiowy speaks of the intersection between art and geometry (p. 15), Nicola Brayan explores how translated language is represented on-screen (p. 18).
We hope that you enjoy this edition.