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Social Justice & Human Rights Issues:
A Global Perspective
Responses and initiativesIndigenous Australian Case Study:
Torres Strait Mer (Murray Island) and Eddie 'Koiki' Mabo8. Economic Independence
Traditional economic independence was based on agriculture, hunting and fishing (refer to 'Employment' for more information). The islands were poor in material sources so trade was developed between islands and the New Guinea coast. The goods the Islanders traded for included tools, canoes, domestic utensils, feathers, ochre and weapons. The Islanders in return gave turtle shells, pearl shell, stone tools and human heads from defeated enemies. The trade was essential in maintaining life on many of the islands.
The trade links were cemented through marriage and kinship ties. The Eastern (including Murray) and Western Islands tended to trade with New Guinea while the Southern Islands traded with the Aboriginal people of Cape York. The Islanders sailing skills and ocean going canoes allowed them to extend their trading routes further a field. The canoes often travelled in small fleets and were protected against attack.
The traditional economic independence and reliance on island trade changed with the arrival of European settlers and the developing trade in pearl shell (refer to 'Employment' for more information).
For statistics on indigenous economic independence refer to 'Employment' for more information or the following link to the:
Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission
.
Today Torres Strait Islanders have asserted their right to economic independence through their claim to and use of their marine environment. The sea claim of the people of Murray Island (Mer) extends over 100 km south of the island. All of the Torres Strait waters are in the marine area of one of the island groups. State, Australian and International laws support these rights as well as agreements with international organizations.
In 1985 the Torres Strait Treaty was signed by Australia and Papua New Guinea. It identified maritime boundaries in the area between the two countries and the protection of the way of life and livelihood of Torres Strait Islanders and the marine environment. In 1984 the Commonwealth Parliament passed The Torres Strait Fisheries Act.
The treaty states:
"In the administration of this Act, regard shall be had to the rights and obligations conferred on Australia by the Torres Strait Treaty and in particular to the traditional way of life and livelihood of traditional inhabitants, including their rights in relation to traditional fishing."
(Torres Strait Fisheries Act, 1984).The Human Rights Committee (HRC) has emphasised the importance of protecting Indigenous peoples' lands and resources in order to ensure their cultural survival. The Committee stated a need to secure the continuation and sustainability of traditional forms of economy of indigenous hunting, fishing, and gathering.
The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) states that it is a right of Indigenous peoples to control their lands, territories and resources.
The Covenant states that:
1. All peoples have a right of self-determination. By virtue of that right they freely determine their political status and freely pursue their economic, social and cultural development.
2. All people may, for their own ends, freely dispose of their natural wealth and resource. In no case may a people be deprived of its own means of subsistence.
For more information on Indigenous rights and the sea examine the Croker Island Claim. In 1998, the Federal Court found the traditional owners of Croker Island had native title rights over the sea. This ruling has important implications for Islanders and their sea claims.
The Islanders have been examining a blanket native title claim over the sea. The Torres Strait Regional Authority chairman, Terry Waia, has stated that the Authority would recognise the rights of commercial fishermen but the sea claim would apply for exclusive rights over certain parts of the Torres Strait. The Islanders have attempted to reduce the number of commercial fishermen so that Islanders could develop their own commercial fishing interests.
In March 2001 the issue of economic independence and the encroachment of commercial fisherman on those rights, came to a head when the Indigenous leaders issued an ultimatum for commercial fishermen to stop fishing in the waters off the islands.
The issue was further highlighted when Mr Benjamin Ali Nona used a crayfish spear to challenge commercial line fishermen who were fishing in the traditional waters around Murray Island. Mr Nona also confiscated the coral trout, which the fishermen had caught, in his traditional waters. Police charged Mr Nona but the cases was dismissed in court. The jury accepted that Mr Nona had believed, as an Indigenous person, that the fish belonged to him and not the fishermen. The jury decided that Mr Nona was not criminally liable under Section 22 of the Queensland Criminal Act.
ATSIC Chairman, Geoff Clark, described the ruling as "a major step towards national recognition of our Traditional Sea rights which we have held for tens of thousands of years before white settlement" and "Until this decision some of our people had been penalised for trying to protect those rights, but now there is some hope that those rights are being recognised by white law."
The people of Murray Island continue to depend heavily on the sea for subsistence resources - turtle, dugong, crayfish and fish. Murray Island has also developed other business enterprises including a beer canteen and a fish freezer.
Torres Strait Islanders living on mainland Australia continue their association with the sea through dugong and turtle hunting. The Islanders consider the traditional foods important components of their independence, ceremonies and celebrations wherever they are living.
Activity
Research and answer the following questions on Torres Strait economic independence.
1. What are the ways in which Islanders incorporate economic systems into the environment?
2. What has been the impact of colonisation and subsequent events on Islanders economic systems?
3. What do the statistics indicate about Islanders' participation in the economy, including income statistics?
4. What mainstream government economic programs and strategies exist in relation to Islanders, including culturally appropriate programs and strategies?
5. In what ways have Islanders and their communities attempted to reassert their economic independence?
6. What is the importance of regaining land, and cultural maintenance, in achieving economic independence?
7. What Islander initiatives have been developed that address economic status and their impact on other lifestyle factors
8. What social and political changes are necessary to improve Islanders economic status?
9. What similarities and differences in economic independence issues exist for Islanders and Aboriginal communities?
References
Finch, N. The Torres Strait Islands, Jacaranda Press, Milton, 1977.
Wilson, L. Kerkar Lu, Department of Education, Queensland, 1988.
Wilson, L. Thathiglaw Emeret Lu, Department of Education, Queensland, 1988.
Thursday Island State School, Culture In Change, Thursday Island State High School, 1988.
Click on the links below to investigate other topics in this Indigenous Australian Case Study:
1. Overview of the Torres Strait Islands
2. Overview of Mer (Murray Island)
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