AustLit

'The centenary of Federation is an appropriate time for reflection on how well the Australian Constitution (‘Constitution’) serves our society today. For Indigenous peoples, it provides an additional impetus to encourage non Indigenous Australians to reflect upon the impact of colonisation on Indigenous communities and the extent to which Indigenous rights remain vulnerable today. In making this assessment, we can also consider how well the institutions of governance it has created have worked for the most socioeconomically disadvantaged cultural minority in Australia. It is thus a time for reflection upon both the way in which our modem system of government was established and the way in which it may or may not fulfil the needs and embody the values of our communities today.' (Introduction)