Reclaiming their heritage

The Kuiku Mabaigal Forum resolves by consensus to form the Federation of Island Councils “Zenadth Kes” to absorb responsibility of the Department of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Policy and the Department of Local Government and Planning, in terms of State funding and policy and the Torres Strait Regional Authority in terms of Commonwealth funding and policy responsibilities.

Mr Sagigi said that as a result of the Badu Island resolution he led a delegation to Brisbane on October 26, 2004 to meet with senior state ministers and policy advisors. The delegation, which included Pedro Stephen, Mayor, Torres Shire Council; Jack Ahmat, Chairman, Badu Island Council; Rocky Stephen, Chairman, Stephen Island Council; Gabriel Bani, Member of the Greater Autonomy Steering Committee, put forward a proposal of a name change to Premier Peter Beattie’s senior representatives.

At a community cabinet meeting on Thursday Island with Premier Beattie on December 4, 2005 Mr Sagigi asked for an update on the name change request. The Premier allegedly commented that he would “look into it”.

A self-assured Mr Sagigi concluded our conversation by saying that if a response was not forthcoming soon from the Premier he would consider his options under the Federal Racial Discrimination Act through the Human Rights and Equal Opportunities Commission (HREOC) and the Anti Discrimination Commission Queensland (ADCQ) to bring about the culturally appropriate and long overdue change.

As Mr Sagigi so eloquently put it, “… they came with a Bible and told us to close our eyes and when we opened our eyes the white man had taken away our land”.

I left the beautiful shores of the Torres Strait convinced that the next time I return that name, imposed on them by an accidental Spanish discovery in 1606, may have changed or at least be in its final days of a long reign.