Tent Embassy article by Uncle Neville Williams in Canberra Times

Tent Embassy article by Uncle Neville Williams in Canberra Times: "The Canberra Times - Monday, 28 February 2005
Aborigines will not cross that black line
by Neville Williams

[ Neville Williams is a Wiradjuri Elder and has had long involvement
with the Tent Embassy. ]

THE ABORIGINAL people wouldn't be where they are today without the
Aboriginal Tent Embassy. Without it, we'd be even worse off than we
were. The Embassy is more relevant today than ever before.

In many parts of Australia our people are living in appalling
conditions. They don't have adequate housing or water supplies. All over
Australia, many of our people are sick and dying of preventable diseases
like diabetes, heart disease, alcoholism and drug dependency. Our people
also have hearing and sight problems and a host of other ailments. Our
people need improved living conditions and more educational programs.
But most of all we need our land back so we have an economic base from
which to start rebuilding our shattered lives.

The Embassy is on Wiradjuri land, and that's why so many Wiradjuri
people come here. The people who call themselves 'Ngunnawal' are in fact
Wiradjuri - we are all the one people. The site of the Embassy was an
Aboriginal meeting place long before Europeans came to Canberra. There
is very special heritage and spirit here. Some of the trees that have
been destroyed by fire were planted in memory of Aboriginal activists
from the Embassy, who have passed on in the struggle.

One of the fires, in memory of the late Kevin Gilbert, Wiradjuri
activist, poet and playwright, contains s"