The Tent Embassy & Land Right in the 'lucky Country'

When the British took over Australia in 1788, no one could have imagined the pain and suffering that their colonisation would inflict on the original Australians, the Aboriginal People. In a European man's perspective, when settlers first came to Australia, many of them were working men and their families looking for new job opportunities and production chances giving the continent a label: Working man's Paradise. But, in an Aboriginal's perspective, their beloved country was on a downhill slope.

The term 'the Lucky country' was an ironic expression which comes from the 1960's book The Lucky Country by Donald Horne. The book claimed that despite its achievements, Australia often lacked experience and innovation. I agree with Donald Horne's sarcastic tone when saying that Australia is 'the lucky country' as many of its traditional people suffered through hardships and times of horror.

Firstly, one of the most 'unlucky' experiences inflicted on the aborigines occurred when the British first invaded Australia. Even though the aboriginal people had a diverse society with laws, history and an amazing culture, they did not have a specific leader as all the aboriginals were split into tribes and therefore they had no rights over their land. As a consequence of this, the people were unjustly moved off their properties. Unknown to the British, aboriginals have been caring and nurturing the land since the beginning of their existence, keeping the seasonal patterns in order, believing that the land is a deity. All in all, the aborigines lost their land and their spiritual connection to making them twice as 'unlucky'.

Another hardship faced would have been the 'Stolen Generation'. During the twentieth century, thousands of Aboriginal children were forcibly taken away from their families and communities to be placed in mission homes or institutions. In these institutions, children were taught the way of the 'white man', forced to abandon their past lives and happiness for an uncertain future. Many of the children would never see their families again, growing up without knowing what their birth name is, where they came from or what their culture is.

The Australian government went to great lengths to ensure the breakage of cultural and family bonds between parents, their communities and their children believing that the Aboriginal people were lower in the 'Social Darwinism Chain'. White Authorities believed that they were helping the aboriginal communities by raising them as European people, giving them an education and training them for labour and thought that the aborigines were 'lucky' to be receiving their 'help' and 'gifts' but little did they know of the hurt and suffrage experienced by the people.

For the aboriginal people, the journey together with white