Anna Lensky, http://www.quarterlyessay.com
Quarterly Essay 55, A Rightful Place
Race, Recognition and a More Complete Commonwealth
Noel Pearson
“We have a committed prime minister, and a committed opposition. We have a
receptive electorate. There will never be a better time. We have no choice but to
address the question. If constitutions deal with fundamental things, our
indigenous heritage is pretty fundamental.”—Professor Greg Craven
“As long as we have a constitution that characterises Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander peoples on the basis of race, it will have deleterious implications
for their citizenship. It must be removed … This is not just a matter of
symbolism. I think this will be a matter of psychology. The day we come to
regard ourselves as people with a distinct heritage, with distinct cultures and
languages but not of a distinct race will be a day of psychological liberation. And
it will also be liberating for those in the wider community …”
—Noel Pearson, A Rightful Place
As the government sets the timeline for us to decide if and how indigenous
Australians will be recognised in the constitution, Noel Pearson makes the case
for fundamental change. With a key report on constitutional recognition due to
government by 29 September, Pearson’s Quarterly Essay shows what
recognition means, and what it could make possible: true equality and a
renewed appreciation of an ancient culture.
In A Rightful Place, Noel Pearson shows how the idea of “race” was embedded
in the constitution, and the distorting effect this has had. Now there is a chance
to change it – if we can agree on a way forward. This is a wide-ranging, eloquent
call for justice, an essay of remarkable power that traverses history and culture.
The nation has unfinished business. After more than two centuries, can a
rightful place be found for the original peoples of the land?
Noel Pearson is a lawyer and activist and chairman of
the Cape York Partnership. He has published many essays and
newspaper articles, as well as the book Up from the Mission
(2009). His previous Quarterly Essay was the acclaimed Radical
Hope: Education and Equality in Australia.
Quarterly Essay • Also available in ebook
Noel Pearson will deliver a
public lecture on race and
recognition at the
Sydney Opera House on
Thu 11 September at 7:30pm
