Divisions Arise Over Australia's Plan for Constitutional Recognition for Indigenous Peoples
Critics of Australia’s plan to recognize Indigenous people in the country’s constitution say it risks diverting attention from serious social problems in First Nation communities.
The recently elected center-left government in Canberra wants to hold a referendum to change the constitution to recognize the country's original inhabitants.
Australia has an indigenous history going back 65,000 years. The continent was settled by the British in 1788 and was initially a prison colony. Ever since, Indigenous leaders have sought recognition for injustices including mass killings, dispossession of customary lands and forced assimilation.
