“But the fear and contempt for Aboriginal people and culture, which perpetuated the lie of “Terra Nullius” for more than two centuries, is deeply institutionalised and far from quashed.” Sharon Collins
The Theft Of Truth His brass visage looked out to the east without emotion or recognition, his eyes were dead much like his vision of a world his own, a sparrows nest of lies and make-believe, all self-possessed, like a smug little advert offering heaven for a pfennig on a Sunday, wild claims of the miraculous wrapped in manure and given to a king as proof of something not his to give or own and denying life as it was, overlooking history before him and claiming it was all his for the taking, denying breath and blood despite the very rich history of plus 40,000 years of occupation by the very real and first among us in Gondwana, you thief of life and meaning and all who have worshipped at your feet, be damned. ©Paul Vincent Cannon
Note: Captain James Cook on an expedition navigated Australia’s east coast in 1770 which paved the way for British occupation. In 1776, January 26th Captain Arthur Phillip claimed sovereignty by the British crown over Australia. January 26th continues to be celebrated as “Australia Day” which remains a lie that denies the existence of Australia’s First Nations people. The High Court has ruled Terra Nullius” is indeed an obvious lie, but the process of undoing two centuries of entrenched racism is proving to be very difficult. While Cook contributed much to our understanding of the geography of the world, he also played his part in denying First Nation peoples their rightful place. Terra Nullius is Latin meaning “land belonging to no one.” Hence the lie.
