Aborigine, she refuses to mourn the death of Elizabeth II and demands the monarchy's apologies for colonization

A few days after the disappearance of Elizabeth II, an Australian journalist of Aboriginal origin demanded an apology from the British monarchy for her role in the colonization of Australia.

Since the announcement of the death of Elizabeth II , who breathed her last Thursday, September 8 at the age of 96, tributes are multiplying around the world, saluting the memory of the one who governed for 70 years.

If the testimonies of affection towards the Queen are almost unanimous, certain dissonant voices nevertheless wanted to qualify this concert of praise, considering that the disappearance of the sovereign, as sad as it is for the British, should not absolve her. of all.

Narelda Jacobs, an Aboriginal Australian presenter, is one such contrarian.

Photo Credit: Screenshot / Studio 10 - Pixabay

Aboriginal journalist refuses to mourn the death of Elizabeth II

As she spoke this Monday like every morning on the local program Studio 10, the native of Perth delivered her feelings vis-à-vis the royal family and the colonial heritage embodied by the latter.

Describing the British monarchy as a ' symbol of colonization Narelda Jacobs said Aborigines had a right to refuse to mourn the Queen's passing and should not be criticized for it.

« Great harm has been done, Australia was colonized with the consent of its first inhabitants “, she recalled.

Earlier, she had also reposted an Instagram story where one could read: “ I am an aboriginal woman. Don't ask me to mourn the death of the queen ».

Photo credit: Mama!a / Instagram screenshot

To illustrate her point, the journalist returned to her family history, recalling that her father Cedric Jacobs, an Aboriginal reverend who had met Elizabeth II and her husband Philippe in the 1980s while working on a treaty between his people and the Commonwealth.

Died in 2018, the man of the Church - who was part of the 'stolen generations', these tens of thousands of Aboriginal children forcibly removed from their families between 1869 and 1969 - had at the time lamented that his work did not had not been brought up when meeting the royal couple.

Narelda Jacobs therefore asked why the Queen had not said anything about this treaty, when she was not unaware of what the ' colonization trauma ».

« They were well aware that draft treaties were in the works, since there were similar ones in New Zealand and Canada. But what did they do? This is the source of my frustration “, therefore lamented the presenter, who would have liked the Queen to speak more to her father about the “ intergenerational trauma felt by Aboriginal victims of the Australian government's racial policy.

And the journalist to demand a “ acknowledgment or apology” from part of the monarchy.

The message has passed but not sure that it will not be heard!

As a reminder, Queen Elizabeth II, born in 1926, 138 years after the start of the colonization of Australian lands by Great Britain, visited Australia 16 times during her reign.