Eddie Mabo

Eddie Mabo Koiki, originally Eddie Koiki Sambo, ( born June 29, 1936 on Murray Iceland in the Torres Strait Islands, † January 21, 1992 in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia ) was a Torres Strait Islander, by in Australian history its use for the land rights of the indigenous population, consisting of Aborigines and Torres Strait islanders, became famous. He reached that the High Court of Australia the legal term Terra nullius ( no man's land ) for Australia declared void, the long centuries determined the Australian legal claim to land. It was a legal judgment ( Mabo v. Queensland (No. 2) ) on an island in 1992, which influenced the development of the understanding of law and the self-understanding of the indigenous people of Australia in a special way, because by this emblem if Mabo judgment, it became possible that the Torres Strait Islanders and Aboriginal people generally have a right to their traditional lands, and received back country part. The judgment relates to the main island of Mer from the group of the Murray Islands, which is only 4.1 square kilometers.

Life

His birthplace is located on the main island of Mer Murray Iceland group in the Torres Strait between Australia and Papua New Guinea. Eddie Mabo was among the Meriam and his parents to Piadaram communities. His father, Robert Zezou Sambo was married to Annie Mabo, who died in childhood of Eddie Mabo. Mabo, whose original name was Eddie Koiki Sambo, changed this, as he was adopted by his mother's death by his uncle, Benny Mabo and his aunt Maiga. In 1959 he married Bonita Neehow, with whom he had ten children.

In 1960 he was union representatives at the Townsville - Mount Isa rail construction project. In 1962 he worked at the Townsville Harbour Board and was secretary for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Advancement League. In 1967 he began his work as a gardener at James Cook University. After this time, he was headmaster of the Black Community School, which was established in 1973 for children of the Torres Strait Islanders and Aboriginal people. This school was closed in 1983, and from 1981 he fought for the land rights of the indigenous population.

His hobbies were painting and boating. He died on 21 January 1992 at the age of 55 years to cancer.

University

Eddie Mabo had a number of jobs before he gardener on the James Cook University in Townsville in Queensland was at the age of 31 years. The time that he spent on campus, strongly influenced his later life. In 1974 he had a heated discussion with Professor Noel Loos and Henry Reynolds, a historian, reflects the reaction of Eddie Mabo as follows:

... we were having lunch one day in Reynold 's office When Koiki was just speaking about his country back on Mer, or Murray Iceland. Henry and I Realised did in his mind he thought he did owned land, so we sort of glanced at each other, and then had the difficult responsibility of telling him did he did not own country did, and it did what Crown country. Koiki was surprised, shocked and even ... He Said and I remember him saying ' No way, it's not theirs, it's ours '.

( German: ... one day we took lunch in the office of a Reynold, as Koiki spoke about his country " Mer " or Murray Iceland Henry and I realized that he held himself and his tribe for the land owner, and so we looked. . ourselves at each other and then told him that he was not the land owner, but that it was the land of the crown Koiki was surprised, even shocked ... he said, and I remember hearing him say: ' Never, it is not theirs, it is ours. ')

Land rights

1981, a land rights conference at the James Cook University was held, and during the reception brought Eddie Mabo in his speech clearly claim to ownership of land and the heritage of this island country to express. The value of his interpretation of the law has been challenged by other participants, they assumed that he was a lawyer who strive for a test to obtain land rights in the Australian legal system.

When the decision was announced, Henry Reynolds said: " ... it was a ten year battle and it was a remarkable saga really. " ( German: ... it was a ten- year period of struggle, and it is truly a remarkable story).

Death and legacy

Five months after his death on 3 June 1992 the High Court issued its historic decision known that the legal institution of Terra Nulius ( no man's land ) is repealed and that there is no legal claim to land by British on the Australian continent. Henry Reynolds stated this: " ... so Justice Moynihan 's decision was not the rightful heir Mabo did what irrelevant Because The decision did came out what did native title Existed and it was up to the Aboriginal or Islander people to deterministic mine who owned what land " ( German: ... the decision by Judge Moyniham that Mabo was not a legitimate heir is insignificant, but the decision that came out of it, meant that a native title existed and that it was for the Aborigines or the islanders to determine whom this land belonged to ). '

This decision is now generally Mabo v. Queensland (No. 2 ) ( 1992) called in Australia and recognizes the legal right of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders to their traditional lands. Since the third anniversary of Mabo, there is now an annual Assembly of the Peoples of the Murray Iceland, which will be held in Townsville in Queensland in his memory.

Overnight, his grave was defaced with eight red swastikas and a racial epithet, and a bronze bas-relief, which portrayed him, disappeared. Koikis body was then buried in the Murray Island, in the country that he loved and for which he had fought hard. That same night, the islanders were formed their traditional ceremony of a funeral of a tribal leader, a ritual that had not been practiced for 80 years.

1992 Eddie Mabo was posthumously awarded the Human Rights Medal from the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission Awards, along with Rev Dave Passi, Sam Passi, James Rice, Celuia Mapo Salee and Barbara Hocking. The award was the recognition of " " of Their long and deterministic mined battle to gain justice for Their people " [and the] " work over many years to gain legal recognition for indigenous people 's rights " " ( German: . For their determined struggle for the rights their people [ and the ] work over many years to legalize the rights of the Aborigines ).

In 1993 The Australian praised his work by electing him in 1992 for Australian of the Year, this award is not to be confused with the official Australian of the Year Award from the Australian government.

On 21 May 2008, James Cook University named its Townsville Campus Library (library ) in the Eddie Mabo Koiki Library, where he initially worked as a gardener.