Key Points
- Indigenous activists are demanding an apology from King Charles III for the impacts of colonisation.
- Taylah Gray, member of the First Nations Advisory Council, says his coronation "set a sour mood".
- She says the crown symbolises lives, lands, and resources stripped from First Nations peoples.
An Indigenous activist has described as a "sour" event, as First Nations leaders demand a formal apology for the effects of colonisation.
Ahead of Saturday's coronation, campaigners and politicians from across 12 Commonwealth countries signed a letter calling for an apology, and reparations by redistributing the wealth of the British crown.
Taylah Gray, lawyer and member of the First Nations Advisory Council, said seeing the crown placed on King Charles' head had "set a sour mood".
"The crown is a symbol of the lives, lands, and resources that have been stripped from First Nations people from across the globe," she said.
"I know the crown represents power and authority, but you know leadership is not something that should be inherited from your bloodline. Leadership is earned from the people.
"It left a sour taste in my mouth."
Ms Gray is also calling for a referendum for Australia to become a republic, and believes Australia needs its own head of state.
"Speaking in my capacity as a Wiradjuri woman, we have been saying for decades that we are the descendants of injustice resulting from this colonial empire, we want that separation," she said.
"We've sent numerous petitions to the Queen demanding assistance for the ill condition of our people, and ... there's this deafening silence."
Taylah Gray believes King Charles III should apologise for the impacts of colonisation. Source: Twitter / Taylah Gray
"We remain the sickest people in our country, we remain the poorest people in our country, we remain the most incarcerated people in our country, we're more likely to die from suicide," she said.
"We have no treaty lands, it's important because it's time to remove their dishonourable systems from our nation."
'We need action'
Ms Gray said a referendum and independence could allow Australia to heal from the effects of colonisation.
"I think independence is part of healing."
She said seeing Barbados become an independent country, and Jamaica take steps to do the same, had shown action - not hope - could yield results.
"What good is hope? We need action," she said.
"They've set the bar, they've set that example and it's achievable ... that's why we've joined forces with them because it is achievable."
