Tent embassy comes to Wayside Chapel

The spirit of the Aboriginal tent embassy came alive at Wayside
Chapel on July 4 as part of NAIDOC Week celebrations.

80 members of both the Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal community
attended the event, aimed to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the tent embassy as well as educate the community of services available
in the inner city. Wayside Chapel partnered with the Inner City Legal
Centre, an independent community based legal service for the occasion.

Wayside Chapel’s Aboriginal Project Officer, Monique Wiseman, said there was an atmosphere of inclusion. She said: “Everyone seemed proud of being part of a community event.

“There was no ‘us’ and ‘them’ within it, it was just everyone
participating and being involved, and recognising not only the indigenous community, but everyone as brothers and sisters together as one.”

There was a community art project, damper and johnnycakes were served, while Indigenous woman Clara Boney was given an award for her contribution to the community.

Dan Stubbs, Director of the Inner City Legal Centre said the tent
embassy theme was a poignant reminder of how far Aboriginal
justice has come. “The tent embassy was a landmark for Aboriginal people seeking recognition of their rights, not just land rights but a range of rights. It was a landmark for Aboriginal people in the sense of stepping up politically to promote their rights in Canberra,” Mr Stubbs said.

“40 years on it’s important to recognise that although there have
been some improvements in the rights of Aboriginal people, we still
have an awful long way to go.”

The event also celebrated the establishment of a new Aboriginal identified space at Wayside Chapel.