Responses to Mabo Decision
The response to the Mabo Decision was fairly unanimous from the non-aborigine community. Many of them felt that the indigenous folk were taking over their land, and felt quite upset that the aborigine’s were ‘getting something for nothing, as usual’. The media often exaggerated the issue causing people to retaliate and lash out against aborigines. Many people felt that Australia was taking a step backwards by passing this legislation, instead of promoting the growth of the economy. Many commercial industries were also affected and they had to negotiate with Aborigines to retain their land, as many tourist attractions and such are highly dependent on Aboriginal cultures. This affected many companies and often caused outrage among the non indigenous communities. The reaction from aborigines was very different and an overwhelming majority of them felt a sense of resolve as they were able to claim their land back. The indigenous supported the decision in its entirety and were extremely pleased with the end result. However, they faced opposition from almost all the other communities and organizations as it put a certain element of doubt into everyone’s mind, regarding the new- found powers the aborigines would have over the land.