Indigenous Australians denounce ‘shameful’ rights referendum result

Aboriginal Australian leaders have broken their week-long vow of silence to condemn the collapse of an Indigenous rights referendum. Australians recently voted against a binding referendum to recognize the country’s first inhabitants in the constitution, exposing deep racial divisions. In an open letter, Indigenous leaders criticized the “shameful” outlook of the majority of Australians and expressed their refusal to accept that the country is not theirs. The reforms would also have created a consultative body — a “Voice” to parliament — to tackle inequalities that plague Aboriginal communities.