Indigenous peoples and ethnic minorities from around the world have stood against the brutalities of colonisation, proudly upholding their culture, for hundreds of years. Yet, there has been a total absence of recognition and specialised support for indigenous migrants to Australia in the public sphere, whether that be in music and culture, in history, or in our national identity.

I am indigenous myself from southern China, and my family has had ties to Australia for close to 40 years. Colonised first by the Chinese and then by the British; doubly displaced from our traditional lands first to Hong Kong, and then to Australia, we are constantly fighting against the odds. And despite this, in advocating for indigenous rights, I have received only apathy and hate: a total lack of interest from my local MP, community organisations, and my university alike.

We deserve a fair go - to be equally represented in the public sphere and to have equal opportunities to lead a free and fulfilling life, and to effect change, to improve the lives of the most vulnerable and isolated in society. The following recommendations are what I propose for these aims:

1) Immediately and without delay, sign and ratify the United Nations Declaration of Indigenous Rights. Australia was one of only four countries worldwide to vote against the Declaration (the others being the US, Canada, and New Zealand). In effect, Australia has refused to recognise our rights to self-determination, economic, social and cultural participation, and to redress against the wrongs of colonial atrocities.

2) Acknowledge the right of indigenous peoples to freely self-identify according to their heritage, whether that be 'indigenous Australian', their race or their heritage country, or a specific cultural and family lineage. 

3) Represent the cultures, languages, and traditions of indigenous peoples with non-Australian heritage in local and national media, including in television, radio, and national arts, music, theatre, dance, and sporting development programs.

4) Set up specialised services in healthcare, education, the legal system, employment, and other organisations in the public sphere, just as other indigenous peoples and cultural groups in Australia already have.

5) Represent the voices, interests, and opinions of indigenous peoples with non-Australian heritage in local and federal government throughout Australia, especially in relation to self-determination and setting up community-controlled decision-making institutions.

We must not let the failure of the 2023 Indigenous Voice to Parliament further stifle our progress towards these aims. Without these actions, the narrative of equal opportunity, meritocracy, and progress that our country tells to itself will remain a myth and a falsehood. As long as we deny *all* indigenous Australians their personhood, their autonomy, and their dignity, we will not have truly moved on from the brutal colonial legacy of the past.