Time to fix a silence at the heart of Australia's constitution

<p>A silence lies at the heart of the Australian constitution. The document reflects Australia’s history of white settlement, but fails to mention the much longer occupation of the continent by Aboriginal peoples. It is as if their history does not matter, and is not part of the nation’s story.<br><br>The constitution was drafted in this way because, at the time of Federation in 1901, Aboriginal people were cast as a dying race. They were described as a ''problem'’ and as a people lacking any future in the nation.<br><br>As a result, they were excluded from the political settlement brought about by the Constitution. They were immediately denied the vote in federal elections, and the Constitution even said they could not be included in counts of the Australian population.</p><p><div>[toc hidden:1]</div>
Read the full article here: The Sydney Morning Herald