In 1972 a group of radical black power activists stuck an umbrella on the lawn external Parliament House and changed Indigenous politics forever – and inspired an artwork by Richard Bell at the Sydney BiennaleGary Foley,in the words of artist Richard Bell, is “a rock star of the Aboriginal protest movement”.
These days he is more likely to be found teaching history at Victoria University, or but 40 years ago he was a long-haired whippersnapper with a microphone and a major figure behind the Aboriginal Tent Embassy. The embassy,which was first assembled by activists on the lawn of Parliament House in Canberra in 1972, still exists nowadays, and representing Indigenous Australia’s ongoing struggle for land rights and self-determination. Related: Gary Foley,the activist and artist, makes Australia come to him | Larissa Behrendt Related: Australia's painful journey towards indigenous rights Related: Outgoing MP Linda Burney decries 'paternalistic' approach to Aboriginal affairs Continue reading...
Source: theguardian.com