The call for a National Summit of Traditional Owners announced last week by three icons of the First People’s struggle, Tauto Sansbury, Geoff Clark and Michael Mansell, has gained momentum. They have been inundated by the true leaders of First People from all around the continent. Many Elders believe there is a tumultuous political climate and that they are seeing an inevitable fast-tracked land grab by this Government and by coteries of already wealthy predatory carpetbaggers. They believe that they are at the crossroads, that if they do not stand up united and strike back that what little has been won in the last 50 years will be lost forever.

“We will send delegations out into the communities to ensure that everyone knows what is happening and that we are ready to do something about it.”

In my extensive travelling around the continent of late, as word spreads about the G20 protests and of the call for the largest gathering of the legitimate representatives of all First People, and the call for a historic Summit for Freedom, there is excitement, there is a body politic growing around the “big issues”, there is a sense of hope replacing despair.