March for Recognition - Indigenous veterans stand up to be remembered

For the second year running a special march and service will be held to commemorate the contribution made by indigenous diggers to our nation.

Pastor Ray Minniecon, from the Coloured Digger Project, said acknowledging indigenous veterans was important, as recognition had not been forthcoming in the past.

"We wanted to acknowledge our own Redfern Aboriginal Diggers," Mr Minniecon said.

"The whole point is to show how we need to recognise, respect and honour the Aboriginal people who made the ultimate sacrifice for this country, particularly when we realise that history has not been a good one at times.

"After the war they did not receive the same benefits of returned service men. Some didn't get their names on the RSL rolls of honour, some were not allowed in pubs.

"This is why it's really important we make a special point of honouring these diggers."

This year will also see the inclusion of a new bronze sculpture commemorating indigenous Anzacs.

The sculpture does not yet have a permanent home but the Coloured Digger Project is currently seeking a permanent site for the sculpture, possibly in Redfern.

"I think its an inspiration for young people to realise their fathers and grandfathers fought for this country in all the overseas conflicts from the Boer War right through," Mr Minniecon.

Sydney Council will display the Sculpture at Customs House on Anzac Day before it is moved to other council locations for further display.

Lord Mayor Clover Moore said she welcomed the sculpture and Coloured Digger service.

"This display will also raise awareness about the contribution of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander servicemen and women and enable the community, including the indigenous community, to make comments and suggestions on how this contribution could be permanently recognised," she said.

"This would include making suggestions on what statue recognising Aboriginal and Torres Strait service-

men and women should look like and the way in which public art, plaques and memorials could be used." Last year the separate event for indigenous diggers caused an outcry from some veterans while the national Returned Servicemen's League refused to endorse the separate black diggers march.

This year there has been no criticism and the RSL has not comment

ed on the march. Mr Minniecon said the Coloured Digger Project was currently in the process of compiling a roll of honour like those containing the names of white veterans and venerated around the country at memorial shrines.

"We will ... unveil for the first time a roil of honour for the diggers so we can identify who they are and the tribal group they are from," he said.

"We are starting in the local Redfern area but we don't know all the tribal groups yet, so on the day we will be trying to identify names and tribes from as many diggers as we can."

The Coloured Diggers march will start at 1pm at the Block, Redfern and will be followed by a 1.45pm service at St Xaviers Church, Redfern.

For more information phone 8255 7614.

Photo: Servicemen and women march in the indigenous diggers march on Anzac Day in Redfern last year.