Aboriginal passport facts for kids
An Aboriginal passport is a special travel document. It's given out by a group called the Aboriginal Provisional Government (APG). This group is made up of Indigenous Australians, who are the first people of Australia.
The Australian government does not officially recognize these passports as valid. This means they are not usually accepted for travel. However, in some rare cases, people have been allowed to re-enter Australia using them.
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What is an Aboriginal Passport?
An Aboriginal passport is a document that looks like a regular passport. It is issued by the Aboriginal Provisional Government (APG). This group sees itself as a separate nation within Australia. They believe issuing these passports shows their independence and right to self-govern.
The APG views the Australian passport as a document from a foreign government. They issue their own passports as a way to show their own nation's power and identity.
Why do people use Aboriginal Passports?
People use Aboriginal passports to make a statement. They want to show that Indigenous Australians have their own rights and their own nation. It's a way to express their belief in Aboriginal sovereignty. Sovereignty means having the power to govern oneself.
Early Use by Activists
In the late 1980s, an activist named Michael Mansell from Tasmania introduced the Aboriginal passport. He gave these passports to a group that traveled to Libya in 1988. Mansell said this was the first time another country had recognized him as not being Australian.
When the group returned to Australia, immigration officials stopped them. They were held until they showed their Australian travel documents. Even so, the Aboriginal Provisional Government kept issuing these passports.
Recent Examples of Use
In September 2012, a group called the Indigenous Social Justice Association showed their support for WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. They gave him an Aboriginal Nations passport. This was another way to highlight the idea of Aboriginal sovereignty.
In September 2014, four Indigenous Australian activists used "Aboriginal Provisional Government" passports. They traveled from Canada and were allowed to re-enter Australia. However, they were told not to try it again in the future. This shows that while not officially recognized, there have been times when they were accepted.
