Torres Strait Islander people in Queensland: a brief human rights history
The Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples identifies the fundamental rights of Indigenous peoples as: self-determination, participation in decision-making, respect for and protection of culture, and equality and non-discrimination. Since European colonisation, the rights available to Torres Strait Islander people have fallen well short of those outlined in the Declaration.
This publication gives a brief outline of historical and more recent events that have had an impact on the human rights of Torres Strait Islander people in Queensland.
It is provided to:
- inform the reader about the history of Torres Strait Islander people;
- acknowledge the colonial and post-colonial history, and that certain events took place; and
- acknowledge breaches of human rights experienced by Torres Strait Islander people.
