In this episode of Let’s Talk…Referendum, Karen catches up with Nala Mansell from the Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre to hear about some of the palawa community’s concerns about the proposed Voice to Parliament and the upcoming referendum. Nala is a proud palawa woman who has dedicated a lifetime to fighting for rights and for justice for Aboriginal people in lutruwita/Tasmania.
Nala has served many roles within the Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre, including the chief political spokesperson, a youth worker, cultural promotion worker, and more recently the campaign manager for the centre.
Over the years, Nala has been at the forefront of many Aboriginal community campaigns, rallies and street marches, and can often be heard speaking out about Aboriginal rights, self-determination, and Aboriginal heritage protection.
In a wide-ranging conversation, Karen and Nala dig into the understandings of sovereignty, self-determination, and justice that anchor the work of the Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre. They reflect on some of the specific challenges faced by Aboriginal peoples in lutruwita/Tasmania, and draw out the way that Aboriginal people in lutruwita are navigating the debates around the proposed Voice to Parliament and the upcoming referendum.