Woodford Festival goers gathered on Monday to hear Indigenous leader Noel Pearson deliver an impassioned recognition speech, according to media outlets.
"It should be the duty, and it should be the privilege, of all Australians to own this heritage," the Indigenous leader told the 600-strong crowd that reportedly included former Prime Minister Bob Hawke.
The annual music, arts and crafts festival takes place north of Brisbane from December 27 until January 1, and has traditionally had a strong focus on First Nations. Mr Pearson's address was part of 'The Rightful Place' forums.
"The task of constitutional recognition in Australia is to get a majority of Australians in a majority of the states to put their hands up ... it's not enough to get 51 per cent of Australians to put their hands up, you've actually got to get states like Western Australia, Tasmania and indeed our own state of Queensland ... we can't just scrape in with 51 per cent, we've got to have a super majority," said Mr Pearson.
The founder of the Cape York Institute for Policy and Leadership reportedly called for a new representative body for empowering Indigenous Australians to be recognised in the Constitution.
