Mabo
THEME 1: TERRA NULLIUS
Terra nullius is a term that means ‘land belonging to no one’. Ultimately this film, MABO, is a story about land and the rights people have to that land. Aboriginal people and Torres Strait Islanders have an affinity with the land. They believe that they have a spiritual connection to the land. Eddie Koiki Mabo set out to establish that he and his people had the right to fish, farm and live on Murray Island. As a result of his struggle he changed Australian law. Eddie Koiki Mabo challenged and contested the Australian Government for recognition of Indigenous land rights. After ten years, he won. The successful legal actions of Eddie Koiki Mabo forced the government to respond by creating a form of native title which is colloquially known as ‘The Mabo Bill.’ The film is centered around the implications of Terra Nullius which acts as one of the main antagonists. It is seen as an obstacle that is in the way of Eddie's mission for his claim of native title and the natural rights he is entitled to.
THEME 2: MURRAY ISLAND CULTURE, TRADITION AND LAWS
Eddie's reasoning for taking legal action against a power greater than himself comes from the unconditional love he has for his culture. The driving force that pushes Eddie to take this action is derived from his right and want to preserve his culture and pass it on to his children.The Murray Island Culture becomes a central theme that runs throughout everything Eddie endeavors to do. In many respects the people of Murray Island live an idyllic existence. They live in a small but tightly connected community and fish the seas for food. The Islanders are governed by Malo tribal laws that have been in existence for many generations. The inhabitants of Murray Island speak in Meriam Mir, a language not spoken on mainland Australia. In 1953 when Eddie Koiki Mabo was exiled from his homeland, Murray Island was not a place many Australians would have been familiar with.
THEME 3: RACISM AND INEQUALITY
At the forefront of this story are the discriminatory laws and customs which white Australians used to make Indigenous Australians feel like second-class citizens. Indigenous people were prevented from socialising with white Australians. This is evident in the scenes in the pub when Eddie is asked to leave. At first Eddie accepts this injustice, however, later in the story, he refuses to leave until he is offered service. Eddie is repeatedly refused and his peaceful protest ends up with him in the police ‘lock-up’. This is a turning point in the film as it addresses a major theme in this story - Eddie’s belief that the laws must change. The sequence in the film where Eddie is pulled over by the police is profound in many ways. This is the last time in the film we ever see Eddie drunk. Perhaps this is a turning point for him to stay sober. Although the police let him go, he is humiliated. Eddie starts to dance the island dance that honours Malo. The dance is significant. Despite his earlier racist treatment, this moment shows us that Eddie will not be beaten. He has pride in his ancestry, his culture and himself.
THEME 4: THE LEGAL SYSTEM AND CIVIL RIGHTS
Eddie sees unionism as an opportunity to improve working conditions for all workers but more importantly, he sees it as an opportunity to have a voice. The use of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander labour is illustrated by using archival footage. We see the men climbing onto the train to travel to inland to build the railways. This is highly symbolic as it is Indigenous people that ultimately help build the means for white people to travel through their land. The use of archive footage throughout the film helps give context and authenticity. It reminds the audience how organised and passionate the Indigenous Land Rights Movement of the 1970s was. Archival footage in this type of drama also helps create a mood and reinforce our responses to the issues raised in the film. The film’s central thematic discussion focuses on the need for Indigenous Australians to be recognised as the custodians of their land. The subplots relate to the underlying racial tensions that permeated the Australian psyche preventing land rights from occurring. This central theme poses the question: is Australia’s racial tension caused by ignorance and fear, rather than any real threat from Indigenous people?
THEME 5: FAMILY AND BELONGING
Benny Mabo adopted Eddie after Eddie’s mother died prematurely. Benny treated Eddie Koiki Mabo as a son and brought him up believing he would one day own the land and the seas that provided for the people of Murray Island. When Eddie won’t accept Killoran’s punishment of working on the Island’s garbage truck, he is exiled to mainland Australia for a period of twelve months. Leaving Murray Island was hard for young Eddie. In this important and touching scene in the film, we see that Benny fears it could be the last time he sees his son. Eddie moved to Townsville and began working on the railways. We discover Eddie is headstrong and retains a strong sense of his cultural identity. Eddie meets Bonita Nehow and, after a period of courting, asks Bonita to marry him. Eddie and Bonita live a simple existence in a small weatherboard house with minimal furnishings in Townsville. There is little money for luxuries and this is evident in the furnishings of the family home. Incredibly Eddie and Bonita raise 10 children with below average wages. Together Eddie and Bonita become a force to reckon with. Eddie and Bonita establish the Black Community School in Townsville where Indigenous children learn the ‘Meriam Way’. For almost ten years, Eddie, with Bonita’s support, strives for acknowledgement of his people on Mer, Murray Island. Sheer determination to preserve the culture and traditions of his homeland drives Eddie’s activism.
