The Politics of Makarrata: Understanding Indigenous–Settler Relations in Australia

Abstract

In May 2017, the Uluru Statement from the Heart was released, providing an Indigenous response to debates on recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in the Australian constitution. The document advocated for a “Makarrata Commission,” which would oversee truth telling and agreement making. This essay analyzes the concept of Makarrata as it has emerged in the context of Indigenous–settler relations in Australia and argues for a deeper engagement of non-Indigenous people with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander concepts and practices. By extending some of the methods of comparative political theory to incorporate endogenous as well as exogenous comparisons, the article demonstrates the ways in which Makarrata is likely to contribute to continuing contestation and disagreement between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples. While the Uluru Statement marked a significant point in the Australian recognition debate because it reflected a relatively consensual Indigenous message articulated on its own terms, the article suggests that “Makarrata” must not be appropriated into a benign settler discourse of reconciliation, if the concept’s potential to inform substantive change in Indigenous–settler relations is to be realized.

Covenants in the Qurʾān

“…Over the past two decades, the field of Islamic studies has produced a modest body of research on covenants in the Qurʾān (Al-Attas, 2023;Rane, 2023;Jaffer, 2017;Lumbard, 2015;Gwynne, 2014;Safi, 2008;al-Qadi, 2003) as well as documents referred to as the Covenants of Prophet Muhammad (Zein and El-Wakil, 2022a, 2022b, 2020Rane, 2022;El-Wakil, 2016Morrow, 2013). The latter includes documents such as the Constitution of Medina and Treaty of Hudaybiyya that are well-known from the ḥadīth and sira literature and have been extensively examined (Görke, 2000;al-Umari, 1991;Rubin, 1985;Lecker, 1984;Crone, 1980;Denny, 1977;Serjeant, 1964).…”