"A Lifetime of Advocacy" | Senator Patrick Dodson Retires From Federal Politics
After a lifetime of advocacy for our people, Yawuru man and former KLC Director Senator Patrick Dodson has announced his retirement from federal politics.
Known to many as the “Father of Reconciliation”, he has left a lasting legacy advocating for Indigenous people all around Australia based on the principals of mutual respect, understanding and dialogue.
Senator Dodson has consistently stood up for our rights, justice and reconciliation. This includes serving as Director of both the Kimberley Land Council and the Central Land Council, as the first Chair of Reconciliation Australia, commissioner on the Royal Commission into Indigenous Deaths in Custody, Lead Negotiator for the Miriuwung Gajerrong Ord Global Agreements, Chairperson for Yawuru and 9 years in federal Parliament as Senator for Western Australia.
Most recently Senator Dodson was appointed as the government's special envoy for reconciliation and the implementation of the Uluru Statement from the Heart.
He leaves behind the legacy of one of the most influential Aboriginal leaders of his generation, awarded the 2008 Sydney Peace Prize and recognised as a National Living Treasure.
KLC Chairperson Anthony Watson said Senator Dodson's contributions to the Kimberley region and Australia should be celebrated.
"I am proud to have worked alongside Senator Dodson over his long career of advocacy for our people, land rights and culture. We thank him for his many contributions which have paved the way for the next generation. We wish him all the best in his retirement."
The KLC would like to share a quote from Senator Dodson, from Crocodile Hole in 1991. The Crocodile Hole meeting set the framework for the policy issues that we need to contemplate in the work we do, growing and sustaining Aboriginal interests across our communities.
"Just don’t forget the roots, where we come from, and the old people that gave us these privileges, and remember their wonderful lives. We know that the future is a new challenge, but the values that they’ve imparted to us should never be lost. We should constantly remember the value of our law, our land, of our languages. The value of our kinship relationships, of how we create communities, even though we might come from different parts of the Kimberley."
- Senator Patrick Dodson, Crocodile Hole, 1991
