OPENING OF PARLIAMENT 2013 SMOKING CEREMONY
On April 11th 2013, the date of the official opening of the Western Australian Parliament, Tribal Sovereigns of the Nyoongar Tent Embassy attended Parliament House to perform a traditional Smoking Ceremony. The Navy, Army and Air Force were standing at attention as the Nyoongar Tent Embassy members started the Smoking Ceremony and began to educate the gathered crowd about Sovereignty.
Members of the WA Police grabbed and attempted to arrest a pregnant Nyoongar Tent Embassy Tribal Sovereign as she walked through the Parliament House gardens. The Tent Embassy member asked the police what she was being arrested for; to which they answered it was because she had not moved on. The NTE member then informed the police that they had not issued her a ‘move-on notice’ so could not arrest her on that basis. The police subsequently issued the Tribal Sovereign a ‘move-on notice’.
The police then followed members of the Nyoongar Tent Embassy as they packed up their cultural items and moved out of the area.
Members of the WA Police grabbed and attempted to arrest a pregnant Nyoongar Tent Embassy Tribal Sovereign as she walked through the Parliament House gardens. The Tent Embassy member asked the police what she was being arrested for; to which they answered it was because she had not moved on. The NTE member then informed the police that they had not issued her a ‘move-on notice’ so could not arrest her on that basis. The police subsequently issued the Tribal Sovereign a ‘move-on notice’.
The police then followed members of the Nyoongar Tent Embassy as they packed up their cultural items and moved out of the area.
