Could you please help mark my Text Response Essay? (Mabo)

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‘Eddie Mabo is just seeking recognition and power in his claim for Murray Island.’ Discuss.

In 1992, terra nullius was abolished in Australia, which can be accredited to the campaign of Eddie ‘Koiki’ Mabo. The feature film, Mabo, direction by Rachel Perkins, portrays Koiki’s journey as a struggle that was crucial to Australia’s history. Koiki’s intentions for his initial claim of Murray Island are criticised by the public for being purely selfish. While Koiki’s motivaions may appear to be for recognition and status, Koiki also seeks justice, reconciliation and empowerment.

Koiki’s confidence and pride makes it appear he desires only recognition and power, but on a deeper level it is evident his claim is for Murray Island and its people. Bob Catter expresses his view that Koiki wants to own land and “use that as a springboard for power” and Justice Moynihan seeks Koiki as “selfish and greedy.” In an argument on Murray Island, Koiki argues the claim is not about who owns the largest land—“it’s about people!” He does want recognition of “Merium law” and understanding of Meriam culture, which is as much for himself as it is for Murray Islanders. Koiki seeks the power of freedom to visit his home island but also seeks to allow empowerment of his people.

Koiki is determined to seek justice after being treated unequally in Australia. Koiki and his family are discriminated against for being black, but he is encouraged to use his voice to fight for “a fair go.” Koiki and his wife, Netta, protest “right under the government’s nose” and Koiki is involved in “speaking in the Union,” being chairman of the Indigenous Housing Co-Op and being the headmaster of the Black Community School. His endeavours within his own community through helping Indigenous children and assisting in recruiting more “blackfellas,” demonstrate he is fighting for the greater nation of black Australia. While Koiki believes the government owning Murray Island “isn’t right” and desires to be treated with equity and have recognition of his own rights as son of Benny Mabo, he also desires rights for all black people.

In his claim, Koiki’s most significant motivator is reconcilation, which is not self-serving. Koiki is distressed that the government “made [Benny] die without being able to look his son in they eye and fulfil tradition” by disallowing him to enter Murray Island. The name of the court case, ‘Mabo,’ symbolises Koiki’s relationship with Benny, in addition to the pride he has in being a Mabo. Killorans comment about how Benny would feel “watching [Koiki] make [a] fool of the Mabo name,” and furthermore an attack by the opposing barrister on his “hereditary position” and his adopted by Benny Mabo, sparks abusive behaviour towards his family. This behaviour demonstrates the wounds Koiki has received from these statements and displays the importance of Benny in the trial The case is seen by Koiki as a chance to reconcile his decision to leave Murray Island and also a chance to remove feelings of guilt and shame associated that decision. This involves appealing to have recognition of the truth, and Koiki and the Murray Islanders being given a higher status.

Koiki Mabo’s claim of Murray Island was criticised by many, but his ambitions were not purely self-seeking. Koiki desired recognition, power, justice and reconciliation for himself, but also for the people of Murray Island.