The reaction to the death of the Queen among Indigenous people and people of colour, including those from Commonwealth nations, has been swift and, at times, unflinching.
For many the Queen was the personification of British colonisation and the damage it has wreaked in their countries – and they were not afraid to say so. Yet others expressed their condolences for the monarch who has long held “a special place” in their hearts.
As condolences poured in from across the globe for Elizabeth II, who died aged 96 early on Friday morning Australian time, so did anger and resentment at the unresolved trauma of colonisation that for them, the crown represented.
In Australia, Prof Sandy O’Sullivan, from Macquarie University, tweeting as this week’s host of IndigenousX, attempted to explain the reaction and put it into a historical and social context.
“For those saying we should be magnanimous about the passing of the queen, a reminder that the queen inserted herself into the lives of Indigenous people here multiple times. She wasn’t a bystander to the effects of colonisation and colonialism, she was an architect of it,” O’Sullivan wrote.
For those saying we should be magnanimous about the passing of the queen, a reminder that the queen inserted herself into the lives of Indigenous people here multiple times. She wasn't a bystander to the effects of colonisation and colonialism, she was an architect of it.
— Prof Sandy O'Sullivan (Wiradjuri - they/them) (@IndigenousX) September 8, 2022
“What she did ‘do’ was be an active participant in stealing our land. Instead of handing back, making reparations from her enormous wealth, her agents (that she had explicit control of, see ‘The Dismissal’) continued to steal land and when they had it all, they stole our children.
“Too many people fail to understand how inaction and the gathering of wealth is a fundamental in colonial incursion. For everyone saying she was a kindly grandmother, they fail to see that she had a job for decades that oversaw actions that made Indigenous peoples lives worse,” they wrote.
Northern Territory Country Liberal party senator Jacinta Price said on Facebook the Queen was a “remarkable monarch who dedicated her life to serve not only the Commonwealth but the world”.
Price said she was “grateful” to be able to sign the condolence book to the royal family at the governor general’s residence.
“I took a moment … to reflect on the special relationship Her Majesty and the Royal Family had with Aboriginal Australians,” Price said.
“I know many revered and held a special place in their hearts for her, this was evident in the excitement of those who attended in great numbers to view her on her visits to Australia.
In the US, African American columnist with the Washington Post, Karen Attiah summed up the complex and mixed feelings ricocheting around social media.
Black and brown people around the world who were subject to horrendous cruelties and economic deprivation under British colonialism are allowed to have feelings about Queen Elizabeth.
— Karen Attiah (@KarenAttiah) September 8, 2022
After all, they were her "subjects" too.
Others simply expressed respect.
Despite the colonial injustices perpetrated by the British Monarchy against Indigenous people, I would still like to wish her majesty Queen Elizabeth II — a blessed journey.
— Lakota Man (@LakotaMan1) September 8, 2022
Canada’s first Inuit governor general, Mary Simon, released a statement reminiscing about the Queen’s relationship with Inuit people.
“When I was growing up, my grandmother revered The Queen, as did so many in the Arctic. She would tell us stories about Her Majesty, about her role and her commitment,” Simon said, according to Indigenous TV broadcaster, APTN News.
“Her reign encompassed the mandates of 12 Canadian prime ministers and 13 governors general. On 22 occasions, she undertook official visits to Canada, where she professed her love for our county again and again. She was a steadfast presence during some of the most tumultuous times of our lives, and most recently gave comfort to so many during the pandemic.
“On behalf of all Canadians, I offer deepest condolences to the members of the Royal Family, who grieve the loss of a loving mother, grandmother and great-grandmother.”
Indigenous Canadians have also asked what her death means for negotiations about their treaty rights. Some of Canada’s First Nations believe that these discussions should take place with the reigning monarch rather than the government of Canada.
In Australia, her death has pushed back the process of conducting a successful referendum to enshrine an Indigenous voice to parliament in the constitution by at least a few weeks.
Friday had been set down as the first meeting of a newly appointed group of 21 Indigenous leaders, who will advise the government on the timing of a successful referendum, refine the proposed constitutional amendment and question, and determine the information necessary for a referendum to win the support of a majority of Australians, in a majority of states.
15 days is ridiculous. https://t.co/yyHvVUZ3ZO
— Prof Dr M Davis (@mdavisqlder) September 8, 2022
Members of the group said they are aware there will be a renewed focus now, on whether Australia should become a republic, and they were considering how this might affect public sentiment about a voice to parliament.
The working group was due to meet the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, in the cabinet rooms in Parliament House but instead met informally at a different venue.
A spokesperson for the minister for Indigenous Australians, Linda Burney, said the round table with the PM will be rescheduled for a few weeks time.
In New Zealand, foreign affairs minister, Māori woman Nanaia Mahuta said Queen Elizabeth exemplified strong democratic principles and the rule of law, while Māori party co-leader Rawiri Waititi said questions on the role of the monarchy could wait while the world grieves.
“The huge vacuum left will cause debate, but in this time of grief and loss we can only support her whānau and mokopuna as they grieve and heal. She was a constant across three generations, an anchor in a rapidly changing globe,” Waititi told Radio NZ.
