Malarndirri McCarthy says the painful journey of proving her Australian citizenship has served as a reminder of the ongoing effects of past discrimination.

As a Yanyuwa and Garrawa woman, Senator McCarthy said there was no question mark over her citizenship her paternal great-great-greatgrandfather emigrated from Ireland in 1842 but the process of proving it highlighted the difficulties many Aboriginal people still faced in negotiating bureaucratic hurdles. She said she could talk about her Irish ancestry from her fathers side but on her mothers side its a reminder of the policies of the past and impact in the present.

Senator McCarthy said the same hurdles she faced in proving her identity remained a day-to-day struggle for other indigenous Territorians.

Centralian Advocate, 8 December 2017