Basketball On The Internet.

THERE hardly would be a single Aussie oblivious to the fact today is July 4, American Independence Day. Yet it says volumes about us that almost exactly a month ago on June 3, only a small group of mostly First Nations people celebrated or were even aware of Mabo Day, arguably Australia's most significant reconciliation development in 50 years. 

As basketball lovers, maybe we are even more acutely aware of US celebrations, given our close connections to this sport.

But Mabo Day has nothing to do with sport and everything to do with making things right that once were purely white.

Perhaps one of the greatest injustices - and there have been many - perpetrated on Australia's Indigenous people was the arrogance behind the creation of Terra nullius. Loosely translated it means "land belonging to no-one" and allowed territory to be claimed - or in many cases, misappropriated - as "Crown land".

Eddie Koiki Mabo, an activist for the 1967 Referendum, fought the legal concept that Australia and the Torres Strait Islands were not owned by Indigenous peoples because they did not ‘use’ the land in ways Europeans believed constituted some kind of legal possession.

Eddie, the great uncle of arguably Australia's greatest Olympic basketball leader, Patty Mills, fought the legal fight to have land rights recognised and after 10 years, on June 3 in 1992, Australia’s High Court ruled six to one in favour.

Eddie Koiki Mabo secured the validity of “native title” into Australian law, even though he ultimately did not live to see his historic fight finally succeed against the injustice of denying his right to inherit land passed down through generations of his family.

Together with Reverend Dave Passi, Sam Passi (deceased), James Rice (deceased), Celuia Mapo Salee (deceased) and Barbara Hocking (deceased), Eddie posthumously was awarded the Australian Human Rights Medal in the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission Awards.

He won. Indigenous people won. In fact, all Australians won that day.

That's exactly why it should matter to us more than a July 4 ... or a July 14 Bastille Day, for that matter.

Last month was the 30th anniversary of Mabo Day and it is high time it was enshrined into our evolving history as a day of significance, a day of observance, a day of reconciliation.

Clearly, it should be a national holiday.

If we can have holidays for a horse race (or two), for the Queen's birthday, Australia Day, Labour Day - the list goes on - then a holiday on Mabo Day is beyond "long overdue".

Making that happen is a passion for Patty but it should be for all Australians and should start right here with us, his passionate basketball family and community.

We know we owe Patty for what he led the Boomers to achieve in Tokyo last year. But every Australian owes Eddie for persisting and succeeding in doing what was right.