How Did Eddie Mabo Change Australia

Introduction
Eddie Mabo was the man who initiated the land rights argument for indigenous people. He found out that where he was born and lived, at a place called Mer Island was not legally his or his peoples land. This news angered and upset Eddie Mabo and he began speaking out and telling people about his story. It was while Eddie Mabo was working as a gardener at James Cook University that he crossed paths with land rights advocates and some legal minds who would become influential in his later argument to have the indigenous right to land recognised by the courts. He received a great amount of support especially from fellow Indigenous people. In the early 1980s a lawyer suggested he take their challenge against the Queensland government on the issue of land ownership to the court of law. Eddie Mabo followed this advice and proceeded with taking his case to the courts.
May 1982 Eddie Mabo and four other Meriam people took their case to the High Court in Australia. They claim that Murray Island, the reefs and other surrounding islands were inhabited exclusively by the Meriam people. The Miriam people lived there in communities and spoke their own language. They lived by their own laws and customs. Over

The Mabo decision changed the legal, political and social relationships between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people. In recognising the traditional rights of Murray Islanders it changed Australia forever. The Mabo decision opened the doors for other indigenous people and groups to be able to claim ownership of land. They were required to prove that they had continuous connection to the land and maintained their traditional associating with it. The 'native title ' is the recognition by law that some aboriginal and torres strait islander people have rights to certain land due to their traditional laws and customs. To be granted 'native title ' they must prove that they have not done anything to break their connection to the land, such as selling or leasing the