An indigenous elder has told King Charles how Australia’s indigenous people will be ‘unwavering’ in their quest to achieve sovereignty.

A day after the monarch was angrily confronted by a lone Aboriginal senator, who screamed “you are not my King” inside Canberra’s Parliament House, Charles visited the National Centre of Indigenous Excellence in south Sydney today. Upon arrival at the centre, the King was greeted by Allan Murray from the Metropolitan local Aboriginal land council, who said: “Welcome to country. We’ve got stories to tell and I think you witnessed that story yesterday in Canberra but the story is unwavering and we’ve got a long way to achieve what we want to achieve and that’s our own sovereignty. But welcome to Gadigal land.”

An indigenous leader confronts King Charles duting a visit to the National Centre of Indigenous Excellence in Sydney

Charles nodded as the elder spoke to him

Charles nodded as Allan, an elder who has been leading and advancing Aboriginal affairs in the Wodonga region for over 30 years, spoke. In Canberra, renowned Senator Lidia Thorpe subjected the King and Queen to a verbal assault inside the parliament building in the nation’s capital. Dressed in indigenous dress and waving a piece of paper, she approached the stage in front of dumbfounded MPs and guests, shouting “You are not my King”.

As security scrambled to remove her from the building she screamed: “You committed genocide against our people. Give us our land back, give us back what you stole from us. Our bones, our skulls, our babies, our people. You destroyed our lands, give us a treaty, we want a treaty in the country, you are a genocidalist.”

Palace sources said the King was ‘unruffled’ after the incident, which came after he had finished a speech praising Australia’s First Nations peoples for shaping his own experiences with “such traditional wisdom”. At the indigenous centre, the King witnessed the start of a traditional smoking ceremony to welcome him.

The King takes part in a traditional smoking ceremony ( 
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Getty Images)
As an elder lit the fire with a lighter, the King joked: “I was out in the Bush in Victoria in 1966 trying to get the fire going was a problem because we didn’t have one of those.” He wafted the smoke which signifies a welcome to indigenous land. The King was met by Ms Jody Broun, the CEO of the National Indigenous Australians Agency, and Leon Donovan, Regional Manager, NSW and ACT National Indigenous Australians Agency.

He also gathered at the outdoor fire pit for a moving traditional smoking ceremony with members of the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. And he met Aunty-in-Residence NCIE and Local Aboriginal Elder, ‘Aunty’ Beryl Van Opploo who demonstrated traditional food preparation techniques.

Speaking about the protest in Parliament, Beryl said: “Everybody has choices but I come from a different era. Personally, I grew up with it and I’ve lived it. We did used to protest and did all when I was younger but not in a mean way. People have choices and I’ve been brought up by my elders with respect.”

Charles beams as he hugs a member of the indigenous community ( 
Image:
Getty Images)In the sports hall, the King was impressed with a dance performance from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander performers. Greeting the dancers afterwards, he said he tried jumping in the air himself, joking: “That looked like a good exercise. I don’t think I can still do it at my age.”

He also spoke to Gamay Rangers and members of the Inner City Empowered Communities Group, which provides services to the local First Nations communities in Sydney. Charles also spoke privately with a number of First Nations Elders and played sweetly with a baby he was introduced to.

The National Centre of Indigenous Excellence (NCIE) is a not-for-profit social enterprise, building solid foundations and solid futures for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. The King and Queen have vowed to continue their Aussie visit “undeterred” despite the ugly scenes which have been widely condemned across the political spectrum. The incidents have underpinned an otherwise popular visit for the King and Queen, where they have been welcomed across Sydney and Canberra.

Overnight a statue of Queen Victoria in central Sydney was defaced with red paint, just hours before the King and Queen tour the city. Charles and Camilla are set to do a meet and greet with the public outside the Sydney Opera House on Tuesday afternoon, a few blocks away from the defaced statue. Police surrounded the statue outside the Queen Victoria Building in the city’s central business district, after red paint was thrown over the base of the statue.