Pastor Ray Minniecon identifies with the Kabi Kabi and Goreng Goreng nations of South East Queensland and with the people of Ambryn Island in Vanuatu, from whence his grandfather was taken to Australia as forced labour.

He provides a new take on the climate change issue in a FB post for his 70th birthday.

“Today is my 70th birthday,” Minniecon writes in a message posted late last night. “I was born the other side of the 1967 Referendum. It was different back then. We were a closer community on the old mission. We knew who we were. We felt the boot of oppression. We knew what we wanted. Justice and freedom.

“I have been blessed to witness so many incredible changes in my country over these past 70 years. The pace of change has been relentless and challenging. Some changes have been good some changes have been bad.

“So, If there is one gift that I would request of you all for my 70th birthday it would be this:

“Please join our children on their Global Strike Day for our Mother and the Global March for Climate Change on Friday.

“In my humble opinion, our fight for land rights has now gone global. What we were fighting for in the 60s and 70s and 80s was our land rights. Not native title rights. But Land rights!

“Today, What our children are going on Strike for is our collective Land Rights. What we are all fighting for today is still land rights. If we can win the battle for land rights then we can win the battle for global climate change. To me, that’s what Land Rights means right now.

“So I ask you all, if you want to celebrate my birthday with me please join our children in their Strike Action and join the Global March for climate change on Friday. ….Thank you”