The grandson of the late Eddie Koiki Mabo has embarked on a project to restore his grandfather's final resting place on Mer (Murray) Island in the Torres Strait.
After returning to the site, located in Mabo's birth village of Las, for the first time in twenty years, Kaleb Mabo found the area overrun by nature.
Sitting on the beach, he felt the overwhelming need to honour the memory of his grandfather's legacy.
“I sat there and I looked around after cleaning up a bit and I thought to myself, 'this is why I'm here,'" he told NITV News.
“This is where my ancestors were, this place is such a significant place, and for it to have been left to get to where it is, I felt sad.
“I made a promise to myself that I would breathe life back into my grandfather's land, into where my ancestors came from, and reignite that fire for Las."
Kaleb is raising funds and supplies that will go towards cleaning up the area around his grandfather's grave, as well as building a shack to cook in, shelter, and a traditional windbreak.
Kaleb Mabo on a beach at Mer where his grandfather's final resting place is. Source: Supplied
He aims to have it done by Mabo Day on June 3 to accommodate cultural celebrations on the Island. This year marks 30 years since the landmark High Court decision.
He hopes the rebuild will refresh the area and set a new agenda for how the day is honored.
“It's time for a change in the way we celebrate Mabo Day. I feel we’ve spent the last 29 years focusing on the political side...
"But when I sit down and think about it, my grandfather didn't fight for the political recognition or the historical moment, he fought to maintain our connection to our land, he fought for our culture.
“I feel that Mabo Day should be moving towards celebrating what was here before terra nullius - our culture, who we are, where we've lived for thousands of years,” he said.
With a goal of raising $30 thousand dollars, the Go Fund Me has received around two thousand dollars in donations so far.
Kaleb Mabo sitting on beach at Las eating a coconut.
The project has also gained the support of the local community and council through the donation of manpower and materials.
Kaleb said the remoteness of Mer (Murray) Island, located around 200kms east of Thursday Island, brings challenges to the restoration plans, but he hopes once more money is raised the work can commence.
