A warning this story contains images of Indigenous people who have died. It's 20 years since a death in custody sparked riots in the north Queensland Aboriginal community of Palm Island. Advocates say little has changed in two decades with a significant number of First Nations people still dying in custody.
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00:00On the ferry to Palm Island, Alec Dumadji prepares himself for cultural work, at the
00:07site of his brother's death two decades ago.
00:10He's been lingering here for 20 years, so I give him peace and take him home.
00:15He sings a dingo song to release him, and offers forgiveness.
00:19In 2004, 36-year-old Murindji Dumadji was arrested as an alleged public nuisance.
00:26Hours later, he was dead in a police cell.
00:29He was a father, he was an uncle, he was a brother, a well-loved and respected local
00:36member of the community here.
00:37Autopsy reports showed severe internal injuries consistent with trauma.
00:41A lot of our family members are traumatised, and have never been addressed, they haven't
00:46got professional help for it, they haven't got healing, proper ceremony for it.
00:49So this today is me using my medicine, my culture, my law.
00:53His death sparked a riot, and a heavy-handed police response which saw armed officers raiding
00:58homes.
00:59I think the community we're fed up with the Queensland Government at the time wasn't listening
01:03to the people in terms of the answers that the community required.
01:08Across Australia, 23 Indigenous people have died in custody this year, a disproportionately
01:14high number.
01:15Around 62% died while they were being detained by police.
01:20So again, that's by vehicle pursuits, other pursuits, sieges, and similar.
01:26Lawyer Stuart Leavitt led a class action into the police response, and lobbied for arresting
01:31Officer Chris Hurley to be charged.
01:34A jury found Hurley not guilty of manslaughter.
01:37Mr Leavitt says the criminal justice system is stacked against Indigenous people.
01:42They're dependent upon an overburdened legal aid system, and where they're encouraged to
01:48plead guilty even to things that they didn't do.
01:50Police Minister Dan Purdy said the Government is committed to improving the outcomes for
01:54First Nations communities, and is conducting a Watch House review to see how the facilities
01:59can be made safer.
02:01For friends and family, the memories of Murundji Dumundji's death, and many others who died
02:06in custody remain.
02:08It's a healing day of course of the terrible trauma, but not just for our brother, but
02:12for all the deaths in custody in this country.