In a surprising turn following the recent defeat of the Indigenous Voice to Parliament proposal, prominent advocate Professor Marcia Langton has been seen in Bali. Her presence there comes after the referendum held on October 14, where Australians rejected the Voice proposition by a stark margin of 39 percent in favor to 61 percent against.

Professor Langton, a leading figure in the First Nations community, was initially part of a collective decision to uphold a week-long vow of silence post-referendum. This period of quiet reflection was an effort to process the disappointing outcome. However, it seems this silence was specific to discussions about the referendum itself.

Despite the self-imposed quiet regarding the Voice, Professor Langton did not remain entirely out of the public eye. She participated as a guest speaker at the Ubud Writers and Readers Festival, engaging audiences on October 20 and 22. Her sessions, including one centered on Indigenous Law, were well-attended and discussed topics beyond the recent electoral defeat.

During her appearance, one attendee remarked on the observance of the silence by both Professor Langton and Aaron Corn, noting their choice to refrain from commenting on the referendum outcome during the event. This decision highlights the complex balance between public engagement and personal reflection in the wake of such a significant public decision.

Prof Langton was a guest speaker at the Ubud Writers and Readers Festival on both October 20 and October 22.

One guest who attended Prof Langton’s session on Indigenous Law noted: ‘Marcia and Aaron [Corn] are observing the week’s silence following the referendum so there was no commentary on that terrible matter.

‘The session was on Indigenous knowledges and law in Indonesia and Australia.’ 

Prof Langton was later due to front a session at the Indus Restaurant in Ubud on October 22 titled ‘Unsettling Colonial Structures’.

The program promised to discuss how to ‘initiate a dialogue about reshaping settler colonial systems using Indigenous law for a more sustainable future’.

‘Decolonisation aims to challenge existing norms by emphasising place, Indigenous knowledge, and humane principles,’ the program stated.

‘How can we foster open-mindedness among conservatives and encourage them to explore how Indigenous traditions and laws can drive innovation?’

The photographs of Prof Langton – wearing a pink baseball cap, colourful scarf and orange slides – are the first Australia has seen of her since referendum night.

Fiery debate erupted during Indigenous broadcaster NITV’s coverage of the Voice when Prof Langton and host Narelda Jacobs clashed with leading No proponent Warren Mundine. 

Mr Mundine claimed the Yes camp had failed to show voters how the Voice would fix issues facing Aboriginal Australians. 

‘They couldn’t see anything, no one gave them details about how it was going to fix anything. It was almost like a magic wand,’ he said.

That sparked protest from Jacobs, who argued that Ms Langton had ‘given the detail everybody needed’ in the Calma-Langton report.

The Calma-Langton report was a 272-page document commissioned by the then-Coalition government in 2021 explaining how the Voice to Parliament could work. 

Mr Mundine said: ‘She called Australia a racist country. She has no credibility in this. She needs to get out and actually meet Australians. Australians are not racist. They are incredible people.

‘They want to make sure that Aboriginal people have a good life and be part of the Australian opportunities. So I am not going to take any comments from a person who thinks that we are a racist country.’

In response, Prof Langton said Mr Mundine was igniting racial tensions for political gain and taking her words at a forum during the campaign out of context.

Prof Langton came under fire for telling voters in Bunbury, WA that No campaign tactics were based in racism or stupidity, and accused hard No voters of ‘spewing racism’.

She said at the time: ‘Every time the No cases raise their arguments, if you start pulling it apart you get down to base racism, I’m sorry to say that’s where it lands, or sheer stupidity.’

Prof Langton fired back at Mr Mundine: ‘This is a Trumpian play. Right out of the Steve Bannon play book. 

‘Create racial division by lying and then accuse me of being a provocateur.’

She said ‘reconciliation is dead’ and noted the ‘nation had been poisoned’.

Prof Langton came under fire for telling voters in Bunbury, WA that No campaign tactics were based in racism or stupidity , and accused hard No voters of ‘spewing racism’

After the outcome of the referendum became clear, Indigenous leaders issued a statement calling for a week of silence to mourn the result.

Prof Langton was among those who agreed to participate in the mourning period.

‘Now is not the time to dissect the reasons for this tragic outcome. This will be done in the weeks, years and decades to come. Now is the time for silence, to mourn and deeply consider the consequence of this outcome,’ the statement read.

‘The truth is that we offered this recognition and it has been refused. We now know where we stand in this our own country.’

Previously, Prof Langton vowed to boycott future Welcome to Country requests if the Voice was to fail, telling The Australian: ‘I imagine that most Australians who are non-Indigenous, if we lose the ­referendum, will not be able to look me in the eye.

‘How are they going to ever ask an Indigenous person, a Traditional Owner, for a Welcome to Country? How are they ever going to be able to ask me to come and speak at their conference? 

‘If they have the temerity to do it, of course the answer is going to be no.’

Prof Langton hasn’t commented on whether she will keep her Welcome to Country vow following the referendum result.