Noongar people and many Aboriginal people across Australia felt shock, hurt and trauma at what happened in Boorloo on Survival Day, with an attempted bomb attack on the rally.

We know that January 26 is a dangerous day for First Nations people but this has confirmed our fears.

It also came on the back of the City of Perth's decision to cancel the Birak concert, at the same time as celebrating 'Australia Day' with a City of Perth fireworks event, supported by Gina Rinehart.

Not surprisingly the response of the WA Police was underwhelming. While a man was swiftly apprehended and charged, the public response lacked any acknowledgement of hate and terror. Commissioner Blanch quickly dismissed racism as a factor, a claim repeated by sections of the media, even though the bomb was thrown into an Aboriginal rally. The alleged offender's identity was also suppressed by the court, who accepted his safety will be at risk in prison. So, while there's no racism involved, he's scared for his safety from Aboriginal prison inmates!

This scenario is typical where non-Aboriginal people kill Aboriginal people, even children, but request anonymity for their apparent safety concerns. And of course, the usual acquittals by courts with no Aboriginal jury members. This included the police officer charged and acquitted of the murder of Yamatji woman JC who was then kept on the job. As people say, there is no justice, there's just us.

Hearing our concerns, the WA Police announced they're working with the Australian Federal Police and Terrorism unit, and they should apply the full force of the law, as Prime Minister Albanese has urged.

Unfortunately, Australia has a long history of denying racism to Aboriginal people, allowing racism to grow, failing to prosecute race hate crimes, and failing to criminalise racist organisations as required by the UN Convention on the Elimination of Race Discrimination, and this cannot continue.

In the aftermath of the Bondi attack that killed 15 people attending a Hanukkah event the federal government's proposed hate laws were largely rejected, a missed opportunity to tackle race hate crimes as is necessary.

There's been appropriate acknowledgment of antisemitism, with a Royal Commission announced, but to be honest, I can't even recall the last time governments called out racism to Aboriginal people. The former Prime Minister Paul Keating's historic Redfern speech in 1992 was unforgettable; but what's happened since?

The referendum for the Voice should have been a moment of respect, recognition and national unity - instead we saw racism prevailing. And the Government retreat since from Voice, Treaty and Truth gave the green light to racism, entrenching disempowerment and disadvantage. These issues were recognised by many nations during Australia's recent Universal Periodic Review (UPR) before the Human Rights Council with over 120 countries acknowledging injustice to First Nations people and urging rights-based reforms, especially in relation to children and justice.

Disappointingly the Australian government's statement to the Council highlighted their national policy partnerships, such as the Justice Policy Partnerships, which hasn't reduced incarceration and has been ignored by the states and territories.

The NIAA representative went so far as to claim that Closing the Gap was largely successful, and stressed that change takes time.

We continue to insist on actual law reforms to bring Australia into line with UN human rights treaties and conventions including the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, the subject of a Senate inquiry in 2022 headed by Pat Dodson and which called for its implementation. To date, we have seen no progress or commitment in this respect. Human rights violations are being pursued through the UN system and in complaints by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, concerning systemic racial discrimination against children in justice, the destruction of Aboriginal heritage sites and mining on people's traditional lands without consultation, and the devastation to the Torres Strait Islands as a result of climate change and obligations of the state.

To be clear, the Closing the Gap policy commitments, particularly Aboriginal economic empowerment, do not tackle racism and address systemic discrimination as promised.

The Coalition of Peaks commitments to the states and territories under the CTG keeps Aboriginal people tied to ineffective policy commitments while human rights violations, including violent treatment of children in justice systems, continue across the country. This is an injustice to us all.

After the attack in Boorloo, I'm remembering the old people and their resistance. Remembering the warrior Yagan and his father Midgegorroo, who was a Chief executed by the military. Elders like Balbuk a fearless yorga who defended her lands. Bill Harris and the Native Union of Noongar men who stood on the steps of parliament and spoke the truth about assimilation and violence to their people.

We are strong, resilient people, yet still being failed by the state and denied our inherent rights as Indigenous people. We are the Noongar Nation, insisting on respect and our rightful place on our lands and Boodjah.

Dr Hannah McGlade is a Kurin Minang human rights expert and law academic.