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South Australia's Parliament is today expected to approve recognition of Aboriginal people in the state's constitution.
A bill to amend the constitution received bi-partisan support in the Lower House and will go before the Upper House this afternoon.
The bill recognises past injustices and acknowledges Aboriginal people as the traditional owners and occupiers of South Australia.
Aboriginal Affairs Minister Ian Hunter says the change is long overdue.
"For too long, our foundation document, our South Australian constitution was a blank canvas in terms of mentioning Aboriginal South Australians," he said.
"It had no recognition of them and paid no respect to them whatsoever.
"I think society has matured a lot over the last couple of decades and I think we've come to a point now where it is appropriate that we pay our respects to the traditional owners as the first peoples of this country."
Aboriginal leader and convenor of an advisory panel on the bill, Professor Peter Buckskin, says the amendment acknowledges that Indigenous people were dispossessed of their land.
"There is now a new respect for our culture that has survived the 175 years of that dispossession," he said.
"This process has really been one of continuing the reconciliation journey. It's getting more South Australians to understand Aboriginal culture, traditions and knowledge and our connection to our country, land and sea.
"It's about an educative process I believe."
A crowd of Aboriginal people is expected to watch the vote on the bill this afternoon.
The vote coincides with the seventh national Close the Gap Day which aims to raise awareness about inequality in health issues between Aboriginal people and the rest of the population.
The Aboriginal Health Council says Indigenous South Australians are still dying about 11 years earlier than the rest of the population.
Dr David Scrimgeour is a public health medical officer with the council.
He says despite some improvements, Government funding needs to triple to make a real difference.
"Every week there are funerals of people in their 30s, 40s, 50s, people who are dying prematurely usually from complications of chronic diseases," he said.
"Some of the very effective programs that we've been able to implement using some of that funding that's been available, it's unclear whether that will continue beyond June this year."