After a hard day's work in the wet and cold Central Highlands, the Tebrakunna Rangers took a photo to capture their collaboration with members of Aboriginal Heritage Tasmania.
WARNING: This story contains racist and offensive language
But minutes after posting the image on social media there was a deluge of racist commentary.
"[There were] racial comments about the colour of their skin," said Tasmanian Regional Aboriginal Communities Alliance (TRACA) chairman Nick Cameron.
"[There were] racial comments about the percentage of Aboriginal blood they must have.
"Comments [saying] all the Tasmanian Aboriginal people died so who are these fake people pretending to be Aboriginal people?"
The Tebrakunna Rangers posted a site visit photo on Facebook, then was forced to disable comments. (Facebook: Tebrakunna Rangers)
Mr Cameron, a Pairrebeene/Trawlwoolway man, said the abuse was so offensive the ranger group was forced to disable comments on the post.
"That group of Aboriginal rangers is mostly made up of young Aboriginal men and women," he said.
"They are fine young people and they are our future leaders.
"What concerns me now, as an Aboriginal leader within our community, is this has got to the point since the Voice referendum where our young people have become fodder for political and commercial gain."
Mr Cameron shared the anecdote at a federal parliamentary inquiry examining racism, hate and violence directed at First Nations people.
The inquiry has held hearings across the country over the past few months, and today came to Hobart to hear from Aboriginal organisations and elders in Lutruwita/Tasmania.
Mr Cameron said his organisation had observed a significant escalation in racism since the Voice referendum.
"As we saw tragically recently in Sydney, hate and racism has severe impacts,"
he said.
"And just because it's not at the end of a gun, if it involves social media, if it's just words, it can be just as hurtful."
Hurtful comments of 'white fraud' aired
Peter Rowe, the chairman of the First Peoples Tasmania Aboriginal Corporation, told the inquiry he too had been subjected to racism after a photo was posted on social media.
The image featured himself and other Aboriginal elders at the Mannalargenna Day festival several months ago.
Soon after, he said an anonymous person posted a comment saying: "Pictured here is white man, Peter Rowe, who continues pretending to be Aboriginal. Many other white frauds attend this event."
Peter Rowe says some Aboriginal people in Tasmania are denied their identity by others. (Supplied)
Mr Rowe, a Trawlwoolway man, said some of the racism experienced by Aboriginal people in Tasmania was from other Aboriginal people.
"Some public voices and organisations have, in our view, contributed to a climate in which Aboriginal people are publicly labelled as fake Aboriginals, whities, or otherwise denied their identity," he said.
"These are not simply internal disagreements. They are forms of racialised gatekeeping that legitimise abuse and encourage others to question the identity of Aboriginal people who do not fit narrow stereotypes.
"This has contributed to significant lateral violence within our communities."
Mr Rowe was asked by the committee to identify the organisations he was referring to.
"The main group is the Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre (TAC)," he said.
"They seem to be the home of lateral violence in Tasmania."
The Joint Standing Committee on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs held a hearing in Hobart on Wednesday. (ABC News: Ebony ten Broeke)
He said the TAC would not allow him to use its health service in Hobart even though his Aboriginality is accepted at other Aboriginal health services across the country.
"That's pretty disappointing to me," Mr Rowe said.
Mr Cameron said the TAC played an important role, but said the division was detrimental to the wider cause of improving Closing the Gap targets in Tasmania.
"We've got a significant issue where the peak partner body doesn't collaborate, doesn't speak with and talk with other Aboriginal regional organisations,"
Mr Cameron said.
"It doesn't collaborate at the moment with TRACA despite … the best way to actually achieve improvement in our lives, to improve the targets, reduce the suicides, reduce the deaths, improve our living age, is to collaborate and work together."
Racism 'about power and who holds it'
The Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre was not asked at the inquiry to respond the criticisms made against it.
The ABC contacted the TAC's campaign coordinator Nala Mansell for a right of reply.
Ms Mansell criticised the ABC for seeking comment from her rather than questioning the government about "racist laws" and said it showed racism was being "normalised in this state".
Mr Rowe had also been critical of the ABC during the inquiry.
"The government and media like ABC just look upon one group and rarely involve the whole Tasmanian Aboriginal community," he said.
Nala Mansell says racism is normalised in Tasmania and confirming a person's Aboriginality is controlled by the state. (ABC News: Ebony ten Broeke)
Ms Mansell told the inquiry the state controlled the process of confirming Aboriginal identity.
"Here in Lutruwita we continue to see governments asserting authority over Aboriginal identity rather than recognising that we, as Aboriginal people, have the right to know and to determine who our community is and who gets to speak on our behalf," she said.
Ms Mansell said the government also controlled Aboriginal heritage.
"Here in Lutruwita, when white people create something that's seen as heritage, ownership remains with the people who created it or their descendants," she said.
"But when Aboriginal people create heritage, ownership and control over that heritage remains with the Crown.
"If it happened to anyone else's cultural property Australians would immediately recognise it as discriminatory."
She urged the committee to look at the wider picture and not focus solely on online abuse.
"Racism is not simply about words. It's about power and who holds it and who exercises it, as well as who is denied it,"
Ms Mansell said.
"Until we as Aboriginal people have the same right to determine our own identity, protect our own heritage, and make decisions affecting our own future just like every other Australian expects for themselves, racism will continue to be reproduced throughout institutions."
Uncle Jim Everett (left) spoke to the panel about the impact of "pretend Aboriginals". (ABC News: Ebony ten Broeke)
Palawa elder Jim Everett/Puralia Meenamatta accused the state and federal governments of allowing people to falsely claim Aboriginal identity.
"One of the major factors is their assimilation program which includes allowing the pretend Aboriginals to create organisations to attack other bona fide Aboriginal community-based organisations," Mr Everett said.
"And in this state here the government has basically run to these people and thrown money at them to [create] a divide and conquer strategy."
Aboriginal Affairs Minister Bridget Archer did not respond directly to the TAC's criticisms about Aboriginal identity and heritage.
She told the inquiry: "We acknowledge and recognises the role of governments in systemic racism experienced by Aboriginal people in Tasmania."
As examples, she pointed to the myth of extinction of Tasmanian Aboriginal people and their forced removal to Bass Strait islands.
Ms Archer said the over-representation of Aboriginal children in out-of-home care and youth justice facilities was an example of ongoing systemic racism linked to "structural factors".
"While Tasmanian government policies have improved over time they have caused intergenerational trauma that impacts Tasmanian Aboriginal people today,"
she said.
"We are working hard to build trust with Tasmanian Aboriginal people by partnering through genuine relationships."
