▁census . ▁ ▁The ▁question ▁of ▁how ▁many ▁Island ers ▁were ▁" black bird ed " ▁is ▁unknown ▁and ▁remains ▁controvers ial . ▁The ▁extent ▁to ▁which ▁Island ers ▁were ▁rec ru ited ▁leg ally , ▁persu aded , ▁dece ived , ▁co er ced ▁or ▁forced ▁to ▁leave ▁their ▁homes ▁and ▁travel ▁to ▁Queensland ▁is ▁difficult ▁to ▁evaluate ▁and ▁also ▁controvers ial . ▁Official ▁documents ▁and ▁accounts ▁from ▁the ▁period ▁often ▁conflict ▁with ▁the ▁or al ▁tradition ▁passed ▁down ▁to ▁the ▁descend ants ▁of ▁workers . ▁St ories ▁of ▁bl at antly ▁violent ▁kid n apping ▁tend ▁to ▁relate ▁to ▁the ▁first ▁ten ▁or ▁so ▁years ▁of ▁the ▁trade . ▁ ▁Prom inent ▁Australian ▁South ▁Sea ▁Island ers ▁ ▁In ▁recent ▁gener ations , ▁facing ▁many ▁similar ▁forms ▁of ▁disc rim ination ▁in ▁Australia ▁as ▁Ab original ▁Austral ians ▁and ▁Tor res ▁Stra it ▁Island ers , ▁Australian ▁South ▁Sea ▁Island ers ▁have ▁been ▁prominent ▁figures ▁in ▁civil ▁rights ▁and ▁politics . ▁Fa ith ▁Band ler , ▁Ev ely n ▁Scott ▁and ▁Bon ita ▁M ab o ▁( wid ow ▁of ▁Edd ie ▁M ab o ) ▁are ▁prominent ▁Ind igen ous ▁activ ists ▁who ▁are ▁also ▁descend ants ▁of ▁South ▁Sea ▁Island ▁plant ation ▁workers . ▁Stephen ▁Andrew , ▁who ▁represents ▁One ▁Nation ▁in ▁the ▁Queensland ▁Parliament , ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁South ▁Sea ▁Island er ▁to ▁be ▁elected ▁to ▁parliament . ▁ ▁Another ▁area ▁Australian ▁South ▁Sea ▁Island ers ▁have ▁excel led ▁in ▁is ▁sport , ▁especially ▁the ▁game ▁of ▁rugby