The initial inhabitants of Australia
travelled by boat from far Southeast Asia and from the Torres Strait
islands during the last Ice Age. At the time of European discovery
and settlement, up to one million Aboriginal people lived across the
continent as hunters and gatherers. They were scattered in 300 clans
and spoke 250 languages and 700 dialects and each clan had a
spiritual connection with a specific piece of land. However, they
also travelled widely to trade, find water, seasonal produce and for
ritual and totemic gatherings
Despite the diversity of their homelands, from
outback deserts and tropical rainforests to snow capped mountains,
all Aboriginal people share a belief in the timeless, magical realm
of the Dreamtime. According to Aboriginal myth, totemic spirit
ancestors forged all aspects of life during the Dreamtime of the
world’s creation. These spirit ancestors continue to connect
natural phenomena, as well as past, present and future through every
aspect of Aboriginal culture. From their initial settlements in the north some
70,000 years ago, their individual lifestyles and cultural
traditions eventually spread across this vast uncharted land. There
was a high level of sophistication among the early explorers and
their arrival in Australia required an incredible degree of planning
and foresight
Aboriginal people were in Australia before
people got to Europe and they already had very complex societies by
that time
The Australian environment was very harsh for a
low technology people, but they adapted well, and bred up to
somewhere between 200,000 and 500,000 people. Their technology was
not advanced, but it served them pretty well and they were able to
spent a lot of their time finger painting on the walls of caves and
making up stories about the Dream Time
In 1770, the British explorer, James Cook,
arrived in Australia and found the eastern coastline a most
desirable location and he subsequently claimed it for Great Britain.
Eighteen years later one of the world's greatest sea voyages brought
eleven ships carrying about 1400 people mostly convicts from England
to Australia. And in January 1788 the British Crown Colony of New
South Wales was established
However white Australians don’t occupy
the country by way of some bargain with its original inhabitants.
Aborigines were initially treated with compassion, but soon after
the massacres began. First at Risdon Cove in Tasmania where in1804 a
large party of Aborigines hunting game, were murdered. In the land of incredible opportunity, the
indigenous Aboriginal Australians and Torres Strait Islanders were
suffering
Their population base decreased dramatically in
the 19th century as imported diseases killed thousands, and forced
displacement with blatant land grabs disrupting their traditional
lifestyles. The Tasmanian Aborigines were eliminated and are said to
no longer exist there
Indigenous and non
Indigenous people have different views as to whether Australia was
'invaded' or 'colonized'. In 1967 a referendum was held that made
history as Australians voted overwhelmingly to amend the
constitution to include Aboriginal people in the census which
allowed the Commonwealthto create laws for them and count the First Peoples. To do that it
deleted all mention of 'the natives', an ironic twist in the long
march for Indigenous rights in the country. So the First Peoples
went from a negative mention in the constitution to no mention at
all. The 'White Australia' policy still beats
at the heart of our founding document.This problem may be solved soon with
the report being reviewed
Mabo decisionin the High Court was the culmination of
a legal battle started ten years earlier by a group of plaintiffs
from the tiny Torres Strait island of Mer to establish their
traditional ownership of the Murray Islands. In Mabo and Others v
State of Queensland, the High Court ruled that the doctrine of
'terra nullius' should not have been applied to Australia and that
the common law of Australia would recognize native title. Following
the Mabo judgment, the Federal Parliament passed the Native Title
Act 1993 which established a legal framework for native title claims
throughout Australia
It’s now estimated resident Indigenous
population is 458,50 with a significant share of their population
living outside the major urban centres. Around one in four
Indigenous Australians live in remote areas mainly in two states,
New South Wales and Queensland which total over half of the
Indigenous population. The Northern Territory has the highest
representation in its population and they are mostly
young
Indigenous
Award He didn't put
pen to paper until he was 50 years
old.
Now at the age of 76, indigenous writer, poet and storyteller Herb Wharton has been awarded theAustralia Council's Lifetime Achievement
Award for Literature. He spent most of his life working as a stockman drover
and labourer, but began his writing career by jotting down stories
on the back of envelopes and other scraps of paper
.
Concert Celebrating thirty years of Goanna's anthem
‘Solid Rock’
for Indigenous
rights was held at
'Uluru'
Tasered teen's lawyer slams 'police
brutality' A 14-year-old Australian
boy was tasered by police in yet another case that raises
questions about whether officers are adhering to operating
procedures in their use of the devices. Kevin Henshaw from the
Kempsey Aboriginal Legal Service says the Tasercam footage shows one
of the worst cases of police brutality he has seen in his long
career. The tape shows the child crying and screams, and the fact
that police weren't really concerned was the most distressing part
of this incident. His treatment was akin to torture and no-one
deserves to be treated like that
Marcia Langton
is an original and provocative thinker and she gives a bold
address
She examines
the real friction between bringing the first Australians intothe
nationalpolity while there still exists
‘exceptionalist’ institutions, which isolate the Aboriginal world from
Australian economic and social life
Academic backs alcohol bansNorthern Territory Chief Minister
Terry Mills joining Queensland Premier Campbell Newman are
discussing an end to alcohol bans for Aboriginal communities. Prominent
Indigenous academic Marcia
Langton says the evidence supports keeping the
restrictions in place as the jails are overflowing with problem
drinkers causing many health and social
problems
.
Company collapse hits hip pocket
Aboriginal housing, trainees and Alice Springs businesses have all
been hit hard by the collapse of a construction firm charged with
supplying homes to communities in Central
Australia
Arnhem mining plan angers localsCritics of Arnhem Land
mining prepare for battle,the Northern Land Council met with
people in Maningrida to discuss Paltar Petroleum's application for
offshore exploration licences in the Arafura Sea. Heleana Gulwa
attended the meeting and says the Maningrida community is
considering gathering support from overseas
Indigenous youth suicidesAboriginal communities in the Kimberley region
of WA, represent key concerns about an epidemic of youth suicide with some
lateral thinking being used in the search for answers, and a warning
to Aboriginal viewers that this report contains
references to people who have died
.
Mauboy wins deadly Indigenous Australians have celebrated their
most talented entertainers and sporting personalities at the annual
Deadly Awards at the Sydney Opera House. For the
second year running, singer Jessica Mauboy was awarded female artist
of the year. Elcho Island's Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu won male
artist just months after he performed in front of the Queen for her
diamond jubilee. Actor Debra Mailman received a gong for her
portrayal of the wife of Eddie Mabo in the film about their fight
for native title
.
Report into service deliveryScathing
report into billions of dollars spent on service delivery in remote
Australian Aboriginal communities recommends greater financial
transparency
Displays jewels of cultural
conservationVoluntary conservation
agreements between traditional owners in the
Kimberley's WA, and the Australian Federal Government have
proved a successful land management scheme and the Wanumbal Gaambera
people have expanded it to include cultural
protection
WA Government under fire In March, the
state government announced a six-month time period for former
workers to apply for wages withheld by the them between 1905 and
1972, in what has become known as the stolen wages case. The monies
were put into government trust accounts with the promise that they
would later be rightfully dispersed. But it never happened. The
monies disappeared into government coffers, and so did their
financial records
Hotly contested Australian
election The Northern Territory's Country Liberals are
running several high-profile candidates to challenge Labor's
traditional dominance in the bush
with Indigenous issues in contention including the 'Intervention'
and drinking legislation
.
Indigenous community refuse to signResidents of a Northern Territory Indigenous
community are refusing to sign a new Federal Government lease over their land, saying
they want to take
control
Film depicts true story About
a group of Indigenous singers dubbed the 'Sapphires', made
into a feature film after a successful run in the
theatre
.
Jails
full in NTMostly indigenous, and of the 1500 released each
year most have no jobs, home or family. Fifty per cent return within
2yrs, and many call jail
‘home’. The Northern Territory Government are spending half a
million dollars on new jails, but provide no correction programs to prisoner
behavior
Coroner delivers scathing
reportAn Aboriginal
man who died in custody in Alice Springs earlier this year was the
victim of police errors and mismanagement according to the coroner,
who also labelled Central Australia's alcohol abuse as a national
disgrace
Judges go bushReport of the Royal Commission into Aboriginal
Deaths in Custody, handed down in 1991, recommended judges get a
better understanding of
Indigenous culture and there is one group who are taking
up that challenge
Miriam-Rose
Talked about challenges facing Aboriginal communities, and
their concept of 'dadirri', deep inner listening and
contemplation. Go outside and simply sit and look at and
listen to the earth and environment that surrounds you for five
minutes in the morning or evening. Focus on something specific, a
bird, a blade of grass, a clump of soil, cracked earth, a flower,
bush or leaf, a cloud or a body of water. You can also let something
find you, be it a leaf, the sound of a bird, the feel of the breeze
or the light on a tree. Be still silent and
listen
Nothing done about town's sex
abuse Authorities have been accused of
turning a blind eye to child sexual abuse in the small Indigenous
community of Toomelah, home to 300 people. Its an Aboriginal mission
on the border of NSW and Queensland. This is a very disturbing
report but the Minister for Community Services Responds
to the the Troubles in remote centres
Andrew Bolt is a racistWhat right did he think he
had to disparage a group of fellow Australians by alleging they used
their aboriginality, or part aboriginality, for personal gain? Bolt,
jumped on the bandwagon that denied the mass destruction of
Tasmania’s Aboriginals. He looked at the stolen generation, denying
that hundreds of aboriginal children had been torn from the arms of
their m others and turned into virtual slaves and often abused
Deaths of Aboriginal people in
custodyMore than 20
years after the Royal Commission first released its recommendations,
there is still no real improvement concerning Aboriginal deaths in custody. Much
more needs to be done
Think about the cause of
protesters Indigenous leader Prof Pat Dodson
has urged Australians to look beyond the actions of the Tent Embassy
demonstrators and to consider what has upset them
Aboriginal people just get over it26th of January represents death, dispossession
and the destruction of one culture for the ultimate gain of another.
How about a date that brings all of us together instead of one that
pulls us apart. From all the lands on earth we come, we share a
dream and sing with one voice. I am you are, we are Australians.
Video with good advice, please
watch
Perth's Tent Embassy set to stay
Noomgar protestors say they
won't leave their Heirisson Island camp until their demands for
sovereignty are
met
·Elders fight for water rights NT
Government is facing opposition to proposed water plan.Traditional
owners want a greater role in policy and planning
Suicide stats paint stark
picture
Northern Territory's Children's Commissioner suggests they have the
highest rate of youth suicide in the developed world reflecting a
situation that is causing much concert
..
'Tall
Man' doco honoredDirector
Tony Krawitzwins
awards for ‘The Tall Man’ film of 2004. An
Aboriginal death in custody,Cameron Doomadge See Tall
Man
now
NT prisons - third worldRoom in prisons
at Berrimah and Alice Springs are scarce, inmates are sleepingon the floor in
appalling conditions. There are hygiene problems and the worst
cases are in
Darwin and Alice Springs with dormitories, approximately 10 metres
by five that could house up
to 12 to 14 prisoners with one toilet and one hand
basin
Jails full in
NTMostly indigenous, and of the 1500 released each
year most have no jobs, home or family. Fifty per cent return within
2yrs, and many call jail
‘home’. The Northern Territory Government are spending half a
million dollars on new jails, but provide no correction programs to prisoner
behavior
Eddie Mabo Won his way into history when the highest court
in the country ruled in his favor and disproved the legal doctrine
of Terra Nullius.We take a look back over the
history of Land Rights, Eddie the man, the court case, as well
as the legacy it has created for Land Rights
.First Australians Music by
John Williamson. He is a
significant part of Australia’s cultural furniture. Australian
singer song writer says he feels more like 40. After
what amounts to a lifetime apprenticeship in an uncertain and
unforgiving business, he
thinks his performances are now better than
ever
Senior Australian of the
Year Northern Territory
indigenous community leader Laurie now in her nineties, has witnessed
generations of change sweep across the island of her birthplace,
Murrungga. In a place that's experienced exploitation and upheaval,
Laurie has played a crucial role in passing down local ecological
knowledge amongst
.
.
More
History
They have come to
stayVideo about first Australians and the British,
the most powerful Empire in history, coming face to face in Sydney
on January 26 1788
.
First
Australians Chronicles the birth of contemporary Australia
as never told before, from the perspective of its first people. It
explores what unfolds when the oldest living culture in the world is
overrun by the world's greatest
empire
Aboriginal historyDiscover places in the Northern Territory and
the Red Centre and walk around the base of Uluru with an Anangu
guide. Browse Aboriginal art in Alice Springs, where the Arrernte
people lived for 20,000 years. Learn about the Dreamtime myths
History of tent embassy One of the most iconic and controversial symbols
was founded on Australia Day in 1972 to protest the decision by the
McMahon Liberal government to reject a proposal for Aboriginal Land
rights
.
Land Rights
Midnight Oil - 'Beds are Burning'Peter Garrett, Australia’s Minister of Education in a
previous incarnation, sang that the time has come, to say fair's
fair, to pay the rent, to pay our share, a fact's a fact it belongs
to them, let's give it back. How can we dance when our earth is
turning, how do we sleep while our beds are burning, how can we
dance when our earth is turning and how do we sleep while our beds
are burning. It was a 1987/1988 worldwide hit single and it
reached No. 1 in the NZ andSouth Africancharts,
No. 2 inCanada, No. 3 in theNetherlandsand No.
6 in theU Kcharts
.
.
Indigenous QuarterIt has been 20 years since
the landmark Mabo native title decision, a name synonymous with
Australia's Indigenous land rights
movement
New name adopted for outbackLake Eyre Remote
Lake Eyre in the arid heart of
Australia now has dual names. The Arabana
people have convinced the Geographical Names Unit to recognise the
ancient name of Kati Thanda. The often-dry saltpan will now have the dual name Kati
Thanda-Lake Eyre. Arabana Aboriginal Corporation chair Aaron Stuart
pointed out that the ancient name Kati Thanda has travelled with the
generations. It's an easywordfor all
Australians to say, and it's a beautiful name, also "Our elders may have
passed away, but we remember them and the name they used for the
lake. It was our ancestors who lived there when Edward John Eyre
first saw the lake in
1840"
Judgement DayLiz Jackson reports on the impact
of this historic judgement, the reaction it inspired and the inside
story of the negotiations to create the law that would pave the way
for Native Title. We hear from the power brokers who forced the
nation to confront its history, and their
critics
I'm Rosalie Kunoth Monks, an
Amntayerr and Alyawerr woman born by a creek bed in a small
community called Utopia in 1937. I'm fighting for the community's
survival, and asking for your help. I'm calling on the government to respect Aboriginal
homelands, where communities can be healthier and live
longer
.
Community celebrates native
titleFederal Court has granted the traditional owners
of the town of Mataranka in the Northern Territory'sexclusive
native title rights
.
Struggle for land rights The struggle to
regain lands taken from them has a long history. Since 1846 when
Aboriginal Tasmanians petitioned Queen Victoria. Indigenous people
have been using the laws and the parliamentary system of government
brought by the British in their attempts to regain their
lands
Land Rights Strike During
1966, Gurindji tribal elder Vincent Lingiari led 200 Aboriginal
workers off their jobs at the Wave Hill cattle station NT, it was a
strike that would last 7 years. The Gurindji's complaints included
low wages and poor conditions but the focus of the campaign moved
from workers' rights to land rights. The protracted, high profile
and ultimately successful Gurindji strike is a foundational moment
in the Aboriginal land rights movement in Australia, culminating in
the passage of the Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act
1976
.
Fortescue Group And Andrew Forrest are trying to rip off the
Yindjibarndi people and undermine their connection to traditional
lands
Support self determination in the NT
Australian Government
is currently considering passing legislation that will undermine the human rights of Indigenous
communities in the Northern Territory.The
legislation, called ‘Stronger Futures’ will maintain many parts of
the Northern Territory intervention. A policy that has attracted
UN condemnation for its racial
discrimination against Aboriginal people and their
cultures
Respect for the dead Shown by not
using their names or photographs. It is also a sign of respect
to not look you in the eyes on meeting
Indigenous stories told through
theatreAn Aboriginal community in far
north Queensland has showcased its history through musical theatre,
with a little help from Opera Australia
Indigenous artIs making waves around the world, but the challenge in
Australia is ensuring more Indigenous people are becoming involved
in professional art role
Making of this place Robbie Mills from the Northern
Territory tells his story standing on crocodile
country, and describes native animals
and plants. As the custodians of the land, they are revered by
Aboriginal
people
.
The
Dreaming Australian Indigenous people have stories
of when the ancestral
beings moved across the land and
created life and significant geographic features
Lakalinyeri
ArtsIt is Ngarrindjerri owned located in the
township of Strathalbyn South Australia.
Works are available from communities Australia wide. From SA to the
Kimberly in Western Australia
Indigenous art Discusses
works that pre date European
colonization as well as
contemporary art by Aboriginal Australians based on traditional culture
.
National Indigenous Art Triennial
These works can be viewed at the 2nd
Indigenous Art Triennial at the
Australian National Gallery in
Canberra
Gratten Mullett tells the story Of the Gunai/Kurai people, their
creation
story, and their connection
to the Keeping Place in Bairnsdale on the Gippsland
Lakes
.
Sylvester's story My people are
from Mitchell Plateau, and my brothers and sisters still live up
there in the Kalumburu Community. When I was young, my family told
me the story of the rainbow serpent who burst through the rocks to
make Mitchell Falls and the Mitchell
River
Message Stick
TV program about Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander lifestyles, culture and issues. It features profile
stories, interviews, video clips and short films It can be
seen Sundays on
ABC1
ABC TV
Indigenous Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander viewers are advised that this website may contain images
and voices of people who have died
Living
Black Awarded the 'Show of the Year', see it
Sundays on SBS One TV
.
Employment
I burned my proof of
AboriginalityAfter a career spent in jobs reserved for
Indigenous Australians, Kerryn Pholi had enough of being a
‘professional Aborigine’ She
said that far from closing the gap, she now believes these
strategies are racist. And she is a person of Aboriginal descent and
it is nothing special all, it just means that I
could trace my ancestry back
to a stone-age way of life more easily. To genuinely
challenge racism we need to stop rationalising our individual
self-interest, reject preferential treatment, compete in the open
market for jobs, grants and audiences and accept the financial and career consequences of
refusing to be bought. It’s interesting to hear this from Kerryn as
Marcia Langton came out with a similar viewpoint and statement also
recently
.
Real jobs for Indigenous
Australians Many employers want to hire
Indigenous workers and many want to work, but training programs are
necessary to make the connection between
them
Rumbalara Aboriginal
Cooperative Project has created about 30 jobs
for Indigenous workers in the central Victorian town of Shepparton.
The aged care facility brings together both young and
old
Wild Rivers Act criticised for
complexityQueensland state election has put renewed focus
on the Wild Rivers legislation, which critics say has alienated the
most directly affected Cape York landholders. Pastoralists are
confused about their rights and responsibilities under the
program
.
Health
Academic backs alcohol bansNorthern Territory Chief Minister
Terry Mills joining Queensland Premier Campbell Newman are
discussing an end to alcohol bans for Aboriginal communities. Prominent
Indigenous academic Marcia
Langton says the evidence supports keeping the
restrictions in place as the jails are overflowing with problem
drinkers causing many health and social
problems
Indigenous youth suicidesAboriginal communities in the Kimberley region
of WA, represent key concerns about an epidemic of youth suicide with some
lateral thinking being used in the search for answers, and a warning
to Aboriginal viewers that this report contains references to
people who have died
Oxfam Australia Poverty is as real here as
in developing countries and the Indigenous population suffer the
most
.
Education
Indigenous education program
extendedStudents across
Queensland are being encouraged to stay in school with theFederal Government announcing a further $4 million for the ‘Artie Academy’
that uses the power of sport to foster learning
AIMEProvides a dynamic educational Program that
gives Indigenous high school students the skills, opportunities,
belief and confidence to finish school at the same rate as their
peers
Education trialLegislation is shaping the next phase of
the Northern Territory Intervention. It focuses on education and
expands a trial that's been running in eleven schools which suspends
welfare payments and fines parents who don't send their children to
school
Tiwi Islands
College
Community provides quality education supporting the highest
aspirations of young indigenous people and their families
From Fs to As for aspiring
Kanyes Hip hop artists from regional New South Wales
have overcome challenges to start music careers as well as improve
their classroom
performances
.
Interview with Matthew Cranitch Discusses the Federal Government's attempt to
get Northern Territory indigenous children to go to school by
linking attendance to welfare payments. He
doesn’t think the trial is working and is a waste of
money
Programs receive federal grants Offer
preschool to disadvantaged children in the NT.Neuroscience has revealed that 80 per cent of
brain development occurs in the first three years of life
.
Reconciliation
National Reconciliation
WeekHugh Jackman encouraging
Australians to get involved in the celebration by holding an event
and talking about
recognition
You Me Unity Video Young Freedom Riders from the NSW Central Coast,
demonstrated their power to generate momentum for constitutional
recognition by retracing the 1965 route of the famous Charles
Perkins freedom riders
.
Aboriginal ReconciliationPaul Keating's Labor government
put Aboriginal reconciliation high on the agenda, establishing the
Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation in 1991. Following up the High
Court's Mabo decision in 1992 with native
title legislation in 93. The following year he launched
Australia's program for the International Year of the World's
Indigenous People, with this now famous address to a largely
Indigenous crowd at Redfern Park in Sydney. He was the first PM to
acknowledge the impact of European settlement on Indigenous
Australians. His speech paved the way for a formal apology
to them for past government practices, an apology which
nevertheless took another 15 years to
come
.
Reconciliation For the well being of the Australian
nation
You Me
Unity Part of the national conversation
about updating our constitution to recognise Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander peoples and culture for the benefit of all
Australians
Constitutional
recognition Is
very old, and not changed since it was penned. Besides overlooking
Australia's first peoples, it allows for discrimination based on
race. Do you support constitutional recognition for
Indigenous Australians ? Leave your comments and tell the government
why
Towards a national identity we can all be
proud Expert panel
into Constitutional Recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander Peoples present their Final Report to the PM to set a moral
agenda. In the '67 by
referendum, the Commonwealth was able to make laws and count the
First Peoples. To do that it deleted all mention of 'the natives',
an ironic twist for Indigenous rights in this country. So the First
Peoples went from a negative mention in the constitution to no
mention at all. The
'White Australia' policy still beats at the heart of our founding
document
Indigenous recognition
postponed The Federal Government has shelved the timetable
for recognizing Aboriginal people in the Constitution, arguing there
is still not enough community support for a successful referendum.
Minister Jenny Macklin says the Government has decided to postpone
the vote, to allow more time to build community awareness of the
change. Prominent Indigenous leader Tom Calma says he is confident
constitution change will not be jeopardized if there is a change of
government
Cannabis SongIndigenous songwritertravels to Darwin
to record a song about her battle with addiction.
Australia's indigenous
population has high levels of cannabis use.Please see petition
Drugs Australia
has one of the highest cannabis use in the world, and
research shows that Australia's indigenous
population has higher levels of cannabis
use
.
Ernie
Dingo When Sally met
Ernie, it was the beginning of a unique bond that would bridge two
very different cultures
No waste dump at MuckatyTraditional owners are strongly opposed to
this and
are calling on people around Australia to help them bury the
radioactive waste dump proposal, please sign the
petition
Indigenous and non
Indigenous people have different views as to whether Australia was
'invaded' or 'colonized'. In 1967 a referendum was held that made
history as Australians voted overwhelmingly to amend the
constitution to include Aboriginal people in the census which
allowed the Commonwealth
Mauboy wins deadly
The
Dreaming
I burned my proof of
Aboriginality
