Archives August 2014

So many of the First Nations women in prison have been physically abused and/or have substance-abuse problems. One of the reasons these women make up such a disproportionate part of the prison population is that magistrates are required to follow sentencing guidelines; someone who has been arrested a certain number of times for, say, being drunk in public is required by such rules to spend time behind bars. Beyond that, Professor Baldry argues, some magistrates take an inappropriately paternalistic view that time in prison will be beneficial in blocking a woman's access to substances.

A rare and haunting image of a young, unidentified Indigenous woman has been donated to the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS) after being discovered by a family living in the United Kingdom.

The tiny tintype photograph, measuring about 2 centimetres by 3cm, is the only one of its kind to be held by AIATSIS and is believed to be the oldest in its 650,000-strong photographic collection.

Canberra press gallery journalist Jeremy Geia has walked away from his job, given up his passport and belongings and reverted to his tribal name, Murrumu Walubara Yidindji. He tells Paul Daley why he decided to ‘leave Australia’ while remaining on the continent – and why he still loves a cup of English breakfast tea

Murrumu returned drivers licence, then returned his passport and Medicare card to the federal government.

Malaysia: The High Court on 11 August declared that Iban landowners in Kpg Spaoh, Kpg Menat Ulu and Kpg Menat Illi in Gedong, Simunjan have acquired native customary rights (NCR) over land in their area which had been alienated by the government to several companies through provisional leases and issuance of forest licence.

The High Court also declared that the issuance of the forest licence and provisional land leases on the said NCR land are null and void.

In a tragedy that has again ­invoked the shameful record of black deaths in custody in Western Australia, the Aboriginal woman — about to see a doctor for a suspected leg infection when arrested earlier this month — had begged to be hospitalised instead of kept in jail.

This is another appalling example of a young person in her prime, murdered by a system where justice means disrespect, punishment and torture to harmless people and billions to the rich.

Jane Simpson writes that Indigenous languages won't survive if First Nations kids don't have the opportunity to speak their native languages at school. Ms Simpson is the Chair of Indigenous Linguistics and Deputy Director of the ARC Centre of Excellence for the Dynamics of Language at Australian National University asks the question of what language(s) to teach Indigenous students, what languages to teach them in, and how to go about it has been generating a little political heat (but not quite so much light) of late.

Many people in Australia are in the hunt for millions of dollars as the government searches for a place to dump 14 tonnes of nuclear waste, just for starters

The waste the government is 'talking up' will be returned to Australia by the end of next year following treatment in France and the UK.

It has been reported that some First Nations people in the NT are squabbling over hosting the nuclear waste in their land.

An Alice Springs-based group of Aborigines is pushing to revive plans to host Australia's nuclear waste 30km north of the town, with help from the Northern Territory and federal governments. The proposal has become entwined with ructions inside the powerful Central Land Council (CLC) that have seen chairman Maurie Ryan suspended for the second time this year.

Members of the group said they were recognised as traditional owners at a full CLC meeting they attended at Mr Ryan's invitation.

Tony had never been in trouble with the law but briefly lost his cool in a racist road rage incident he regrets. He'd been under stress, working long hours to keep up with his mortgage. His wife had just had their first baby and was a full-time mum. If Tony went to jail he'd lose his job and his family would be left totally without support. The court gave him a suspended sentance, which allowed him just one more chance. Come September 2014 the option of a suspended sentence will cease to exist in Victoria.