Assimilation & Oppression

An advertising campaign that explores the casual racism of Australians towards Indigenous people has been viewed more than 3.75 million times, but 20 per cent of respondents to a beyondblue survey still think it is OK to discriminate against First Nations people. It found Western Australia had the highest levels of discriminatory attitudes towards the first Australians, while 41 per cent of respondents in NSW said that "they were given an unfair advantage by the government".

An advertising campaign that explores the casual racism of Australians towards Indigenous people has been viewed more than 3.75 million times, but 20 per cent of respondents to a beyondblue survey still think it is OK to discriminate against Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders. It found Western Australia had the highest levels of discriminatory attitudes towards Indigenous Australians, while 41 per cent of respondents in NSW said that "they were given an unfair advantage by the government".

The government’s latest funding round has been accused of preferencing non-Indigenous providers and leaving many services unsure about their future. The Senate has supported a motion calling for an inquiry into the rollout of funding under the Indigenous advancement strategy, which has been described as confusing, fractured and systemically racist. WA Greens senator Rachel Siewert moved for the Senate finance and public administration references committee to examine the program’s tender process.

The Peak body for Indigenous legal services was denied funding under the Indigenous advancement strategy as $680m in grants handed out. The NSW ALS had its two applications rejected by the IAS scheme, including one for its existing custody notification service, which provides 24-hour legal advice and welfare support for Aboriginal people arrested in NSW. Some organisations said they did not know if or how much of a grant they had been given, or if funding would continue beyond the next 12 months.

Censorship of the national Aboriginal voice began last year with the unfortunate passing of Gavin Jones after funding for Deadly Vibe had been cancelled by Tony Abbott's "government for the Aborigines".
... After 20 years of focusing upon the achievements of Indigenous Australians across society, Gavin's inspired leadership and good work was stripped of its resources with the strike of a pen upon his passing. It also highlighted that suicide and self-harm is a problem confronted in our communities at all levels.

Hepatitis C is three times higher and rising in Indigenous populations. The worsening problem is mainly due to higher rates of unsafe drug injecting and possibly higher rates of incarceration, where the prevalence of intravenous drug use is much higher among Indigenous prisoners, according to multiple studies. First Nations people need accessible and affordable health care and Community Controlled Health Services have proven time and time again to be the best model for treatment, Lisa Briggs, CEO of Naccho said.

Figures released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics last month show a 10 percent jump in the number of people in Australian prisons, bringing the prison population to a 10 year high.

The Human Rights Law Centre’s Senior Lawyer, Ruth Barson, said the trend of locking up more and more people is alarming, particularly given there are cheaper and more effective ways to keep the community safe.

Ghillar Michael Anderson responds to a confrontation with those organising 1965 Freedom Ride re-enactment, in particular Rachel Perkins who took offence at his comments in a recent media release.

Having now spoken with all the parties, which was not done in the first instance, Michael Anderson corrects some matters in his previous statement, including that Noel Pearson will be travelling on the 2015 Re-enactment.

Indigenous health experts gathered at University of Wollongong this week to introduce an Indigenous trauma recovery program developed at Harvard University.

"Evidence shows us that the processes of colonisation, with the loss of land, identity, family, layers into compound trauma - and what we're finding as evidence is compound trauma rolls into physical and psychological problems," said Debra Hocking -