Archives August 2014

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. [node:read-more:link]

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. [node:read-more:link]

Campbelltown NSW has the start of a Tent Embassy as First Nations people gather to raise their voice over the protection of land and wildlife in Airds.

Three First Nations original men erected two tents this week to show their concerns over the Airds Bradbury Renewal Project.

“This is our own solidarity march. This is sacred land that we are on,” Gungadin, one of the men said [node:read-more:link]

When this country is built on truth it will lay a solid foundation for the nation to come to maturity and accept the past, deal with it, and then find it within their hearts to pay respects to the First Nation people as equals and not an imitation of the 1901 model of the master and slave relationship.

Kerry Blackman, First Nations Justice Leader, writes about the Constitution Recognition farce. [node:read-more:link]

First Nations people in West Australia's Pilbara iron ore region are taking on BHP Billiton over its claim for leases covering 200 square kilometres of their tribal country.

When it comes to First Nations people, the government never does anything without having a very devious agenda. So following 100 years of a deplorable lack of respect and disregard for First Nations soldiers, then there is suddenly recognition, beware.

The intensive propaganda campaign is designed to whitewash the real nature of WWI, drown out opposition to war and boost military enlistments. [node:read-more:link]

It is little wonder that Hawke's efforts at a treaty with Aboriginal Australia failed when the best plan he can envisage for lifting communities out of poverty is to offer a toxic trade-off for access to basic services that all other citizens enjoy.

This really demonstrates how bereft of responsible policy ideas some politicians are, both in regards to tackling Aboriginal disadvantage and dealing responsibly with the nation's growing radioactive waste problem. [node:read-more:link]

The First Nations peoples of the continent now called Australia were not ignorant savages stagnating in their primitive inadequacies and laziness, as the British invaders have been maintaining and indeed teaching for the past 230 years.

Archaeologist's findings together with scientific analogy is now pointing towards the history of these people as the beginning of what is known as 'modern man' in this region, at least. [node:read-more:link]