Gross Abuse

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]

Around 30 First Nations men, women and children were killed and thrown from cliffs in 1828, in one the many British invaders mass murdering sprees. This is known as the Cape Grim massacre. The remains of one of the victims was a young girl named Naungarrika, who finally arrived back to her home state of Tasmania after 200 years of humiliation as a scientific and curiosity trophy.

The First Nations community will decide how to belatedly farewell Nungarrika, but it is likely to be in her own country. [node:read-more:link]

Tony Albert, the winner of this year's National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Award 2014 says the work was inspired by the police shooting of two Aboriginal teenagers as they went on a joy ride in Kings Cross in 2012.

First Nation teenage boys are often walking targets for bullies, racists and the police, so in Tony Albert's art piece "We Can Be Heroes" stands defiant, challenging the viewer to take aim at the red bullseyes painted on their chests. The painting consists of 20 portraits, each young man, including the artist and his assistant, emerge bare-chested from a black background in a variety of proud and bold poses. [node:read-more:link]

It was 1943, I was two years old and my mother - an Aborigine - was married to a white Australian when he went and gave his life for our country.

My father was a soldier and was killed on the Kokoda Track and instead of giving his wife a war widow's pension, the bloody government came and took his children away. Because of my mother's Aboriginality. There were four children at that point in time and I was the third. We were split up, the four of us, we were split. [node:read-more:link]

The Black resistance: an introduction to the history of the First Nations struggle against British Colonialism.

Using material that was ignored by most 'white' historians, this book traces the dispossession of the Aboriginal people and records the strategic and tactical objectives of tribal defence as well as the aims and methods of the British invaders. [node:read-more:link]

A great overview of the proposed changes in the WA heritage Act - The new and the old - the good and the bad by Nicholas Herriman of Latrobe University.

The fast pace of development in WA has destroyed much First Nations heritage. In recognition of this, WA’s parliament passed, in 1972, the Aboriginal Heritage Act. Now they propose an updated model but the revisions will make it easier for developers to disturb heritage sites. [node:read-more:link]

A Queensland policewoman who launched a racist internet attack against an Aboriginal activist under a fake Facebook profile, where she also called for the banning of Muslims in western society, has escaped disciplinary action after undergoing "cultural training".

Leanne Rissman, who uses the pseudonym "Sharia Anne", was confirmed by an internal police investigation as being behind internet posts and emails in which she calls Aborigines "oxygen thieves" with a "disgusting aversion to work". [node:read-more:link]

A Manunda grandmother has been left "gobsmacked and humiliated" after police sent to investigate a crime at her home arrested her over a $20 parking fine incurred 22 years ago. The incident occurred after Ms Deshong reported a break-and-enter at her home in the early hours of last Friday morning, during which thieves stole her handbag containing valuable items including a diamond engagement ring.

She said police told her a forensics team might attend the scene for fingerprinting, but come Saturday morning she was told this wouldn't occur, instead on the following Monday, she awoke to three police officers arrived to arrest her for a 20yo parking ticket. [node:read-more:link]