William Bugmy's win in the High Court in 2013 is significant, but it also highlights everything that's wrong with the way Aboriginal people are treated under the law, writes Sol Bellear.
Australia is closely following the USA in its private prison policies, and the mainstream media continues to fuel an effort to lock up more of its disadvantaged citizens, especially First Nations people. Already, we are aware of the pressures put on the police to meet charge targets for misdemeanors. Here is a glimpse at where we are heading.
Fueled by racist right-wing politicians and the economic interests of some of the largest corporations on the planet, the prison-industrial complex looks set to continue expanding well into the future.
Oz prison population has more than doubled in the last 20 yrs from 15,000 to 31,000. Between 2000 to 2008 prison deaths of 'natural causes' rose to 24.6% per year
In 2013 Mr Conrad Yeatman, a proud old Aboriginal man who was never paid directly for a lifetime of work receives nothing and in the same week Francis Abbott (Daughter of Tony Abbott), born of privilege receives a $60,000 scholarship to help her study.
When we talk about Aboriginal health, we often talk as if the problem is "Being Aboriginal" - but in reality, "Being Aboriginal" is a marker for having experienced racism, discrimination, colonisation and genocide.