Archives October 2015

A police officer involved in a confrontation with a journalist from the national Indigenous broadcaster on Anzac Day breached the AFP's Code of Conduct, an inquiry has found. NITV video journalist Myles Morgan was filming a march by Indigenous and non-Indigenous people calling for recognition of Indigenous people killed during the colonisation of Australia, when the incident took place at Anzac Parade in Canberra this year. During the march, which took place behind a traditional Anzac Day parade, a scuffle broke out between protesters and members of ACT Policing, a branch of the Australian Federal Police. One officer drew his taser and gestured at one of the march leaders. [node:read-more:link]

An Aboriginal traditional owner from Broome has been moved on by police for blocking Buru Energy vehicles from accessing a gas fracking site. Last year 96 per cent of his people voted against the fracking program. John Howard recognised continuing First Nations sovereignty in his Ten Point Plan for limiting Native Title he introduced after the Wik decision, promising 'bucket loads of extinguishment' and that what we've got. Companies can destroy country and even though First Nations people are sovereign, they can't do anything about it, other than protesting. [node:read-more:link]

The first shipment of Australia's nuclear waste to be returned from re-processing in France has now left a French port, and will arrive on our shores by the end of the year. The return of the 25 tonnes of nuclear waste is putting renewed pressure on the Federal Government to find a location for a permanent waste dump. The shipment began its journey just a day after senior Aboriginal women gathered in Adelaide to mark their fight against a proposed dump in South Australia in the 1990s. The women say they will fight against any new move to put the waste on their land. [node:read-more:link]

Two Indigenous Australians who suffered through ice addictions have told a Parliament House forum they did not get any professional help on their journey to sobriety.
The former methylamphetamine addicts spoke at the event, hosted by the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO). Laurence Riley, a Nunga man from southern South Australia, said his addiction came as the result of searching for an escape from depression at work. bHe said ice had been "readily available" to him in Perth. [node:read-more:link]

Following the recent racist activities towards the Muslims wanting to build a mosque in Bendigo, Victoria, the rightful owners of the land speak out: "We are the people of this land, a land that was taken from us by a violent and racist state. And now a new group of white men are trying to tell the People of this land who are and are not welcome. There is no honour in that ..." Gary Murray released the media statement stating; 'We are the people of this land, a land that was taken from us by a violent and racist state. And now a new group of white men are trying to tell the People of this land who are and are not welcome. There is no honour in that ...' [node:read-more:link]

"Income management through the BasicsCard Does not achieve what it sets out to achieve," said Alice Springs' Tangentyere Council research coordinator Matthew Campbell, whose team helped collect data for the study.

Income management in the Northern Territory has not led to people on welfare drinking less alcohol, sending their children to school more often or buying healthier food, according to the findings of a three-year study commissioned by the Federal Government. [node:read-more:link]

Senior artists from South Australia's APY Lands want to set up a permanent art centre in Alice Springs to protect people from being exploited by unscrupulous dealers known as carpetbaggers.

Prominent artist Nyurpaya Kaika said, "We've been watching over the years how so many of our people are getting stuck in Alice Springs, particularly those who are now on dialysis regime that can't leave; their families comes in and join them and they're stuck there for years and years." [node:read-more:link]