Aboriginal?

[Happy]

From ABC, September 21, 2006
Perth native title decision could have
'significant implications'


The federal Attorney-General, Philip Ruddock, has warned a decision on native title over the Perth metropolitan area could exclude the public from access to areas such as national parks and urban open spaces.
The Federal Court has ruled the Nyoongar people have proven their claim to the area.
The Native Title Tribunal says the decision will only affect a small proportion of land, but the state and federal governments are considering challenging.
Mr Ruddock says while it is only an early decision in the case, it could have significant implications.
"In a major capital city, where you do have very extensive areas of parklands, water foreshores, beaches, matters of that sort, you could well find that if a native title were found to be a bona fide claim and lawful that means that native title owners would be able to exclude other people from access to those areas," he said.


NSW talks

Meanwhile, the head of a New South Wales native title body, Warren Mundine, says he will be sitting down with the State Government to talk about claims in the wake of the Perth decision.
Mr Mundine, who is also an ALP member, has told Sky News solicitors in his New South Wales Native Title Services body will be looking at the implications of the decision.
"We'll be sitting down with the New South Wales Government today and starting to talk about a number of issues that have come out of that decision," he said.
"I think people have got to start realising that Aboriginal people are Australian and are here to be part of the Australian community.
"We all want to work together."

looks that I am not alone with my suspicions of insignificance of the rulling.

From above:

you could well find that if a native title were found to be a bona fide claim and lawful that means that native title owners would be able to exclude other people from access to those areas," he said.

At best non-aboriginal people might have to pay entry fee as to see Uluru, formerly also called Airs Rock.
Which is fine, but not for Australian citizens.

If Aboriginals are treated differently to other Australians, I see problem with that.

We urge for integration of others, but we simply cannot integrate with those who arrived here 30,000 years before us.

 

[macca]

Hi Happy,

At present it costs $25.00 to purchase a 3 day pass to the national park which contains Uluru and the Olgas, no pass, no entry, no Uluru

 

[Happy]

Hi Happy,

At present it costs $25.00 to purchase a 3 day pass to the national park which contains Uluru and the Olgas, no pass, no entry, no Uluru

You did not mention exemptions.

Omission, deliberately, or there aren’t any?

 

[macca]

No exemptions that I am aware of, probably only the aboriginal people that live within the park I suppose.

 

[Happy]

From ABC, September 23, 2006
Native title ruling boosts confidence over Adelaide claim

It is hoped last week's landmark court decision recognising native title over Perth will help the Kaurna people in Adelaide.
The Nyoongar people are the first Aborigines to succeed in claiming native title over a capital city.
The Kaurna people lodged a native title claim over Adelaide in 2000, but are yet to prove a continuous association with the land.
Speaking for the Kaurna people, Lynette Crocker says she is encouraged by the Perth ruling and hopes it will be a precedent for the Adelaide claim.
"This is a major step forward I think and like the paper says landmark decision for Nyoongar people, Nunga people or Kaurna people or any other people who their native title goes over a city."
Ms Crocker says politicians have responded in a knee-jerk fashion to the court decision.
The Western Australian Government has indicated it will challenge the ruling and the federal Attorney-General Philip Ruddock has warned that the claim could restrict public access to parks and beaches.
Ms Crocker says the responses have been alarmist.
"I think it's part of a further scare tactic that was happening, people want to tend to roll out the old rhetoric about people taking up your yards and other things but it's not about that."

We’ve got Perth, Gold Coast, now Adelaide, looks like the gates are open.

 

[macca]

Hi all,

The attached link is in the paper today, hopefully this is a step forward for these communities.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/opinion/how-intolerance-can-turn-the-tide/2006/09/27/1159337220004.html

 

[Julia]

Hi all,

The attached link is in the paper today, hopefully this is a step forward for these communities.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/opinion/how-intolerance-can-turn-the-tide/2006/09/27/1159337220004.html

Thanks for posting that link, Macca. Really interesting and so absolutely sensible.

If there were more indigenous leaders like Noel Pearson the aboriginal population would have more reason for hope. However, his suggestions will probably be met with opposition from the ultra left who will brand the programme as paternalistic. Well, imo, paternalistic is just what is needed at this stage.

Julia

 

[Bobby]

Thanks for posting that link, Macca. Really interesting and so absolutely sensible.

If there were more indigenous leaders like Noel Pearson the aboriginal population would have more reason for hope. However, his suggestions will probably be met with opposition from the ultra left who will brand the programme as paternalistic. Well, imo, paternalistic is just what is needed at this stage.

Julia

Hello Julia'

I did like your comments .
But watch the white aboriginals attack on Noel Pearson

Bob.

 

[Julia]

Hello Julia'

I did like your comments .
But watch the white aboriginals attack on Noel Pearson

Bob.

Yes, Bob. Sadly, you are probably right with that suggestion.

Julia

 

[Happy]

From ABC, October 6, 2006
No future for some Indigenous communities: Brough

The federal Indigenous Affairs Minister has signalled the Government believes there is no future in some remote Indigenous communities.
Mal Brough says it is not feasible to continue to support people living in such communities when there is no access to school or health services in the area.
He says in some places there is no chance of economic sustainability.
"There is no doubt that there are some communities that it is unrealistic to continue to pour more money into when there is no future for them," he said.
"On the other hand, I don't want anyone to read into that this is a blanket, get rid of homelands, which some people have portrayed it in."

I thought about the crap people have to put up with ‘indigenous’ issues in Australia, Canada and USA

In Australia, our originals, on one hand want their –customary life style- preserved, but topped up with 4WD’s, top class services including medical support, and probably some kind of education vaccine or pill, as they are not too keen on new world school system.

I say, total crap, all the heritage culture is smoke and screen, to go forward everybody has to go forward, not only new-arrivals.

I don’t think –customary life style- few thousand years ago provided top class medical care, nor should be provided now.

You live your life with your trimmings, and you are welcome to live our life with our benefits, not the best of both.

Being equal goes both ways.

 

[Happy]

From ABC , October 6, 2006
Indigenous man sentenced to life for pregnant wife's murder

A 29-year-old man has been sentenced to life with a minimum of 19 years for murdering his pregnant wife at a remote Aboriginal community near Laverton in Western Australia.
Arron Butler choked the 23-year-old woman to death and then burned her body.
She was eight months pregnant with his child.
Supreme Court Justice Narelle Johnson said she took into account Butler's tribal punishment in deciding not impose a harsher sentence.
The court was told Butler nearly died after being speared in both legs immediately after the murder.
Justice Johnson also said she took into consideration that prison would be difficult for Butler because he had lived all of his life in a traditional manner.

To me it is excuse, after excuse.

On the other hand good to know that if you almost die after committing murder chances are that punishment will be lighter.

Bit of a worry if it will be applied with the same compassion to any other race Australian in race-less Australia.

 

[Kauri]

To me it is excuse, after excuse.

On the other hand good to know that if you almost die after committing murder chances are that punishment will be lighter.

Bit of a worry if it will be applied with the same compassion to any other race Australian in race-less Australia.

I agree, murder is murder and should be treated the same regardless of race. I certainly hope that the same compassion is shown for all murderers, colour not withstanding, and that none of them get out in less than 19 years. Alas, I suspect if you skim through the media however you may well find a lot of them, regardless of race, getting out in far less time.
Aaron did nearly die after his tribal punishment, traditionally he would have been left after the spearing and would have died alone, the only reason he survived was that we, via our justice/police system, stepped in and commuted his death sentence by bringing him in from the desert and treating him. As a result, if and when he eventually returns to his community he will basically not exist, he wont participate in community life, will not be acknowledged by anyone. In actual fact, truly a dead man walking. Not many people in Australia have thier punishment extend that far after thier release.
The people from his region are in fact the most traditional of our aboriginals, whilst Aaron was born in "relative civilisation" his father Charlie and his peers were born and grew up in the desert and actually lived traditionally the way they had for thousands of years, without interaction, the benefits?, or even knowledge of the white man. They were brought in during the 60's during a series of welfare patrols. People like Aaron have moved from the stone age to the space age in one generation, in his father Charlie Butlers case, in one lifetime. I don't think you will find they were making excuses, (maybe civilised lawyers were?), his people had pronounced a death sentence and had carried it out, until civilisation intervened. It seems that they take murder more seriously than we do?
For anyone interested, if you have Google earth try... 24, 20, 52.81 S,
......128, 42, 11.85 E.
and zoom in, if you look closely you may see his "relatively civilised" community.

 

[rederob]

Happy
You appear to have missed the Goodes news items on aboriginal footballers, lately.
The sin of omission doesnt' carry a life sentence, or does it?

 

[Happy]

Omission or not, hard to follow every story out there, since you see more, care to top up?
Thread is open to anybody to contribute.

I’ll paraphrase a bit.
Aren’t we – other Australians- lucky that original Australians are not cannibals or that their rituals don’t conform to our fabric?

Spearing is bit out of –new- character, and somebody somewhere has to look the other way so we don’t have to respond to this as malicious wounding, and punish perpetrators.

In a sense I feel as a spectator, but this –movie- is for real, hope in a process all the land is not going to be given back to –first arrivals-, as I’ll end up paying 2 taxes, that’s all to it, MONEY.

 

[rederob]

Omission or not, hard to follow every story out there, since you see more, care to top up?
Thread is open to anybody to contribute.

Happy
You only seem to follow the "bad" news stories.
Given these fill our daily newspapers, mostly with errant white folk, how about you enlighten us to the real rip off merchants, or borrow from the regular guff on the 6.30pm exposes weekdays.
If it was about "money", as you suggest, how about naming a few indigenous millionaires.
I'll start with a nice white fella - Steve Vizard.

 

[Happy]

Must be habit from Stock Market, I seem to follow some formations more than others.

But again let me invite you to be the good news ambassador, or you just want to be the not-happy with what others post?

 

[Happy]

Being unable to name millionaires, not necessarily be that it only means that there is no money motif, it could also mean that there is demonstrated inability to manage money matters.

Accidentally there were some issues with money misappropriation in the past, but wouldn’t be too happy to talk about old news.

 

[Happy]

Came past this today -

From ABC , October 17, 2006
Customary law should be considered in sentencing: Senate committee

A Government-dominated Senate committee has recommended sweeping changes to a proposal for cultural background or customary law to be ignored during the sentencing process for federal offences.
The Bill was drafted after the July Council of Australian Governments (COAG) meeting, when all states and territories agreed to a renewed effort to overcome violence in Indigenous communities.
But the Senate's Constitutional and Legal Affairs Committee says the Bill is misguided and would do little to ease the problems.
The committee's report says all the evidence showed the plan to remove cultural background from consideration in sentencing would be in conflict with every major inquiry into the issue, including the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody.
A dissenting Labor report also raises concern the Bill will lead to increased racial discrimination against Indigenous Australians and those with a multicultural background.

What struck me, actually what it really means and how ridiculous would it be if somebody these days decided to use the principle of -traditional living-, heritage culture and all that stuff.

Say we have –tradition- of 3 generations of unemployment, and say they call it –traditional living-, their culture and their tradition.

They decide to -stop the clock- and fight for their rights to uphold their tradition.

Somebody might say how dare I say something like that and compare it to 30,000 or 40,000 years of tradition.
Sorry, but this is exactly the same just –slightly- different timeframe.

Effectively this is RIGHT TO STOP THE CLOCK.
And to be fair to all Australians, we all should go forward not just newcomers, and having special rights within so called country of equal rights doesn’t look too bright.

 

[Happy]

From ABC, November 3, 2006

Indigenous leader calls for abandonment of 'cultural suicide'
An Aboriginal traditional owner says Indigenous people are on a path of cultural suicide and need to accept some blame for the choices they have made.
Rosalie Kunoth Monks, who chairs the Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Education, has made the comments at a Desert Knowledge symposium in Alice Springs.
Ms Monks says land and culture are no longer sufficient to sustain identity and people must accept change.
"To be part of the economy and a contributing member of society we have to take that journey," she said.
"It is my belief that the confusion will only be resolved through a new sense of identity and that comes through when you connect with other people, look at future pathways and not be so internalised."

Wisdom of vision only to be applauded, didn’t we all have to move forward.

 

[Happy]

From ABC, December 11, 2006

Govts accused of ignoring Indigenous health crisis


More than 30 of Australia's key medical and social welfare groups say Indigenous Australians are dying because of a lack of political will and action.
The groups have paid close to $40,000 to publish in a national newspaper an open letter to the federal, state and territory governments, asking them to put more money into Indigenous health immediately.
Australia's Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander social justice commissioner, Tom Calma, says an extra $300 million per year would stop Indigenous people dying an average of 17 years earlier than other Australians.
He says governments also need to commit to measurable targets.
"Targets make people accountable and make governments accountable and that's what needs to happen," he said.
Mr Calma says governments need to commit to raising Indigenous life expectancy to normal levels within 25 years.
"Government is not really listening to what Aboriginal people and the medical profession are saying," he said.
"We need to be able to get the Government to start to focus a lot more to setting some fairly realistic and achievable targets and benchmarks and time frames."
The Red Cross, Amnesty International and Ian Thorpe's Fountain for Youth have signed the document.
The groups say it is inconceivable that a country as wealthy as Australia cannot solve a health crisis affecting less than 3 per cent of the population.
John Paterson from the Northern Territory's peak aboriginal medical organisation, AMSANT, says there is no mystery about what is needed.
"Give us the money tomorrow," he said.
"We're in the position to go and recruit GPs and other clinicians that Indigenous communities are currently screaming out for."



Govt response

Federal Health Minister Tony Abbot says the Government is trying.
"I hope no one thinks that Indigenous health outcomes are a function of governmental neglect," he said.
Mr Abbott says he respects the idealism behind the open letter, but he is not going to commit to the kind of target it is recommending.
"If it was as easy as all that to improve Indigenous health it would have been done a long time ago," he said.
"But certainly it doesn't hurt to have a whole lot of prominent people reminding us of the urgency of this task."
Mr Abbott says Indigenous people do not have poor health just because they are Indigenous.
"It's a function of Indigenous people having significantly higher levels of unemployment, significantly poorer housing and the fact that many of them live in very, very remote locations which are extremely difficult to services," he said.

Yes, Government responsible for everything, individuals responsible for nothing.

But this type of story goes around the world.