WGAR News: Aboriginal women of Lake Tyers are staging a blockade

Newsletter date: 12 March 2011

Contents:
* Petition to Support the Northern Territory Elders' Statement
* Aboriginal women of Lake Tyers are staging a blockade
* More on 'racist' Alice Springs TV advertisement
* More on the UWS Anti-Racism Research Project
* More on the Reconciliation Barometer
* More on the ACTU’s Indigenous Conference
* Northern Territory (NT) Intervention articles
* Background to the Northern Territory (NT) Intervention

PETITION TO SUPPORT THE NORTHERN TERRITORY ELDERS' STATEMENT:

Friends of Australia’s First Peoples petition:

The link to petition is:
https://sites.google.com/site/treatyrepublicfilebank/pdf-1/Elders-Petiti...

See: WGAR News: A further conversation with Elders - impacts of living under the Intervention
http://indymedia.org.au/2011/02/25/wgar-news-a-further-conversation-with...

ABORIGINAL WOMEN OF LAKE TYERS ARE STAGING A BLOCKADE:

- Media Releases

Melbourne Indymedia: Blockade of Lake Tyers Aboriginal Trust residents and shareholders
http://indymedia.org.au/2011/03/08/blockade-of-lake-tyers-aboriginal-tru...
8 Mar 11: "Statement by Aboriginal Women of Lake Tyers Aboriginal Trust – Blockade on Road to Lake Tyers ...
As from today the shareholders and residents of Lake Tyers Aboriginal Trust blockaded the road to Lake Tyers. No persons or governments are allowed to come on to the trust until governments sit down and listen to our statement of claims resolve the situation.
Health service employees and the school bus are the only exceptions.
We are sick of the Northern Territory style intervention imposed on us.
Our elders who fought for the land (so that Aboriginal people could have a home to call our own) to be handed back in 1970 as free hold title to the Aboriginal people after a long struggle.
We now are in 2011 and once again are being dictated by government whose policies on us have once again failed.
The state and federal governments 10-point plan to “Close the Gap” in Aboriginal communities is discriminatory. We have no rights as Aboriginal people or as shareholders of the trust. We are being harassed and intimidated."

Treaty Republic: Waywurru and Dhudhuroa people support Lake Tyers
http://treatyrepublic.net/content/waywurru-and-dhudhuroa-people-support-...
8 Mar 11: "Blockade at Lake Tyers Aboriginal Trust Press Release from Aboriginal Women
The Senior Chair of the Dhudhuroa Native Title Group Mr Gary Murray and the grandson of the prominent leader Pastor Sir Douglas Nicholls said today that; "Almost fifty years ago in the 1960's Lake Tyers Men (see photo) led by Pastor Sir Douglas Nicholls JP.MBE.OAM,KCVO and Bapa Mamus and former Governor of South Australia marched on the Victorian Parliament to protest about the conditions and proposed sale of Lake Tyers.
The Waywurru and Dhudhuroa Traditional Owners from North East Victoria particularly our women stand with and strongly support the Blockade by Aboriginal Women who have placed a blockade on government mission managers.
The State is breaching the human rights of the Lake Tyers residents and it is time all Traditional Owners stood up and questioned why government mission managers have created conflict and division in our communities."

- Audio

ABC Gippsland Vic: Women blockade Lake Tyers
http://www.abc.net.au/local/stories/2011/03/08/3158445.htm
8 Mar 11: "A group of Aboriginal women have blockaded the road to Lake Tyers Aboriginal Trust in East Gippsland in protest against current administration arrangements over the site. The women claim the current administration arrangements over Lake Tyers Aboriginal Trust are akin to a "Northern Territory-style intervention." Freehold title of the Lake Tyers settlement was transferred to Aboriginal people in 1970. But the women want more community involvement in the Lake Tyres Aboriginal Trust, which is administered by the Department of Justice and Aboriginal Affairs Victoria."

- News

Indigenous Peoples: Victoria: Blockade On Road To Lake Tyers Aboriginal Trust Will Continue
http://www.indigenouspeoplesissues.com/index.php?option=com_content&view...
11 Mar 11: "The BLOCKADE AT THE ENTRANCE OF LAKE TYERS ABORIGINAL TRUST TO STOP MANAGERS AND GOVERNMENT FROM ENTERING ABORIGINAL LAND WILL CONTINUE until our right to manage our own affairs and control our own destiny is recognized according to the UN Declaration on Indigenous peoples."

ABC: Protesters call for administrator's removal
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/03/11/3161546.htm
11 Mar 11: "Protesters from the Lake Tyers Aboriginal Trust in East Gippsland are calling on the Government to remove the trust administrator. Protesters have been blockading the entrance road to the trust since Tuesday. The community voted for a committee late last year at the trust's annual meeting, but the government administrator sacked the committee this year. The protesters say the Government has threatened to withdraw funding if the blockade continues."

7 News Queensland: Govt accused of harassment over blockade
http://au.news.yahoo.com/queensland/a/-/local/8987234/govt-accused-of-ha...
10 Mar 11: "Protesters at the Lake Tyers Aboriginal Trust in East Gippsland say the State Government is threatening to withdraw vital services, if they do not stop their blockade. ... A spokeswoman for the protesters, Leanne Edwards, is accusing the Government of harassment and intimidation. "Well they're saying that the children's programs will stop, the farm will be stopped, all the cattle and stuff will be removed," he said. "The houses that they're building now won't be built and they're just going to take all the funding.""

ABC: Indigenous trust members maintain blockade
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/03/10/3160396.htm?site=indigenou...
10 Mar 11: "Protesters from the Lake Tyers Aboriginal Trust in East Gippsland are blockading the settlement's access road for the third day. The group is complaining that it does not have a say in the running of the trust. The Victorian Government appointed an administrator to the trust about eight years ago. The director of Aboriginal Affairs said yesterday he will not talk to protesters while they are blockading the road."

Win News: Lake Tyer Protest Day Two
http://www.wintv.com.au/gippsland/news/item/39835
9 Mar 11: "The blockade into the Lake Tyers Aboriginal Trust continues as protesters rally to send their message to the State Government. "We feel very strongly that we are not getting... Having our right say. We are being suppressed." said Spokesperson for Lake Tyers Aboriginal Trust Leanne Edwards. The protesters want to take the management of the trust from the Government. They say under state control their living standards, rights, and say on land management has deteriorated."

Weekly Times Now: Women stand up for Lake Tyers community
http://www.weeklytimesnow.com.au/article/2011/03/08/304901_latest-news.html
8 Mar 11: "VICTORIAN Aboriginal women from Lake Tyers are staging a blockade to protest against the state government's administration of their community. The Department of Justice and Aboriginal Affairs Victoria in 2006 signed a 10-year renewal agreement governing the Lake Tyers Aboriginal Trust in East Gippsland. Trust member Leanne Edwards says the "Northern Territory-style intervention" is not providing opportunities for her people from the Gunai/Kurnai tribes. "None of the shareholders or Aboriginal people or residents of this place were consulted," she said."

Win News: Lake Tyers Blockade
http://www.wintv.com.au/gippsland/news/item/39812
8 Mar 11: "At the entrance to the Lake Tyers Aboriginal Trust, the community has taken its stand. Under banners decrying their lack of human rights they say they'll stay until their voices are heard. "It's about getting our rights back to shareholders, back to the people of this land. As it is now we haven't been recognised," said Jane Proctor, Aboriginal Elder. ... "We want our land back, we don't want to be told by white people where to live on our land," said Josephine Mullett, Elder."

MORE ON 'RACIST' ALICE SPRINGS TV ADVERTISEMENT:

See: WGAR News: Complaint against ‘racist’ Alice Springs TV advertisements
http://indymedia.org.au/2011/03/10/wgar-news-complaint-against-%E2%80%98...

- Audio

The Wire: Alice Springs ad before the Human Rights Commission
[scroll down page] http://www.thewire.org.au/daydetail.aspx?SearchDay=2011-03-04
4 Mar 11: "On Thursday the third of March, residents of Alice Springs launched a complaint with the Human Rights Commission against a television ad they find racially vilifying. The ad was funded by a group of local business owners, called Action for Alice, to lobby local and federal governments for change in their community, which they say is in crisis. Interviews include: Warren Williams, Alice Springs resident; George Newhouse, Alice Springs Lawyer; Damien Ryan, Mayor of Alice Springs; Geoff Booth, Organiser of Action For Alice; Rex Neindorf, Alice Springs business owner."

MORE ON THE UWS ANTI-RACISM RESEARCH PROJECT:

See: WGAR News: Challenging Racism: The Anti-Racism Research Project
[scroll down page] http://indymedia.org.au/2011/03/03/wgar-news-indigenous-survival-where-t...

- Analysis / Opinion

Green Left: There is nothing positive about racism
http://www.greenleft.org.au/node/46887
6 Mar 11: "The underlying issue of racism in Australia has been a pervasive feature of national political life ever since the invasion of the First Fleet in 1788. It was used as an ideological justification for the dispossession of indigenous Australians. In 1975, the Racial Discrimination Act was implemented in order to enable all Australians, regardless of their racial and cultural background, to enjoy equal rights and to prohibit discriminative behaviour based on racial hatred. However, as the Challenging Racism Project has shown, although Australians perceive themselves as tolerant and culturally accepting, racially discriminative behaviour and ideas are still very prevalent within today’s society." Kerry Deligiannis

- Audio

Central Australian Aboriginal Media Association:
Dr Yin Paradies speaks on CAAMA radio
http://caama.com.au/dr-yin-paradies-speaks-on-caama-radio
9 Mar 11: "Paul Wiles speaks to Dr. Yin Paradies about racism in Australia. The survey of about 12,000 people is conducted by many Universities and they wanted to find out about attitudes towards different races in different states and territories in workplaces, schools and on the streets. The study shows 80-90% of people are happy with cultural diversity and something should be done about racism in Australia."

MORE ON THE RECONCILIATION BAROMETER:

See: WGAR News: Australian Reconciliation Barometer
[scroll down page] http://indymedia.org.au/2011/03/03/wgar-news-indigenous-survival-where-t...

- Audio

SBS Audio and Language: Aboriginal: Mick Dodson On Reconciliation
http://www.sbs.com.au/yourlanguage/aboriginal/highlight/page/id/147971/t...
6 Mar 11: "The Co-Chair of Reconciliation Australia believe Australia's in a good position to make lasting change.
Reconciliation Australia has released its second national Reconciliation Barometer - with some surprising, and not so surprising findings.
The Barometer is a national research study that looks at the relationship between ATSI people and other Australians.
About 12-hundred non-Indigenous Australians and 700 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people took part in the survey in April last year (2010).
Reconciliation Australia Co-Chair Professor Mick Dodson tells Michelle Lovegrove, the Barometer is a valuable tool to gauge where Australia's currently placed, in the reconciliation process."

MORE ON THE ACTU'S INDIGENOUS CONFERENCE:

See: WGAR News: ACTU Indigenous Conference in Darwin
[scroll down page] http://indymedia.org.au/2011/03/03/wgar-news-indigenous-survival-where-t...

- Audio

Indigenous radio station 98.9FM Brisbane
Let's Talk - Indigenous presented talkback:
http://989fm.com.au/index.php?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=29
24 Feb 11: "Mick Gooda: Tiga Bayles spoke with Social Justice Commissioner, Mick Gooda. They spoke about the ACTU Indigenous conference in Darwin and issues First Nations People are facing."
Listen to this interview on-line:
http://www.989fm.com.au/podcasting/audio/98fm-podcast-2011-02-24-75570.mp3

- Analysis / Opinion

National Indigenous Times:
Ross calls for new Scheme to replace CDEP for remote Indigenous communities in Australia
http://www.nit.com.au/community/story.aspx?id=21218
"The Central Land Council has asked delegates at the ACTU’s Indigenous Conference in Darwin to support a call for the development of a new Aboriginal Employment and Enterprise Development scheme for remote Indigenous Australia. The CLC’s director David Ross was scheduled to outline the plan in an address to the conference but due to Cyclone Carlos was unable to attend. However his speech was tabled with conference delegates. Mr Ross said the Federal Government’s attempts to abolish the CDEP scheme, reinstate it and reform it in the past three years have left a confusing situation where some CDEP places are “grandfathered” under the old scheme while others are administered by Centrelink, but are essentially Work-for-the-Dole."

NORTHERN TERRITORY (NT) INTERVENTION ARTICLES:

- Media Release

Rachel Siewert: Greens to resist welfare quarantine expansion
http://rachel-siewert.greensmps.org.au/content/media-release/greens-resi...
10 Mar 11: "The Australian Greens have vowed to resist efforts by the Government or Coalition to expand income management measures around Australia, describing it as lazy and ignorant policy thinking.
“Joe Hockey’s comments make it clear that he does not understand the problem,” Senator Siewert said today. “Issues regarding long term unemployment are complex and deserve a lot more attention than is being demonstrated in this discussion.
The evidence does not show that the expensive and punitive income management policy works.
What we have seen in the Northern Territory and Western Australia is people being embarrassed, marginalised and treated like second class citizens.
It costs around $4,500 a year to income manage someone, and that management isn’t effective or meaningful. This is money that should be funding services and assistance for people in our social security system.""

- Video

Our Generation: Short film of UK Preview, with special guest Germaine Greer
http://www.ourgeneration.org.au/2011/03/short-film-of-uk-preview-with-sp...

About Our Generation
http://www.ourgeneration.org.au/about-2/
"OUR GENERATION
A DOCUMENTARY FILM BY SINEM SABAN & DAMIEN CURTIS (73 MIN)
From the ongoing controversy of the Northern Territory Intervention,
to being forced off their traditional lands into larger townships crippled by social dysfunction,
to their languages being removed from school education,
to mining deals sidelining traditional owners,
the Aboriginal people of the Northern Territory are fighting for freedom.
Our Generation is their untold story; of a struggle hidden from the eyes of mainstream Australia."

- Analysis / Opinion

arena: Response to Lattas and Morris’ ‘Blinkered Anthropology’
http://www.arena.org.au/2010/11/response-to-lattas-and-morris%E2%80%99-%...
Nov 10: "Francesca Merlan in defence of the NT Intervention ... Let me also be clear that there are many aspects of the NT Intervention that I do not condone. I am not a supporter of the Intervention as launched, but of the idea that considered long-term intervention is needed. I have in mind something less flamboyant, much longer-term, much less geared to political cycles and impression management, much more collaborative and Indigenously-directed, and more attuned to existing social patterns and dispositions than we have yet had."

- Letter

Our Generation: Indigenous Affairs Minister, Jenny Macklin, responds to Our Generation
http://www.ourgeneration.org.au/2011/03/indigenous-affairs-minister-jenn...
"This letter was received by Jeff McMullen, following his correspondence with various Government ministers about the racial injustice of the Northern Territory Intervention and the message of Our Generation to the Australian Government."

BACKGROUND TO THE NORTHERN TERRITORY (NT) INTERVENTION:

Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:
Northern Territory National Emergency Response: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_Territory_intervention

Melbourne Anti-Intervention Collective: http://maicollective.blogspot.com/

STICS (Stop the Intervention Collective Sydney): http://stoptheintervention.org/

ANTaR (Australians for Native Title and Reconciliation) - NT intervention: http://www.antar.org.au/issues_and_campaigns/nt_intervention

'concerned Australians': http://www.concernedaustralians.com.au/

Defending Indigenous Rights: http://defendingindigenousrights.wordpress.com/

Intervention walk-off's Blog: http://interventionwalkoff.wordpress.com/

IRAG (Intervention Rollback Action Group): http://rollbacktheintervention.wordpress.com/

Jobs with Justice: http://jobswithjustice.wordpress.com/

WGAR (Working Group for Aboriginal Rights): http://wgar.info/

- - -

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