Newsletter date: 25 November 2012
Contents:
* ABC: Fortescue accused of rigging land rights deal
* Background to the Yindjibarndi Aboriginal Corporation (YAC)
* SBS World News Video: Quake concerns rise at Muckaty Station
* Background to the proposed Muckaty nuclear waste dump
* SBS Living Black: WA Approves James Price Point Gas Hub
* Background to the Save The Kimberley Campaign - James Price Point, north of Broome, WA
* NIRS: Cultural flows a significant part of Murray-Darling plan: Burke
* Background to the Northern Murray-Darling Basin Aboriginal Nations (NBAN)
* 3CR: Interview with Vicki Roach, advocate for Aboriginal women in the criminal justice system
* Tracker: Call for police to lose Tasers
* Senator Rachel Siewert: Greens work to reduce petrol sniffing
* Rockhampton Morning Bulletin: Courts more likely to find young Indigenous guilty
* Nicole Watson: We are a lot poorer for ATSIC’s absence
* Jeff McMullen: The Way Ahead: A stronger smarter future
* SBS Living Black: Tent Embassy Founder Remembers Isabel Coe
* Background to the Aboriginal tent embassies
* ABC: FORTESCUE ACCUSED OF RIGGING LAND RIGHTS DEAL
- Videos
ABC: Fortescue accused of rigging land rights deal
By Bronwyn Herbert
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-11-20/fmg-accused-of-rigging-meeting/438...
21 Nov 12: "Andrew Forrest's mining company, Fortescue Metals Group (FMG), has been accused of rigging a meeting with Indigenous stakeholders to win the rights to mine more than $100 billion of iron ore. Lawyer Kerry Savas says a meeting in March last year with Indigenous land owners in the East Pilbara was a sham, and FMG established a group of land owners who would fight to accept its deal. The Yindjibarndi Aboriginal Corporation (YAC) are recognised under Commonwealth Law as the native title holders of the land and they are stridently opposed to the project."
"Video: Fortescue Metals Group embroiled in dispute over Pilbara iron ore deal (7.30)"
"Video: FMG director Peter Meurs responds to accusations (7.30)"
- Related News
Yahoo!7: Still room for peace with Fortescue: YAC
http://au.finance.yahoo.com/news/still-room-peace-fortescue-yac-07530226...
21 Nov 12: "The indigenous group that rejected a financial package from Fortescue Metals Group in exchange for the right to mine their land - but were pipped by a breakaway claimant group - says there's still room for an amicable outcome. The Yindjibarndi Aboriginal Corporation (YAC) says it is not represented by the breakaway Wirlu-Murra group, which accepted a financial package from Fortescue in exchange for the right to develop its Solomon iron ore mine in Western Australia's East Pilbara. ... YAC chief executive Michael Woodley said there was still a chance peace could be made with the Wirlu-Murra and that YAC could do its own deal with Fortescue."
Yahoo!7: Greens want FMG manipulation claims investigated
http://au.news.yahoo.com/latest/a/-/latest/15434953/greens-want-fmg-mani...
21 Nov 12: "The Greens have urged the Federal Government to examine allegations mining company FMG tried to manipulate the native title process during negotiations over an iron ore project in WA's Pilbara. It has been alleged by lawyer Kerry Savas that Fortescue Metals Group rigged the outcome of a meeting between the company and Aboriginal landowners last year. The Yindjibarndi Aboriginal Corporation, which has been opposed to the mine, lays claim to the land but a splinter group of traditional owners, the Wirlu-murra, is keen to see the project proceed. ... Greens Senator Rachel Siewert says the rights of the Yindjibarndi people must be protected."
newsTracker: Twiggy’s FMG accused of rigging Yindjibarndi meeting
http://tracker.org.au/2012/11/twiggys-fmg-accused-of-rigging-yindjibarnd...
21 Nov 12: "NATIONAL: Mining magnate Andrew Forrest’s Fortescue Metals Group (FMG) had a PR battle on its hands when footage of a controversial native title meeting in the Pilbara was released last year. Now a lawyer who formerly worked with FMG and was depicted in the video has confirmed many of the concerns, revealing that the meeting was indeed a set-up, and that FMG paid attendees who voted at the meeting. ... Last night, a lawyer formerly representing FMG, Kerry Savas told the ABC the meeting was a set-up and FMG had paid people to vote in their favour." By Amy McQuire, a Darumbal and South Sea Islander woman and editor of Tracker
* BACKGROUND TO THE YINDJIBARNDI ABORIGINAL CORPORATION (YAC):
- Homepage
Yindjibarndi Aboriginal Corporation
http://yindjibarndi.org.au/yindjibarndi/
- Analysis / Opinion
WGAR News: Mining Deal Bombshell - Fortescue and the Yindjibarndi (by Gerry Georgatos) (20 Nov 12)
http://indymedia.org.au/2012/11/20/wgar-news-mining-deal-bombshell-forte...
* SBS WORLD NEWS VIDEO: QUAKE CONCERNS RISE AT MUCKATY STATION
- Video
SBS World News: Quake concerns rise at Muckaty Station
http://www.sbs.com.au/news/video/2307211892/Quake-concerns-rise-at-Mucka...
21 Nov 12: "Fresh concerns have emerged about the siting of a nuclear waste dump at Muckaty Station in the Northern Territory. A new map produced by Geoscience Australia maintains that the area around Tennant Creek is a high earthquake risk."
- Related News
NT News: Station 'safe' for nuclear waste dump
http://www.ntnews.com.au/article/2012/11/21/315295_ntnews.html
21 Nov 12: "THE controversial Muckaty Station will be "as safe a place as any" to stick a nuclear waste dump despite being on the edge of an earthquake hotspot, a seismic expert said. Tennant Creek, 110km south of the proposed waste site, has been listed among Australia's top-four quake regions in a hazard map. ... Earthquake map: ooooh, that big red blob is Tennant Creek. IMAGE: Geoscience Australia"
* BACKGROUND TO THE PROPOSED MUCKATY NUCLEAR WASTE DUMP:
Last updated: 11 November 2012
http://indymedia.org.au/2012/04/22/background-to-the-proposed-muckaty-nu...
* SBS LIVING BLACK: WA APPROVES JAMES PRICE POINT GAS HUB
- Audio Interview
SBS Living Black: WA Approves James Price Point Gas Hub
By Marc Tong
http://www.sbs.com.au/yourlanguage/aboriginal/highlight/page/id/243137/t...
23 Nov 12: "Goolarabooloo traditional owners and the Broome community to take the fight to the Federal Environment Minister. ... Goolarabooloo traditional owners and members of the Broome community are not giving up their fight to stop Woodside's proposed gas hub despite the state's environmental approval. The Broome Community No Gas Campaign says they will now take their case to the federal environment minister with whom the decision now lies. But spokeswoman Nik Wevers says the state Environment Minister Bill Marmion has jumped the gun, because state heritage approval hasn't gone through. ... "
* BACKGROUND TO THE SAVE THE KIMBERLEY CAMPAIGN - JAMES PRICE POINT, NORTH OF BROOME, WA
Last updated: 24 November 2012
http://indymedia.org.au/2012/11/22/wgar-news-background-to-the-save-the-...
* NIRS: CULTURAL FLOWS A SIGNIFICANT PART OF MURRAY-DARLING PLAN: BURKE
- News
National Indigenous Radio Service: Cultural flows a significant part of Murray-Darling plan: Burke
http://www.nirs.org.au/news/latest-news/7639-cultural-flows-a-significan...
23 Nov 12: "The Federal Environment Minister Tony Burke says a top priority in increasing environmental water flows to the Murray-Darling River system is Indigenous cultural water. The Government yesterday signed into law the Murray-Darling Basin Plan which plans to return 2,750 gigalitres to the system. Mr. Burke says the full board of the Basin Authority is intent on ensuring cultural flows are part of how the environmental water is used and managed. He says Indigenous groups of the Murray-Darling have been listened to."
* BACKGROUND TO THE NORTHERN MURRAY-DARLING BASIN ABORIGINAL NATIONS (NBAN):
Last updated: 22 November 2012
[scroll down page] http://indymedia.org.au/2012/04/22/background-to-the-aboriginal-sovereig...
* 3CR: INTERVIEW WITH VICKI ROACH, ADVOCATE FOR ABORIGINAL WOMEN IN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM
- Audio Interview
3CR Community Radio 855 AM - Podcasts
Different Like Us - 23 Nov 2012
[scroll down page] http://www.3cr.org.au/podcast
Listen to this interview online: http://pod.3cr.org.au/pod/3CRCast-2012-11-22-83892.mp3
23 Nov 12: "I chat with advocate for Aboriginal women in the criminal justice system Vicki Roach about the 'Standing firm for change, a journey to justice' conference and her experience of the criminal justice system."
* TRACKER: CALL FOR POLICE TO LOSE TASERS
- News
newsTracker: Call for police to lose Tasers
http://tracker.org.au/2012/11/call-for-police-to-lose-tasers/
19 Nov 12: "NEW SOUTH WALES: Zapping people with Tasers is often just "lazy policing" and highlights the need to take the stun weapons away from frontline officers, a social justice group says. ... Indigenous Social Justice Association President Ray Jackson says Tasers must be taken off the front line because they are being "misused too bloody much". ... Mr Jackson said the non-fatal tasering of a 14-year-old Aboriginal boy who was on his knees in the NSW mid-north coast town of Kempsey in January last year was another example of Taser misuse."
* SENATOR RACHEL SIEWERT: GREENS WORK TO REDUCE PETROL SNIFFING
- Media Release
Senator Rachel Siewert: Greens work to reduce petrol sniffing
http://rachel-siewert.greensmps.org.au/content/media-releases/greens-wor...
22 Nov 12: "The Australian Greens have welcomed Government support for the Low Aromatic Fuel Bill, saying the legislation closes a hole in strategies to reduce petrol sniffing.
Senator Rachel Siewert, Australian Greens spokesperson on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health brought the Bill on for debate in the Senate today.
"This is an issue that many people, including the Greens have been working on for a long time. It was a great pleasure to finally get the chance to start the debate on the Bill in the Senate," Senator Siewert said today.
"I welcome the news that the Government has proposed amendments to the Bill and with those amendments they will support the Bill.
"This Bill is designed to improve the existing rollout of low aromatic fuel and will prevent recalcitrant operators from actively undermining the voluntary rollout by refusing to stock non-sniffable fuel. ... " [Senator Siewert said]"
- Video
Greens Senator Rachel Siewert: Low Aromatic Fuel Bill - Debate
http://rachel-siewert.greensmps.org.au/content/video/low-aromatic-fuel-b...
22 Nov 12: "Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Issues:
I am very pleased that this chamber is finally able to debate the Low Aromatic Fuel Bill 2012 because unfortunately, despite the very serious and sustained efforts to end it, petrol sniffing is still persistent in some areas of Australia. Over the past 20 years it has been the subject of reports, inquiries, coronial inquiries and research projects. The impact of petrol sniffing on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander individuals and communities is very well documented and well known. The petrol-sniffing inquiry, in fact, was one of the first committee inquiries that I participated in in this place back in 2005-2006. The committee recognised that the situation with petrol sniffing in Australia was dire, and since that inquiry I am very pleased that there has been considerable movement on this issue. ... "
* ROCKHAMPTON MORNING BULLETIN: COURTS MORE LIKELY TO FIND YOUNG INDIGENOUS GUILTY
- News
Rockhampton Morning Bulletin: Courts more likely to find young Indigenous guilty
http://www.themorningbulletin.com.au/news/courts-more-likely-find-young-...
21 Nov 12: "ALMOST two in five young Australians in the juvenile justice system are Indigenous. And they are entering the system younger, and staying longer. The gross over-representation is detailed in the latest Australian Institute of Health and Welfare report, which shows there were 2,820 Inidgenous young people under juvenile justice supervision on an average day in 2010-2011. The report says even though only 5 % of young Australians are Indigenous, they comprise 39 % of those under supervision."
- Report
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW):
Indigenous young people in the juvenile justice system
http://www.aihw.gov.au/publication-detail/?id=60129542246
21 Nov 12: "Although only about 5% of young Australians are Indigenous, almost 2 in 5 (39%) of those under juvenile justice supervision on an average day in 2010-11 were Indigenous. There were 2,820 Indigenous young people under supervision on an average day and 5,195 during the year. Indigenous young people first entered supervision at younger ages than non-Indigenous young people, on average, and spent longer under supervision during the year."
* NICOLE WATSON: WE ARE A LOT POORER FOR ATSIC'S ABSENCE
- Analysis / Opinion
agendaTracker: Little Black Duck: We are a lot poorer for ATSIC’s absence
http://tracker.org.au/2012/11/little-black-duck-we-are-a-lot-poorer-for-...
21 Nov 12: "NATIONAL: NICOLE WATSON* searches the archives of ATSIC’s website and laments the fact we have no national independent voice. Recently, I took a trip down memory lane and perused the old ATSIC website, now stored in our national web archive, PANDORA. When ATSIC was disbanded seven years ago, I had no real grasp of what it was that we were losing. Perhaps, I was sick and tired of the media’s focus on particular individuals in leadership positions. Looking at the ATSIC website, however, it struck me that we are a great deal poorer for its absence." By Nicole Watson, a Murri lawyer and researcher with the Jumbunna Indigenous House of Learning, University of Technology, Sydney
* JEFF MCMULLEN: THE WAY AHEAD: A STRONGER SMARTER FUTURE
- Analysis / Opinion
agendaTracker: The Way Ahead: A stronger smarter future
http://tracker.org.au/2012/11/the-way-ahead-a-stronger-smarter-future/
21 Nov 12: "NATIONAL: JEFF MCMULLEN* reports from the Stronger Smarter summit. An impassioned call to support the social and emotional well being of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children has marked one of the largest and most important gatherings of educators in the "Stronger Smarter" movement gathering force across Australia. As the 'education wars' rage on over the best way to teach Indigenous kids, Donna Bridge, a Yamatji woman and Principal of the Fitzroy Valley District High School in Western Australia, told teachers gathered in Brisbane for the 2012 Stronger Smarter Summit that what was paramount was to believe in the worth of these children as Aboriginal people." By Dr Jeff McMullen AM, one of Australia’s most respected journalists, and a winner of the UN Media Peace Prize
* SBS LIVING BLACK: TENT EMBASSY FOUNDER REMEMBERS ISABEL COE
- Audio Interview
SBS Living Black: Tent Embassy Founder Remembers Isabel Coe
By Michelle Lovegrove
http://www.sbs.com.au/yourlanguage/aboriginal/highlight/page/id/243135/t...
23 Nov 12: "The last surviving founder of the Aboriginal Tent Embassy pays tribute to the Wiradjuri Elder. ... "Beautiful, intelligent, committed and determined" are the words used by the last living Tent Embassy Founder Michael Anderson, to describe Isabel Coe. Michael met Isabel when she was 16, and the two remained friends across the tumultuous decades that followed. Michael says Isabel made a huge impact on the emerging land rights and Black Power movements of the late 1960's and early 1970's."
See:
WGAR News: The Wire: Influential tent embassy activist passes away [Isabel Coe] (15 Nov 12)
http://indymedia.org.au/2012/11/15/wgar-news-the-wire-influential-tent-e...
WGAR News: Update on Aunty Isabell Coe's funeral ... (18 Nov 12)
http://indymedia.org.au/2012/11/18/wgar-news-update-on-aunty-isabell-coe...
* BACKGROUND TO THE ABORIGINAL TENT EMBASSIES:
Last updated: 22 November 2012
http://indymedia.org.au/2012/04/22/background-to-the-aboriginal-sovereig...
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