Newsletter date: 6 February 2013
Contents:
* "Urgent Protest on the Governments constitutional recognition bill" [Thu 7 February 2013]
* "Recognition Bill forced on First Nations people against their will" Press Release
* NIRS: No jurisdiction for Act of Recognition: Sovereignty campaigner
* Background to the Aboriginal sovereignty movement
* Other articles
* "URGENT PROTEST ON THE GOVERNMENTS CONSTITUTIONAL RECOGNITION BILL" [THU 7 FEBRUARY 2013]
- Event
Urgent Protest on the Governments constitutional recognition bill
Sovereign Union: http://nationalunitygovernment.org/
Treaty Republic: http://treatyrepublic.net/
"First Nations people are urgently requested to attend a Protest at Parliament House, Canberra this Thursday 7th February.
The Australian government intends to continue debate and vote on the bill for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples recognition, Labor's alternative bill to the referendum on constitutional recognition.
This rush appears to be a set-up to kill off the growing concerns regarding the legislation among First Nations people and serve as a cover-up of the governments human rights and discrimination record and their contempt towards First Nations people.
Thursday 7th - Meet at Embassy 8:30am - Outside Parliament house 9:00am"
Flyer: http://nationalunitygovernment.org/images/2013/gatherings/protest-feb7.jpg
See:
About 'Sovereign Union'
http://nationalunitygovernment.org/node/3
"This is the official website of the Sovereign Union of First Nations and Peoples in Australia. The Sovereign Union was first formed at a meeting on 12-14 June 1999 on Mt Kaputar, near Narrabri, NSW. A delegation was sent to Geneva to the UN Working Group of the Commission on Human Rights to take our sovereign voices to the international community. The Sovereign Union was further formalised with a Foundation Meeting of the 'Sovereign Union - interim Unity Government' at the Kuradji Tent Embassy, near Wollongong, New South Wales on May 25 2012."
Treaty Republic - About Robbie Thorpe
http://treatyrepublic.net/node/64
"Treaty Republic is directed by Aboriginal activist Robbie Thorpe. Treaty Republic is committed to issues relating to Australian history, Indigenous sovereignty, lack of treaty, land-rights justice, genocide, national denial and 'Pay the Rent'."
* "RECOGNITION BILL FORCED ON FIRST NATIONS PEOPLE AGAINST THEIR WILL" PRESS RELEASE
- Press Release
Recognition Bill forced on First Nations people against their will
Sovereign Union: http://nationalunitygovernment.org/content/recognition-bill-forced-first...
Treaty Republic: http://treatyrepublic.net/content/recognition-bill-forced-first-nations-...
4 Feb 13: "On February 7 the Australian Senate will vote on the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples Recognition Bill 2012 despite overwhelming opposition to constitutional inclusion by the majority of Aboriginal people and the government's own acknowledgement that the proposed changes to the constitution would be rejected by a referendum.
"This shows the paternalistic contempt that the Federal Government and politicians have for Aboriginal people has not changed in 112 years," said Kooma man, Wayne Wharton, of the Brisbane Aboriginal Sovereign Embassy.
The Federal Government spent millions through organisations like the National Congress of Australia's First Peoples and You Me Unity using their hand-picked, overpaid representatives to try and sell a referendum on constitutional inclusion to Aboriginal people, but in every community they went to it was overwhelmingly rejected. ... "
* NIRS: NO JURISDICTION FOR ACT OF RECOGNITION: SOVEREIGNTY CAMPAIGNER
- News
National Indigenous Radio Service: No jurisdiction for Act of Recognition: Sovereignty campaigner
http://www.nirs.org.au/news/latest-news/7806-no-jurisdiction-for-act-of-...
4 Feb 13: "The Federal Government's push for legislation recognising Indigenous people in the Constitution has been approved by a Senate committee despite opposition from some Aboriginal groups. ... Convenor of the Original Sovereign Tribal Federation Mark McMurtrie criticises the move, saying the Commonwealth Government doesn't have the jurisdiction to pass such legislation. "The Act of Recognition is a sly, underhanded tactic by the Gillard Parliament to try and force the tribal sovereigns of this country to come under their corporate jurisdiction," says Mr McMurtrie."
See:
About the National Indigenous Radio Service
http://www.nirs.org.au/about-us
"For over three decades, NIRS has provided a radio programming and media marketing service for over 140 Indigenous community radio stations. We continue to deliver 24 hours of programming each day throughout all major metropolitan, regional and, perhaps most importantly, remote communities."
* BACKGROUND TO THE ABORIGINAL SOVEREIGNTY MOVEMENT:
Last updated: 4 February 2013
http://indymedia.org.au/2012/04/22/background-to-the-aboriginal-sovereig...
* OTHER ARTICLES:
- Audio
Central Australian Aboriginal Media Association:
http://caama.com.au/radio#tabs-6
http://caama.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/AM-4-02.mp3
4 Feb 13: "Veteran Territory Senator Trish Crossin has criticised the Federal Labor Party for trying to use the Northern Territory to get its first indigenous federal member and says it needs a strategy to encourage more Aboriginal people into its ranks .. particularly in the other states."
- News
newsTracker: NT govt still fighting to save Nhulunbuy
http://tracker.org.au/2013/02/nt-govt-still-fighting-to-save-nhulunbuy/
5 Feb 13: "NORTHERN TERRITORY: NT Chief Minister Terry Mills is continuing his fight to save an alumina refinery and the outback town that relies on it, despite a company report indicating the plant should be shut. On Monday Mr Mills flew to Canberra and met Resources Minister Martin Ferguson, Opposition Leader Tony Abbott and others. "All I can say at this point is that there has been welcome cooperation from Minister Ferguson and also from the Coalition," Mr Mills said after the meetings. "Finding creative solutions to challenging problems," he told the ABC."
newsTracker: National Indigenous network to highlight cancer rates
http://tracker.org.au/2013/02/national-indigenous-network-to-highlight-c...
5 Feb 13: "NATIONAL: A nationwide agency set up to tackle high rates of cancer among Aboriginal people hopes to push Indigenous cancer into the spotlight. The National Indigenous Cancer Network (NICaN) will undertake Indigenous cancer research as well as help deliver support to communities. "The mortality rate among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with cancer is about 30 per cent higher than that of non-Indigenous people", said NICaN co-ordinator Gail Garvey, who launched the centre on World Cancer Day in Sydney on Monday."
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