WGAR News: We must renew calls for national land rights: Amy McQuire, Tracker Editorial

Newsletter date: 3 March 2013

Contents:

* Amy McQuire, Tracker Editorial: We must renew calls for national land rights
* Chris Munro, Tracker: Aboriginal Ink: Voices of the voiceless
* Brian Johnstone, Tracker: Land Rights: Breaking new ground
* Emma Murphy, Green Left: NT Shale gas boom set to meet resistance
* Tracker: NSWALC councillors confront protestors at head office
* Gary Foley, Tracker: The Contrarian: How Bob Hawke killed land rights
* Brian Johnstone, Tracker: Cabinet documents reveal Hawke backtrack on land rights
* Background to Mabo and Native Title

* Other articles

* AMY MCQUIRE, TRACKER EDITORIAL: WE MUST RENEW CALLS FOR NATIONAL LAND RIGHTS

- Analysis / Opinion

agendaTracker: Editorial: We must renew calls for national land rights
http://tracker.org.au/2013/02/editorial-we-must-renew-calls-for-national...
28 Feb 13: "NATIONAL: There is an exciting movement currently occurring across the Pacific. Idle No More is an Aboriginal-controlled protest movement, writes AMY MCQUIRE. ... Could a movement like Idle No More ever catch on over here? ... we are divided and distracted by the agendas set for Indigenous Australia by white authority - agendas like the ambiguous "reconciliation" and the pipe dream of "constitutional reform". Where are the ongoing calls for National Land Rights? For Treaty?" By Amy McQuire, a Darumbal and South Sea Islander woman, editor of Tracker

* CHRIS MUNRO, TRACKER: ABORIGINAL INK: VOICES OF THE VOICELESS

- Analysis / Opinion

agendaTracker: Aboriginal Ink: Voices of the voiceless
http://tracker.org.au/2013/02/aboriginal-ink-voices-of-the-voiceless/
28 Feb 13: "NATIONAL: When you trek through the far west of New South Wales a few things become immediately apparent. Firstly, everything’s big, really big. The area of the Shire of Cobar for example is not far off the total area of the entire state of Tasmania, yet only 5,000-odd hardy souls call the place home. The other realisation that quickly dawns on the traveller visiting the west is that the very livelihood of these towns, and the people that depend on them, are intrinsically linked to the Australian mining industry. ... " By Chris Munro, a Gamilaroi man, a former political correspondant for NITV News, the managing editor of Tracker

* BRIAN JOHNSTONE, TRACKER: LAND RIGHTS: BREAKING NEW GROUND

- Report

agendaTracker: Land Rights: Breaking new ground
http://tracker.org.au/2013/02/land-rights-breaking-new-ground/
28 Feb 13: "NEW SOUTH WALES: Brian Johnstone reports on the Aboriginal Land Rights Act Review. ... The NSW Parliament is currently staging a free public exhibition to celebrate the 225th anniversary of the founding of the Parliament. The exhibition features artefacts and artworks from the Parliament’s collection, each object telling a story about an event, character or decision that shaped the state of NSW. The exhibition contains no reference to Aboriginal land rights. This is not surprising." By Brian Johnstone, a Walkley and Human Rights award winning journalist, employed by the NSW Aboriginal Land Council

* EMMA MURPHY, GREEN LEFT: NT SHALE GAS BOOM SET TO MEET RESISTANCE

- News

Green Left: NT Shale gas boom set to meet resistance
http://www.greenleft.org.au/node/53418
23 Feb 13: "About 120 people attended a public meeting on February 20 to discuss concerns about shale oil and gas exploration in the Northern Territory. ... In the NT, Aboriginal people have the right to veto mining on land covered by the Aboriginal Land Rights Act (ALRA). Given the large amount of ALRA land, this provides an opportunity for traditional owners to make a big dent in the shale industry’s plans if they stand strong together and say no. Burarra landowner and Protect Arnhem Land campaigner Eddie Mason said his community of Maningrida is waging a campaign ... " By Emma Murphy, Darwin

* TRACKER: NSWALC COUNCILLORS CONFRONT PROTESTORS AT HEAD OFFICE

- News

newsTracker: NSWALC councillors confront protestors at head office
http://tracker.org.au/2013/02/nswalc-councillors-confront-protestors-at-...
28 Feb 13: "New South Wales Aboriginal Land Council chair Stephen Ryan addressed a small gathering of protestors concerned about the organisation’s interests in mining exploration in front of the head office in Parramatta last month. About 30 protestors - which included some local Aboriginal land council members as well as anti-uranium activists and non-Indigenous supporters - gathered to voice opposition to the NSWALC’s plans. The rally was organised by chair of the Illawarra Local Aboriginal Land Council Roy Dootch Kennedy, and was held on the eve of Survival Day."

- Past Event

Event: Fri 25 January 2013: Parramatta, Sydney, NSW
Protest NSW Land Rights
"Protest 10am 25/1/13 at NSW ALC ...
as support to Uncle Dootch Kennedy in Yuin country
& Illawarra in addressing NSWALC move into Mining
exposed by Media in 2012."
"NSW Land Rights becoming mining operator affects
us all and we have had no consultation or respect
shown to date to local Aboriginal people, comunities
and 1st Nations"
Event details: http://www.facebook.com/events/408445595901074/

* GARY FOLEY, TRACKER: THE CONTRARIAN: HOW BOB HAWKE KILLED LAND RIGHTS

- Analysis / Opinion

agendaTracker: The Contrarian: How Bob Hawke killed land rights
http://tracker.org.au/2013/02/the-contrarian-how-bob-hawke-killed-land-r...
28 Feb 13: "NATIONAL: A major theme in all the talks, lectures and raves that I do these days relates to what I believe to have been the greatest sell-out of Aboriginal peoples in my lifetime. I speak of the period between 1983 and 1996 when the Hawke-Keating Labor government killed off the move for national land rights. In one of the greatest acts of political bastardry in Australian history, Bob Hawke personally removed land rights from the national political agenda in 1984. It remains one of the greatest acts of political bastardry in Australian history." By Gary Foley. He "describes himself as an 'elderly anarchist agitator', as well as being a historian and lecturer at Victoria University."

* BRIAN JOHNSTONE, TRACKER: CABINET DOCUMENTS REVEAL HAWKE BACKTRACK ON LAND RIGHTS

- News

newsTracker: Cabinet documents reveal Hawke backtrack on land rights
http://tracker.org.au/2013/02/cabinet-documents-reveal-hawke-backtrack-o...
28 Feb 13: "NATIONAL: Aboriginal groups in NSW and the Wran Labor government were a prominent part of the political push which was instrumental in the Hawke government’s decision to abandon its plans to introduce a watered down version of national land rights legislation in 1985. This is revealed in previously secret Federal Cabinet files publicly released by the Australian Archives under the 30 year disclosure rule." By Brian Johnstone, a Walkley and Human Rights award winning journalist, employed by the NSW Aboriginal Land Council

* BACKGROUND TO MABO AND NATIVE TITLE:

Last updated: 10 February 2013

http://indymedia.org.au/2012/07/02/background-to-mabo-and-native-title

* OTHER ARTICLES:

- Community

communityTracker: A song to sing
http://tracker.org.au/2013/02/a-song-to-sing/
28 Feb 13: "NATIONAL: AMY MCQUIRE speaks to one of Australia’s treasures - Archie Roach - about the album that helped him find light through his pain. There is something inspiring about Archie Roach. Talk to anyone, whether they know him through his life or his music, and they’ll tell you. He holds a power over the hearts of both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Australia. ... His power is not solely through his story - his painful separation from his family, his time walking the Charcoal Lane, his journey with the beautiful Ruby Hunter and his redemption through song - although it is inspiring." By Amy McQuire, a Darumbal and South Sea Islander woman, editor of Tracker

- Analysis / Opinion

agendaTracker: Little Black Duck: We must paws to think of the positive
http://tracker.org.au/2013/02/little-black-duck-we-must-paws-to-think-of...
28 Feb 13: "NATIONAL: Media coverage of Aboriginal communities is invariably depressing. All too often, we are confronted with images of violence and hopelessness. It is not only the mainstream press that is drawn to tragedy, writes NICOLE WATSON. ... We should also celebrate positive developments at the grassroots. With that end in mind, this month’s column is going to discuss some inspiring work being done by the RSPCA and our communities, to address animal welfare issues." By Nicole Watson, a Murri lawyer and researcher, Jumbunna Indigenous House of Learning, University of Technology, Sydney

- News

The Stringer: "May our campfires burn forever" - Dumbartung Aboriginal Corporation under threat
http://thestringer.com.au/may-our-campfires-burn-forever-dumbartung-abor...
1 Mar 13: "Nyoongah stalwarts Robert and Selina Eggington have spent their whole lives publicly archiving at the Kyana Gallery a history of their peoples. The Kyana Gallery and the Eggington’s healing work with hundreds of Nyoongah’s and other Aboriginal peoples has long held stature among all layers of community. But Kyana is under threat - its future in question as financial burdens put it at risk. ... Mr Pilger is returning in a month’s time to film a documentary that will include Kyana and the healing work done by the Eggingtons - with the victims of the Stolen Generations, with those who suffer the loss of their children to suicide."

newsTracker: Christmas in Borroloola
http://tracker.org.au/2013/02/christmas-in-borroloola/
28 Feb 13: "NORTHERN TERRITORY: It’s almost a tradition in its own right. The sound of truck horns heralding the delivery of Chrisco hampers across the country is an intrinsic part of the holiday season for many Australian families, a welcome relief before the rush of Christmas shopping and hurried hosting. This is the same in the Northern Territory township of Borroloola, a community which is 90 percent Aboriginal, and where the white population live largely separate from the Garawa, Gudanji, Mara, Waanyi and Yanyuwa peoples." By Amy McQuire, a Darumbal and South Sea Islander woman, editor of Tracker

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