Newsletter date: 13 August 2013
Contents:
* First Peoples Worldwide, Cultural Survival: Aboriginals Create the World's Newest Government [Featuring the Republic of Murrawarri]
* Curtis Kline, Intercontinental Cry Magazine: The Republic of Murrawarri and Indigenous Self-Determination
* Indian Country Today Media Network: World's Newest Sovereign Nation: Meet Murrawarri, From Down Under
* Background to the Murrawarri Republic
* Cathy Lawless, Socialist Alternative: The con of constitutional recognition
* Chris Graham, Crikey: Why Aboriginal Australia should reject constitutional recognition
* Ray Jackson commenting on the article: Treaty, sovereignty, empowerment the key factors for meaningful recognition
* Tracker: It’s time for recognition: Dodson
* Background to Constitutional Recognition of Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Peoples
* Let's Talk's Karen Dorante interviews Robbie Thorpe, Human Rights Advocate
* Background to the Aboriginal sovereignty movement and the Aboriginal tent embassies
* ABC Radio National - Late Night Live: Australia's forgotten war [Featuring Henry Reynolds, Historian and author]
* Nicola Butler, The Stringer: 'Serving My Country - An Indigenous Story'
* Calliste Weitenberg, SBS Radio News: Excitement over 'new Indigenous language'
* FIRST PEOPLES WORLDWIDE, CULTURAL SURVIVAL: ABORIGINALS CREATE THE WORLD'S NEWEST GOVERNMENT [FEATURING THE REPUBLIC OF MURRAWARRI]
- News
Cultural Survival: Aboriginals Create the World’s Newest Government
Cultural Survival: http://www.culturalsurvival.org/news/aboriginals-create-worlds-newest-go...
The Stringer: http://thestringer.com.au/murrawarri-the-worlds-newest-government/
26 Jul 13: "The world is welcoming its newest government - the Republic of Murrawarri, a nearly 82,000 square kilometer territory stretching across northern New South Wales and Queensland in Australia, has declared its independence as a sovereign nation. Murrawarri’s independence comes after a long diplomatic process. The republic, which has around 4,000 residents, officially declared their continuing independence and statehood on April 3, 2013. The declaration was sent to the Queen of England, who is the constitutional monarch for Australia, ... " By First Peoples Worldwide
* CURTIS KLINE, INTERCONTINENTAL CRY MAGAZINE: THE REPUBLIC OF MURRAWARRI AND INDIGENOUS SELF-DETERMINATION
- News
Intercontinental Cry Magazine: The Republic of Murrawarri and Indigenous Self-Determination
Intercontinental Cry: http://intercontinentalcry.org/the-republic-of-murrawarri-and-indigenous...
Cultural Survival: http://www.culturalsurvival.org/news/republic-murrawarri-and-indigenous-...
1 Aug 13: "On April 10 of 2013 the Queen of England received a letter sent to her by the Murrawarri Nation of northern New South Wales and Queensland in Australia. This letter was actually a notice for the declaration of independent sovereign statehood of the Murrawarri Nation. The Queen was given 28 days to produce one of three situations accepted in international law as well as British Common Law that recognized the governed taking over or acquiring of new land. The three situations could have been: ... The Murrawarri Nation requested that the Queen give proof of any of these three situations." By Curtis Kline, an international human rights professional who partners with local communities to advocate for the defense and promotion of their rights
* INDIAN COUNTRY TODAY MEDIA NETWORK: WORLD'S NEWEST SOVEREIGN NATION: MEET MURRAWARRI, FROM DOWN UNDER
- News
Indian Country Today Media Network: World's Newest Sovereign Nation: Meet Murrawarri, From Down Under
http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2013/07/25/meet-murrawarri-wor...
25 Jul 13: "Queen of England may have gained a royal heir in young Prince George, but she's lost a nation. In a surprisingly dated process, the Australian Aboriginal nation of Murrawarri has declared its independence from the Crown and formed its own government. As explained at firstpeoples.org, British common law allows the Empire to lay claim to a territory in only three ways: conquest, treaty, or vacancy (the legal concept of terra nullis). The Murrawarri Nation submitted a letter to Queen Elizabeth giving her 28 days to furnish documents ... " ICTMN Staff
* BACKGROUND TO THE MURRAWARRI REPUBLIC
Last updated: 19 July 2013
http://indymedia.org.au/2013/04/20/the-murrawarri-republic-declaration
* CATHY LAWLESS, SOCIALIST ALTERNATIVE: THE CON OF CONSTITUTIONAL RECOGNITION
- Analysis / Opinion
Socialist Alternative: The con of constitutional recognition
http://www.sa.org.au/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=7828:the-con-o...
26 Jul 13: "Few are being fooled by the new referendum agenda. The annual NAIDOC (National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee) march on 12 July in Melbourne brought around 2,000 mostly Aboriginal people into the streets. Red Flag asked attendees about their thoughts on the proposed referendum, and the key issues facing Aboriginal people today. "The referendum will not change anything, absolutely not. The Intervention in the Northern Territory needs to end, and those people who that racist policy is impacting on, they need to be listened to and given a voice, ... " Wendy Crabbin, Wamba Wamba woman" Cathy Lawless
* CHRIS GRAHAM, CRIKEY: WHY ABORIGINAL AUSTRALIA SHOULD REJECT CONSTITUTIONAL RECOGNITION
- Analysis / Opinion
Crikey: Why Aboriginal Australia should reject constitutional recognition
http://www.crikey.com.au/2012/07/11/why-aboriginal-australia-should-reje...
11 Jul 13: "While I acknowledge that symbolism is important, it is only worth embracing when it’s in the hands of politicians who will use it responsibly, and back it up with practical measures and outcomes. ... In short, while the Northern Territory intervention laws remain on our books; while the jailing rates of Aboriginal people are world-beaters; while Aboriginal children die of rheumatic heart disease; while governments deny Aboriginal people basic land and human rights … there should be no engagement with government by Aboriginal leaders on constitutional reform." By Chris Graham
* RAY JACKSON COMMENTING ON THE ARTICLE: TREATY, SOVEREIGNTY, EMPOWERMENT THE KEY FACTORS FOR MEANINGFUL RECOGNITION
- Analysis / Opinion
Redfern-Waterloo: Treaty, sovereignty, empowerment the key factors for meaningful recognition
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Redfern-Waterloo/message/7190
25 Jul 13: "finally, some fresh air and a real view of what is required to be placed in the constitution to allow federal governments and oppositions to really do something truly practical to further the still remote possibility of reconciliation. some time ago i attended a forum at the university of nsw where both mick gooda and les mazeler, and others, on the recognition and constitutional arguments. ... ray jackson, president, indigenous social justice association"
* TRACKER: IT'S TIME FOR RECOGNITION: DODSON
- News
newsTracker: It’s time for recognition: Dodson
http://tracker.org.au/2013/08/its-time-for-recognition-dodson/
6 Aug 13: "NATIONAL: More than a century after Federation, Indigenous peoples still aren’t recognised in the Australian Constitution and it’s time for that to change, says Aboriginal academic Mick Dodson. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have kept alive the world’s oldest continuous cultures in Australia for more than 40,000 years. But Australia’s founding document still doesn’t recognise that long first chapter of the national story." AAP
* BACKGROUND TO CONSTITUTIONAL RECOGNITION OF ABORIGINAL & TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER PEOPLES
Last updated: 12 August 2013
http://indymedia.org.au/2013/08/11/background-to-constitutional-recognit...
* LET'S TALK'S KAREN DORANTE INTERVIEWS ROBBIE THORPE, HUMAN RIGHTS ADVOCATE
- Audio Interview
Indigenous radio station 98.9FM Brisbane:
Let's Talk - Robbie Thorpe
http://www.989fm.com.au/category/podcasts/lets-talk/
24 Jul 13: "Human Rights Advocate http://treatyrepublic.net/ "
Listen to this interview on-line:
http://www.989fm.com.au/podcasts/lets-talk/robbie-thorpe-2/
* BACKGROUND TO THE ABORIGINAL SOVEREIGNTY MOVEMENT AND THE ABORIGINAL TENT EMBASSIES:
Last updated: 9 August 2013
http://indymedia.org.au/2012/04/22/background-to-the-aboriginal-sovereig...
* ABC RADIO NATIONAL - LATE NIGHT LIVE: AUSTRALIA'S FORGOTTEN WAR [FEATURING HENRY REYNOLDS, HISTORIAN AND AUTHOR]
- Audio
ABC Radio National - Late Night Live: Australia's forgotten war
Presented by Phillip Adams; Producer Ann Arnold
http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/latenightlive/australia27s-...
22 Jul 13: "There is far too little, if any, commemoration of Australia’s war between the settlers and the original inhabitants, historian Henry Reynolds argues. He says that until those conflicts are fully acknowledged, in the same way that our overseas battles have been, reconciliation will never be complete.
* Guests: Henry Reynolds, Historian and author
* Publications:
Title: Forgotten war
Author: Henry Reynolds
Publisher: NewSouth
ISBN: 97817422333925"
* NICOLA BUTLER, THE STRINGER: 'SERVING MY COUNTRY - AN INDIGENOUS STORY'
- Analysis / Opinion
The Stringer: 'Serving My Country - An Indigenous Story'
http://thestringer.com.au/serving-my-country-an-indigenous-story/
29 Jul 13: "After the success of the past Year 10 History projects, Kildare College decided to honour Aboriginal and Islander (including the Torres Strait) service men and women this year. Their trilogy book includes short stories that acknowledge our men and women who have served in Australia’s defence forces from WW2, Vietnam until today. ... The staff and students felt that Aboriginal and Islander contributions to our country have long been overlooked; and with the unveiling of an Aboriginal & Islander Memorial later this year in Adelaide, decided that this would be a fitting tribute to them." By Nicola Butler
Nicola Butler - The Stringer
http://thestringer.com.au/writer-3/
"Nicola Butler was born in Rose Park South Australia. Nicola’s family descends from the Eastern Aranda and Luritja peoples of the central desert regions on her Father’s side and Scottish, English, German and Swedish on her Mother’s side."
* CALLISTE WEITENBERG, SBS RADIO NEWS: EXCITMENT OVER 'NEW INDIGENOUS LANGUAGE'
- Audio
SBS Radio News: Excitement over 'new Indigenous language'
By Calliste Weitenberg
http://www.sbs.com.au/podcasts/Podcasts/radionews/episode/278882/Excitem...
23 Jul 13: "In the latest issue of the American journal Language, some unique findings by an Australian linguist has put a small Northern Territory town on the world stage. ... In the town's community of around 700 people, its younger generations have been talking... in a completely new way. Calliste Weitenberg has the story. In the red-earth centre of the Northern Territory's Tanami Desert, is the town of Lajamanu. On a map, it's a tiny dot with an airstrip, roughly one thousand kilometres from Darwin, and the same from Alice Springs."
- Related Video
SBS World News: Aboriginal language preserved through app
Source: David Liddle, NITV News
http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/1794283/Aboriginal-language-preserved...
30 Jul 13: "Digital technology is being used to ensure the survival of endangered Aboriginal languages ... For years linguists have been concerned about the survival of Indigenous languages in Australia. Fewer than 20 Aboriginal languages are still thought to be spoken regularly. Now the director of a museum in Brisbane has come up with a new way to save his mob's words. And it's a very modern solution. They set out collecting words and wrote a dictionary to preserve the Yugambeh language. Today, Rory O'Connor is doing the same, 21st century style, with a downloadable mobile phone and computer app."
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