Newsletter date: 24 January 2014
Contents:
* Paul Newbury, Eureka Street: Time to honour Aboriginal frontier warriors
* Catherine Armitage, Sydney Morning Herald: Tim Flannery in call to honour Aborigines killed in land wars
* Catherine Armitage, Sydney Morning Herald: Put indigenous warriors in war memorials: Flannery
* Geoff Page and Digby Habel, Canberra Times Letters: Nelson out of step in failure to honour Aboriginal warriors
* Michael Anderson, Sovereign Union: ANZAC Day - for those who served in all wars, conflicts and peacekeeping operations
* Michael Anderson, Sovereign Union: Lest We Forget the Frontier Wars - Anzac Day 25th April 2012
* Eleanor Gilbert, Sovereign Union: Frontier Wars Anzac Day Commemoration Videos
* Aboriginal Sovereignty interviews, articles and events
* Tom Orsag, Solidarity Online: Aboriginal soldiers: rewarded with racism and discrimination
* Joanna Lester, SBS Living Black Radio: The Story of Our Heroes from World War One
* Paul Daley, The Guardian: Black Diggers: challenging Anzac myths
* Andrew Taylor, Sydney Morning Herald: Overdue recognition of indigenous Diggers
* Andrew Taylor, Sydney Morning Herald: Exploration of black Diggers' experience well overdue
* Michael Mansell, Aboriginal Provisional Government: Invasion or peaceful settlement?
* Marc Tong, SBS Living Black Radio: National Curriculum Review Fears
* Bridie Jabour, The Guardian: History wars: the men behind the national school curriculum review
* Paul Daley, The Guardian: Where exactly does Christopher Pyne stand on teaching Indigenous history?
* Thea Cowie, World News Australia Radio: What changes to teaching of Indigenous history?
* PAUL NEWBURY, EUREKA STREET: TIME TO HONOUR ABORIGINAL FRONTIER WARS
- Analysis / Opinion
Eureka Street: Time to honour Aboriginal frontier warriors
http://www.eurekastreet.com.au/article.aspx?aeid=38789
20 Jan 14: "Professor Tim Flannery of Macquarie University has expressed his 'sense of outrage' that the Australian War Memorial (AWM) refuses to honour Aboriginal warriors who fought and died defending their lands and their people against white invader settlers in the Frontier Wars of 1788–1928. As reported by Catherine Armitage in the Sydney Morning Herald, Flannery told a forum of the National Australia Day Council that in any other war, Australia's Aborigines 'would have been awarded the Victoria Cross' but at the AWM in Canberra, they are not even acknowledged." Paul Newbury
"Paul Newbury writes on Indigenous, environmental and sustainability issues. In 1999, he was editor and principal author of Aboriginal Heroes of the Resistance from Pemulwuy to Mabo published by the social justice organisation Action for World Development."
* CATHERINE ARMITAGE, SYDNEY MORNING HERALD: TIM FLANNERY IN CALL TO HONOUR ABORIGINES KILLED IN LAND WARS
- Analysis / Opinion & Video
Sydney Morning Herald: Tim Flannery in call to honour Aborigines killed in land wars
http://www.smh.com.au/national/tim-flannery-in-call-to-honour-aborigines...
18 Jan 14: "Tim Flannery, Australian of the Year in 2007, has expressed his ''personal sense of outrage'' that Aboriginal warriors who fought and died defending their lands and people against white settlers are ignored by the Australian War Memorial. In any other war, they would have been awarded the Victoria Cross, Professor Flannery told a forum of the National Australia Day Council. But at official sites, they are not even acknowledged, let alone honoured. ''They're up there with the 300 Spartans,'' Professor Flannery said, ... " Catherine Armitage, a Senior Writer for The Sydney Morning Herald, focusing on change, ideas, and the future
* CATHERINE ARMITAGE, SYDNEY MORNING HERALD: PUT INDIGENOUS WARRIORS IN WAR MEMORIALS: FLANNERY
- Video
Sydney Morning Herald: Put indigenous warriors in war memorials: Flannery
http://media.smh.com.au/news/national-news/put-indigenous-warriors-in-wa...
17 Jan 14: "Australian of the Year for 2007, Prof Tim Flannery suggests recognizing aboriginal fighters who fought Europeans in war memorials at an Australia Day panel." Catherine Armitage, a Senior Writer for The Sydney Morning Herald, focusing on change, ideas, and the future
* GEOFF PAGE AND DIGBY HABEL, CANBERRA TIMES LETTERS: NELSON OUT OF STEP IN FAILURE TO HONOUR ABORIGINAL WARRIORS
- Letters
Canberra Times: Nelson out of step in failure to honour Aboriginal warriors
[scroll down page] http://www.canberratimes.com.au/comment/ct-letters/pyne-review-a-setup-2...
21 Jan 14:
"Dr Brendan Nelson, the relatively new director of the Australian War Memorial, has in his successive public roles been somewhat known for innovation. It is disappointing then to hear him echo his predecessors by saying that it cannot commemorate those killed in Australia's frontier wars because it is concerned only with ''the story of Australians deployed in war overseas on behalf of Australia''" Geoff Page, Narrabundah
"The director of the Australian War Memorial said it is not the place to commemorate internal colonial conflict because it is concerned with the ''story of Australians deployed in war overseas on behalf of Australia''. This is indeed curious as the memorial's official purpose is to commemorate the sacrifice of those Australians who have died in war. There is no mention of colonial conflict nor overseas service in the memorial act. According to the historian Henry Reynolds, some 22,000 Australian Aboriginal people and 2000 whites are recorded to have died in war on Australian soil." Digby Habel, Cook
* MICHAEL ANDERSON, SOVEREIGN UNION: ANZAC DAY - FOR THOSE WHO SERVED IN ALL WARS, CONFLICTS AND PEACEKEEPING OPERATIONS
- Media Release
Sovereign Union: ANZAC Day - for those who served in all wars, conflicts and peacekeeping operations
http://nationalunitygovernment.org/content/anzac-day-%E2%80%93-those-who...
23 Apr 12: "Michael Anderson answers the recent criticisms of the proposed respectful march of recognition of Aboriginal people who died in defence of their lands during the colonial invasion and the deaths suffered at the hands of people with genocidal intent. - Mr Anderson said from Dubbo NSW today. ...
Aboriginal people who died in defence of their lands during the colonial invasion and the deaths suffered at the hands of people with genocidal intent are remembered by all Aboriginal people, particularly in areas where bodies have been left on open ground all those years ago and are now commemorated by sun-beached bones and unmarked graves, which represent the human toll by an inhumane society.
The unjustified criticisms by politicians and the Returned Services League (RSL) clearly shows the denial of Australian authorities of the reality of injustice perpetrated against Aboriginal people. ... "
* MICHAEL ANDERSON, SOVEREIGN UNION: LEST WE FORGET THE FRONTIER WARS - ANZAC DAY 25TH APRIL 2012
- Analysis / Opinion & Videos
Sovereign Union: Lest We Forget the Frontier Wars - Anzac Day 25th April 2012
http://nationalunitygovernment.org/content/lest-we-forget-frontier-wars-...
5 Apr 12: "Michael Anderson said today: "Last year we started Lest We Forget the Frontier Wars by joining on behind the Anzac Day march in Canberra and we received enormous support from the public at this time. Now we need to keep it going. We have commenced a process to highlight the wars fought on Australian soil since 1788, when our country was taken by superior force, at gunpoint, and those who stood in the way were shot. What we need to do now is to keep identifying that there has been warfare; that blood has been spilt on the wattle; and there is an ongoing war of attrition against Aboriginal Peoples to this day."
* ELEANOR GILBERT, SOVEREIGN UNION: FRONTIER WARS ANZAC DAY COMMEMORATION VIDEOS
- Videos
Sovereign Union: Frontier Wars Anzac Day Commemoration Videos
http://nationalunitygovernment.org/content/frontier-wars-anzac-day-comme...
"A group of Aboriginal people and supporters marched in Canberra behind the 11:00am march on Anzac Day 25 April 2012. They marched to commemorate the losses in the Frontier Wars across the Australian continent. ... On Anzac Eve a vigil for peace descended Mt Ainslie on which the Australian War Memorial stands in Canberra. The following day, ANZAC Day 2011, the 1st inaugural march remembered Aboriginal Nations and Peoples who defended Country against the invading forces from Europe. - Video by Eleanor Gilbert"
* ABORIGINAL SOVEREIGNTY INTERVIEWS, ARTICLES AND EVENTS
Last updated: 21 January 2014
http://indymedia.org.au/2013/10/12/aboriginal-sovereignty-interviews-and...
* TOM ORSAG, SOLIDARITY ONLINE: ABORIGINAL SOLDIERS: REWARDED WITH RACISM AND DISCRIMINATION
- Analysis / Opinion
Solidarity Online: Aboriginal soldiers: rewarded with racism and discrimination
http://www.solidarity.net.au/aboriginal/aboriginal-soldiers-rewarded-wit...
21 Jan 14: "The Anzac legend will be pushed ad nauseam this year and the next in the 100th anniversary of WWI and Gallipoli. In early January, Sydney’s Daily Telegraph campaigned against British commemorations of WWI which "downplay" Australia’s role fighting for the British Empire. ... Aboriginal people were barred from enlisting in WWI, with all men who were not "substantially of European origin or descent" excluded. But some Aboriginal people did sneak through, either because they were deemed "white enough" or because of the desperation to recruit flesh for the slaughter." By Tom Orsag
* JOANNE LESTER, SBS LIVING BLACK RADIO: THE STORY OF OUR HEROES FROM WORLD WAR ONE
- Audio Interview
SBS Living Black Radio: The Story of Our Heroes from World War One
By Joanna Lester
http://www.sbs.com.au/yourlanguage/aboriginal/highlight/page/id/312984/t...
20 Jan 14: "Black Diggers Director Wesley Enoch has turned this landmark project onto the main stage to honour and remember their sacrifice. ... The mostly untold story of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander servicemen who fought in World War One is now being told on stage in one of Sydney Festival's flagship productions. The play, Black Diggers, features an all-male, all-First Nations cast and weaves together stories of the men's experiences at war, and what happened to them when they returned to Australia. The production is directed by Wesley Enoch, a Noonuccal Nughie man ... " By Joanna Lester
- Current Event
Event: 17 to 26 January 2014: Sydney, NSW
Black Diggers
Organisation: Sydney Festival 2014
Venue: Sydney Opera House
"Black Diggers uncovers the contribution of First World War
Aboriginal Diggers, following their exceptional stories from
their homelands to the battlefields of Gallipoli, Palestine and
Flanders."
Event details: http://www.sydneyfestival.org.au/2014/Theatre-and-Dance/Black-Diggers/
Event details: http://www.theblackbook.com.au/whatson_detail.asp?id=1226&si=0&mi=1&yi=2014
* PAUL DALEY, THE GUARDIAN: BLACK DIGGERS: CHALLENGING ANZAC MYTHS
- Analysis / Opinion
The Guardian: Black Diggers: challenging Anzac myths
http://www.theguardian.com/culture/australia-culture-blog/2014/jan/14/bl...
14 Jan 14: "Hundreds of Indigenous servicemen fought for the British empire in the first world war - but are forgotten by many. A new play aims to challenge the cultural caricature of the Anzac digger ... A century after the first world war, Australia has come to eulogise its Anzac diggers for their supposedly unique capacity for mateship, resilience, egalitarianism and sacrifice. ... But like so much about the clichéd Australian Anzac, this entrenched cultural caricature overlooks the extraordinary experiences of minorities who fought as Australian sons of the empire - not least those of Aboriginal and Torres Strait lslanders." Paul Daley, a Canberra-based author and award-winning journalist who writes about Australian history, culture and identity
* ANDREW TAYLOR, SYDNEY MORNING HERALD: OVERDUE RECOGNITION OF INDIGENOUS DIGGERS
- Analysis / Opinion
Sydney Morning Herald: Overdue recognition of indigenous Diggers
http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/theatre/overdue-recognition-of-indig...
17 Jan 14: "Bertels approached director Wesley Enoch with the idea that would become Black Diggers, one of the centrepieces of this year's Sydney Festival. Enoch says the number of World War I indigenous soldiers is difficult to determine. ''When you signed up, you had no administrative way of knowing who was Aboriginal and who wasn't,'' he says. ''Discrimination was virtually impossible from an administrative point of view.''" Andrew Taylor, an arts reporter with Fairfax Media
* ANDREW TAYLOR, SYDNEY MORNING HERALD: EXPLORATION OF BLACK DIGGER'S EXPERIENCE WELL OVERDUE
- Analysis / Opinion
Sydney Morning Herald: Exploration of black Diggers' experience well overdue
http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/sydney-festival/exploration-of-black...
16 Jan 14: "Australians may be well versed in the heroics of Anzac Diggers but it took a Belgian to ask why the contribution of indigenous soldiers had not been recognised a century after World War I. Sydney Festival director Lieven Bertels hails from an area known as Flanders Fields, an important battleground during the Great War. Among the thousands of soldiers buried there lay Private Rufus Rigney, Service No.3872, a Ngarrindjeri man from Lake Alexandrina in South Australia. He was one of almost 1000 Aboriginal Diggers who fought in World War I, Bertels discovered." Andrew Taylor, an arts reporter with Fairfax Media
* MICHAEL MANSELL, ABORIGINAL PROVISIONAL GOVERNMENT: INVASION OR PEACEFUL SETTLEMENT?
- Analysis / Opinion
Aboriginal Provisional Government: Invasion or peaceful settlement?
http://www.apg.org.au/articles.php
http://www.apg.org.au/resources/Invasion%20or%20peaceful%20settlement.pdf
"The Daily Telegraph newspaper got upset at the Sydney Council stating the First Fleet land at Port Jackson was an invasion. Although the newspaper gave no supporting reasons as to why it believed Australia was peacefully settled, the editor roundly condemned the Sydney Council’s position. The dictionary defines invasion to mean, ‘the act of invading as an enemy; entrance as if to take possession or overrun’. ... ‘The truth that makes men free is for the most part the truth which men prefer not to hear’." Michael Mansell
* MARC TONG, SBS LIVING BLACK RADIO: NATIONAL CURRICULUM REVIEW FEARS
- Audio Interview
SBS Living Black Radio: National Curriculum Review Fears
By Marc Tong
http://www.sbs.com.au/yourlanguage/aboriginal/highlight/page/id/312484/t...
17 Jan 14: "The South Australian Education Minister has hit out at the Federal Government's plan saying First Nations teachings will be affected. ... The South Australian Education Minister says the federal review on the national curriculum is not about a finding balance to learning, but about asserting what is to be taught at schools. Minister Jennifer Rankine is concerned that all the work by educational experts to have aspects of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander history and culture in the current curriculum will be erased by the review. ... " By Marc Tong
* BRIDIE JABOUR, THE GUARDIAN: HISTORY WARS: THE MEN BEHIND THE NATIONAL SCHOOL CURRICULUM REVIEW
- Analysis / Opinion
The Guardian: History wars: the men behind the national school curriculum review
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jan/10/the-men-behind-the-school-c...
10 Jan 14: "Christopher Pyne has announced a review of the school curriculum; but what do we know about Kevin Donnelly and Ken Wiltshire, the two men he has appointed to run the process? ... " Bridie Jabour, a reporter for Guardian Australia
* PAUL DALEY, THE GUARDIAN: WHERE EXACTLY DOES CHRISTOPHER PYNE STAND ON TEACHING INDIGENOUS HISTORY?
- Analysis / Opinion
The Guardian: Where exactly does Christopher Pyne stand on teaching Indigenous history?
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/jan/14/where-exactly-does-...
14 Jan 14: "The minister says students should learn about Aboriginal history, but adds that the current curriculum has not sold the 'benefits of western civilisations'. Tell that to Indigenous Australians ... Sometimes it’s difficult to tell if education minister Christopher Pyne is genuinely torn about Australia’s bleak and violent colonial history, trying to be politically pragmatic or just confused. Last week when he announced a supposedly independent review of the national curriculum by experts clearly hostile towards the status quo, it was framed in terms of competing aspects of Australia’s past - Indigenous history and "western civilisation"." Paul Daley, a Canberra-based author and award-winning journalist who writes about Australian history, culture and identity
* THEA COWIE, WORLD NEWS AUSTRALIA RADIO: WHAT CHANGES TO TEACHING OF INDIGENOUS HISTORY?
- Audio
SBS News: What changes to teaching of Indigenous history?
By Thea Cowie; Source: World News Australia Radio
http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2014/01/15/what-changes-teaching-indi...
15 Jan 14: "There are concerns a review of the national curriculum could re-ignite the so-called history wars about Australia's past. One particular area of contention is how Australian children should be taught about the early interaction - and often conflict - between Indigenous people and European settlers. The current curriculum has been five years in the making, based on 26-thousand submissions, and was signed off by Labor and Coalition jurisdictions. Federal Education Minister Christopher Pyne says that work is not wasted, but needs to be reviewed - to ensure the curriculum is what he calls robust, independent and balanced." By Thea Cowie
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