Newsletter date: 13 November 2012
Contents:
* SBS Living Black: Council Stops Darug Nation Acknowledgement
* SNAICC: Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service calls on Government to put a stop to detaining juvenile offenders in adult custody
* Yindjibarndi Aboriginal Corporation: Yindjibarndi Answer FMG/Wirlu-Murra Weasel Words
* Daily Liberal [Dubbo News]: Activist to speak at school debate
* 9 News: [Isabel] Coe lauded for role in Aboriginal politics
* Map of First Nations Sovereign Embassies in Australia
* Background to the Aboriginal tent embassies
* Greens Rachel Siewert: Obligation now lies with Burke to protect James Price Point
* Background to the Walmadan Tent Embassy, James Price Point, north of Broome, Kimberley Region, WA
* Congress: Education Working Group Communique
* Background to National Congress of Australia’s First Peoples
* Amnesty International Australia: 5 things Australia should do with its seat on the UN Security Council
* Senator Nigel Scullion [Shadow Minister for Indigenous Affairs]: Labor bureaucracy fails Indigenous Australians
* More 'Stronger Futures' Legislation related articles
* Background to 'Stronger Futures' new NT Intervention laws
* Background to the Northern Territory (NT) Intervention
* Other articles
* SBS LIVING BLACK: COUNCIL STOPS DARUG NATION ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
- Audio
Living Black: Council Stops Darug Nation Acknowledgement
By Michelle Lovegrove
http://www.sbs.com.au/yourlanguage/aboriginal/highlight/page/id/241171/t...
9 Nov 12: "Blacktown Council in Western Sydney has officially amended its Acknowledgement to Country, leaving out the Darug Nation as tradiational owners. For many generations, the Darug Nation has been recognised as the traditional owners of a large part of the area now known as Western Sydney. They were originally large groups of clans united by the common language, Darug. ... One senior Darug elder, Secretary of the Darug Tribal Aboriginal Corporation - Aunty Sandra Lee - is publicly bearing the brunt of this decision, but she is by no means the only person affected. Aunty Sandra says that the Corporation had no idea about what Blacktown Council had done, until a Journalist told them."
* SNAICC: VICTORIAN ABORIGINAL LEGAL SERVICE CALLS ON GOVERNMENT TO PUT A STOP TO DETAINING JUVENILE OFFENDERS IN ADULT CUSTODY
- News
SNAICC News: Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service calls on Government to put a stop to detaining juvenile offenders in adult custody
http://www.snaicc.asn.au/news-events/fx-view-article.cfm?loadref=32&id=918
7 Nov 12: "The Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service (VALS) has called on the Victorian Government to immediately put a stop to the practice of detaining juvenile offenders in adult custody, and subjecting children to ‘maximum security’ restrictions in adult custody. This follows revelations on ABC TV that a 16-year-old Aboriginal boy had spent four months in solitary confinement at the Charlotte maximum security unit inside Port Phillip Prison while under the protection of the Victorian Department of Human Services (DHS). VALS has called for an urgent, independent inquiry in Victoria into the practice of detaining juvenile offenders in adult custody. ... "
* YINDJIBARNDI ABORIGINAL CORPORATION: YINDJIBARNDI ANSWER FMG/WIRLU-MURRA WEASEL WORDS
- Analysis / Opinion
Yindjibarndi Aboriginal Corporation: Yindjibarndi Answer FMG/Wirlu-Murra Weasel Words
http://yindjibarndi.org.au/yindjibarndi/?p=2811
"A Summary YAC’s response to FMG’s Statement:
Jobs and training are the right of every Australian; however, under the cover of "welfare-to-work training & jobs", Twiggy Forrest and FMG are trying to prevent Yindjibarndi from ever obtaining fair and equitable compensation for obliterating irreplaceable aspects of our cultural inheritance, while highly profitable, unrenewable mineral resources are ripped from our lands. What FMG are really saying is, "be a good blackfella; forget your Ngurra, the foundation of your Law, your language, your songs and spiritual belonging; forget your culture; and, in return, FMG will give you a job in one of our mines and you’ll finally get to be like every other Australian". ... "
See:
Yindjibarndi Aboriginal Corporation
http://yindjibarndi.org.au
* DAILY LIBERAL [DUBBO NEWS]: ACTIVIST TO SPEAK AT SCHOOL DEBATE
- News
Daily Liberal [Dubbo News]: Activist to speak at school debate
http://www.dailyliberal.com.au/story/947223/activist-to-speak-at-school-...
12 Nov 12: "THE ABORIGINAL Tent Embassy will be the focal point of a debate to feature three Dubbo schools, as they challenge 11 other schools from the central west today. Students from Dubbo College South and Delroy Campus, as well as Dubbo South Public School, will attend the finals of the Western NSW NAIDOC Public Speaking and Debating Challenge at the Bangamalanha Centre on Arthur Street. The last remaining founder and the first Tent Embassy ambassador, Michael Anderson, will be a special guest."
* 9 NEWS: [ISABEL] COE LAUDED FOR ROLE IN ABORIGINAL POLITICS
- News
9 News: Coe lauded for role in Aboriginal politics
http://news.ninemsn.com.au/national/2012/11/12/15/02/coe-lauded-for-role...
12 Nov 12: "Aboriginal activist Isabel Coe was a standout among her contemporaries, Aboriginal Tent Embassy co-founder Michael Anderson says. Ms Coe, a Wiradjuri Ngunnawal woman, died on Saturday. ... Mr Anderson said Ms Coe was there when the idea was born to take a protest to Canberra, which later spawned the tent embassy. ... Mr Anderson said her death, aged 61, was anticipated. But he was saddened it coincided with the 40th year of tent embassy activism. ... Ms Coe was also instrumental in establishing the Redfern Aboriginal Children's Service."
- In Memorium
Sovereign Union: Isabel Coe - Lest we Forget
Aunty Isabel Coe - Rest in Peace
http://nationalunitygovernment.org/node/441
"My name is Isabell Coe. I'm a Wiradjuri Ngunnawal woman. I'm a mother and I'm a grandmother. Well, when I'm in Canberra, that's the only place I stay. It's always at the Aboriginal Tent Embassy. Of course, it's a part of my traditional country. I've got a special obligation to keep the Aboriginal Tent Embassy going. And I'll be keeping it going until I die. Until our Aboriginal sovereignty is recognised in our country. This country is our birth right. Always was and always will be Aboriginal land.
... and let's get it right. We're protesting. We're not there to look pretty for the government. We're there protesting because this government won't do its job. It won't end this genocidal war against our people. We're dying. We're dying all over the country. We've been locked up in prisons. Men, women and children. It's the only place where we are a majority." Isabell Coe, 25 November 2005
* MAP OF FIRST NATIONS SOVEREIGN EMBASSIES IN AUSTRALIA
- Map
Sovereign Union: First Nations Sovereign Embassies
http://nationalunitygovernment.org/content/tent-embassy-map
Updated 20 Aug 12: "Click on Sacred Fire icons for Embassy Information"
* BACKGROUND TO THE ABORIGINAL TENT EMBASSIES:
Last updated: 11 November 2012
http://indymedia.org.au/2012/04/22/background-to-the-aboriginal-sovereig...
* GREENS RACHEL SIEWERT: OBLIGATION NOW LIES WITH BURKE TO PROTECT JAMES PRICE POINT
- Media Release
Rachel Siewert: Obligation now lies with Burke to protect James Price Point - Greens
http://rachel-siewert.greensmps.org.au/content/media-releases/obligation...
30 Oct 12: "The Australian Greens say the obligation to protect James Price Point now lies with Federal Environment Minister Tony Burke, after the WA Government accepted the findings of the Appeals Committee’s report which found in favour of the original, tainted EPA assessment of the proposed LNG Hub and industrial gateway.
"It is incredibly disappointing that the WA Government has backed the findings of the flawed EPA assessment despite the astounding number of appeals lodged against their decision," Australian Greens Senator Rachel Siewert said today.
"The WA Government, led by Colin Barnett’s narrow vision, are now taking the next step towards industrialising the entire Kimberley region.
"The community has raised valid points, and it is disappointing that the appeals against the EPA Recommendations have been dismissed in this way. ...
"The Kimberley region is too precious to be handed over to a future of industrialisation and exploitation," Senator Siewert concluded."
* BACKGROUND TO THE WALMADAN TENT EMBASSY, JAMES PRICE POINT, NORTH OF BROOME, KIMBERLEY REGION, WA
Last updated: 15 September 2012
[scroll down page] http://indymedia.org.au/2012/04/22/background-to-the-aboriginal-sovereig...
* CONGRESS: EDUCATION WORKING GROUP COMMUNIQUE
- Communique
National Congress of Australia’s First Peoples: Education Working Group Communique
http://nationalcongress.com.au/education-working-group-communique/
9 Nov 12: "Congress has formed an Education Working Group [the EWG] to inform on education policy and action plans for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Its aim is to reinforce and complement the activities of existing organisations working in education in order to provide an effective policy and advocacy approach to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander education issues. The group is convened by Congress Director and current Chairperson of the ACT Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elected Body, Rod Little."
Read first communique from the Education Working Group here: http://nationalcongress.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/EducationWorki...
* BACKGROUND TO NATIONAL CONGRESS OF AUSTRALIA'S FIRST PEOPLES:
Last updated: 5 May 2012
http://indymedia.org.au/2012/05/05/background-to-the-national-congress-o...
* AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL AUSTRALIA: 5 THINGS AUSTRALIA SHOULD DO WITH ITS SEAT ON THE UN SECURITY COUNCIL
- Analysis / Opinion
Amnesty International Australia: 5 things Australia should do with its seat on the UN Security Council
http://www.amnesty.org.au/features/comments/30215/
31 Oct 12: "Recently Australia won a temporary, two-year seat at the UN Security Council - the governing body of the United Nations charged with safeguarding global peace and security. ... Now that we’ve got a seat at the table, here are 5 things we think Australia should do:
1. Push for accountability for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Syria ...
2. Stop the crippling veto power of permanent members ...
3. Help strengthen the International Criminal Court ...
4. Push for real implementation of the Council’s resolution on women, peace and security ...
5. Take a look in our own backyard:
Our seat at the Security Council comes with prestige as well as responsibility. You'd hope that it compels Australian politicians to look at improving our human rights record here at home - from our refugee and asylum seeker policy, to the treatment of our Indigenous Peoples."
* SENATOR NIGEL SCULLION: LABOR BUREACRACY FAILS INDIGENOUS AUSTRALIANS
- Media Release
Senator the Hon Nigel Scullion: Labor bureaucracy fails Indigenous Australians
http://www.nigelscullion.com/media-hub/indigenous-affairs/labor-bureaucr...
http://www.nigelscullion.com/sites/nigelscullion.com.au/files/mediarelea...
29 Oct 12: "A new report shows Indigenous Affairs Minister Jenny Macklin and her department have failed to lead and co-ordinate delivery of more than $25.4 billion of taxpayer funding meant to close the gap for Indigenous Australians, Shadow Minister Senator Nigel Scullion said today.
"The report said 'a more active approach by the department is required to tangibly address some of the critical strategic issues in indigenous affairs.'
The Australian National Audit Office report, Australian Government Coordination Arrangements for Indigenous Programs, reveals that the Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs is failing to adequately perform its lead agency role and needs to be more proactive in monitoring and reporting on expenditure Senator Scullion said. ... "
- Related Reports
Australian Government Coordination Arrangements for Indigenous Programs
http://www.anao.gov.au/Publications/Audit-Reports/2012-2013/Australian-G...
24 Oct 12: "Portfolio: Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs
Department: Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs
The objective of the audit was to assess the effectiveness of FaHCSIA‘s performance of its lead agency role in coordinating whole-of-government commitments to closing the gap in Indigenous disadvantage."
West Arnhem Shire Council: SIHIP Roads and Other Assets ‐ Considerations for Acceptance of Transfer to Shire
http://www.westarnhem.nt.gov.au/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=%2F4Ew5LqQ%2Ft...
"Background:
… The design standards used for the subdivisions within the remote communities are of a lower standard than would be accepted in mainstream communities. The design standards chosen are likely to result in:
* roads will flood more often - frequency of inundation of the 'road reserve' is greater,
* road pavements will fail - there is little evidence of managing ground water conditions and only a single coat bitumen seal has been applied,
* housing could be damaged during wet season conditions – from a combination of roads flooding and high water tables.
The early statements from the Australian government was that the remote communities should have the same level of services and infrastructure that would be expected in similar sized mainstream communities elsewhere in Australia. Shire staff consider that this has not been achieved, and that the acceptance of these new roads would only be a liability to the Shire." page 34
Commonwealth Ombudsman: Remote Housing Reforms in the Northern Territory
http://www.ombudsman.gov.au/files/remote_housing_reforms_in_the_nt_repor...
June 2012: "The Australian and Northern Territory (NT) governments are undertaking large scale reforms to public housing in remote Indigenous communities in the NT. ... Over the past two years, concerns about the implementation of the housing reforms have been a key source of complaints to our office. Through our investigations of these complaints, we have identified areas in which further work by the Australian and NT governments would improve service delivery in remote Indigenous housing. ... " page 1
- Related News
ABC: Shire shuns roads deemed to be 'not up to scratch'
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-10-29/council-refuses-to-accept-remote-r...
29 Oct 12: "A Northern Territory council is refusing to take on responsibility for roads built under the country's largest Indigenous housing program because they are likely to need expensive maintenance. Streets built in two communities under the Strategic Indigenous Housing and Infrastructure Program (SIHIP) were due to be handed over to the West Arnhem Shire. But the shire's chief executive Brian Hylands says staff have assessed the roads and declared them not up to scratch because they only have a single coating of bitumen and are likely to flood and fail."
PS News: Auditor finds gaps in closing the gaps
http://www.psnews.com.au/Page_psn336f2.html
26 Oct 12: "The Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (FaHCSIA) has been insufficiently proactive in its role as lead agency for Indigenous Affairs, according to the Auditor-General. In his report Australian Government Coordination Arrangements for Indigenous Programs, the Auditor-General, Ian McPhee said this had led to missed opportunities for "closing the gap" in Indigenous disadvantage. Mr McPhee said the Department had built good working relations with other agencies but had been "quite measured" in its leadership approach."
Construction Source: Opposition Says Taxpayers "Ripped Off" on Indigenous Housing Renos
http://designbuildsource.com.au/taxpayers-ripped-indigenous-housing-reno...
22 Oct 12: "The federal opposition says taxpayers in Australia are being ripped off, with a large number of refurbishments completed under an indigenous housing program in the Northern Territory having mismatched tiles and "paint jobs a six-year-old would not be proud of." In a Senate budget estimates hearing in Canberra on Friday, Country Liberal senator and opposition spokesman on indigenous affairs Nigel Scullion said much of the work he has seen with regard to the NT Strategic Indigenous Housing and Infrastructure Program (SIHIP) program has been substandard."
Age: Indigenous renos 'grand theft housing'
http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-national/indigenous-renos-grand-...
19 Oct 12: "Many refurbishments completed under an indigenous housing program have "paint jobs a six-year-old would not be proud of" and mismatched tiles, the federal opposition says. In a potential repeat of Labor's criticised $15 billion Building the Education Revolution program, which provided schools with new facilities, Country Liberal senator Nigel Scullion attacked the work being done by contractors in the indigenous housing project." By Lisa Martin
The Monthly: Home Improvement: Indigenous Housing
http://www.themonthly.com.au/indigenous-housing-home-improvement-victori...
June 2011: "Santa Teresa residents were told their good fortune was due to the Strategic Indigenous Housing Investment Program (SIHIP), run by the Northern Territory government. ... With no satisfactory answers, the community called in Pholeros to inspect some houses. ... Pholeros was appalled by what confronted him at Santa Teresa, yet he’d seen it many times before in other communities: so much money spent, so many houses performing poorly. "We find in our survey work that 55% of houses have power points that are dangerous," he says quietly. "More than half of houses don’t have an active or effective safety switch; if we go to washing kids, we find 50% of hot water systems work, and 35% of showers. Fifty-nine per cent of toilets actually work.""
* MORE 'STRONGER FUTURES' LEGISLATION RELATED ARTICLES:
- Analysis / Opinion
agendaTracker: Speed bumps boost jailing rates
http://tracker.org.au/2011/11/speed-bumps-boost-jailing-rates/
1 Nov 12: "NATIONAL: The NT intervention was targeted at eliminating child sexual abuse. But extra policing may have only resulted in criminalising driving offenders, writes Dr THALIA ANTHONY*. Violent sexual crimes in Aboriginal communities featured in media and government reporting in the lead-up to the Northern Territory Intervention. ... an alarming increase in criminalisation has come from minor driving offenders. If you attend a bush court on any given day, Aboriginal driving offenders are lined up to receive their punishment." By Dr Thalia Anthony, a senior lecturer in law, University of Technology Sydney
* BACKGROUND TO 'STRONGER FUTURES' NEW NT INTERVENTION LAWS:
Last updated: 11 November 2012
http://indymedia.org.au/2012/04/22/background-to-stronger-futures-new-nt...
* BACKGROUND TO THE NORTHERN TERRITORY (NT) INTERVENTION:
Last updated: 11 November 2012
http://indymedia.org.au/2012/04/22/background-to-the-northern-territory-...
* OTHER ARTICLES:
- News
National Indigenous Radio Service: Briscoe family calls for police accountability
http://www.nirs.org.au/news/latest-news/7610-briscoe-family-calls-for-po...
9 Nov 12: "The aunt of a man who died in custody in Alice Springs says she's set up a petition calling for the Northern Territory police to be held criminally-accountable for his death. A Coroner's inquest into the death of 27-year-old Kwementyaye Briscoe in the town's watch house earlier this year has found the death was preventable. ... His aunt Patricia-Morton Thomas says the Coroner should've recommended for police involved to face charges."
See:
change.org petition: Justice for Kwementyaye Briscoe - lay charges against police
http://www.change.org/en-AU/petitions/justice-for-kwementyaye-briscoe-la...
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