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key indigenous australian issues
| home | news lAboriginal children win a royal approachBy Peter Ker 16 March 2006 - Two Aboriginal children presented the Queen with gum leaves yesterday as a loud and passionate protest group dominated her arrival in Melbourne. The Queen's retinue recognised the Aboriginal protesters by calling on the two children to greet her. As protesters nearby chanted land rights slogans, the Queen accepted the gum leaves from Josh and Alira Dryden, who joined other children offering the Queen flowers at the entrance to the Royal Exhibition Building. Josh, from Shepparton and a member of the Yorta Yorta people, said he was pleased to greet the Queen. "I said that I was proud to represent my people. I was shy a little bit," he said. His cousin Allirah interjected: "I wasn't shy." About 500 protesters, and many cheering monarchists, gathered outside the Exhibition Building, where the Queen and Prince Philip dined with 100 guests, including Prime Minister John Howard and Premier Steve Bracks. Organised by a group called the Black GST, the protesters burned an Australian flag and the Union Jack as the Queen arrived in a black Rolls-Royce, and sang the Yothu Yindi song Treaty through megaphones. Mr Howard, who was greeted by a chant of "Shame Howard, shame", waved to the group. The protest deterred the Queen from mingling with the crowd. A spokeswoman for Black GST said the protest was a success. "Today was awesomely inspiring … we got our message through," she said. "It was exceptionally peaceful." She added: "We were disappointed that the Queen didn't come and see us." The group included people from around Australia, including several calling for justice for T. J. Hickey, the indigenous teenager whose death sparked riots in the Sydney suburb of Redfern in 2004. Police twice compromised with protesters seeking better access to the official arrival area. Two Aboriginal elders were allowed past barricades to where the motorcade arrived to burn leaves as part of a symbolic smoke ceremony. The Black GST applauded the way the police handled the protest. "We want to thank the police for their co-operation," a spokeswoman said. "They were very respectful for our ceremony and very inclusive of our needs. Police said there were no arrests at the protest, which later moved to the steps of Parliament House before the group returned to their protest camp site in Kings Domain. The camp is next to Government House, where the Queen and Prince Philip slept last night after opening the Games at the MCG. AAP Memo: we're not all sharing in the common wealth 17 March 2006 - Over the next two weeks, the eyes of much of the world will be on Australia and its sporting achievements. But there is another area of endeavour where our country falls way short of comparable Commonwealth nations such as Canada and New Zealand: delivering justice and equity for indigenous people in Australia. Australia is one of the richest countries in the world, yet indigenous people still on average have lives that are 20 years shorter than those of non-indigenous people. Indigenous people, living in more than 400 nations on this continent, who have looked after and maintained this land for more than 40,000 years, were once very wealthy. They had a rich culture, comfortable lifestyle, strong connecting beliefs and, most importantly, lots of land on which to live. Indigenous people were dispossessed of their land, and therefore their wealth, by the arrival of non-indigenous people and as a result of colonisation became and remain the single most marginalised and disadvantaged group on this continent. Unlike New Zealand and Canada, Australia has made few inroads into the appalling state of indigenous health. Unlike both of these countries, Australia has made no treaties with the original occupants who were dispossessed of their land. Despite the many hurdles placed in their way, indigenous people have succeeded. A number are members of the Australian Commonwealth Games team. Others are artists performing in cultural festivities associated with the Games. We congratulate these indigenous athletes and artists and applaud their achievements. But their success should not be used to gloss over the brutal reality of what most indigenous Australians have to confront on a daily basis - racism, opportunities denied and lives tragically cut short. At this time of national celebration and international attention, we call on the Australian and Victorian governments to start the process of developing a fair and just settlement of the grievances between indigenous and non-indigenous Australians. This should culminate in formal treaties between our peoples. We also call upon governments, churches, NGOs and those in the corporate world to commit themselves to brokering genuine agreements which respect indigenous self-determination. Only when our different histories and life circumstances are reconciled can there be genuine unity within the Australian nation. Signed: Source: Australian's for Native Title and Reconciliation (Victoria) related links:
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