Category Archives: Indigenous Australians

The 474 deaths inside: tragic toll of Indigenous deaths in custody revealed

Posted on by

Guardian Australia database tallies the number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders who have died in police and prison custody since 1991

At least 474 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have died in police and prison custody since the royal commission into Aboriginal deaths in custody handed down its final report in 1991, new research has revealed.

Guardian Australia has spent the past three years tracking Indigenous and non-Indigenous deaths in custody for the Deaths Inside project.

Continue reading...

Mining exploration surges in Cape York as scheme to return land to traditional owners stalls

Posted on by

No new properties have been purchased under the Queensland government program since 2017, a report finds

Cape York Indigenous groups have warned that a successful Queensland government program to return land to traditional owners is on the verge of stalling, potentially leaving large and significant swathes of the peninsula at the mercy of mining speculators.

The Cape York land tenure resolution program has returned more than 4m hectares of land to traditional owner groups since 2007, including about 2m hectares that is designated as national park.

Continue reading...

Rio Tinto pledges to protect cultural heritage after Juukan Gorge disaster

Posted on by

Chief executive Jakob Stausholm says he will make heritage protection be ‘felt in the hearts and minds’ of his employees

Rio Tinto chief executive Jakob Stausholm has pledged to make protecting cultural heritage an issue which is “felt in the hearts and minds” of his employees in an effort to avoid another Juukan Gorge-style disaster.

The mining company on Tuesday announced it would publicly report to investors on its progress on improving cultural heritage systems and renewing trust with traditional owners, as it attempts to rebuild its shattered social capital.

Continue reading...

RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under contestant apologises for past performances in blackface

Posted on by

Two cast members of the Australia and New Zealand edition of the reality TV show have apologised for their past, after racially insensitive images resurfaced online

RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under has already been marred with controversy after two contestants apologised for past racially insensitive behaviour, one having performed in blackface multiple times.

Less than a week after the cast of the hit drag reality competition’s Australia and New Zealand iteration was announced, images emerged of contestant Anthony Price, known for his drag persona, Scarlet Adams, in multiple costumes appearing to imitate other cultures.

Continue reading...

Brittany Higgins addresses March 4 Justice rally as women demand action across Australia

Posted on by

Former Liberal staffer and Grace Tame among those to address tens of thousands of protesters calling for an end to gender-based violence

Brittany Higgins’ voice shook as she addressed the crowd outside Parliament House in Canberra.

She had decided at the last minute to speak to more than a thousand people, mainly women, holding signs calling for justice for women, for sexual assault survivors and for Higgins herself, who has alleged she was raped by a colleague inside Parliament House.

Continue reading...

Gurrumul, Omar Souleyman, 9Bach and DakhaBrakha: the best global artists the Grammys forgot

Posted on by

From the Godfathers of Arabic rap to the father of Ethio-jazz, Grammy-winning producer Ian Brennan guides a tour through global music’s greatest

This week I wrote about the glaring lack of international inclusivity in the Grammys’ newly redubbed global music (formerly world music) category.

In the category’s 38-year history, almost 80% of African nations have never had an artist nominated; no Middle Eastern or eastern European musician has ever won; every winner in the past eight years has been a repeat winner; and nearly two-thirds of the nominations have come from just six countries (the US, the UK, Brazil, Mali, South Africa, India). The situation shows little signs of improving.

Continue reading...

Call for Reconciliation Australia to pull Woolworths support over Darwin Dan Murphy’s

Posted on by

Indigenous leaders want retailer held accountable over planned alcohol store near three dry communities

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community and health leaders want Reconciliation Australia to revoke its support for Woolworths over the retail giant’s plans to build one of Australia’s largest alcohol stores in Darwin, near three dry Aboriginal communities.

A letter signed by health, legal, domestic violence and community group leaders draws comparison to Rio Tinto, which was dumped by Reconciliation Australia over the destruction of a 46,000-year-old Aboriginal heritage site in the Pilbara, which said Rio’s actions were a “breathtaking breach of a respectful relationship”.

Continue reading...

26 January: Sydney Invasion Day march called off as PM says Australia has ‘risen above brutal beginnings’ – live

Posted on by

Four protesters arrested at Sydney demonstration; rallies take place around Australia as debate around the national day rages. Follow all the latest news and updates, live

And with that comes the end of today’s blog. This is what went down today:

An update on the bushfire burning in Booderee national park on the NSW south coast: the NSW Rural Fire Service have said crews are backburning in order to build containment lines and slow the blaze.

Watch and Act: Booderee Fire (Shoalhaven LGA). Crews are implementing backburning operations to build containment lines and slow the spread of the fire, burning to the SW of Jervis Bay Airport. Those in area of Wreck Bay Village and Jervis Bay Village should monitor conditions. pic.twitter.com/nMLxwiKktL

Continue reading...

Invasion Day: thousands attend vigils before 26 January protests and marches

Posted on by

Dawn vigils reflect on impact of colonialism and celebrate Indigenous life before First Fleet

As the sun rose on 26 January, thousands gathered in the rain and cold to pay tribute to elders, past and present, at the annual Invasion Day vigils.

Physically distanced crowds gathered in Barangaroo Reserve in Sydney from dusk until dawn to reflect on the impact of colonisation, and celebrate what life was like for Indigenous communities before the First Fleet arrived.

Continue reading...

The WA cops rounding up Indigenous kids: a ‘toxic and racist environment’

Posted on by

The police stories: Two former Western Australian and NSW officers speak out about what they saw during their time in uniform

One of the worst moments of Jim Taylor’s eight-year career as a Western Australian police officer was the day he strip-searched a 10-year-old Aboriginal boy.

Taylor, now 44, was working in Perth in the Juvenile Aid Group, or “Jag”. He says he was driving around the city’s central business district with his senior sergeant and two other officers when they came across a group of four young Aboriginal kids. They rounded them up and took them back to the station.

Continue reading...

Human Rights Watch warns US Capitol attack should be ‘wake-up call’ for Australia

Posted on by

Global group urges the Morrison government to be vigilant about the growth of far-right extremism here

The Morrison government has been urged to treat the deadly mob assault on the US Capitol as “a wake-up call”, with a leading human rights organisation saying Australian security agencies must counter the growth of rightwing extremism.

Human Rights Watch published its annual global report on human rights abuses on Wednesday evening, calling on US allies such as Australia to work with the incoming Joe Biden administration to “shore up a global defence of human rights”.

Continue reading...

Indigenous voice to parliament to have no veto power under interim plans

Posted on by

Labor says the current proposal fails to enable the voice to provide full and frank advice and to be secure

The federal government will be obliged to consult the Indigenous voice to parliament when crafting laws on race, native title and racial discrimination that impact upon Aboriginal Australians.

But the body will have no power to overturn policy or prevent laws coming into force, according to interim proposals.

Continue reading...

‘We are one and free’: Australia’s national anthem to change in attempt to recognise Indigenous history

Posted on by

Prime Minister Scott Morrison makes the announcement on New Year’s Eve saying the minor change will help foster a ‘spirit of unity’ after a challenging 2020

The Australian government will remove a reference to the country being “young and free” in the national anthem, amid concerns the existing wording overlooks the history of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people that stretches back tens of thousands of years.

The conservative prime minister, Scott Morrison, made the surprise announcement on New Year’s Eve, saying the change would help foster a “spirit of unity” after a year of big challenges.

Continue reading...

Rio Tinto addresses ‘hurt and devastation’ of Juukan Gorge blast as remedial works begin

Posted on by

Traditional owners acknowledge mining company’s efforts in rebuilding relationship but say more needs to be done

High-level talks have been held between Rio Tinto and the traditional owners of the Juukan Gorge rock shelter in an attempt to repair the fractured relationship.

Rio blew up the 46,000-year-old caves in Western Australia’s Pilbara region in May to extract $188m worth of high-grade iron ore, devastating the Puutu Kunti Kurrama and Pinikura (PKKP) people.

Continue reading...

Juukan Gorge inquiry: Rio Tinto’s decision to blow up Indigenous rock shelters ‘inexcusable’

Posted on by

Parliament committee says miner must negotiate a compensation deal with traditional owners and ‘ensure a full reconstruction’ of the caves

A parliamentary inquiry into the destruction of 46,000-year-old caves has delivered a scathing report criticising the actions of Rio Tinto and calling for the Western Australian government to put a stop to the destruction of heritage until new laws are passed.

The majority bipartisan interim report said Rio Tinto’s decision to destroy two rock shelters in Juukan Gorge, against the wishes of the traditional owners and despite knowing the archaeological value of the site, was “inexcusable”.

Continue reading...

Sydney Mardi Gras members vote against banning police from 2021 parade

Posted on by

Activist group Pride in Protest says presence of police makes Indigenous people feel unsafe

A controversial bid to remove police and prison officer floats from the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras has failed at the event’s annual general meeting.

But, in a strong anti-police statement, Saturday’s motion attracted 44% of the votes, drawing 261 votes in favour. Three hundred and twenty-seven members voted against it.

Continue reading...

Hundreds rally in Australian capital cities against the $3.6bn Narrabri gas project

Posted on by

Activists have joined Aboriginal traditional owners in voicing opposition to the controversial development that received federal approval last month

Hundreds of people in Canberra, Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane have rallied in support of Aboriginal traditional owners to voice their strong opposition to Santos’ $3.6bn gas project in western New South Wales, which they say will devastate Gamilaraay Gomeroi cultural ties to sacred and significant heritage sites.

Last month, federal environment minister Sussan Ley approved the controversial development that could see up to 850 gas wells being drilled in grazing land and the Pilliga forest, which holds great significance for Gamilaraay Gomeroi people.

Continue reading...

‘I fell asleep at the wheel’: my life changed the day my partner died | Rhonda Davis

Posted on by

Mat was killed when the car rolled on our way home from a party. I was jailed for five years

My name is Rhonda Davis. I’m a 38-year-old Kamillaroi woman with four children.

In September 2013, I found myself for the first time involved in the criminal justice system.

Continue reading...

Albanese backs anthem change; federal Icac under fire – live news

Posted on by

Opposition leader supports NSW premier’s call to change words to Australia’s national anthem to be more inclusive of First Nations. Follow all the latest news and updates, live

The ABC has more on the complaint Rachelle Miller has lodged against Michaelia Cash, whose office she worked in once her relationship with Alan Tudge ended. Cash has rejected the claims.

From the ABC report:

After the May 2018 budget, when many ministers travel the country to sell the political message, Ms Miller was told she would not be travelling with the minister because Senator Cash did not think her attendance necessary.

“I felt like I had been set up to fail, there was no way that I could manage it from the Canberra office,” Ms Miller’s complaint reads.

Pauline Hanson’s One Nation is having a sale on its very in-demand (I’m sure) State of Origin merchandise.

It’s Pauline Hanson vs Mark Latham in the PHON SOOO and I don’t know much, but I do know this - if you walk into someone’s house and they have one of these products, walk back out.

Continue reading...