letter from Hone

Monday 20 April 2015

“The last time I was in Canberra was for SORRY DAY 2008, when I listened to Kevin Rudd apologise to generations of Aboriginal people for the theft of their lands, the destruction of their culture, and the dehumanising of their people” said Hone Harawira, leader of the MANA Movement of Aotearoa (NZ).

“Today I am back in Canberra during ANZAC WEEK 2015, and I am reminded that television channels, radio stations and print media on both sides of the Tasman are full of the remarkable stories of courage and heroism exhibited by the Australian and New Zealand Army Corp during World War One, right across the Western Front of the European campaign, and the beaches, hills and trenches of Gallipoli” said Harawira, “And as it happens, to cement that union of battle, Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott is today unveiling a memorial to Australian soldiers who died in WW1, at Pukeatua Memorial Park in Wellington, New Zealand” said Harawira.

“But today, as he unveils a memorial to the mindless destruction of a century ago, Tony Abbott is quietly drawing a veil across the genocide being committed by his own government in Western Australia through the enforced closure of remote Aboriginal communities.

Genocide is defined under the Convention on the Prevention of Genocide as (e) forcibly transferring children of one group to another, and (c) deliberately inflicting on one group, conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part through measures such as:

• removing children from their families,
• cutting off basic medical needs,
• ignoring needs for basic infrastructure such as public transport,
• labelling remote communities as breeding grounds for paedophilia,
• taking away community work programs,
• neglecting aboriginal housing programs, and
• withholding and freezing bank accounts.

The forced closure of Aboriginal communities is genocide – plain and simple – something that colonialistshave been trying to do ever since their arrival, originally through the gunbarrels of white settlers and now through the legislation of overwhelmingly white governments.

Although the United Nations recognises the overwhelming authority of the Indigenous people to the land of Australia, it seems that Australian governments simply refuse to accept the reality of their continued racism.

When John Howard introduced the hated Northern Territory Intervention Plan back in 2007, he earned the universal animosity of Indigenous people the world over as “a racist bastard imposing racist policies on a people who are not in a position to fight back”

Tony Abbott’s backing of Western Australia’s Closure of Remote Communities in 2015 is exactly the same, and deserves exactly the same response – “Tony Abbott is a racist bastard imposing racist policies on a people who are not in a position to fight back”

White Australian governments happily dumped Aboriginals into the outback, out of sight and out of mind – until they realised that they had inadvertently given them rights to millions of acres of land beneath which sat vast deposits of billion dollar minerals and oils.

The Intervention Plan, and now the Closure of Remote Communities, is genocide with a blunt instrument – put an end to Aboriginal title by forcing them from their land, let the big mining companies bully their way in, and force the Indigenous people to take their case to court where they stand no chance of ever winning.

As the leader of the MANA Movement in Aotearoa (NZ), I join with indigenous leaders across Australia and the Pacific in condemning the Closure of remote Communities, and I call on all those who support justice to join in the Day of Action to Stop the Forced Closure of Aboriginal Communities on May 1, both here in Australia and back in New Zealand.

If the ANZAC spirit truly lives 100 years after the defence of the British Empire, let it be in the defence of our own indigenous communities in 2015.

Hone Harawira

MANA Leader

Canberra

Stop the forced closure of Aboriginal Communities in Australia.

Stop the forced closure of Aboriginal Communities in Australia.

This battle to protect and stand with our indigenous brothers and sisters began with this

It has been six months since the federal government signed over funding responsibility for providing municipal and essential services to Western Australia’s 274 remote Indigenous communities to the state government and four since the WA premier, Colin Barnett, said between 100 and 150 of those communities faced “closure” because they were “not viable”.

On Tuesday, Tony Abbott further inflamed the situation by saying his government could not be expected to “endlessly subsidise lifestyle choices if those lifestyle choices are not conducive to the kind of full participation in Australian society that everyone should have”.

Tony Abbott is so bad he makes John Key look okay. Lifestyle choices??? The response has been sharp

The Aboriginal leader Noel Pearson has blasted Tony Abbott’s comments that living in a remote community is a lifestyle choice, saying it is a “deranged debate” conducted in a “substandard manner”... He described the comments as “shameless” and a “disgraceful turn of events”.

and

The chairwoman of the Aboriginal Health Council of Western Australia, Michelle Nelson-Cox, said Abbott’s comments were “hugely disappointing”.

“The prime minister’s comments about Aboriginal communities place no value on the connection to country and culture that these communities provide, nor the important role they play in the health and wellbeing of Aboriginal people,” she said.

“Aboriginal people are obligated to maintain a connection to country to sustain spiritual beliefs, customary activities and traditional lore. In addition to providing a home to many Aboriginal people, these communities provide a continuing sense of identity through this ongoing connection to country.”

This article dispels the myth of closing these communities because of sexual abuse.

And Gerry Brownlee

 denied co-leader of the Māori Party, Marama Fox leave from the House of Representatives to vote on a motion to condemn the Australian Government’s impending closure of remote indigenous communities in Western Australia.

What can we do from here to support our brothers and sisters over there?

Facebook site here  And here is a great profile of Sam Cook who is one of the leaders of the social media campaign.

March on 1 May to show support - will update soon.

UPDATE: Current A-Z listings of upcoming actions ‪#‎SOSBLAKAUSTRALIA‬

aussie police email shocker

This story, from aussie, about widespread passing on of extreme racist and pornographic emails, within the victorian police force, is very disturbing and as bad as it gets. From SMH

"Up to 100 officers are being investigated and could face the sack for sharing the emails, described by Chief Commissioner Simon Overland as "disturbing and gross", on work computers.

A series of racist and pornographic emails shared among Victoria Police officers are too shocking to ever be released publicly, the state's police chief says.

The most serious email shows an ethnic man being tortured.

"It is extremely serious, it’s offensive, and my view is that it would cause significant concern and alarm in the community if the material was made public," he said.

"If the Victorian public were aware of the nature of that material, I believe that it's of such a nature that it would cause significant concern within the Victorian community."

Mr Overland said some of the emails are so serious that they raised real questions about a number of individuals' suitability to continue with Victoria Police.

"We're not talking about one item, we're talking about multiple items," he said.

Whew! Officers made comments on the emails before passing them on and so far one officer under investigation has committed suicide.

Our own police aren't clean in this regard, by any measure, and I hope they take this wake up call from across the ditch seriously and root out the sickos within their ranks here.

Ampilatwatja walk-off update

I've posted about the Ampilatwatja walk-off before.

The article below is by Richard Downs, spokesperson for the Ampilatwatja walk-off against the Northern Territory intervention.

"The government business manager (GBM) for Ampilatwatja and a representative of department of indigenous affairs were told to leave the Ampilatwatja protest camp on February 14 as they were not invited.

The agents turned up at our meeting with the APY lands people without notice. The GBM was informed we no longer have any relationship and they were not welcome.

The GBM's excuse was that he had to inform me that minister Jenny Macklin has now given approval for us to bring the condemned tin houses from Ampilatwatja to put up at our camp. But he was aware we had already been given approval by the people and Barkley Shire to take them as they were going to be demolished.

Previously, the GBM had stated we were to return the buildings and to first get approval to remove them. Our reply to him was: “Take whatever action you desire as we were not returning them.”

At the meeting, they asked if it was okay to take photos of the building. They were both told clearly to leave and not take any photos of the house as it had nothing to do with them. But on our way back to the camp both were seen wandering into the house. I informed them both they were arrogant, ignorant and had shown no respect to the people. They were both informed with colourful language to remove themselves from the site. They were slow in doing so until I requested the cameras be focused on them. Then they hurried off.

This clearly shows the attitude of the federal government agents. On behalf of the minister they try to intimidate people to show they have the power and authority to go wherever without notice.

I also advised him to personally apologise to Banjo Morton, who was about 20 yards away. The GBM arrogantly turned and walked away, with out showing respect to our 84-year-old leader.

How can conflicts be resolved when they show no respect. Truth is, it will be difficult to resolve and the team that is not showing respect knows that, and that is why they are doing it.

Hat tip Green Left Online

ice outrage

AP Photo/Ivan Sekretarev

It is not okay to misappropriate bits of a culture for your own ends - namely winning a ice skating competition. This really is a shocker - it is unacceptable.

From BBC

"Indigenous Australian leaders have expressed outrage at an "Aboriginal dance" routine by Russian ice dancers Oksana Domnina and Maxim Shabalin.

The Russian world champions perform in dark-skin bodysuits adorned with leaves and white body paint markings.

Indigenous leader Bev Manton has decried the "ripping off" of Aboriginal culture as offensive and disrespectful.

"From an Aboriginal perspective, this performance is offensive," Mrs Manton writes in an editorial in the Sydney Morning Herald.

"Our dance, our ceremony, our image - and, importantly, how they are depicted - are sacred to Aboriginal Australians."

Mrs Manton, chairwoman of the New South Wales Aboriginal Land Council, has urged the three-time Russian national champions to rethink their routine before the Olympics in Vancouver.

"Interest must be expressed in a way that is respectful. The ripping off of our art and songs is not, and nor is this depiction of my culture," she wrote.

Respect - it is not that hard - first you need to think of indigenous people as actual people.

Hat tip - Buffalo Post

Pacific response to copenhagen summit

This video sums up copenhagen well.



Kia kaha ana - I hope we get more of these videos - they are really awesome.

Hat tip Whenua Fenua Enua Vanua

nowhere here in the middle

This is a wonderful video, hearing the stories from the indigenous people. We know how it feels for people to believe you don't live in a place, that it is empty and that they can have it and use it for anything.

Nowhere here in the middle by Tara Jones

"Documentary about the radioactive waste dump proposed for the Northern Territory, Australia. Traditional Owners and community members who live at the proposed sites explain their concerns. Dr Helen Caldicott explains the reality of living near a nuclear waste dump. An inspiring story of indigenous insight and resistance."

Hat tip - Intercontinental Cry

And what of the situation now? From ntnews in november

"The Federal Government has been sitting on a report on the decision to build a nuclear waste dump in the Territory for the past nine months.

Australia needs to build a waste facility by 2015, when spent nuclear fuel rods are returned from France.

The Government had previously promised to decide the location of the facility based on "science".

"The Commonwealth's Radioactive Waste Section manager Patrick Davoren said the report only looked at three Defence sites - all in the Northern Territory.

They included two near Alice Springs and another one in the Katherine region.

The report also considered Muckaty Station, near Tennant Creek, which was offered by the local traditional owners. After watching the video this sentence cannot stand.

"The Government is considering its position in the light of that report and in light of its platform and its election commitment," he said."

"Labor is yet to fulfil a 2007 election promise to repeal the Commonwealth Radioactive Waste Management Act, which allows the Government to force a nuclear dump in the Territory.

Then Deputy Opposition Leader Julia Gillard promised on December 18, 2006, to reverse John Howard's decision to build a dump in the Territory. "Labor does not support the Howard Government decision to site a waste dump in the Northern Territory," she said.

Then Opposition Leader Kevin Rudd attacked the CLP during the 2007 campaign for supporting the dump."

Well, we will watch and wait.

Ampilatwatja Walkoff - empowerment!

The Ampilatwatja people walked off in July in protest to the inhuman way they are treated. This is a good example of indigenous protest and action.

Subtle yet unmistakable.

As Intercontinetal Cry outlines

"In July 2009, a group of 30 indigenous elders and leaders from Ampilatwatja, in Australia’s Northern Territory, walked away from their community to escape the Northern Territory Intervention and regain control over their own lives. 3 months later, the Ampilatwatja Walkoff continues."

and “On July 14 2009 we, Elders from the Ampilatwatja community, walked out of our houses and set up camp in the bush. We are fed up with the federal government’s Northern Territory Intervention, controls and measures, visions and goals forced onto us from outside. We felt we were outcasts and isolated from all decision making -there has been no meaningful consultation… We therefore have no intention of going back there. We intend to stay here until our demands are met. Richard Downs"

What are these interventions?

Ampilatwatja community, 350 kilometres north-east of Alice Springs, is a “prescribed area” under intervention legislation. This means, as well as blanket alcohol and pornography bans, Aboriginal welfare recipients have 50% of their benefits “quarantined” — put onto voucher cards that can be used to buy only basic necessities.

As part of the intervention, the government compulsorily acquired community land through a five-year lease.
The protest camp is located outside the boundaries of the lease, three kilometres from the community, and has been joined by more than 200 people at times.

Richard has been travelling around Australia talking about the issues facing his people. His website is here.
And there is another website here called Stop the Intervention Collective Sydney STICS

A interview with richard here and a quote,

"Question - What led you to walk out of your community?

Answer - Total disempowerment... we have no rights. We don't have equal rights, the Racial Discrimination Act has been taken away, and the control measures [are] coming in, enforced by the federal government. Our voice has been shut down, we've been locked out of any negotiation, engagement or consulting, and it's not worth living there. So we agreed it's not right and we need to get out and create some attention... "

Good on you richard - kia kaha with your fight for rights.

Link from Ana here - thanks Ana