In a surprise move, one of the nation’s most powerful Aboriginal leaders has given the Howard Government what it wants by agreeing to sign a 99 year lease over his traditional land in the Northern Territory. The deal follows a secret meeting between Galarrwuy Yunupingu and the Indigenous Affairs Minister Mal Brough in Arnhem Land. The deal puts Yunupingu at loggerheads with other Aboriginal leaders but what does it mean for outback communities?
PERTH, September 25, 2007: Tens of millions of dollars stolen from Aboriginal workers must be repaid by the West Australian and Commonwealth governments, Senator Rachel Siewert says.
The WA government has set up a taskforce to investigate evidence entitlements and pay of Aboriginal workers were withheld up until the late 1960s.
Click Here to Read the Full Article at NIT.com.au ( National Indigenous Times)
The Federal Indigenous Affairs Minister Mal Brough says he is distressed to hear about new allegations of child sexual abuse at the Kalumburu Aboriginal community in Western Australia.
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Since July, 15 men and boys have been charged with assaulting young children at the community in WA’s far north.
ADELAIDE, September 26, 2007: Some of the names have changed since 2004, but Port Adelaide’s band of Indigenous players are again preparing to produce some grand final heroics to drive the Power to another AFL premiership.
In the club’s first flag, it was the dash of Norm Smith Medallist Byron Pickett, top possession-winner Peter Burgoyne and four-goal hero Gavin Wanganeen that cut the Brisbane Lions apart.
Wanganeen and Pickett are gone, but Peter and Shaun Burgoyne remain, while former Kangaroo Daniel Motlop and youngster Danyle Pearce have since joined the brigade.
An Arnhem Land hotel manager says the Federal Government’s new alcohol restrictions are a farce.Under the Commonwealth’s intervention it is illegal to drink, possess, supply or transport alcohol on Aboriginal land.
Anyone who purchases more than $100 worth of alcohol in the Northern Territory needs to provide identification and their details are recorded.
The New South Wales Government has launched a program to help Aboriginal parents teach their children literacy skills.
The Early Words program aims to get the whole family to read, sing and talk to children, using kits that include fact sheets, DVDs and a library bag.
The New South Wales Community Services Minister, Kevin Greene, says members of local Aboriginal communities have helped develop the program.
An Indigenous affairs academic says the Commonwealth intervention in Northern Territory Aboriginal communities is proving to be unworkable.
Jon Altman from the Australian National University Centre for Economic Policy Research, has co-edited a book into the intervention, three months after the policy was first announced.
A call for urgent action to preserve Indigenous Australian languages will be made at a linguistics conference which begins in Adelaide today.
Conference convenor Dr Rob Amery says languages are central to establishing a social identity, but many Aboriginal languages are endangered.
Dr Amery says 250 Aboriginal languages are known to exist but the range still commonly used has fallen to 17.
An Indigenous management organisation based on the south coast of New South Wales says the Federal Government’s decision to wind up an Aboriginal housing program will have a devastating impact.
The Federal Government is to cut $13 million from the Community Housing and Infrastructure program from next year and will instead spend the money in rural and remote Aboriginal communities.
The coordinator of a newly-formed sex offenders support group in the Northern Territory is urging greater support for victims of sex crimes so they do not become offenders themselves.
Ruth Nilsson told a forum in Darwin last night that there are not enough resources to support victims, particularly in remote Aboriginal communities. She says many offenders have been victims.