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This Page is designed for aboriginal people to leave there thoughts and comments on current aboriginal situations and issues. It honours some of our wonderful past an present aboriginal achievers in our blogs. If there is someone u wish to be placed on the page please just email me an I will do my best to get them up.
This page is also for our people to speak out an be heard, if there’s an issues in your community leave it here an i'l do my best to have your voice heard.
BELOW IS MY THOUGHTS ON JOHN HOWARDS
''NATIONAL EMERGENCY''
PLAN AN HOW IT IS DAMAGING THE ABORIGINAL COMMUNITY. PLEASE READ IT AND LEAVE A COMMENT
Once again Mr Howard has managed to disgrace the aboriginal population in this country, but what would you expect from someone who was raised in the very society that started this whole fiasco over 50years ago.
Most if not all of the major problems existing in the aboriginal communities today are a direct result of the governments actions in that era.
The effects of this are manifesting themselves to this day and have been for quite some times the destruction of the family unit leading to the major alcohol problem.
Displacement and isolation of the children removed and the sexual abuse that went on then and now, Only now people are aware.
UNFORTANETY NOTHING WAS DONE, about it then and it has taken the arise of the people in the N.T not Mr Howard who have lived through much of this and those that are now willing to help, for him to take notice for and as usual he has taken the very bully approach of which he is so adamantly against in today’s society, to deal with the situation instead of dealing with the real problems and causes of the national disgrace of child sex abuse in our aboriginal communitiesOn all new reports, the story of John Howard’s ''National Emergency Plan'' to place police and military in aboriginal communities nation wide has caught the attention of many people including myself. Being a young aboriginal female I see these actions as ridiculous and out of proportion. John Howard has stated that every aboriginal child under 16 well be subjected to compulsory medical checks for sexual abuse.
For young people of aboriginal communities this could be embarrassing and lower already damaged self confidence, being female I feel for all young girls in these places that HAVE to take a medical. When you at the tender ages of 12 -16 a girl is just beginning to develop and learn more about her own body, having these people come in to do compulsory medical checks could mentally and emotionally damage these girls, and also the boys. Its not only aboriginal children who as sexually assaulted its white children to. What’s going to be done about that?
Alcohol and X-rated pornography will be banned, with individuals as well as suppliers facing imprisonment. Well now why doesn’t Mr Howard ban it for the whole country? like aboriginal people are the only ones who drink and look at pron. Be realistic this is all just stupid and very much ridiculous. Shut down every x-rated adult shop, every strip club, close all bars, pubs & clubs . Or better yet you could just ban aboriginal people from going into these places I’m sure that well work its just as drastic as the measures your taking in the communities.
Why because he doesn’t think its all of Australia just THE ABORIGINAL population. WHICH IN MY EYE IS RASCIST
Yes! Australia needs to recognise that there are troubled areas in the aboriginal communities but the ‘‘National Emergency Plan’’ could leave these place more troubled and worse off. With police and troops flooding into as many as 60 towns and camps to enforce the drastic measures communities are bound to respond negatively. You can not just place these white Australians in aboriginal communities, when they have no clue of the culture and how these places run.
John Howard has also made changes to have Welfare and family payments being halved , with the ‘seized’ part to fund food and clothing vouchers. All payments will be cut if the children fail to attend school, or are considered “at riskâ€. How dose Mr Howard know if the child is at risk? I don’t see him out in these places, yet again if his was I’m sure he’d have a good dozen body guards to protect him, but hey not everyone can live like him with all the luxuries he could ask for. And as for children not attending school, that could be because clearly the Australian education system is not designed for aboriginals to succeed. Many studies have shown Aboriginal child have learning difficulties and are better to learn by a hands on approach rather then sitting in a class room listening to someone preach to them.
This is just like a repeat of the 1950’s has Australia not noticed that Mr Howard seems to be taking away everything that has been built over the last 40 years.
First he started with ATSIC, a fund that helped many aboriginal people all over Australia, in schools and in work places.
Then it was CDEP, a place where Aboriginal people could go to work and gain qualifications and certificates that could later help them to gain work placement in the wider Australian work force.
After that it was Aboriginal Housing, somewhere aboriginal people could turn to and know that they could find a way to put a roof over there families heads
AND NOW its placing these police and military into aboriginal communities and thinking that its going to make such a big change. Well Mr Howard haven’t you stopped to take a second look and realised that in 1900-50s when these “administrators†and “protectors†were placed on the communities it only made things worse, and now you have the back lase of it all, you think doing it again will help? IT WONT. Its only going to create more problems and a greater gap between white and black Australia.
But Mr Howard is placing these business managers or so-called “tsars†who will take charge of all public housing and government enterprises. These people will function as modern-day versions of the “administrators†and “protectors†who exercised total authority over Aboriginal reservations in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. These placements of officers will only provoke violence and may even increase suicide. Its no longer 1901 its 2007 Mr Howard if you really want to help, get a fund that can help have our own aboriginal people to work in these places to improve life
Mr Howard is also going to scrap the existing permit system which allows indigenous communities to restrict access to their lands and the “administrators†and “protectors†will have rule over who can come and go. What’s next, personal id that says your black or white an where you can and can’t go? If Mr Howard really wants to help the aboriginal communities with draw the police an place people there who really can help and make a difference.
‘‘Federal parliament will be recalled for a special mid-winter session to pass extraordinary, yet-to-be-seen legislation to authorise the takeover. The proposal was immediately endorsed by the Labor Party, whose leader Kevin Rudd pledged to give Prime Minister John Howard whatever support he needed.’’
Now why doesn’t this surprise me. Mr Howard and his side kick Kevin Rudd, the modern version of wanna-be Batman and Robin. The labour party might support this but just how many of the Australian people do? The Australian population is made up of only 2% aboriginal people, 1% of which live in the Northern Territory, with half of the aboriginal population being made up of youths 20 and under. So for a population so small why is Mr Howard trying to make things seem so much worse then they really are?
‘While Labor is with Howard, a whole layer of privileged Aboriginal leaders is collaborating with the government, significant voices of opposition have already emerged among health professionals, scholars, lawyers and local Aboriginal leaders. Among them is the winner of the 2007 Miles Franklin literary award, indigenous writer Alexis Wright. She accused the government of “riding roughshod yet again, trampling heavily, bringing down the sledgehammer approachâ€. This opposition will grow and broaden as the true character of the government’s takeover becomes clearer’’
Howard insisted his government’s “hardline approach†was a recently released Northern Territory government inquiry report, “Little Children are Sacred,†which found that child sexual abuse was serious, widespread and often unreported. But Howard and Minister for Indigenous Affairs Mal Brough have brushed aside the report’s findings and recommendations, which called for better education and family support services, together with empowerment of Aboriginal communities.
The report concluded that “ most Aboriginal people are willing and committed to solving problems and helping their children â€. Aboriginal people were “not the only perpetrators of sexual abuseâ€â€”it existed throughout Australia and internationally. In indigenous communities, the roots lay in social problems that had developed over many decades: “the combined effects of poor health, alcohol and drug abuse, unemployment, gambling, pornography, poor education and housing, and a general loss of identity and controlâ€. Above all, “Improvements in health and social services are desperately needed.â€
But did anyone every stop to think that the current ‘‘problems’’ in the aboriginal community are also effects of the stolen generation, and are being handed down from parents to children because of lost identity, trauma and other effects that have taken toll. Placing police and military in these areas is only going to bring new problems with old hurt and pain into these communities.
Now with placing all these police forces into the community Mr Howard has not focused a cent for health care, education, housing or social services. You’d think with him wanting to improve the communities he would. Also shortage of medical staff throughout indigenous communities, the government is asking doctors to donate their services to implement the medical checks. When will people ever learn Mr Howard is not out to help these communities but rather make himself look good for the coming election. If only people really seen this from an aboriginal point of view they would better understand.
Less than three months ago, Oxfam Australia condemned Australia’s “health gap†the fact that the federal government spent approximately 70 cents per person on the health of Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders for every $1 spent on the rest of the population. The “Close the Gap†report ranked Australia as the worst among wealthy nations at improving the health of indigenous people. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders still died nearly 20 years younger than other Australians, and infant mortality was three times higher.
This information shows that aboriginals are still second class citizens in there own country and it is my belief that Mr Howard should be ashamed of how he has ran the country over the years he has been in parliamentary. With all the growth that the country made in 1960-1980’s Mr Howard has almost wiped it all away. For what? So it well take another 40 years to built everything back that the aboriginal people fought for.
Dr Paul Bauert, head of pediatrics at Royal Darwin Hospital, denounced the government for ignoring the huge medical challenge produced by poverty-related illnesses. The indigenous children he had seen suffered “pus coming out of their ears, rheumatic heart disease, pus in their lungs [because] they’re living in a house with 20 other people, with three bedrooms and one bathroom and one toiletâ€. He said existing resources were “minimal,†with the Northern Territory having only a quarter of the doctors needed to conduct regular visits to remote townships.
Far from addressing this social catastrophe, Howard’s measures will deepen it.
What is expected of the families whose welfare payments are cut? The child who fail medical checks? Are they to be taken away as the stolen generation of 2007? How many more aboriginal men will be jailed for slight things like, walking down the street with a can of beer in there hand, or having a photo of a female in a bikini? The aboriginal prison rate is already 30 times the national average.
Not only is all this going to happen in the Northern Territory but Mr Howard wants other states to follow the lead an put in place the same kind of strategies. But with all this going on at the center of it all is a massive land grab. The government will override the 1975 Racial Discrimination Act and the 1976 Land Rights Act which granted land to Aboriginal communities in the Northern Territory in through five-year leases. No compensation will be paid to the current landholders, despite a constitutional requirement to do so. Instead, they will be paid “ in kind†through government services a reminder of the days when farm owners gave Aboriginal workers rations of tea, sugar and flour in lieu of wages.
To enforce the ‘’national emergency plan’ , police will be placed from across the country, backed by military units they will arrive in military vehicles and the army will provide backup for frontline policing. Arriving in these places as if it has been hit by a cyclone or flood.
“Certain things have to be put aside. Certain normalities have to be discarded.†But the epidemic of ill-health and abuse among indigenous children is not a natural disaster and has not emerged overnight. It is a social disaster, which is now being exploited to radically extend the domestic role of the armed forces’’
As this situation between the Howard government and the aboriginal people of Australia continues to grow, there will be people who speak out against it and will see the real reason for such a fast act by the government. Mr Howard has just recently privately taken away much of the aboriginal community recourses and now he’s trying to make a quick vote by his public ‘‘national emergency’’ Howard is seeking another reactionary diversion, like the 2001 “children overboard†refugee accusations or the 2003 “weapons of mass destruction†fabrications. But this time with the voices of the aboriginal community, the aboriginal leaders and support of the people of Australia he will hopefully realise that what he is doing is wrong. Its like creating a new stolen generation . If he really wants to improve the aboriginal communities train our aboriginal people who live in these communities so that we can help ourselves.
Kira-Lea Barsukoff.UPDATES;;Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Horomia opposes Howard Territory raidThe Minister of Maori Affairs says he doesn't support the Australian Government's moves against Aboriginal communities.But Parekura Horomia says there's no call to hurl personal insults across the ditch.Maori Party MP Hone Harawira has called Australian Prime Minister John Howard a "racist bastard" for sending the army into Northern Territory communities, ostensibly to tackle problems of child abuse and alcoholism.
Mr Horomia says that comment is going too far.“I do not support what Howard is doing but let’s have a policy debate about it, not just fling insults around. You know there’s a lot more damage done by doing that stuff to trade and whatever else, and we don’t know the detail,†Mr Horomia says.He says Hone Harawira's outburst doesn't enhance the image of Maori overseas.BACKING FOR HARAWIRA FROM ALICE MAORIBut a Ngati Raukawa man working for Australia's largest indigenous media network says the Taitokerau MP is winning fans in the Northern Territory with his attacks on the Australian PM.Gerry Lyons is a broadcaster at CAAMA, the Central Australia Aboriginal Media Association in Alice Springs.He says Aboriginals value international support, and Mr Harawira is voicing the thoughts of many of Australia's tangata whenua on the Howard government's heavy-handed policies.“It is front news here as well, and yes the response has been one of pride that the brothers and sisters, the cuzzies from across the ditch are awhi-ing, supporting aboriginal values, Aboriginal ways, so it really has strengthened the connection between both tangata whenua,†Mr Lyons says.Aboriginal people resent the lack of consultation before troops were sent in to their communities
Ernie Dingo
Ernie Dingo is a famous Aboriginal actor..he has been in many things such as Great Outdoors, Getaway and Crocodile Dundee.
Some people think he is one of Australian’s best known and most loved actors. Ernie grew up in Wullewa, in the Geraldton region of Western Australia. He moved to Perth when he was 17 and his first job was an apprentice signwriter- which he says was because he liked painting.
Lionel Rose
Lionel was the first Australian to win a world sporting championship. Lionel Rose grew up at Jackson's Track in Victoria Gippsland region Lionel Rose was16 when he became a professional boxer. He won the world championship in Tokyo and fought the Japanese boxer named Harada the bantamweight champion. Everyone thought Harada would win easily but after the 15 rounds Lionel Rose was declared the winner.
Nova Peris-Kneebone
Nova is from the Muran tribe. She won a gold medal in hockey at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic games.There she became the first aboriginal to win Olympic gold. She is the first of Australia's 11,000 torch bearers to run a leg with the Olympic flame. Her 10 year old daughter Jessicia ran beside her. Tribal elders received the flame at 8.18 PM at Uluru. At 9.19am Thursday 8th of June Nova Peris - Kneebone received the torch. Other Aboriginal torch bearers were Yvonne Cawley, Ernie Dingo, Lowita O, Donghue and Nicky Winmar.
Michael Long
Michael first played with St Marys Football club. Michael grew up in the Northern Territory and now he lives in Moonee Ponds. His favourite player is Maurice Rioli who plays with the Richmond Tigers. He won the Norm Smith Medal in the 1993 Grand Final for Essendon. Michael has two children. He will be carrying the Olympic torch this year. Michael Long led the fight against racism in football. by Nathan
Cathy Freeman
At the 1990 Commonwealth Games in Auckland, New Zealand, Cathy won a gold medal as a member of the 4 x 100 metres relay team. With this medal win, she became the first female Australian Aboriginal to win a gold medal at an international athletics event.
Cathy Freeman won the 200 metres and the 400 metres at the 1994 Commonwealth Games in Canada. After her first win, Cathy ran a lap of honour carrying the Aboriginal flag and the Australian flag. The chief of the Australian team criticised her, and said she must not do it again. After her second win, Cathy defiantly carried both flags around the track. The Australian public loved it, with three out of four agreeing with her action.
In 1997, at the World Athletic Championships in Athens, Greece, Cathy won the 400 metres sprint. At the World Athletic Championships in 1999 in Seville, Spain, Cathy successfully defended her 400 metres sprint title.
Barcelona 1992 In 1992 Cathy Freeman was chosen to compete at the Barcelona Olympics. Although she did not make it to the finals of her event, the 400 metres, she had become the first Australian Aboriginal to represent Australia at an Olympics.
Cathy's main rival at the Atlanta Olympics was Marie-Jose Perec of France. In an exciting race in which Freeman led for much of the distance, Perec closed the gap and passed Cathy in the last 80 metres. Cathy Freeman's time of 48.63 seconds was a personal best and she won a silver medal. Sydney Olympics 2000
Cathy had the honour of lighting the Olympic flame at these games and won the 400 metres. In 2003 she was in training for the World Championships and hoped to represent Australia at the Athens Olympics in 2004.
Retirement However, on 15 July 2003 Cathy Freeman announced her retirement from competitive running. On 15 March 2006, she was one of the final runners in the Queen's Baton Relay, bringing the baton into the MCG at the Opening Ceremony of the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
RUDD GOVERNMENTS APOLOGY
The Rudd Govt sets Stolen Generations apology date
The Rudd Government has set February 13 as the day for a formal apology to the members of the Stolen Generation.
The apology will be the first item of business for the new Federal Parliament and will be delivered by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd
A traditional Welcome to Country will be held as part of the Parliament's opening ceremony by members of the Ngunnawal people.
Indigenous groups have warmly welcomed the announcement of a date for a formal apology to the Stolen Generations.
Christine King from the Stolen Generations Alliance says it will be a historic and emotional day.
"Sorry is the most important word because it has great meaning in our community," she said.
"It means having empathy and compassion and understanding."
The speech has not been written yet but the Ms Macklin says she is confident the timing of its delivery is right.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice commissioner Tom Calma, has welcomed the Government's move to say sorry.
Mr Calma says suggestions that an apology will expose the Government to litigation are scaremongering.
He says it is important to acknowledge what happened.
"A sorry is a sentiment that expresses that somebody really does have feeling about the ills of the past and wants to make a move forward," he said.
"I think that as a country, as a population, as a nation it will be good for all of us to go through such a cathartic experience."
He says including the word sorry in the apology will not result in a flood of compensation claims.
"The ill informed are promoting that type of idea, the judiciary, the Government themselves have gone through that sort of due diligence process to identify whether it would open any flood gates," he said.
"It hasn't since the apology by all the states."
Liberal Indigenous affairs spokeswoman Sharman Stone says the Coalition should join Labor in an apology to Aboriginal people.
Dr Stone's northern Victorian seat of Murray has the state's largest population of Indigenous people outside of Melbourne.
She says the former Coalition government's Motion of Regret in 1999 did not go far enough to acknowledge past wrongs.
"We are told by many Indigenous Australians that still is unfinished business," she said
"There wasn't a belief that it was really strong enough to be considered a Government apology for past laws, regulations and practices."
KEVIN RUDDS PROMISE TO SAY SORRY
PRIME Minister-elect Kevin Rudd says that his government will make a formal apology to indigenous Australians early in its first term.
"It will be early in the parliamentary term," Mr Rudd said yesterday.
"We will frame it in a consultative fashion with communities and that may take some time."
His deputy Julia Gillard made the same pledge earlier in the day, saying it was Labor policy to say "sorry".
"I also absolutely support us taking the practical measures that would make a difference to the huge life expectancy gap and the lack of opportunity that so many indigenous Australians face in their lives."
Leading Aboriginal activist Mick Dodson said he was confident progress on reconciliation will be achieved with the new Labor government, especially given it was in power federally and across the states.
"It's an opportunity for us to build a national plan to actually tackle all these practical problems that confront indigenous Australia and are holding up reconciliation," said Professor Dodson, director of the National Centre for Indigenous Studies at the Australian National University.
He urged the incoming Government to listen to Aboriginal people, "not just a select few", and suggested Labor review the federal intervention in Northern Territory indigenous communities. "It may be useful to bring his (Mr Rudd's) planned review forward, rather the 12-month period," he said.
"I understand it's running into some difficulties (and) perhaps it's time to assess and evaluate the approach."