Concentration Camps in Australia

First Royal Commission on atrocities against Aboriginal prisoners - WA 1905

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Frontier history North West Australia 2005

Chain gangs and slave labour in Australia" width="690" height="300" border="0">
Notice the tin mug placed in strategic places on the tin wall behind the prisoners - if one wanted a drink or go to the toilet the whole gang would have to go with them. In some cases, people were chained next to a member of a tribal group that is culturally inappropriate to even to speak to, never-loan the different customs and language barriers. It's no wonder they had difficulty fitting into their own family group when they were 'lucky' enough to return to their home.

Lets look at the impact of the new 'Healthy Welfare Debit Card'

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The cashless 'Indue' Card

We all know there are huge problems with alcohol and drugs within some communities, those issues are Australia wide and in all races not just First Nation peoples. Governments cuts is already putting the squeeze on services, especially everyone trapped in the welfare system ... So let's look at the effect on someone on 'Abstudy' Payments. For a student living at home under the age of 18 claiming base rate 'Abstudy', their cash payment portion would only be $47.40, then 18-21 cash would be $57.22 and over, would be $104.60 per fortnight in cash payments. The rest must be stuck on the card ....

Noel Pearson's 'social experiments' in North Queensland are failing

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Noel Pearson's 'social experiments' are failing

A main shortcoming of all the social experiments promoted and funded under the motto of "self determination" are implemented rather paternalistically, basically rules which inhibit a person's ability to make choices and suffer subsequent consequences. His paternalistic policy ignores people's right to fail, which is one of the key steps in achieving growth and capability, hence it truly ignores people's right to succeed as well ... the Welfare Reform Triials are fundamentally flawed as remote townships find it extremely almost impossible to venture into any meaningful economic opportunities given the constraints of land tenure and blanket conservation.

First Nations suicide is not just an issue, it's a 'humanitarian crisis'

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Of all middle and high income nations with a recent colonial oppressor history, Australia has the widest divide of its measurable indicators between first peoples and the rest of the nation. ATSISPEP is assessing the effectiveness of existing suicide prevention services and programs. In the last year we've buried an 11-year-old, a 12-year-old, a 13-year-old, a 14-year-old, a 16-year-old, a 17-year-old. The Northern Territory and Western Australia have some of the highest median wages in the world but also some of the highest rates of poverty.

A generation lost if Indigenous youth incarceration rate continues: Amnesty

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First Nations youth are 24 times more likely to be incarcerated than other Australian youth, Amnesty International has found. Amnesty International secretary-general Salil Shetty at the National Press Club in Canberra said the rate would have devastating consequences. "We will see another generation lost to failed government policies unless Australian Governments get smarter about this, and fast," Mr Shetty said. "We will see another generation lost to failed government policies unless Australian Governments get smarter about this, and fast"

It's about time Australia owns up to its significant history of slavery

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Slavery

Some people know about the South Sea Islander slaves but most are ignorant that many thousands of First Nations people were also used as slaves right across Australia, in settlement, on pastures and in industries. Even First Nation children were used in most industries and often kidnapped by 'blackbirders' - the children received no wages and had no opportunity to attend school. The adults often died of slavery or abuse. Here is an article by Alecia Simmonds, Chancellor's Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the University of Technology in Sydney, Australia.

Wadjemup (Rottnest Island): the internment camp turned favourite holiday destination, without debate

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Rottnest - The Prison from Hell

It takes a unique country to name a century-long former internment camp as its favourite holiday destination. Such a country would either have to be one with rather macabre fascinations or a genuine interest in acknowledging historical injustices as a way of moving towards a better future. Or it could just be Australia.

The hundreds of Aboriginal men buried in unmarked graves probably aren’t an island drawcard for most tourists.

Australia Perpetuates Cultural Genocide Through Forced Removal of First Nations children

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Prior to the late 1990s, Aborigine children were widely regarded as "morally deficient," explains the "Bringing Them Home" report, and the government perpetuated the belief that they were helping disadvantaged children at risk in their own communities by adopting them into white families or government institutions.

Racism is a major driver of First Nations Peoples ill health

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When we talk about Aboriginal health, we often talk as if the problem is "Being Aboriginal" - but in reality, "Being Aboriginal" is a marker for having experienced racism, discrimination, colonisation and genocide.