Politics

Ray was stolen from his Aboriginal mother after his white father died serving Australia in WW2

On April 23, an Aboriginal man who dedicated his life to fighting against the deaths of his people in Australian police and prison cells succumbed quietly to his own death in his small flat in Waterloo. Ray Jackson, a Wiradjuri warrior for human rights, was one of Australia's most vocal and knowledgeable deaths-in-custody campaigners. A fighter for Koori justice – or "fkj", as he always signed his weekly emails – Jackson spent nearly 30 years holding our police, prison and court systems to account every time a "blackfella" died in custody.

Mr Fred Hooper, Head of State of the Murrawarri Republic, who served in the Royal Australian Navy as a submariner, was prevented from marching in Canberra on ANZAC Day in commemoration of his Grandfather and his two great uncles. Mr Hooper said from Canberra. “ I wanted to march with my Navy mates, but was prevented by the Australian Federal Police. Instead I was given a police escort from the back of the parade to the front, where the Submarine Association was gathered before the official march commenced.”

In a submission to the Indigenous Jobs and Training Review, headed by billionaire mining magnate Andrew “Twiggy” Forrest, the National Welfare Rights Network has argued many of Forrest’s recommendations would have devastating impacts and do little to improve employment outcomes for Indigenous people.

A central recommendation is the creation of a “Healthy Welfare Card” - article by Max Chalmers, 'New Matilda'.

The Abbott government has opened up the first funding round of its streamlined $4.8bn Indigenous Advancement Strategy, with tough new guidelines for organisations wishing to access the money.

In other words the real owners of this continent are forced to go cap in hand to the missionaries as The Abbott amalgamates 150 First Nations programs into five broad areas

Welcome to the age of the Abbott Chain Gangs

A Territory government drive a train through the Land Rights Act if the Federeal government handed it over to them.

'So what', you may think, Land Rights as we know it is a farce, you might say. Well, thats all very well, but many of our brothers and sisters are locked into these contracts, and while they stay on country, they can't do anything about it. This article has some invaluable insights into how it was much better before John Howard smashed it, and how it can get much worse.

We have seen enough of the poverty in our communities when the rest of Australia are growing rich on the proceeds of genocide through the loss of our homelands through real estate and mining.

We have seen enough of the self-medicating blocking out from our trauma and grief and the dysfunction this brings. We need our own healing camps and safe places for the community to come to in times of despair.

Canberra press gallery journalist Jeremy Geia has walked away from his job, given up his passport and belongings and reverted to his tribal name, Murrumu Walubara Yidindji. He tells Paul Daley why he decided to ‘leave Australia’ while remaining on the continent – and why he still loves a cup of English breakfast tea

Murrumu returned drivers licence, then returned his passport and Medicare card to the federal government.

When this country is built on truth it will lay a solid foundation for the nation to come to maturity and accept the past, deal with it, and then find it within their hearts to pay respects to the First Nation people as equals and not an imitation of the 1901 model of the master and slave relationship.

Kerry Blackman, First Nations Justice Leader, writes about the Constitution Recognition farce.