Understanding and Connecting with our Indigenous Bros and Sis
The inalienable God given rights of life, liberty and property* are still being denied to most Indigenous Australians through our ongoing failure to close the gap in life span; to implement the recommendations of Deaths in Custody and to see the right to land ownership restored to its original custodians. *Elizabeth Kotlowski, In Southland of the Holy Spirit, pg20
The Government Intervention in the NT has further denied these rights, and now these same restrictions could apply Nationally. Aboriginal families have been denied the free use of their own money. This was said to be in the interest of protecting children, but has been rolled out across whole indigenous communities. Federal Government plans are to extend aspects of the Northern Territory intervention in indigenous communities to all welfare recipients – first in the territory, then countrywide.
“Rather than do away with failing policy, new legislation will allow the compulsory welfare quarantining to be extended to “areas of disadvantage” around the country. This will start across the NT from July 2010. Draconian measures such as compulsory acquisition of Aboriginal land and extreme police powers have been rebadged “special measures” under the RDA.” http://stoptheintervention.org
Read the National Indigenous Times: building a bridge between Australia’s black and white communities. www.nit.com.au/