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 UN
condemns Australia's racist
legislation
On March 18, the United Nations Committee on the Elimination
of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (CERD) brought down
its highly damaging findings on the Australian Government's
amendments to the Native Title Act.
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CERD
to visit Australia
Following last month's damaging findings against Australia,
the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of all forms
of Racial Discrimination (CERD) has agreed to visit
Australia in June.
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 Aborigines
sidelined by 'white
experts'
The head of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
Commission, Mr Gatjil Djerrkura, has accused the Federal
Government of "sidelining" its 19-member all-indigenous
board, preferring advice from a Canberra policy office with
just two Aboriginal staff out of
42.
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 Old
Mapoon closer to council
status
The Queensland Government has taken a step to bring the
people of Old Mapoon on Cape York Peninsula closer to
long-overdue recognition as an autonomous
council.
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 Registration
Test - emerging trends
On 12 March, the National Native Title Tribunal's (NNTT) new
president, Graeme Neate, addressed the Parliamentary Joint
Committee on Native Title. The Committee is undertaking an
inquiry into the effectiveness of the NNTT and the
Indigenous Land Corporation
(ILC).
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UK
group calls for Treaty
The advertisement that appeared in "The Independent"
newspaper in London last month after the decision of the
United Nations Committee on the Elimination of All Forms of
Racial Discrimination that the amended Native Title
legislation is racially
discriminatory.
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TSI
moves closer to autonomy
Torres Strait Islanders took a step closer to having more
say in their affairs at a meeting last month to plan a
system of self-government.
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Social
Justice position filled after UN
warning
After a 14-month delay, the Federal Government has filled
the position of Aboriginal Social Justice Commissioner on
the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission
(HREOC).
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First
SA Registration success
A Native Title claim by the
Adnyamathanha people is the first in South Australia to pass
the registration test under the amended Native Title
laws.
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WA
claims pass tough Registration Test
Two Native Title claims in Western Australia, one in the
south-east and the other in the north-east, have passed the
new registration test under the amended Native Title
Act.
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Genocide
site handed back
An 1830s "genocide" site, Wybalenna on Flinders Island, was
recently handed back to Indigenous people by the Tasmanian
Government, settling the nation's oldest Indigenous land
claim.
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Leave
to appeal Kimberley Native Title decision
refused
The High Court last month refused to hear an appeal by the
WA, NT and Commonwealth governments in relation to Justice
Malcolm Lee's Federal Court judgment in the Miriuwung
Gajerrong case.
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Queensland
claims win right to negotiate
Five Native Title claims in Queensland have passed the new
registration test, ensuring claimants have the right to
negotiate on mining projects.
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Kalkadoons
welcome cultural heritage deal
Kalkadoon people welcomed the development of a cultural
heritage protection process for the Lady Loretta and Lady
Annie mines, 140 km north-west of Mount Isa.
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Land
Fund and Tribunal Inquiry begins
A national inquiry began last month into two important
independent bodies within Australia's Indigenous
community.
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Taxpayers
cop $1m slug to keep Kakadu off "in-danger"
list
The Federal Government estimates keeping the Kakadu World
Heritage area off the United Nation's "in-danger" list will
cost around $1 million.
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Reconciliation
in action
An unlikely friendship has developed between an Indigenous
woman and a white pastoralist - a direct result of the
Native Title process.
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Resources
lacking for cultural heritage
consultation
The "Cultural Record (Landscape Queensland and Queensland
Estate) Act 1987" deals with the protection of all cultural
heritage, including Indigenous cultural heritage, in
Queensland.
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NLC,
Rio Tinto announce major exploration
agreement
The Northern Land Council (NLC) and mining company
Rio Tinto last month signed a new Exploration Agreement
covering 4365 sq km in the southern Nicholson River
region.
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Reconciliation
- get it in writing
Democrats' Indigenous Affairs Spokesman John Woodley casts a
critical eye over the recently released draft documents of
reconciliation and the Howard Government's proposed new
constitutional preamble.
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In
Brief
- The
move towards zero-tolerance policing in Australia will
result in more Aboriginal people ending up in jail for
minor offences.
- Young
people hand-picked by the Federal Government to represent
Australian youth believe Prime Minister John Howard
should apologise to Indigenous people for past
injustices.
- NSW
Premier, Bob Carr, has signed an agreement recognising
Native Title rights may exist in 151 national parks his
Government has created.
- Rural
Landholders for Coexistence (RLC) has organised a two-day
workshop, "Talking Common Ground", for South Australians
to discuss Native Title issues.
- Imparja
Television has increased its broadcast audience by
extending services into Western Queensland.
- Australia's
first Indigenous land use agreement under the amended
Native Title Act moved into public notification
recently.
- Judge
Skoien labelled police actions as disturbing and
extraordinary.
- Speculation
has been rife since before the last Federal election the
Government would gut ATSIC of key functions.
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Haase's
Gaffe
Liberal Member for Kalgoorlie, Barry Haase has refused to
apologise for his comments inferring Aboriginals were
cannibals.
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What
They Said...
The words from the people who made the headlines this month.
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South
East Queensland Regional Forest
Agreements
The South East Queensland (SEQ) Regional Forest Agreement
(RFA) will be a 20-year agreement between Queensland and the
Commonwealth focused primarily on how the region's public
native forests can best be used and managed.
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ANTaR
News
ANTaR seeks land rights,
respect and self-determination for Indigenous communities of
Australia. ANTaR insists these are fundamental to building
and maintaining good relationships between Indigenous and
non-Indigenous communities.
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Stolen
Justice
John Howard has a strange way
of seeking reconciliation, writes Margo Kingston from The
Sydney Morning Herald
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Fraser
and O'Donoghue accept Stolen Generations'
invitation
Former Prime Minister, Mr Malcolm Fraser AC CH, and the
inaugural Chair of ATSIC, Dr Lowitja O'Donoghue AC CBE, are
the joint patrons of a new initiative of the National Sorry
Day Committee.
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Calling
Young Indigenous Performers
The Aboriginal Centre for the Performing Arts (ACPA) will be
running a six month certificate course followed by an
accredited two year Advance Diploma of Performing Arts,
covering all aspects of musical theatre/performance in
Brisbane in 1999.
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Quotes
about Native Title Amendment Bill
LRQ reproduces some views expressed at the time the Native
Title Amendment Bill was released. How can the Government
express surprise at the decision of the United Nations
Committee on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial
Discrimination?
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Federal
Govt's record on Indigenous affairs since assuming office in
1996
When will this Government tell the Australian people its
"real" agenda on Indigenous affairs?
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CERD
Decision on Australia
The decision by the Committee On The Elimination Of
Racial Discrimination on the Native Title Amendment Bill.
FAIRA also a section
covering the CERD decision and related documents.
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Cybertracker
Capers
This month aside from the cultural appropriateness I wrote
about last month I shall discuss a number of other
computer-related issues.
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Bookmarks
Links to interesting places on the internet.
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Invitation
For Submissions
A study is underway for the development of a Multiple Use
Strategic Plan (MUSP) of Queensland's Gulf of Carpentaria
towns and Aboriginal communities.
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Book
Reviews
Book reviews on Take Power like this Old Man Here,
Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Youth -
A Statistical Profile and Genocide in
Australia.
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