Sovereign Union

Lola Forrester interview with veteran Aboriginal activist Ghillar Michael Anderson, the last survivor of the founding four men of the Aboriginal Embassy in Canberra 1972 Interview in on Koori Radio, 17 October 2024

Lola Forester from Koori Radio's 'Blak Chat' with Ghillar Michael Anderson speaking on the current issues for self-determination and other First Nations Rights and the Blak Sovereign movement and other associated issues. 

John Howard First Announced Constitutional Recognition to damage the First Nations Sovereignty. This audio was first broadcast on ABC Radio National PM Report 11 October 2007. The image here is of former PM John Howard and Mark Leibler, the co-chair of the Referendum Council' the media never shows. John Howard's statement was made during the same period of government when he reduced the rights in Native Title, a much weaker land holding, opposing the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, opposing a Treaty and following the introduction of the Northern Territory Intervention and the shutting down of ATSIC. Mark Leibler Co-chair and pulling the strings of the Referendum Council is a Tax Lawyer who is now a Senior Partner in 'Arnold Bloch Leibler' a company that works with big business to minimise taxes. He is an active supporter of the illegal occupation of The West Bank in Palestine and one prominent member of the Australian Zionist lobby.

A lot of us know Bruce Pascoe as author of the award-winning Dark Emu, which introduced many Australians to the idea of Indigenous agriculture. But, these days Bruce, together with his son Jack, is actually putting those ideas about land management into practice. Bruce and Jack are co-founders of a social enterprise called Black Duck Foods, which works with the Indigenous community to establish traditional food growing and country management processes around the country. Guests: Bruce Pascoe, Yuin man, award winning author, best known for his work Dark Emu: Black Seeds: Agriculture or Accident?, author most recently of an essay commissioned by the Wheeler Centre called Brave Old World, Enterprise Professor in Indigenous Agriculture at the University of Melbourne and co-founder of Black Duck Foods Dr Jack Pascoe, Yuin man, ecologist and co-founder and chair of Black Duck Foods Duration: 20min 58sec Broadcast: ABC Radio National - Life Matters with Hilary Harper Thu 27 May 2021, 9:06am

A vast old Moreton Bay fig tree in the grounds of a former state-run children's home on the mid north coast of New South Wales has deep significance for the boys who were forcibly sent there. The boys were chained to its trunk overnight - and worse - as brutal punishment and torture by a succession of sadistic managers who oversaw the notorious Kinchela Boys Home near Kempsey. Like prisoners the boys were dehumanised and known by numbers. The sexual and physical violence they experienced behind the iron gates of the home produced generations of rage-filled men - some of whom did not survive. But as the rusted links of that chain are overgrown and disappear, literally swallowed by that tree, some of the former residents heal a little. Features: Wailwan man, Michael Welshfrom (widdy) and Dhungutti and Gumbaynggir man, Richard Campbell, survivor's of the Kinchela Boys Home  (Source: ABC RN 'Awaye': https://ab.co/3hxEhyZ)

'Harold Thomas said he created the Aboriginal Flag for the unification of the people ... It's a journey of identity' but ...  Paul Wiles from CAAMA Radio in Alice Springs asks Harold Thomas for his position in the wake of criticism.  CAAMA LINK: https://bit.ly/3llCtbT

Summer's fires have left their mark on Dark Emu author Bruce Pascoe. As he explains in this long conversation with Jonathan Green, the experience of fighting fire is something shared in a nod or a glance. And while the fires raged, Pascoe was caught in the continuing culture war over his Aboriginal identity. "It was an incredibly painful time and it just went on and on ... it was the kind of tactics which are meant to sap your morale, and it worked."

Large parts of eastern Australia remain in drought, which continues to devastate many rural communities. It seems that more and more often, the country is facing water scarcity. Climate change is likely to mean that we will face increased levels of dryness in future, which will impact on those who make a living on the land, as well as everyone else relying on it for food and fibre. Australia's first peoples have lived on this land for thousands of years. But how successfully are we integrating their knowledge into mainstream approaches to farming? Guests: Bruce Pascoe, farmer with Bunurong, Yuin and Tasmanian heritage and author, Dark Emu Bradley Moggridge, Kamilaroi water scientist and PhD candidate at the University of Canberra ABC RN 'Life Matters'  30 October 2019

He's been described as an Aboriginal prophet - an extraordinary man who dreamt of self-determination more than a century ago. Anthony Martin Fernando emerges at a time in our history when Aboriginal people were being confined on reserves and missions - yet he spent much of his life overseas, agitating for political rights for Aboriginal people from self-imposed exile in Europe. With that proverbial fire in his belly and not much else, Fernando travelled across Europe earning a living however he could.  But as you can imagine it was a precarious existence - a life lived in the shadow of poverty and homelessness spiked with racism. It was on his wandering journey that Fernando left evidence – bits and pieces of an impassioned activist life - detailed by cultural historian Dr Fiona Paisley in her biographical study The Lone Protestor.

On the rocks of the Burrup Peninsula exist a vast collection of Aboriginal engravings, described as "the largest outdoor art gallery on the planet". It's estimated there are a million of them and yet the sad fact is that most of us know more about the French engravings of horses at Lascaux than we do of what exists on our doorstep. The Aboriginal people of the Pilbara region know the site as Murujuga And while Lascaux is heavily protected, the rock art of the Burrup remains caught in a decades-long fight between culture, tourism and industry. Within a stone's throw of this incredible art are petrochemical plants, a giant gas hub and one of Australia's busiest ports. But now Aboriginal traditional custodians, archaeologists and government are working together to push for UNESCO World Heritage listing. Joining Jo Trilling for this FOCUS conversation are Peter Jeffries, CEO Murujuga Aboriginal corporation, archaeologist Dr Ken Mulvaney, scientist Dr John Black and Yarra Pilbara spokesperson Luke Blackbourn. Source: ABC Focus with Jessica Strutt Duration: 43min 8sec Broadcast: Wed 17 Apr 2019, 12:00pm http://tiny.cc/j099cz

A new wave of Pentecostal missionaries is dividing remote communities in Australia’s north. Some are promoting the idea that traditional Aboriginal culture is a type of witchcraft or devil worship, and their followers are setting fire to sacred artefacts in an attempt to drive away the devil. Aboriginal leaders have accused the preachers of exploiting vulnerable communities. Erin Parke from ABC Kimberley investigates. http://tiny.cc/72l1cz

Respected Arrente/Alyawarr Elder Rosalie Kunoth Monks has been awarded an Honorary Doctorate by the Council of the Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education. Addressing the 2019 Bachelor graduates… Ms Kunoth Monks shared her passion about the journey of the first Nations under colonization and stressed the importance of cultural knowledge and its place in contemporary Australia.  Listen to the full presentation and interview with CAAMA's Gilmore Johnson here : Source:  CAAMA RADIO, Alice Springs http://tiny.cc/nlwwcz

Our perception of the world is significantly affected by the language we speak. Indigenous languages from around Australia pose a vastly different perspective of the world than that of English. We explore how these languages influence perceptions ... ABC RN 'All in the mind' http://tiny.cc/s1i4bz

A First Nations Voice enshrined in the Australian Constitution will not make a difference, in fact, it will make matters worse and it will cede your Aboriginal sovereignty status. The First Nations people in Scandinavian countries of Norway, Sweden and Finland explain what has happened over there, and they were not even colonised countries. (AUDIO 28 minutes) Listen later: 3mp Download: https://goo.gl/Kziwmn Excerpt from ABC RN Rear Vision

When there is something you think is not offensive removed or report something you think is offensive on Facebook, it might surprise you to know that the moderator who makes the decision is a low-paid person in the Philippines, a country that has a huge Christian population and where no-one is allowed to criticize the country's leader. An interview on ABC RN 'Download This Show' with Hans Block, director of 'The Cleaners', a new film about this subject. When the trailer was put on Facebook, it was deleted - lets see how this post goes. From ABC RN 'Download This Show' 28 September 2018

The United Nations' expert adviser on the rights of indigenous peoples has urged Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull to reconsider his rejection of the call for an Indigenous voice to Parliament, a key part of the Uluru Statement issued just over a year ago after a national Indigenous consultation process. Special rapporteur Victoria Tauli-Corpuz is currently in Australia and says the Government must listen more carefully to Indigenous people. Duration: 6min 28sec Source: ABC Radio 'PM'  Broadcast: Mon 2 Jul 2018 http://www.abc.net.au/radio/programs/pm/indigenous-activism-criminalised-worldwide-un-adviser/9932484

The brutal, senseless massacre of 28 people on Myall Creek pastoral station in the New South Wales northern tablelands in 1838 echoes still. In the litany of massacres, Myall Creek stands out - because it was the only mass murder for which some of the men responsible were charged, tried and executed for their crimes. The ringleader, John Henry Fleming, escaped justice and died an unrepentant old man north-west of Sydney in 1894. A symposium was held to mark the 180th anniversary of the massacre and the writer Bruce Pascoe delivered the keynote address.

The peak body for Aboriginal health, the Aboriginal Medical Services Alliance Northern Territory (AMSANT) , has been outspoken on the recent media reporting around the sensitive issues of reported child sex abuses and has been critical of the NT Government's response so far. Donna Archee, the AMSANT Chairperson said: "Sexual abuses are abhorrent and must be addressed with the full force of the law. Now, when we look at the situation that occured in Ali Curung it is our understanding that the four year old boy has actually suffered no physical injuries and 'The Australian' newspaper said he was tranferred to Alice Springs hospital because of severe injuries is UNTRUE. He was tranferred to enable a proper forensic assessment even though there were no signs of injuries on examination.  So this doesn't mean there is no harm in some way but we're actually concerned with the way the reporting is occurring in these particular incidences."

The Northern Territory's Police Commissioner has revealed plans to send a unit of camouflaged, specialised police with military-grade weapons to patrol Darwin and Alice Springs at night. The Territory Response Group is known as the TRG, and is part of the Australian Government's National Counter Terrorism Task Force. The announcement comes a week to the day since a Royal Commission delivered its report on youth detention and child protection systems in the Northern Territory.

From ABC RN 'The Castaways' - Hindsight July 2014 RELATED ARTICLE: https://goo.gl/pE75HJ

Court delays and a police crackdown on certain offences are thought to be behind a huge spike in Indigenous incarceration in New South Wales. Between 2013 and 2016, the Indigenous imprisonment rate in New South Wales grew by 25 per cent. Our reporter Angela Lavoipierre spoke to the director of the Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research, Don Weatherburn, about the trend. Featured: Dr Don Weatherburn, Director, Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research Source: ABC Radio PM

From July 30th 2018, the Minister for Indigenous Affairs says he'll refuse to do business with any organisation that's not Aboriginal. Nigel Scullion said he's having tough conversations with organisations like church groups, who currently have contracts to provide some services in Aboriginal communities. Source: ABC News

Former Liberal Prime Minister John Howard announced Recognition during the same period of government where he significantly reduced the cultural and self-determination Rights in 'Native Title', strongly opposed the 'Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples', Strongly opposed a 'Treaty' and refused to apologise to the 'Stolen Generation'. Howard's government also introduced the 'Northern Territory Intervention' and shut down 'ATSIC'. Surely, any First Nations or non-Indigenous person cannot believe for one minute, that introducing 'Constitution Recognition' was done in the interests of First Nations and Peoples culture, aspirations, self-determination and well-being. It was specificaaly a 'trick' to dissolve Aboriginal Sovereignty and enforce assimilation, and is largely promoted and funded by the mining industry.

In Western Australia, an Aboriginal man has walked free from prison after the Appeals Court overturned his conviction for manslaughter. Gene Gibson is from a remote indigenous community and barely understands English, the language in which he was tried and convicted. His lawyers argued he didn't understand what was going on when he pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of 21-year-old Josh Warnecke. Featured: Michael Lundberg, Gene Gibson's lawyer

Indigenous leaders from north-east Arnhem Land have devised a new plan to deal with family violence in their community. It calls for a new approach to community policing, with a local authority of clan groups the first point of contact. They say misunderstandings about traditional and western legal systems are part of the problem. Featured: Yirrininba Dhurrkay, ARDS Aboriginal Corporation David Suttle, ARDS Aboriginal Corporation ABC RN 'The World Today' 31 March 2017 ABC Article: https://goo.gl/zffGgZ

The Northern Territory youth detention royal commission has been told children were held on rolling 72 hour isolation placements because there was nowhere else to put them. The Don Dale youth detention centre's former general manager has given evidence today. Russell Caldwell told the inquiry laws about prolonged isolation didn't account for the reality on the ground. Featured: Peter Callaghan SC, counsel assisting NT royal commission Russell Caldwell, former Don Dale Youth Detention Centre Includes: Felicity Graham, counsel for the Central Australian Aboriginal Legal Aid Service Peggy Dwyer, counsel for the North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency ABC Radio - Felicity James reported this story on Wednesday, March 29, 2017

ABC RN Background Briefing Just five years ago this Northern Territory hospital was facing closure, its doctors were out of their depth and indigenous patients were leaving the wards in droves. This is the remarkable story of how Katherine Hospital turned its fortunes around. It now ranks among Australia's best for its relationship with its indigenous patients. How did the hospital do it and what lessons does this have for the rest of the nation? More Here http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-03-28/katherine-hospital-from-worst-in-the-country-to-one-of-the-best/8392792

In the Northern Territory, the grandmother of a former Don Dale detainee has told the youth detention royal commission how she thinks the system should change. Her grandson told the commission today he was handcuffed to a fence and forced to sleep in a wet cell without a mattress for 24 hours, after another detainee set off a fire extinguisher. This week the commission's hearings in Alice Springs have focused on people overseeing the youth detention system, along with former detainees. Featured: Tony McAvoy SC, counsel assisting the NT Royal Commission BY, former Don Dale detainee CA, BY's grandmother Commissioner Margaret White, NT Royal Commission Source: Felicity James reported this story on Thursday, March 16, 2017 for ABC RN PM

On the first fleet there were eleven convicts who were freed slaves from America, and who for various reasons found themselves on a long and dangerous journey to what became the colony of Sydney. Judy Johnson has has not one but two of these black first fleet convicts as her ancestors, and has written a collection of poetry, based on the documents and personal accounts which still exits from that time. Source: ABC RN Sunday Extra

A Bill before Parliament to amend the Native title Act in relation to Indigenous Land Use agreements has been described by a veteran Aboriginal rights campaigner as "'one of the vilest racist acts we've seen". Ghillar Michael Anderson, Convenor of the Sovereign Union says the proposed amendments are a complete violation of the First Nations laws and customs because each clan makes its own decisions about its own land and what happens on and within those territories. From CAAMA Radio - with Paul Wiles (23/2/17)

Dylan Voller speaks out despite his Lawyers recommendation, two weeks after being released from prison

Indigenous painter Albert Namatjira is widely regarded as one our greatest artists--his beautiful watercolour depictions of his country in central Australia stand apart in our artistic heritage. Yet you may be surprised to learn that since his premature death in 1959, none of Namatjira's descendents have earned a cent from any reproductions of his work. That's because the copyright to his estate was sold by the Northern Territory public trustee, reportedly without consultation with the Namatjira family, a deal which has been described as a major cultural injustice. A new initiative called the 'Namatjira Legacy Trust' aims to right this alleged injustice by raising funds to buy back the copyright of Albert Namatjira's images from the family who now own it. The campaign will be launched at the National Museum of Australia in Canberra on Friday. From ABC RN Breakfast Among those leading the initiative is art curator and Indigenous woman Hetti Perkins, the daughter of the late Charlie Perkins, who's had a long association with the Namatjira family.

A Yolngu leader and member of the Northern Territory Parliament has rejected claims that all Aboriginal communities are not safe for children and says that his people need to be empowered to put traditional tribal practice back in place. Yingiya Mark Guyula, the member for Nhulunbuy has slammed the Northern Territory Government's child protection system and says laws to place Aboriginal children with their extended family and community are being "broken". Yingiya talks with Paul Wiles - CAAMA Radio

CAAMA NEWS 25th Jan 2017 Over the past year hearings, community meetings as well as victim testimonies have taken place. Community engagement officers Barbara Shaw and Nick Espie joined us in the CAAMA studios to discuss the Royal Commission in 2016 and what's occurring in the new year.

A lawyer representing victims of child sexual abuse is calling on the Federal government to extend the term of the national royal commission. The final public hearing is due to start next week, when consultations will also begin on a national redress scheme. Jason Parkinson from Porters Lawyers told The World Today's Emily Bourke that he also has grave concerns that the scheme could compromise the common law rights of child abuse victims.

Henrietta Marrie, a Gimuy Walubarra Yidinji woman, has undetaken research in Australia and abroad on issues issues relating to traditional knowledge, access to genetic resources and benefit-sharing, protection of traditional knowledge as intellectual property, and the conservation and management of biological diversity. Earth Matters 3CR and the Community Radio Network

With Bruce Pascoe, Bill Gammage, Uncle Max Harrison, Beth Gott, Heather Buith, Jimmy Onus, Dr Penny Wurm, Lorraine Williams, Ken Stewart. Historians, writers and academics are upending the colonial lies and deception of First Nations agriculture, land management and medicinal plant knowledge, The first Nations peoples had complex systems of agriculture that went far beyond the hunter-gatherer tag. They were, in fact, our first farmers and land managers, whose intimate knowledge of the medicinal values and managing native plants and animals sustained them for thousands of years. ABC RADIO NATIONAL 'Bush Telegraph' http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/bushtelegraph/rethinking-indigenous-australias-agricultural-past/5452454

Northern Territory Police are investigating allegations a former Don Dale detainee received a death threat ahead of his appearance before the royal commission into youth detention. Kenny Rogan, 14, has been out of youth detention in Darwin for six months. He has alleged that while he was there guards stripped off his clothes with a knife. Media player: "Space" to play, "M" to mute, "left" and "right" to seek. 00:00 00:00 AUDIO: Death threat made against former Don Dale inmate. (ABC News) His father, Colin Rogan, believes he has been threatened because the teenager is expected to give evidence before the commission in March. Mr Rogan said he received a call on his mobile phone on Wednesday night. "It was life-threatening mainly towards my son," he said. "When I asked the caller to come around and speak to us face to face he said he'd come around at night time when we were asleep and kill the both of us. "It sounded like a person who has got a bit of authority in his life, only certain types of people talk like that: clear, concise and to the point, and very quick," he said. "It frightened the hell out of me and my son."

Indigenous communities harvesting gubinge in Western Australia's far north are reporting some big yields this wet season. (ABC News) January 2017 The bush tucker, which is also known as Kakadu plum, is found across northern Australia and regarded as having more vitamin C than any other fruit. Lenny O'Meara from Kimberley Wild Gubinge said after big rains in December, there was an abundance of quality fruit on the Dampier Peninsula, north of Broome. "The season up here is very good this year because of the rain," he told ABC Rural. "The trees have flourished with the water and the fruit is abundant, especially compared to last year when it was a bit drier and there wasn't as much fruit around. "So it's really good picking this year and the fruit are nice and fat." Mr O'Meara said when the plums tasted 'tangy' it was a sign the vitamin C content was high. He said the quality of fruit this year was proving to be excellent. MORE: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-01-12/big-yields-for-gubinge-industry-north-of-broome/8173320

The University of Melbourne has issued an apology to the Forgotten Australians, expressing regret that researchers linked to the institution were involved in experiments performed on children in state care. The move has prompted calls for other educational institutions to follow suit and make a concerted effort to contact anyone used as a subject without consent. Barbara Miller reporting for ABC Radio PM 18 Nov 2009

The WA Government has once again refused to commit to a mandatory notification service when an Aboriginal person comes into police custody, despite the recommendations of a high-profile coronial inquest. Last week the coroner found 22-year-old Aboriginal woman Ms Dhu had been "treated inhumanely" and that her death in custody was preventable. The coroner recommended WA once again consider a Custody Notification Service, like the one which exists in New South Wales and the ACT. Sarah Dingle reported this story on Friday, December 23, 2016 with Ruth Barson, Human Rights Law Centre

Bruce is a prolific writer and editor of fiction for adults and young people, and he also writes essays and history. His most recent work presents a radically different picture of Australia's original inhabitants, and how they maintained their culture over millennia. From the journals and records of early explorers and surveyors, Bruce has accumulated astonishing descriptions of a pre-colonial Aboriginal life. Mitchell, Sturt and others describe scenes all around the country of Aboriginal people engineering sophisticated dwellings and irrigation systems. They also describe the cultivation of vast areas of land for yam fields, and the harvesting, storage and milling of grain crops. Bruce is of Tasmanian, Bunurong and Yuin heritage and he lives on country, deep in the Victorian bush.

In Every Mother’s Son is Guilty, Chris Owen provides a compelling account of policing in the Kimberley district from 1882, when police were established in the district, until 1905 when Dr. Walter Roth’s controversial Royal Commission into the treatment of Aboriginal people was released. Owen’s achievement is to take elements of the pre-existing historiography and test them against a rigorous archival investigation. In doing so a fuller understanding of the complex social, economic and political changes occurring in Western Australia during the period are exposed. The policing of Aboriginal people changed from one of protection under law to one of punishment and control. The subsequent violence of colonial settlement and the associated policing and criminal justice system that developed, often of questionable legality, was what Royal Commissioner Roth termed a ‘brutal and outrageous state of affairs’. Every Mother's Son is Guilty: Policing the Kimberley Frontier of Western Australia 1882-1905 Every Mother’s Son is Guilty is a significant contribution to Australian and colonial criminal justice history. UWA Publishing http://uwap.uwa.edu.au/products/every-mothers-son-is-guilty-policing-the-kimberley-frontier-of-western-australia-1882-1905

ABC Alice Springs

The Northern Territory youth detention Royal Commission has been told that vitriolic comments by government members created an environment for the abuse of young offenders. Alice Springs Legal Aid lawyer Russell Goldflam gave evidence during the commission's final day of public hearings this year. The hearings had been set aside for evidence from young people, but those plans were abandoned. Featured: Russell Goldflam, principal legal officer, NT Legal Aid Commission Alice Springs Peggy Dwyer, counsel for North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency source abc pm

The longest surviving culture on earth has a lot to offer modern Australia CAAMA NEWS 8th Dec 2016 Indigenous mental health academic Tanja Hirvonen talks to CAAMA's Paul Wiles about how the longest surviving culture on earth has a lot to offer modern Australia ...

From the series 'What keeps me Awake' ABC Radio National Dr Tony Birch Academic, educator and author of Ghost River The Bruce McGuiness Indigenous Research fellowship, Moondani Balluk Academic Unit, Victoria University

The Royal Commission into the Protection and Detention of Children in the Northern Territory has been told the current Don Dale detention centre is being run like a human storage facility. The author of a damning report about the Territory's corrections system is giving evidence at public hearings this week. Keith Hamburger says he and his staff have been horrified at conditions inside the former adult prison which is now being used to detain young people. Featured: Keith Hamburger, 'A Safer Northern Territory through Correctional Interventions' report author Tony McAvoy SC, Senior Counsel Assisting the NT royal commission Margaret White, co-commissioner for the NT royal commission

Between the 1790's to the 1870's, many shipwreck survivors and convict escapees managed to survive after being taken in by Australia's Indigenous communities. Living with the Locals tells the stories of some of these men, women and children. Authors John Maynard and Victoria Haskins join Patricia Karvelas in The Drawing Room. John Maynard is the Director at the Wollotuka Institute of Aboriginal Studies, University of Newcastle and Chair of Indigenous History Victoria Haskins is an Historian at the University of Newcastle ABC RN 'The Drawing Room', Producer Barbara Heggen IMAGE: 'William Buckley introduces himself to Batman's party' (State Library of Victoria) - Image touched up - to view the image in its origibal state see: - http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/image/8075534-3x2-700x467.jpg Source link: http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/drawingroom/living-with-the-locals/8075512