February 13 was a life-changing day, writes AMY McQUIRE*, but the fight continues for justice for the Stolen Generations.

I remember where I was on February 13, 2008.

Things had been turned on its head, I thought, as I watched the proceedings from the press gallery. Continue reading this post…

Here’s one sign that our Prime Minister Kevin Rudd may finally be letting the plane fumes from his constant travels get to his head:

According to Strewth in the Australian newspaper:

Oh, by the way, did you hear what Kev08 said in question time yesterday: “That venerable national journal of repute, The Australian.”

Seems like a bit of an oxymoron to me.

Timing, as they say, is everything in politics. Here’s a Churchillian Kevin Rudd at the Monday launch of the National Australia Bank’s Reconciliation Action Plan, a program run by Reconciliation Australia which aims to convince corporate Australia to help blackfellas through the creation of real jobs.

Lighting the candle of hope is one thing. Building a bridge called respect between indigenous and non-indigenous communities is another thing. Crossing that bridge and then embarking on the practicalities of reconciliation - that is something else.

It is indeed. All we need now is a ‘bridge too far’ and a ‘fork in the road’ and we’ll have the makings of a small village. Continue reading this post…

The controversial Queenslander Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Foundation (QATSIF) was launched late last month.

For those who haven’t been following one of the greatest scandals in Queensland history, the fund is made up of $15 million from the Queensland government’s scheme to compensate Aboriginal Queenslanders who had their wages stolen throughout their life.

The rest of the fund contains $10.8 million from the Aborigines Welfare Fund. Basically, the Queensland government is using the stolen wages of Aboriginal workers to substitute for what should be government expenditure in Indigenous education.

The Queensland government doesn’t seem to understand how offensive it is. Continue reading this post…

I went and watched one the hyped up Australia on its opening night in a near empty cinema in Canberra.

The fact it was near empty confused me, but not so much as the movie. Continue reading this post…

He may have deleted the racist verse about Indigeous Australians from his hit “Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport”, but taking the eraser to a song doesn’t get rid of the attitude.

This is what Rolf Harris thinks is the solutions for the plight of Aboriginal people, as reported in the Sydney Morning Herald

But half a century after penning the controversial lyrics, the London-based expatriate has not succumbed to political correctness. He blames traditional Aboriginal values for the dire living conditions in many indigenous communities.

“The attitude is that in their original way of life they would really wreck the surrounding countryside that they lived in and they would leave all the garbage and they would go walkabout to the next place,” he said.

“The traditional attitude is still there and I wish there was a simple solution but I’m not certain.”He has strong views about some Aborigines lamenting the conditions of their communities.

“You sit at home watching the television and you think to yourself, ‘Get up off your arse and clean up the streets your bloody self’ and ‘Why would you expect somebody to come in and clean up your garbage which you’ve dumped everywhere?’ But then you have to think to yourself that it’s a different attitude to life.

“Aboriginal children were never disciplined or expected to adhere to rules until adulthood, he said. “[Until] then they have a totally carefree life to do what they want and that quite often involves smashing everything that they have.” 

Continue reading this post…

If you read the article ‘Deadly’ youth jam with Indigenous Activists Andi and George Band’, here is a quick introduction to the writer… Continue reading this post…

By Madelaine Sealey
NEW SOUTH WALES

Indigenous group Young Black n Deadly (Y.B.D) were joined by the musical talent of the Andi and George Band in an evening of hip hop, reggae, jazz, rhythm and blues at Axis youth Centre as part of the Queanbeyan folk festival which took place earlier this month.

Against a backdrop of purple and green graffiti, Y.B.D members, Malcolm Bell, 14, Chris Antram, 15, Mikaela Holden, Richard ‘Bud’ Fernando, 12 and sister Kiah Fernando, 12, rapped out lyrics about life as Indigenous youth as part of a live show for the festival on 7th November. Continue reading this post…

Looks like Australia doesn’t have a complete monopoly on ignorance….

Lockwood Smith has spoken exclusively to ONE News, expressing deep remorse for his controversial immigration comments.

“I wasn’t expressing my view, I was simply reporting what people had been telling me. Now I can see how those comments taken out of that context could cause offence, and I apologise unreservedly for that offence caused,” Smith says.

Smith suggested Asians were better fruit pickers because of their small hands and Pacific Islanders needed to be taught how to use the toilet and shower.

“I was simply reporting to a reporter what I had been told by the employers and contractors that day about the problems they have been experiencing,” Smith explains.

See the rest of the story here.

It’s amazing that at the AUSTRALIAN Record Industry Awards (ARIAs) an Aboriginal musician is often touted as being out of the ordinary.

For a population of only 500,000, we have produced an amazing array of musical talent that has yet to be recognized.

For Indigenous music to seem almost out-of-the-ordinary at Australian music’s night of nights seems a shame to me.

But that should not get in the way of the congratulations that are due for a truly great musician.

Even if Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu never releases another album, I think his self-titled solo debut will mean his name and voice will be remembered and celebrated in our country for a very very long time. Continue reading this post…