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An overview of the Indigenous rights movement from the beginning of the century.
1914 Indigenous men fight alongside non indigenous men in WWI; aka
- Black Diggers but come to a land of racism and segregation
1918
Watch:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJostEoV-OM
1938 Day of Mourning held by the Aborigines League (est 1932) and the
Aborigines Progressive Association (1937). It is the first major protest
by Indigenous people.
The manifesto “Aborigines Claim Citizen Rights” and the newspaper
“Abo Call” are published
1958 The Federal Council for the Advancement of Aborigines (later the
Federal Council for the Advancement of Aborigines and Torres Strait
Islanders) begins a ten year campaign to end Constitution's
discrimination against Indigenous people.
1962 All Indigenous people are given the vote in Commonwealth elections.
1967
On August 16, 1975 Prime Minister Gough Whitlam gave the following
speech when handing over freehold title of the Gurindji lands to Vincent
Lingiari. The speech was written by Dr HC 'Nugget' Coombs.
'On this great day, I, Prime Minister of Australia, speak to you on behalf of all
Australians who honour and love this land we live in. For them, I want: first,
to congratulate you and those who have shared your struggle on the victory
you have won in that fight for justice begun nine years ago when, in protest,
you walked off Wave Hill station;
Prime Minister Gough Whitlam pours soil into the hands of traditional land
owner Vincent Lingiari, Northern Territory
1975
Sources:
http://www.nfsa.gov.au/digitallearning/mabo/info/WhitlamGurindji.htm
http://www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/collection/works/58.2000/
1983 Aboriginal Land Rights Act 1983 (NSW) recognizes dispossession and
displacement.
1992 Mabo decision by the High Court overturns terra nullius and rules that
native title exists over unalienated Crown land, national parks and
reserves.
◦ Eddie Mabo (c. 29 June 1936 – 21 January 1992[1]) was an Indigenous
Australian man from the Torres Strait Islands known for his role in
campaigning for Indigenous land rights and for his role in a landmark
decision of the High Court of Australia which overturned the legal
doctrine of terra nullius ("nobody's land") which characterised
Australian law with regard to land and title.
◦ The Mabo Case was a significant legal case in Australia that recognised
the land rights of the Meriam people, traditional owners of the Murray
Islands (which include the islands of Mer, Dauer and Waier) in the
Torres Strait. The Mabo Case challenged the existing Australian legal
system from two perspectives:
◦ On the assumption that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
had no concept of land ownership before the arrival of British
colonisers in 1788 (terra nullius).
◦ That sovereignty delivered complete ownership of all land in the new
Colony to the Crown, abolishing any existing rights that may have
existed previously.
First “Survival Day” concert held at La Perouse (in 1998 the event
moves to Waverley Oval near Bondi Beach).
10 Dec: Paul Keating's Redfern Park speech for the launch of the
United Nations International Year for the World's Indigenous People
Watch
https://www.creativespirits.info/aboriginalculture/politics/paul-
keatings-redfern-speech#toc0
1993 Native Title Act.
1995 HREOC National Inquiry into the Separation of Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander Children from their Families announced.
Mid-1990s: NAIDOC wound up as ATSIC assumes responsibility for
NAIDOC Week
1997 Bringing Them Home, the report of the inquiry into the Stolen
Generations, is released. It recommends a national sorry day to
commemorate the history and effects of removing children from their
families.
PM Howard makes a personal apology to the Stolen Generations, but
refuses to make an official apology on behalf of Australia.
At the National Reconciliation Conference on 27th May, hundreds of
people turn their backs on Howard during his speech, in protest at his
refusal to apologise to the Stolen Generations.
“Sea of Hands” outside Parliament House in Canberra in support of
reconciliation and the Wik decision.
1998 Native Title Amendment Act 1998 is passed; seen by many to reduce
native title rights for Indigenous people.
First National Sorry Day – over 1 million signatures collected in Sorry
Books.
John Howard & Liberals re-elected; commits to reconciliation by 2001
in his election victory speech.
Watch
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqBRYMdIVzU
Watch
2008 13th February: Prime Minister Kevin Rudd says 'Sorry' to the Stolen
Generations.
Watch
Sorry, Kevin Rudd's Apology to "The stolen Generation”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3TZOGpG6cM
Closing the Gap was developed in response to the call of the Social
justice report 2005 and the Close the Gap social justice campaign. In
March 2008, Australian governments and Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander people agreed 'to work together to achieve equality in health
status and life expectancy between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
peoples and non-Indigenous Australians by the year 2030' when they
signed the Indigenous health equality summit statement of intent.
https://www.humanrights.gov.au/publications/constitutional-
reform-fact-sheet-recognising-aboriginal-torres-strait-islander-
people
Watch
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cIZQeJmXTDo&feature=youtu.be
&rel=0&modestbranding=1&autohide=1&showinfo=0
Watch
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jR9Hkl_y3ho&feature=youtu.be&r
el=0&modestbranding=1&autohide=1&showinfo=0
Watch:
You Can’t Ask That – Indigenous episode
http://iview.abc.net.au/programs/you-cant-ask-that/LE1517H008S00
Sources:
http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2010/11/08/timeline-indigenous-rights-movement