Warning: I name a few Indigenous Peoples who have passed away. There are a few distressing images regarding Indigenous People being abused.
This post was spurred by the current Black Lives Matter Movement in Australia and the response from my Australian Government, most of the mainstream media and many of my fellow Australians.
As the Black Lives Matter Movement became organised, mass protests in America and around the world, Australia looked on with a modicum of support. This was especially strong when a Channel 7 (mainstream privately-owned media) news crew at the protests were assaulted by police. Generally speaking, our country looks upon what is happening in America, and what we see in TV and Film (we are raised on a lot of US and UK media), as validated. Australia does has a level of awareness, depending on who you speak to, about the relevancy of the BLM movement here, as well.
But I write today about the fact that we are not supplied with the same information regarding our very similar issues to our Indigenous Peoples in all mainstream media and in great frequency. of the very insidious racism that has never left Australia. In fact, it has gotten far, far worse. Australia is a very, very racist country and we should all be furious.
Indigenous deaths in police custody:
- The 1991 Australia had a royal commission into the immense amount of Indigenous deaths in police custody. They examined 99 Indigenous Australians deaths and made over 300 recommendations to help curb and ultimately stop this issue
- “For five years after the royal commission's final report, action on its recommendations was regularly monitored – but never after. If its recommendations had been followed, most of the more than 400 deaths in the years since could have been prevented, experts believe.” https://www.creativespirits.info/aboriginalculture/law/royal-commission-into-aboriginal-deaths-in-custody
- Since that commission, the number of deaths has increased by 150% and we now have 434 deaths in custody currently and not one person has been convicted despite much evidence in the form of many witness reports or audio/visual proof that there was foul play or neglect - see David Dungay Jnr., Ms. Dhu, Eddie Murray, Wayne Fella Morrison)
- Currently, Indigenous Australians are almost 20 times more likely to be incarcerated than other Australians.
The Intervention was a cover up to remove Indigenous land ownership:
This is a very long and complex subject as the Intervention has done massive damage to Indigenous communities and it's people - to the very core, stripping them of their dignity and identity. It’s still ongoing and Labor continued it.
- In 2006 the NT government commissioned a report into rumours of rampant pedophilia and organised pedophile rings within NT Indigenous communities. “Little Children are Sacred” which documented issues of abuse and pedophilia within Indigenous Communites in Northern Australia. This report confirmed that there was an issue of child sexual abuse, something that these communities have been asking for assistance for a long time prior and detailed the underlying causes of abuse. It concluded with a recommendation to open a dialogue with the communities and come to an agreement on what needed to be implemented.
- This report as well as the rumours of pedophile rings and drug use (with a few witness interviews and reports) was picked up by Lateline, their subsequent report caused a media flurry, national outrage and a demand for the government to solve this issue and save the children.
- The government wrote up the, "2007 NT Emergency Response Act" which detailed a military-style takeover of the NT which included strict enforcement against minor offences, an increased police presence and full land takeover - removing Indigenous land ownership. This was done with no consultation or discussions with the elders of these communities - a UN human rights violation.
- Indigenous Peoples were given no warning. Most found out about a military-style government take over of their communities through the news.
The wider reforms:
- The 2007 NT Emergency Response Act barely brings up the issue of abused children and has a strong focus on land ownership
- “Township leases were compulsorily acquired over Aboriginal-owned land by the Commonwealth for a five-year period. And the permit system administered by Aboriginal land councils to control access to Aboriginal land was revoked.”
- Due to the permit system being revoked, mining companies had no "complications" with negotiations
- The incredibly strict laws surrounding minor offences sees many Indigenous People jailed such as unpaid fines (for which they are unable to afford) which makes 60% of all Indigenous Peoples incarcarated. This has been a key instigator for the 150% increase regarding deaths in custody (with 0 convictions):
So what about those reports of complex and nefarious pedophile rings?
Article at the time from ABC: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2006-05-17/break-up-indigenous-paedophile-rings-brough/1755274
- The ACC did not find proof of any organised pedophile rings - past or present.
- A key witness of the Lateline report - a, “youth worker” in the Mutitjulu community, claimed he had seen rampant abuse. He actually worked for Indigenous Affairs Minister Mal Brough (one of the key architects in the Intervention) and was not a youth worker at all and had never been there. Our government planted a fake witness to “verify” the pedophile ring lie to incentivise the public into support the Intervention.
- "Little Children are Sacred" also documented an issue with non-Indigenous pedophiles infiltrating Indigenous communities - which was either minimised or never brought to attention by the mainstream media then or since, further fuelling racism against black Indigenous men
- Indigenous Peoples have been advocating for assistance and discussions with the government for help in this issue for many years prior, which never happened
- This report which was considered groundbreaking by mainstream media but was one of many saying the same thing over the years. It's publishing coincided with the Howard government's growing interest in a land takeover
Just a quick rundown of all one needs to know about John Howard:
In the end, the Intervention has not only done very little, it has severely impacted Indigenous Peoples mental and physical health (which was already very poor due to inter generational trauma, racism and oppressive poverty with little support.) There have been breadcrumbs of funding over the years to the facilities (rehab, therapy and grassroots, local employment) that actually help the underlying causes of these problems but lots of funding to the police. The issues highlighted in Little Children are Sacred are ongoing.
The Stolen Generation never ended:
- 60 Indigenous children are removed from their families by DoCS every month.
- The most common reason is neglect and emotional abuse but those reasonings become foggy in the face of absolute poverty
- Most caseworkers are from a middle class background and it is uncertain if they have had enough education in different cultural upbringings
- ”A Special Commission of Inquiry into the Department of Community Services found that in March 2008 there were 4,458 Aboriginal children in out-of-home care, 4 times as many Aboriginal children as were in foster homes, institutions or missions in 1969, during the Stolen Generations. 8% of Aboriginal people aged 15 years and over were removed from their natural families in 2008” - the year of the National Apology by Kevin Rudd
- ”fewer and fewer of those kids are being placed with extended family or even within their own Indigenous community, counter to the placement principles legislated by the government and contrary to Article 20 of the Convention of the Rights of the Child (United Nation 1989).”
Don Dale Correctional Facility:
(Also read about Pinkenba Six)
(Also read about Pinkenba Six)
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2018/may/24/don-dale-no-charges-to-be-laid-over-royal-commission-findings
That photo barely scrapes the surface of the horrors that happen at Don Dale. I’ll briefly list a few incidents:
Boys are kept in solitary confinement which is a UN human rights violation: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-07-25/four-corners-evidence-of-kids-tear-gas-in-don-dale-prison/7656128
Incidents highlighted in the Four Corners report include:
- 6 kids in solitary confinement were tear gassed 10 times in their cell - 5 with no way to escape and one escaping their cell when a guard left it open (accidental?)
- Initially the centre claimed (and most media reported as such) that they caused a riot despite CCTV that shows a child mouthing off to a guard. The child who escaped was called a “little fucker” for asking when he’d get out of solitary. The children who were locked in their cell were traumatised and tried to hide away from the gas in their bed or by shoving their head into the toilet and one child was left in his cell for 8 minutes on the floor with his hands behind his back
- Some kids escaped the facility only to be placed in solitary for 15-16 days when they were found with no access to education, books or running water
Incidents brought up by men who were in Don Dale:
- Guards organised to have kids fight each other in the showers away from CCTV, some guards even said they would bribe the kids with chocolate or coke (the drink) to get them to fight in cells for entertainment
- One guard encouraged a kid to eat bird shit so the guard could film it on snapchat which was then rewarded with chocolates
And the response from corrections minister John Elferink regarding tear gassing children in small enclosed cells?
"I congratulate again, and place my support behind the staff who made this decision. The staff worked hard, Fluffy the Alsatian worked hard (note: this line says everything you need to know about this man's character) and, as far as we are concerned, it was a problem that was solved quickly,"
The decimation of sacred Indigenous grounds by mining and how mining conglomerates treat Traditional Owners:
Our mainstream media is still giving a platform to racism (and support of eugenics):
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/1369118X.2017.1293130?src=recsys&
The infamous Kerri Ann Kennerly vs. Yumi Stynes, the latter was crucified for calling racist comments racist:
The infamous Kerri Ann Kennerly vs. Yumi Stynes, the latter was crucified for calling racist comments racist:
How we treat Adam Goodes’:
Letting a bunch of white supremacists openly support the stolen generation on Sunrise and advocate for another one (demonstrating their in-depth knowledge) based on the pedophile ring lie:
In regards to right-wing extremism and racism in the police force with no punishment, simply ask for stories from Indigenous Peoples everywhere.
Every single year since the late 30s, many Indigenous Australians protest against Australia Day and there have been countless protests regarding the very, very long list of serious issues that are not being addressed by our government. As I have stated many times above, there has been no change on many fronts and many issues are getting worse, more Indigenous People are dying. Right now in the world, in an incredibly rare moment, black people are being listened to and are able to pressure government bodies to make changes. The world is listening and our Indigenous Australians have taken that chance because maybe in 2 weeks… people will no longer be listening. This is not a situation where we have the ground to sit back and condemn a peoples who have been through all of this. I’m ashamed that we are still so ignorant, that our government conceals such abuses but most of all that we think we are above the US in their systemic racism. I'd argue that we are worse.
In regards to how the government handled the current protests - it was deplorable. According to the three organisers of the NSW BLM protest on the saturday, there was no attempts from the government or police to engage in a discussion on how to move forward - the police went straight to the judge to get an order regarding protests extended for the BLM march. A lesson in how not to de-escalate a situation. History repeats itself. Please, close your mouth and open your ears. It’s time to listen to our First Australians.
#BlackLivesMatter
How you can help:
