I thought that Geoff Clark's letter to the editor of the Australian , which the Australian did not print, but which the Koori Mail has, is the sort of information that should be printed in the major dailies.
It rarely is, because it conflicts with the message that the Howard Government, and obviously Murdoch , wish to foist on the Australian people. Thank goodness there are publications like the Koori Mail to give another side of the story---the trouble is, not enough people read it. Laurie ------------------------------- ----- Original Message ----- From: "Christine Howes" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "RecOzNet" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Wednesday, February 20, 2002 11:57 AM Subject: [recoznettwo] in Koori Mail this fortnight.... from: http://www.koorimail.com To get the full stories subscribe to the Koori mail now. Email us at [EMAIL PROTECTED] The Koori Mail welcomes editorial contributions, whether they be news, letters, poems or sports stories. Editorial contributions should be emailed to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] 'Stolen' story on the big screen 'A mother who wants to protect her child, a child who wants to stay with her mother.' A simple message that is played out in one of the most poignant moments in a new feature film, 'Rabbit-Proof Fence', could be a catalyst for a better understanding of the plight of Aboriginal peoples by audiences, particularly the wider Australian public. The film is the true story of Molly Craig, a young Aboriginal girl who leads her younger sister, Daisy, and cousin, Gracie, in an escape from a government institution in Western Australia in the 1930s, set up as part of a policy to train Aboriginal children as domestic workers and integrate them into white society. Molly guides the girls on an epic journey, from Moore River Native Settlement, near Perth, back to their Jigalong community, one step ahead of the authorities, over 2000km of Australia's outback in search of the rabbit-proof fence that bisects the continent and may lead them home. He's clocked up 30 years in the Navy 'Pretty good'. That was the response by Petty Officer Bill McBride when asked how he felt about serving 30 years in the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), becoming the longest-serving Aboriginal seaman. Three decades ago, 17-year-old Bill McBride was working at a ship-building yard in the Brisbane suburb of Kangaroo Point in 1972, and wondering why he was helping to build ships when he could be travelling the world's oceans in them. Thirty years later and PO McBride, who grew up in the Brisbane suburb of Zillmere, is now celebrating his decision that day (February 14, 1972) to enlist in the Royal Australian Navy (RAN). PO McBride, now based at the submarine training school at HMAS Stirling naval base in Perth in Western Australia, is qualified to train submariners how to use cameras on periscopes, and has been in recent years involved in the recruitment of Indigenous peoples into Australia's armed forces. Magabala turns 15 Broome-based Magabala Books is still growing strong after 15 years, with more than 70 publications under its belt. The name Magabala refers to a native bush banana that has seeds that spread. And spreading is the aim of the book company. Magabala started off with Kimberley books but now has manuscripts sent to it from all over Australia. The only State which hasn't had a book published is Tasmania, but talks are under way with Indigenous writers. Administration assistant Tazuko Kaino said: "Magabala's conception started at a bush meeting outside of Fitzroy Crossing, where 300 Aboriginal people decided it was time to record their own stories and publish them in book form. "The Kimberley Aboriginal Language Council helped us to get off the ground with funding. Until then few Indigenous people were credited for their knowledge or given any royalties." Traditional owners 'not a burden' The minerals industry should stop thinking of traditional owners as a burden on their mines or indeed on their minds, according to Mick Dodson. Speaking at the opening of the Mining Minerals and Sustainable Development Project's International Workshop on Indigenous Peoples and Mining, Dr Dodson said the industry should recognise the greater benefits it could achieve by establishing new relationships with the traditional owners of the land on which it operates. Dr Dodson called for a paradigm shift in relations between minerals developers and Indigenous communities. He called on mining companies to show good faith in their negotiations with traditional owners, to communicate more freely and to recognise and protect the rights of Indigenous peoples. He said successful minerals developers would also need to demonstrate understanding and appreciation of Indigenous heritage and culture. Fire crew honoured Tens of thousands of people lined the streets of Sydney recently to honour firefighters and emergency service volunteers who fought tirelessly to save lives and property in the NSW Christmas bushfires and standing proudly among those heroes was the Wreck Bay Volunteer Rural Fire Brigade. Wreck Bay are the only all-Indigenous brigade in NSW, and perhaps Australia, according to their captain, Phillip McLeod. "It's the first parade for our firefighters, and it's a proud day for us especially our Koori brigade and for Wreck Bay," he said. "People are congratulating us and it's great. We're not the only lot here, and to our other colleagues we're thankful, but we just want to show that Kooris can get out there and have a go too." Social consequences for TSI people A way of life and a social mindset changed on June 3, 1992. Not only had a myth been dispelled, but a people had gained legal recognition of the culture, beliefs and traditions they had been struggling to maintain for the past 200 years, says Torres Strait Regional Authority chairman Terry Waia. "Torres Strait Islanders, Aborigines and Indigenous people around the world rejoiced when the High Court ruled in favour of the Meriam plaintiffs who had sought native title for their island, but what of the social impact and its influence on political culture for those who lived at Mer and in neighbouring communities within the Torres Strait region?" he said. "In the period directly following the historic decision, many people, at all levels within the region, struggled to fully understand what this decision meant for the collective Torres Strait or for individual communities." Flag row brings apology Port Augusta city manager John Stephens has apologised to the Indigenous people of the region following a dispute over the flying of the Aboriginal and Islander flags. Flying flags has been a controversial issue in Port Augusta since NAIDOC 2000 when Mayor Joy Baluch refused to allow the raising of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags. She justified her refusal by stating that only the Australian flag and flags of the allies could be flown from the flagpoles in the town square because it is a war memorial. Controversy flared again during Federation celebrations late last year in Port Augusta. It arose because the three flag poles in the town's city square were flying Federation banners. Seeing the poles used for three Federation banners was described as 'an insult to the Aboriginal community', by Vince Coulthard, an Aboriginal community leader and director of Umeewarra Aboriginal Media. Thaiday gets the call Last year Milton Thaiday was playing rugby league in the Group One competition in northern NSW. This month he pulled on a NSW Waratahs jumper and played rugby union against the Auckland Blues in New Zealand. Thaiday's rapid rise to football stardom came as no surprise to anyone who watched him play league last year for the Lismore Workers Warriors he won the Group's Player of the Year award and represented Northern Rivers. But many thought he would make his mark in league instead of union. Several National Rugby League (NRL) clubs had shown interest, but nothing more than offering him a pre-season trial. Then one of Waratahs coach Bob Dwyer's country contacts telephoned the NSW coach, telling him he had seen a player in Lismore he would be interested in. --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] --------------------------------------------------------------------- RecOzNet2 has a page @ http://www.green.net.au/recoznet2 and is archived at http://www.mail-archive.com/recoznet2%40paradigm4.com.au/ until 11 March, 2001 and Recoznettwo is archived at http://www.mail-archive.com/recoznettwo%40green.net.au/ from that date. This posting is provided to the individual members of this group without permission from the copyright owner for purposes of criticism, comment, scholarship and research under the "fair use" provisions of the Federal copyright laws and it may not be distributed further without permission of the copyright owner, except for "fair use." --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] --------------------------------------------------------------------- RecOzNet2 has a page @ http://www.green.net.au/recoznet2 and is archived at http://www.mail-archive.com/recoznet2%40paradigm4.com.au/ until 11 March, 2001 and Recoznettwo is archived at http://www.mail-archive.com/recoznettwo%40green.net.au/ from that date. This posting is provided to the individual members of this group without permission from the copyright owner for purposes of criticism, comment, scholarship and research under the "fair use" provisions of the Federal copyright laws and it may not be distributed further without permission of the copyright owner, except for "fair use."
