The sad reality is that if the demands of these early activists had been met nearly a century ago, we would not be suffering the severe disadvantage that hovers over Aboriginal lives still today.
In NSW and wider Australia, there is a history of First Nations people fighting for land rights. However, while there have been successes, there are a significant number of unprocessed claims in NSW.
Country by Bruce Pascoe and Bill Gammage is a dialogue between experts on First Nations ways of farming and agriculture. It is also a call to Australia to look after Country better.
Joe Dortch, The University of Western Australia; Anne Poelina, University of Notre Dame Australia; Jo Thomson, The University of Western Australia, and Kado Muir, Indigenous Knowledge
Western Australia’s Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Bill 2021 is set to become law. But the new legislation states one elected official will decide whether heritage sites are destroyed for development.
Recently Queensland police recognised the cultural rights of Wangan and Jagalingou people to conduct ceremony under provisions of a Human Rights Act. What does this mean for other Traditional Owners?
The A Way Forward report addresses the issues of cultural heritage protection in Australia after Rio Tinto destroyed Juukan Gorge. However, achieving change will be far from straightforward.
There is a contradiction between the New South Wales government’s plan for Closing the Gap and its persecution of Aboriginal people who want to maintain their saltwater culture.
A federal system could deliver on three of the four key elements of the Uluru Statement. Plus, all the elements already exist or are in the works in Australia.
The decision will have huge implications for Indigenous peoples who have lost their land rights and for state and territory governments that may be liable for compensation.
While planning policies and practices have contributed to marginalising Indigenous people, planners can now work with them to ensure they have their rightful say in shaping Australian communities.