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NATSIEC Newsletter
August 2010
In This Issue
NCCA recognises DRIP
International Day of Indigenous Peoples
Leaders overlook Aboriginal issues
High Court finds Ngarrindjeri beliefs are genuine
Calls for Abolition of NTER
2010Martung Upah Appeal
 
 
This is the newsletter of the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Ecumenical Commission (NATSIEC) which is a commission of the National Council of Churches in Australia (NCCA).  

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NCCA Forum recognises the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
 
NATSIEC is a commission of the National Council of Churches in Australia (NCCA).  In 2005, the NCCA and NATSIEC signed a memorandum of Understanding (MOU). The intent of the MOU was to have in place an agreed procedure for the NCCA to act respectfully, appropriately, and in solidarity, with Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander peoples, through NATSIEC. Since the original MOU was signed the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (DRIP) has been endorsed, with the Australian Government confirming its support in 2007. At the NCCA Forum, held in June 2010, the MOU was amended to recognize this development. An amended statement was added which reads:
 
The NCCA notes the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and affirms particularly its principles of equality, nondiscrimination, consultation and cooperation when pursuing harmonious and respectful relationships with the First Peoples of this land.
 
 To view the full MOU click here
 
NATSIEC will work with member Churches and others to explore and advise how the principles of DRIP can provide further guidance on how to develop respectful and effective relationships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
International Day of Indigenous Peoples - It's not enough to support the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, says UN expert
 
The following statement has been issued by the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of the human rights and fundamental freedoms of indigenous people, James Anaya, to mark the International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples.
 
GENEVA (9 August 2010) - "The poorest among the poor, indigenous peoples continue to be at the margins of power and, in many cases, disregard of their basic human rights escalates into violence against them," said the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of the human rights and fundamental freedoms of indigenous people, James Anaya, in commemoration of the International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples.
 
"However, they have preserved, generation after generation, an extraordinary wealth of knowledge, culture, and spirituality in the common benefit of humankind, contributing significantly to the world's diversity and environmental sustainability," the UN independent expert noted.
 
"Still, it is painfully apparent that historical patterns of oppression continue to manifest themselves in ongoing barriers to the full enjoyment of human rights by indigenous peoples," Mr. Anaya said. 
"Indigenous peoples continue to see their traditional lands invaded by powerful actors seeking wealth at their expense, thereby depriving them of life-sustaining resources."
 
These ongoing threats shed light on the need for a stronger commitment to the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples*, which was adopted by the UN General Assembly in 2007. It affirms the right of indigenous peoples to self-determination and equality, and to maintain their distinctive cultures within traditional territories. Since its adoption, the very few States that voted against it have changed or are in the process of reassessing their positions. Nevertheless, the human rights expert warned that a great deal remains to be done to see the objectives of the Declaration become a reality in the everyday lives of indigenous peoples.
 
"Today the Declaration remains more of a reminder of how far there is to go in bringing justice and dignity to the lives of indigenous peoples than a reflection of what has actually been achieved on the ground." The Special Rapporteur expressed his fear that the wide gap between the Declaration and its effective implementation will persist, leading to a certain complacency and acceptance of that condition: 

"This cannot be allowed to happen; the faithful implementation of the Declaration must be the focus of concerted attention by governments worldwide, the UN system, and other actors."
 
As part of this action, States should engage in comprehensive reviews of their existing legislation and administrative programs to identify where they may be incompatible with the Declaration. On the basis of such review, necessary legal and programmatic reforms should be developed and implemented, in consultation with indigenous peoples. 

Similarly, States should be committed to devoting significant human and financial resources to the measure required to implement the Declaration. These resources will typically be required for the demarcation and protection of indigenous lands, the development of culturally appropriate educational programs, support for indigenous self-governance institutions, and the many other measures contemplated by the Declaration.
 
The Special Rapporteur notes that many important measures have already been taken by States and other actors to implement the Declaration, and expresses his sincere hope is that such initiatives will take root much more broadly than they have to date, and that experiences will be shared to strengthen these initiatives.
 
"Implementing indigenous peoples' rights under the Declaration will bring historical justice to this too often ignored segment of humanity and help advance principles of equality, self-determination and respect for diversity, which that are basic tenets of the modern human rights system," Mr. Anaya said.
Leaders overlook Aboriginal issues
   
NZ Herald article - 8:56 AM Saturday Aug 7, 2010
 
SYDNEY - Aboriginal disadvantage hasn't rated a mention in the Australian election campaign - there are few votes in it. But as the party leaders criss-crossed the country this week, shocking evidence emerged at a government inquiry: children in remote indigenous communities are starving.
 

The claims were made by child protection workers, who said the situation was so dire that an international aid-style programme was needed - an extraordinary state of affairs in one of the world's most affluent nations. The workers called for essential food to be delivered by an organisation such as Oxfam or the Red Cross to ensure that children got enough to eat.
 
The inquiry was established by the Northern Territory Government, with the aim of strengthening the child-protection system. It has already heard a series of disturbing allegations, including that children in remote communities are left to wander unsupervised at night, or are abandoned when their parents go on drinking sessions.
 
It was the Northern Territory that was targeted by a Federal Government "intervention", initially aimed at tackling child sex abuse. The intervention, which began three years ago during the conservative reign of then Prime Minister John Howard, continued under his Labor successor Kevin Rudd, albeit in a slightly watered-down form.
 
In 2008, when Rudd apologised to Aboriginal people for historic injustices, he pledged to "close the gap" between black and white Australians - the yawning gulf relating to their health, life expectancy, education and employment opportunities.
 
Little has changed, however. Indigenous people are still dying up to 20 years earlier than their white counterparts, and the mortality rate of babies born to Aboriginal mothers is twice that of other Australian infants.
 

Claims that children are starving, or "failing to thrive", were contained in a submission to the inquiry in Darwin by child protection staff from the Northern Territory. They said resources allocated to indigenous communities were "grossly inadequate" and the spectacle of children who were failing to thrive was, to them, familiar.
 

The Darwin-based team covers a vast area and looks after 14,000 people, but has to make do with four welfare workers and four Aboriginal community workers. That level of staffing, combined with a "fly-in, fly-out approach", allows for "little more than superficial child protection responses", the inquiry submission said.
 

It called for specialised child protection officers to be placed in Aboriginal communities, and for more support for parents, including intensive parenting classes for schoolchildren from the age of 13. In these areas, a high number of young people aged between 15 and 24 have one or more children.
 
Demanding immediate help for the starving, the child protection workers said: "This could simply be a foreign aid [Red Cross, Oxfam] type feeding programme that does nothing more than deliver essential food to starving children while other programmes address the underlying issues of poor parenting, poverty, overcrowding, violence, drug abuse, alcoholism, gambling, etc."
 

Staff also complained about the "incredible" volume of paperwork they had to plough through, saying: "We spend more time sitting at a computer than we do with our clients and their families."
 

The inquiry, which is expected to report next month, has heard that it is "normal" for Aboriginal children to be left to wander alone at night, or to be placed in the care of "reluctant" extended family members.
Meanwhile, Alice Springs Hospital has told the inquiry it is used by child protection workers as a "storehouse" for children awaiting foster placement. "[We are] an acute-care facility, we are not able to provide appropriate supervision of children and their families," the hospital's submission said.
 

Dan Baschiera, a veteran social worker, told the inquiry he had seen child protection staff fresh from years of study and training "burn up" after a few months working in Aboriginal welfare. He accused the Northern Territory Government of starving the child protection system of funds.
 

- The Independent
 

Click here to read the submission this article refers to.
 
Click here to go to the inquiry's webpage.
Federal Court finds Ngarrindjeri beliefs said to be fabricated are genuine 
 
You may remember the Hindmarsh Island Bridge issue some years ago. A Royal Commission found that the Ngarrindjeri women's cultural beliefs were "fabricated". However, the Federal Court has now found that these beliefs were genuine which the South Australian Government now acknowledges. The following is the SA Govt.'s press release on the matter.
 
GOVERNMENT ACKNOWLEGES FEDERAL COURT FINDING
Environment and Conservation Minister Paul Caica today publicly acknowledged the Federal Court finding that the cultural beliefs held by Ngarrindjeri persons, in relation to the Hindmarsh Island Bridge Royal Commission, were genuine beliefs based on Aboriginal tradition.

Minister Caica also acknowledged that the Court noted the matter had not been fully or properly explored in the Commission.
Mr Caica made the acknowledgement at the opening ceremony of Jekejere Park at Goolwa as part of National Aboriginal and Islander Day Observance Committee (NAIDOC) week.
Mr Caica said he hopes the public acknowledgement to Ngarrindjeri will go some way towards healing the pain and grief caused by the Royal Commission and the construction of the bridge.
Mr Caica said the State Government acknowledges that six years after the Royal Commission into the Hindmarsh Island Bridge found that Ngarrindjeri women had fabricated their evidence, Justice Von Doussa found to the contrary.
"The State Government recognises that decision and the conclusion that Ngarrindjeri knowledge was a genuine part of Aboriginal tradition and was not fabricated," he said.
"It also acknowledges the hurt this caused to the Ngarrindjeri community.
"This is critically important to Ngarrindjeri, particularly the senior Ngarrindjeri women, including Dr Kartinyeri who fought for the protection of their sacred sites. Sadly many of these women have passed on.
"It also has the potential to help heal relationships within the Ngarrindjeri community, and also between Ngarrindjeri and the wider community."
Alexandrina Council and the Ngarrindjeri people have worked together over four years to develop Jekejere Park. 
Anti Intervention convergence calls for abolition of NTER 
 
In July a meeting of people opposed to the NT Intervention met in Alice Springs. A statement was released which called on the abolishment of the NT Emergency Response and to return to NT Aborigines rights of self-determination control over their traditional lands, including homelands, outstations and town camps.
 
The statement also called for a national, independent inquiry into where/how
intervention funds have been spent. Also addressed in the statement are areas such as women's views, labour rights and concerns with media and nuclear issues.
 
From the news wire...  
 
Did you know that NATSIEC now has a blog. You can go there for more regular updates.
Disclaimer
NATSIEC provides this newsletter to share information about issues which affect and concern Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. The views contained in this newsletter do not necessarily reflect the views or position of either NATSIEC or the National Council of Churches in Australia.
Martung Upah Appeal  
Fellowship of the Least Coin

The Make Indigenous Poverty History Campaign is an initiative of the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Ecumenical Commission (NATSIEC). Other projects run by NATSIEC include the Indigenous Theology project and a development fund.

NATSIEC receives significant funding from Act of Peace and the Uniting Church (NSW) 2% fund, however the rest of our funding comes from donations by Churches and Individuals to its annual appeal Martung Upah*.  
 
By supporting the Martung Upah appeal you are joining us in a partnership to engage Churches and the wider community in fostering a deeper understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Together we can work towards healing the hurts of the past and building a better tomorrow for all our children so that injustice and discrimination will not be part of Australia's future.
 
We thank you for your support.
 
To download go to the Martung Upah Appeal webpage click here.
To go direct to the online donation page click here

* Martung Upah is from Western Australia and means partnership.