WGAR News: "Council breaches its own policy and dismantles the Portland [Aboriginal] Tent Embassy"

Newsletter date: 28 October 2013

Contents:

* Seamus Doherty, Green Left: Nyoongar tent embassy opposes native title deal
* Gerry Georgatos, The Stringer: Both sides debate Noongar land deal
* Background to the Nyoongar Tent Embassy, Heirisson Island (Matagarup), Perth, WA

* Portland Aboriginal Tent Embassy: Council breaches its own policy and dismantles the Portland Tent Embassy
* Jono Pech, Warrnambool Standard: Indigenous tent embassy at Portland dismantled
* Background to the Portland Aboriginal Tent Embassy, Market Square, Portland, Vic

* Background to the Aboriginal sovereignty movement and the Aboriginal tent embassies

* CAAMA Radio: The mob finally enter the ranks of Australian history, at least for now
[Featuring Professor Alison Bashford, a co-editor of The Cambridge History of Australia]

* Gerry Georgatos, The Stringer: $25.4 billion spent on Aboriginal disadvantage is a lie

* SEAMUS DOHERTY, GREEN LEFT: NYOONGAR TENT EMBASSY OPPOSES NATIVE TITLE DEAL

- News

Green Left: Nyoongar tent embassy opposes native title deal
https://www.greenleft.org.au/node/55225
26 Oct 13: "Representatives from the Nyoongar tent embassy gave a presentation forum on Nyoongar native title at Murdoch University on October 15, hosted by the Kulbardi Aboriginal Centre. The focus of the forum was the ongoing negotiations between the Western Australian state government and the South West Aboriginal Land and Sea Council (SWALSC) to extinguish native title in the Nyoongar territories of WA (roughly the region south of Geraldton and east to Esperance) in exchange for a $1.3 billion cash and land package." By Seamus Doherty, Perth

* GERRY GEORGATOS, THE STRINGER: BOTH SIDES DEBATE NOONGAR LAND DEAL

- Analysis / Opinion

The Stringer: Both sides debate Noongar land deal
http://thestringer.com.au/both-sides-debate-noongar-land-deal/
22 Oct 13: "WA’s South West Aboriginal Land and Sea Council (SWALSC) faced off with its most ardent critic over its negotiations and support of the State Government’s $1.3 billion Native Title package offer to Noongar Country. It was the first time an independently chaired forum was agreed to, with a panel of six, three from the Noongar Tent Embassy who oppose the Native Title deal and three from the SWALSC. Last week, nearly 150 attended the Perth event hosted at Murdoch University by the Kulbardi Centre for Aboriginal Studies." By Gerry Georgatos, a life-long human rights and social justice campaigner, a multi-award winning investigative journalist

* BACKGROUND TO THE NYOONGAR TENT EMBASSY, HEIRISSON ISLAND (MATAGARUP), PERTH, WA

Last updated: 10 October 2013

http://indymedia.org.au/2013/01/02/nyoongar-tent-embassy-heirisson-islan...

* PORTLAND ABORIGINAL TENT EMBASSY: COUNCIL BREACHES ITS OWN POLICY AND DISMANTLES THE PORTLAND TENT EMBASSY

- Media Release

Council breaches its own policy and dismantles the Portland Tent Embassy
Portland Aboriginal Tent Embassy Press Release
Sovereign Union: http://nationalunitygovernment.org/council-breaches-its-own-policy-and-d...
"The Glenelg Shire breaches their own Laws to dismantle the The Portland Aboriginal Tent Embassy."
"On Wednesday 23rd October 2013 The Portland Aboriginal Tent Embassy in Portland Victoria was invaded by the Glenelg Shire without Notification or warning or even paper work that would be expected of a Shire in Australia.The Glenelg shire sent in 3 trucks and about 20 men on the Wednesday morning at 7 am. The men who were sent in from the Glenelg Shire dug up a vegetable garden, pulled down fencing and buried in the Portland Aboriginal Tent Embassy Fire. They removed 3 Caravans and a generator worth $1800.
Sandra Onus a Yigar, Gilar woman from the Gunitchjmara Nation who is the founder and veteran of the Portland Aboriginal Tent Embassy was outraged by the Shire’s lack of formality to follow procedure and adhere to their own laws. The Glenelg Shire provided no evidence of a formal meeting deciding to evict persons from the land. They provided no evidence of any minutes over this matter on their website. ... "

* JONO PECH, WARRNAMBOOL STANDARD: INDIGENOUS TENT EMBASSY AT PORTLAND DISMANTLED

- News

The Standard: Indigenous tent embassy at Portland dismantled
http://www.standard.net.au/story/1861180/indigenous-tent-embassy-at-port...
24 Oct 13: "AFTER more than 20 months of protest the Portland tent embassy has been dismantled. Glenelg Shire Council yesterday morning restored Portland’s Market Square for public use, removing some caravans and other items from the area. A tent embassy had been erected at the site since February 2012, with indigenous organisers vowing to stay until the Native Title Act was upheld and social service inequalities were addressed. Six tribes from the Portland and Heywood region arranged the protest to lobby for land rights, while also claiming other clans were receiving preferential treatment." By Jono Pech

- Related News

The Standard: Council removes Portland tent embassy
http://www.standard.net.au/story/1859234/council-removes-portland-tent-e...
23 Oct 13: "Glenelg Shire Mayor Cr Karen Stephens said the council had acted lawfully today to restore Market Square for public use. She said the site had not been occupied for some time, although caravans and other equipment and personal goods had been left at the site. "Council is the appointed Committee of Management for Market Square and has continued to work with state agencies and local Aboriginal organisations to ensure there is a clear way forward on this matter," Cr Stephens said." By Jono Pech

* BACKGROUND TO THE PORTLAND ABORIGINAL TENT EMBASSY, MARKET SQUARE, PORTLAND, VIC

Last updated: 26 March 2013

http://indymedia.org.au/2013/01/02/portland-aboriginal-tent-embassy-mark...

* BACKGROUND TO THE ABORIGINAL SOVEREIGNTY MOVEMENT AND THE ABORIGINAL TENT EMBASSIES:

Last updated: 25 October 2013

http://indymedia.org.au/2012/04/22/background-to-the-aboriginal-sovereig...

* CAAMA RADIO: THE MOB FINALLY ENTER THE RANKS OF AUSTRALIAN HISTORY, AT LEAST FOR NOW
[FEATURING PROFESSOR ALISON BASHFORD, A CO-EDITOR OF THE CAMBRIDGE HISTORY OF AUSTRALIA]

- Audio Interview

Central Australian Aboriginal Media Association: The mob finally enter the ranks of Australian history, at least for now.
http://caama.com.au/the-mob-finally-enter-the-ranks-of-australian-histor...
23 Oct 13: "Professor Alison Bashford a co-editor of a new and comprehensive book on Australian history, has rejected those critics who are trying to diminish its content as more of the "black armband" version of the country’s past. The Cambridge History of Australia, the first comprehensive and authoritative discussion of our past, includes Aboriginal perspectives of the interconnection between them and visitors to their country."

* GERRY GEORGATOS, THE STRINGER: $25.4 BILLION SPENT ON ABORIGINAL DISADVANTAGE IS A LIE

- Analysis / Opinion

The Stringer: $25.4 billion spent on Aboriginal disadvantage is a lie
http://thestringer.com.au/25-4-billion-spent-on-aboriginal-disadvantage-...
26 Oct 13: "It has been touted that $25.4 billion annually is invested in Aboriginal peoples – in order to raise those among them out of abject poverty –“through 86 initiatives”. This claim has dangerously washed through the Australian consciousness as ‘fact’ but it is instead a crock of sh*t. It is claimed this $25.4 billion spend represents 5.6 per cent of the national budget – for 2.6 per cent of the population. ... the fact is, our Governments spend much less than $1 billion each year." By Gerry Georgatos, a life-long human rights and social justice campaigner, a multi-award winning investigative journalist

- - -

WGAR: Working Group for Aboriginal Rights (Australia)

About WGAR News:

http://indymedia.org.au/2012/04/30/about-wgar-news-working-group-for-abo...

Subscription to 'WGAR News' is free.

'WGAR News' monitors the media, including alternative media, focusing on:

* the Australian Federal government intervention into Northern Territory (NT) Aboriginal communities;
* the Aboriginal sovereignty movement and the Aboriginal tent embassies;
* Justice Reinvestment, Aboriginal imprisonment and Aboriginal Deaths in Custody;
* Aboriginal land rights and mining;
* Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health and wellbeing;
* other Aboriginal rights issues; and
* upcoming Aboriginal rights events around Australia.

'WGAR News' gives priority to grassroots Aboriginal voices and grassroots voices in solidarity with Aboriginal peoples' rights.

'WGAR News' publishes information and opinions from a wide range of sources.
These opinions expressed are not necessarily the opinions of WGAR.

The e-newsletters include media releases, opinion pieces, news items, audio, videos and events.

Subscribers can expect to receive about 6 e-newsletters each week.

To subscribe, email wgar.news@gmail.com and include the words "subscribe WGAR News" in the message header.

To unsubscribe, email wgar.news@gmail.com and include the words "unsubscribe WGAR News" in the message header.

Sample WGAR News e-newsletters:
http://indymedia.org.au/2013/01/03/about-wgar-news-sample-wgar-news-e-ne...

- - -

WGAR events postings:
http://indymedia.org.au/2013/01/03/about-wgar-news-wgar-events-postings

WGAR background info web-pages:
http://indymedia.org.au/2013/01/03/about-wgar-news-wgar-background-info-...

- - -

You can also subscribe to our second list 'Contact WGAR' which provides a point of contact.

To subscribe, email contactwgar@gmail.com and include the words "subscribe WGAR Contact" in the message header.

- - -

WGAR: Working Group for Aboriginal Rights (Australia)