Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre

A poor man’s treaty: the ‘con’ in constitutional reform

CONSTITUTIONAL recognition for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples seems to have captured the imagination of many white Australians, writes CHRIS GRAHAM. But are the motives really all pure? Read more here.

Liberation Through Acquisition

A latter-day black Gordon Gecko preaching "Greed is Good". Melbourne was recently privileged to receive a visit from Queensland's most famous Lutheran since peanut farming Premier Joh Bjelke-Peterson. I refer, of course, to the corpulent and verbose Aboriginal Man of the Moment, Mr. Noel Pearson. Whilst Mr. Pearson is apparently unkindly referred to by many in Aboriginal communities around Australia as the 'Cape York Cane Toad', he nevertheless is a popular man among the strange and disparate collection of his white acolytes ...

Health is a state of Mind

Download the full article here

Aborigines want ownership of world heritage extension area

The proposed extension of the world heritage area without any Aboriginal input is a disgrace, Legal Director Michael Mansell said today. “The extension area must be returned to Aboriginal people in outright ownership. More than a year ago we proposed Aboriginal ownership and management of reserved areas under the forestry agreement. Now is the time for Canberra to show its hand on historic justice. Canberra should insist that Aborigines gain our lands back. The $7m that the Commonwealth promised for management costs should be directed to employ ...

Aboriginal Heritage Protection Act 2012: an assessment

Download the document here.

Change the Date

Australian hypocrisy shown on Jewish holy day and invasion day Michael Mansell says the way that Australia’s politicians and media responded differently to Jewish and Aboriginal sensitivities was hypocritical. Mr Mansell said, "Just a few days after Australia celebrated the white invasion of Aboriginal lands, an event seen as rubbing salt into raw wounds, both media and politicians were clambering to hose down any offence to Jews for the federal election being called on the holy Jewish Day. This shows a double standard. The coverage given to the ...

Statement by State Secretary of Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre, Ms Ruth Langford.

Our past, our culture and our heritage form part of our present life as Aboriginal people. The care and protection of Tasmanian Aboriginal Heritage and Culture is Important to all Tasmanians as well. Parents, grandparents and so many more in an ancient line of ancestors, have taught us how our heritage informs and forms who we are as Aboriginal people today. It is not only our birthright but also our birth responsibility to care for and protect our Aboriginal cultural knowledge and ...

Press Release – Forced into Battle – Call to Kill the Bill

State Secretary of the Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre, Ms Ruth Langford, said today, “It is with a heavy heart that the Aboriginal Community of Tasmania awake this morning. Last night the Green/Labour Government chose to introduce a bill that will further remove the Community from our cultural birth responsibility and rights to care for and protect our own Heritage and Culture”. Ms Langford said, “What was particularly hurtful was the way the Government chose to introduce the bill that has dishonoured our people ...

Equal Value and Respect for Aboriginal Heritage and Cultural protection.

The Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre is calling on all supporters to help us to stop the Government making it easier to destroy Aboriginal Heritage and Culture. We are calling on the Government to recognise and respect that: Our past, our culture and our heritage forms part of our present life as Aboriginal people. Aboriginal culture and heritage should enjoy the same equal protection as European heritage. We are calling on the Government to truly give Aboriginal people a voice in caring for our own heritage ...

Aboriginal Heritage Protection Bill – Why It Should Be Defeated Immediately

The Aboriginal community has urged the government since 2011 to make small, easy but crucial amendments to the Aboriginal Relics Act 1975 which would remove the most racist and outdated aspects of the Act. This would then allow time for new legislation acceptable to the Aboriginal community to be developed. Those amendments were: • Remove the cut off date of 1876 from the definition of ‘Aboriginal relic’; • Establish an Aboriginal body representative of the Aboriginal community to replace the Advisory Committee referred to in ...

Resources