Monthly Archives: September 2009

Australasian World Music Expo 2009 – November

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Australasian World Music Expo 2009
Thursday 19 – Sunday 22 November

Showcasing traditional and contemporary Indigenous, roots and world music from Australasia and beyond.

From solo to collaborative, traditional to contemporary, from the lush highlands of West Papua through the Pacific to the vast arid deserts of Australia and its major cities, our region is home to some of the most unique cultures, voices and sounds this planet has to offer. Now in it’s second year, the Australasian World Music Expo 2009 will bring together musicians, industry representatives and festival audiences from across Australia and around the globe for three days of the finest Indigenous, roots and world music from the Australasian region.

All tickets on sale now through:
HiFi Bar – 1300 843 4434, The Arts Centre – 1300 182 183, Melbourne Recital Centre – 03 9699 3333

For full details, delegate registration and speaker forums please refer to www.awme.com.au.

AMPILATWATJA ANTI-INTERVENTION WALKOFF – SPEAKING TOUR IN OCT

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AMPILATWATJA ANTI-INTERVENTION WALKOFF

Where is Ampilatwatja?

Ampilatwatja, Aherrenge NT 0872

Link:

http://maps.google.com.au/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Ampilatwatja&sll=-25.335448,135.745076&sspn=34.011576,56.513672&ie=UTF8&ll=-21.447956,134.901123&spn=2.213749,3.532104&z=8&iwloc=A

From Google Maps (maps.google.com.au)

Time for a healing 'both-and' approach in W(h)anganui?

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Laws ‘angry’, ‘upset’ about W(h)anganui decision – will appeal
NZ Herald Thursday Sep 17, 2009

Wanganui Council to appeal ‘H’ decision

Wanganui Mayor Michael Laws is in a right stew about the “h” word.

He said he was “angry, upset and disappointed” today after the Geographic Board ruled the city should be spelled Whanganui with an “h”, ending more than a century and a half without the controversial letter.

for more see
http://msn.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10598000&ref=rss

(and, we understand , in the local Maori dialect the ‘h’ is silent, so it only needs to be corrected for the accuracy of the written word. If only we could be having this kind of debate in Australia!)

Update:

“HOW IT SOUNDS
Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Maori, the Maori Language Commission, says the pronunciation of the h in Whanganui by local iwi is a glottal stop – which can be an imperceptible sound to those not familiar with the language. That did not mean that the h is not there, rather it is a breathed sound.”

from http://msn.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10598071&ref=rss

Indigenous Newslines Radio – govt

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1/09/2009
“New radio program launched

The new weekly Newslines Radio program provides information on services and programs and shares stories from Indigenous communities and individuals across Australia. The radio program complements Indigenous Newslines magazine.

The programs, transcripts and links to Government programs and services mentioned in the programs are updated weekly.”

Newslines Radio broadcasts
For more information:
email: newslines@fahscia.gov.au

http://www.fahcsia.gov.au/sa/indigenous/pubs/general/newslines/Pages/default.aspx

"Peoples abuse" – why Jenny Macklin must now resign as Minister for Indigenous Affairs

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Jenny Macklin has now demonstrated that she is not fit to hold the position as Minister for Indigenous Affairs.

In her response to the criticism of the findings of a United Nations Special Rapporteur, Professor James Anaya , the Minister for Indigenous Affairs said:

“JENNY MACKLIN: For me, when it comes to human rights, the most important human right that I feel as a Minister I have to confront, is the need to protect the rights of the most vulnerable, particularly children and for them to have a safe and happy life and a safe and happy family to grow up in.” (ABC PM 28 August 2009)

But she is clearly very wrong. There are more important human rights, and they are Peoples Rights- as now recognised by the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

“Peoples Abuse” is a far more serious crime against life than child abuse.

Institutionalised racism of the kind Jenny Macklin relies upon to pursue her high handed Western woman’s agenda against Australia’s First Peoples is no longer acceptable in the 21st century. Combating child abuse can only work within a context set by respecting First Peoples.

People attacking First Peoples have to learn to stop hiding behind indigenous children!

Jenny Macklin has failed to demonstrate her understanding of this, and is therefore not fit to hold the office of Minister for Indigenous Affairs.

She now must resign and be replaced by someone who is up to speed with 21st century realities – and able to relate with First Peoples as cultural partners.

Continue reading →

Time for a real debate about the 1901 Australian flag in 21st century

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Australian Flag Day – 3 September

The Australian Flag was designed at a time when the racism of the White Australia policy was at its height. There was no recognition of the rights of Australia’s First Peoples in the 1901 Constitution.

The present Australian flag has been burnt on at least one occasion by indigenous leaders near Parliament House in Canberra. And many indigenous people regard their own flags as best representing their interests,

There is a now an attempt, by those who refuse to recognise the damage done to Australia’s First Peoples under this flag since 1901, to belatedly find an indigenous reference in the flag by talking about the Dreaming significance of the Southern Cross. (See link below – is this another act of shameful expropriation?)

Rather than using this back-door means to regain some degree of respectability for the 1901 flag, we need a genuine and informed community conversation, with First Peoples as cultural partners, about which flag or flags will represent Australia’s peoples in the 21st century.

A conversation on this subject can only be started by a genuine peoples movement, as those who rally around the flag of yesteryear have, so far, clearly demonstrated their minds are closed.

It over to you to raise this issue.

http://www.australianflag.org.au/aboriginalstory.php

You may note there is no place for genuine feedback on the australianflag website.