Please enable JavaScript.
Coggle requires JavaScript to display documents.
Hass Topics - Coggle Diagram
Hass Topics
Yirrikala
Bark Petitions
In 1963, the Australian government took 300km2 of land from the Yolgnu people in Arnhem Land without asking them
They took the land so that a mining company, Gominco, could extract bauxite
Events
In July 1963, Yolgnu leaders objected to the government for it secrecy with Gominco and lack of consultation
The requested an inquiry, and created a petition using painted designs depicting traditional land relations. They added typed English text and the traditional Gumatji languages.
-
The parliament rejected this petition on basis of it's legitimacy, so the people sent another one, this time with the finger prints of the elders on it
Ultimately, the bark petitions failed their immediate objectives as Gominco built their mine. The Yolngu people challenged this to the NT court, but lost and did not recieve any commission.
1967 Referendum
2 parts were:
Section 51: The parliament shall have power to make laws for the peace, order and good government of the Commonwealth with respect to:
Clause xxvi: The people of any race, other than the Aboriginal race in any state, for whom it is deemed necessary to make special law
The sought to have the part in bold removed
Section 127: In reckoning of the people in the Commonwealth, or of a state or other part of the Commonwealth, Aboriginal natives shall not be counted
They sought to have this section removed entirely
The aim of this was to remove 2 parts of the constitution, so that the law no longer distinguished between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people
The 1967 referendum was a huge success, and the yes vote percentage was almost 91%
Wave Hill Walk Off
Events
In March 1966, rule was made that ATSI and Non-ATSI people had to be payed equally after pressure from trade unions
This did not apply to women
-
The Strike
A group of Aboriginal workers on the Wave Hill Cattle Station from the Gurindji demanded equal pay and went on strike
After a little while, the company that owned wave hill offered more food and better, though still not equal pay
The elder, Vincent Lingiari, speaking for the rest of the tribe rejected the offer, saying that instead they wanted and small are of land on the station, Wattie Creek, that had spiritual value with them
The continued to struggle against the law and to claim the land. Eventually,in 1975, Gough Whitlam became Prime Minister. He was very invested in Aboriginal rights, and under his leadership, the Gurindji people won the first land rights claim
-
Freedom Rides
The freedom rides were events when groups of Aboriginal activists took buses around NSW to learn about the remote Indigenous communities and the racism they faced and living conditions they had. They also went around to help show people understand this discrimination and draw domestic attention to the issues.