Abstract
This paper explains that, although the Australian government signed the international United Nations Genocide Convention Bill in 1948 and ratified it in 1951, none of its provisions have been implemented into federal law. The author argues that Australia was guilty of at least three, possibly four, acts of genocide: (1) The private genocide, the physical killing committed by the settlers and rogue police officers of the nineteenth century, (2) transferring children from one group to another with the express intention that they cease being Aboriginal, (3) attempting to achieve the biological disappearance of those deemed 'half-caste' Aborigines and (4) actions to protect Aborigines in fact caused them serious bodily or mental harm. This paper contends that Australia continues to oppress its indigenous population through its conscious disregard of its responsibility to international law and refusal to accept that this nation was founded on a long standing history of suppression and genocide.

From the Paper
"Government policy and practice underwent an ideological shift late in the 19th century, based on the popular concept of Social Darwinism and the belief that Aborigines were soon to become extinct. The implementation of 'protection' legislation that had been gaining momentum during the mid 19th century shifted focus from protection segregation, relocating Aborigines to reserves and missions, to forced assimilation under the excuse of "saving a dying race." The ultimate message of the Aborigines Protection Act 1886 in Victoria was that 'full-blood' Aborigines would die out and 'half-castes' would eventually blend seamlessly into 'civilized' society, bringing 'finality to the Aboriginal problem' and leaving white Australia to eventually forget that there were ever any Aborigines in Australia."

Tags:law, half-caste, suppression, un, relocating

Abstract
The indigenous people of Australia have inhabited the land for over 40,000 years making Australia's indigenous people one of the oldest cultures in the world. It was through 200 years of colonization that indigenous Australian's experienced the decimation and eradication of their people and culture through the process of assimilation. This paper looks at how Australia as a nation is taking responsibility for the injustices that indigenous people have injured with the development of reconciliation. It examines how the citizens of Australia are coming together working towards breaking down the barriers, which have segregated and alienated Indigenous people from society. It also examines how all Australians are being encouraged to be part of the solution rather than the problem to reunite differences through acceptance and acknowledgement and education.

From the Paper
"Reconciliation in Australia is about welcoming, acknowledging and understanding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. 'Reconciliation is about the merging of two versions of the past, bringing together two perspectives of one history' (Grattan, M 2000 p.8). It's through the process of understanding that Australians learn about the Indigenous peoples interpretation of Australia through their culture for example the beauty behind the Dreamtime that explains how the spirit ancestors who roamed the earth to create the landforms, which are the centenals of our existence. There is a wealth of knowledge and thousands of years of proven environmental and ecological diversity and harmony, which Non-indigenous Australian's could acknowledge, respect and learn. Reconciliation can be the gateway with which all Australians benefit."

Tags:aborigine, torres, strait, islander, dreamtime

Abstract
Discusses the evolution of Australian policy and practice regarding land rights. Denial of land to Aborigines and other indigenous peoples. Land use and economic benefits. Land agreements. Court cases and rulings. Political controversy. Traditional view of Aboriginal rights. History of the country. UN intervention. Statatory framework to determine land claims.

From the Paper
"AUSTRALIAN NATIVE TITLE LAW AND RIGHTS OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLE

This research paper discusses the evolution of Australian policy and practice concerning the rights of Aborigines and other indigenous peoples with respect to land, the functioning of, and the pros and cons of taking recourse to, National Native Title Tribunals (NNTTs) and the right of indigenous peoples to negotiate (RTN) regarding land use and its economic benefits. In the early 1990s the High Court by its decisions in certain landmark cases recognized after nearly two centuries of denial that native Australians had rights with respect to lands they had traditionally occupied. By enacting the Native Title Act 1993, ch. 110 (the '93 NTA), the Commonwealth Parliament established mechanisms for determining the validity and scope of native land title claims. However, grave uncertainty and ..."

Abstract
This paper compares and contrasts an Australian aboriginal creation myth about the god Baiame, the All-Father, with a Maori creation myth featuring the god and goddess Rangi and Papa.

Abstract
This paper takes a look into the true definition of a refugee and the Australian government's stance on 'boat people' - also referred to as asylum seekers - and their policy on unauthorised arrivals. Mention is made of the condition of Australia's detention centres, and some of the conundrums faced when determining the fate of illegal immigrants. Is it fair to give a place reserved for a genuine refugee to those who do not come via established means? Additionally, the paper looks at the everyday Australian's view on multiculturalism with reference to imagined communities and the old White Australia Policy. Clearly the influx of refugees has changed the way Australians view themselvs as a nation and led many people to re-examine Australia?s cultural and social makeup.

From the Paper
"As Australians, we have all been touched by the recent refugee crisis in some way or another, with an increased influx of asylum seekers coming to our shores over the last few years. Indeed it is a human tragedy that people can be so desperate to flee their homeland that they are willing to travel thousands of kilometres across land and sea, eventually culminating in a "passage of terror" on an unsafe boat that more than likely would be carrying three to four times the normal number of passengers. The arrival of these "boat people" has caused of a division within our society - those who are accommodating to the fact that these people have fled their county and should be allowed to stay, and those who believe that an influx of so called "illegal" refugees will lead to a perceived loss of national identity - who want them to be sent back where they came from if no sufficient enough reason is forthcoming. The plight of international refugees is a cause for global concern, however understanding the key issues can be difficult for those with little background knowledge."

Tags:asylum, centres, community, culture, detention, immigrants, multicultural, seekers

From the Paper
"Walbiri Religious Beliefs And Practice


This paper will examine religious beliefs and practices of the Walbiri peoples of Australia, emphasizing the Walbiri's reliance on orality and pragmatism in their culture and theology. The Walbiri are seminomadic aborigine hunters and gatherers who have wandered the rocky ranges, outcrops and low-lying hills of the western desert region of Central Australia for centuries before European contact. More recently, the Walbiri have subdivided into four major groups--the Ngalia, Walmalla, Waneiga and Lander Walbiri. The Walbiri nomadic pattern of wandering from water hole to water hole within their loosely defined territories remains the main organizing principle of Walbiri life, exceeding in importance even the rhythms of the seasons. At present, the Walbiri inhabit government settlements within or..."

Abstract
This paper discusses the historical Australian plan of seizing half-caste Aboriginal children from their families so that they would be reared in orphanages where they could be cultured with the intent of marrying them off to white men. The paper explains that the historical accounts of these occurrences have begun to emerge with the life writings of Indigenous woman who suffered through this crime. Two such works are Ruby Langford's "Don't Take Your Love to Town" and Doris Pilkington's mother's life story, "Follow the Rabbit-Proof Fence". This paper analyzes both of these works from a literary and historical context.

From the Paper
"The callous separation of Indigenous children from their homes and societies and barbaric policy of ethnic cleansing rank among the most heartless atrocities in the annals of history, and the least understood facet of post-colonial Australian history. The discriminatory Australian plan of seizing half-caste Aboriginal children from their Aboriginal families to be reared in orphanages where they could be cultured with the intent of marrying them to a white person or grooming them to become domestic servants was set into motion in 1931. It was phenomenon not born in the 20th century, but an injustice that gathered momentum at this time. Only in the past few years have the gruesome details of the crime surfaced, with Aboriginal families advocating for a Federal Government inquiry into the matter. The accounts of those Indigenous people who had to suffer the anguish of broken attachments and imperialist impulses have begun to surface with the emergence of the life writings of Indigenous women, including the autobiographical narration of Ruby Langford in Don't Take Your Love to Town (1988) and Doris Pilkington's mother's life story, immortalized in Follow the Rabbit-Proof Fence (1996), both of which will be analyzed in this report from a literary and historical context."

Tags:separation, servants, attachments

From the Paper
" The art of the Aboriginal peoples of Australia constitutes one of the most consistent, and longest, art traditions in the world. Despite an enormous diversity of artistic practices throughout the continent, all Aboriginal art has been inherently religious in nature and most has worked from the seemingly abstract, extremely complex iconographic system that is still employed today. Though art may be designed for a variety of social, didactic, or utilitarian purposes, the Aboriginal belief in the pervasiveness of meaning throughout creation has meant that no person, place, animal or thing is without religious significance. Thus the representation of any aspect of the world, in any medium, at any level of abstraction, for any purpose is guided by the artists' understanding of what is represented. Art can have both private and public meanings. But.."

Abstract
This paper explains the term "dreamtime" as it relates to the Aboriginal religion and belief system. According to the Dreamtime belief, all life, including humans, animals, and plants, are all apart of an organized network which can be traced back to the original spirits of Dreamtime. This paper briefly explains how Dreamtime dictates the spiritual, religious, and social aspects of almost all Aboriginal culture, directly reflecting these people's beliefs, values, and ideas.

From the Paper
"The tie to Dreamtime is so strong and unique in the everyday lives of the tribes, that the creation of earth is enacted during rituals of dance and celebration. As the name may suggest, Dreamtime is practiced personally through revelations, visions, and actual dreams each Aborigine have (aboriginalart.com). For the Aborigines, these personal religious practices are what explain the meaning of life and answer the question of why they are on this earth."

Tags:religion, creation, ritual, life

Abstract
This paper examines the film, "Rabbit Proof Fence", which is based on the true story, "Follow the Rabbit Proof Fence," written by Doris Pilkington and Nugi Garmara. It highlights representations of aboriginality in the film and discusses the main ideas around which such representations, both negative and positive, are organized. The paper also looks at the how the film's audience is positioned.

From the Paper
"The terminology used throughout the film was relevant for its time but it is considered very racial and controversial today. The Aboriginals were often referred to by the colour of their skin. They were called "half caste" and "full blood." These terms would be unheard of today, and although the movie was set in the 1930's, hearing these words can be offensive to many people - emphasizing the viewers understanding of the Aboriginals. For example in today's organizations and policies, an Aborigine is defined as by the Federal Government as someone who: ?Is of Aboriginal descent, identifies as an Aboriginal person or is accepted by the Aboriginal community in which he or she lives in.? (Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission, 2001, Pg 27). It reinforces to the audience that they should feel sympathetic for the Aborigines."

Tags:indegenous, Moore, River, racism