Antar Newsletter April 2018

A bill has been introduced in the Victorian Parliament to bring the state another step closer to having an official treaty with its Aboriginal people. 

The Advancing the Treaty Process with Aboriginal Victorians Bill recognises the Aboriginal Representative Body and enables it to negotiate with the State Government over the framework for a treaty. It also commits funding, establishes negotiating principles, and requires the State Government and the Aboriginal Representative Body to provide annual reports on the progress of a treaty.

Victorian Treaty Advancement commissioner Jill Gallagher said it had taken years to get the bill to this point, but official treaty negotiations are still years away.

Victorian Treaty Advancement Commissioner Jill Gallagher said of the process “It’s taken two years of hard work, blood sweat and tears, and we still got a lot of hard work ahead of us”

Meanwhile, the Greens expressed dissatisfaction of the treaty process so far and have called for a clans-based treaty which would involve community Elders more heavily. Gunai Gunditjmara woman and member of the Northcote Greense, Lidia Thorpe, explained “The Victorian government must consult with and negotiate with the elders, who are the law in our culture.” Media release here.

With FNP pushing for a national treaty commission, attention has been drawn to Victoria as an example of creating a treaty which is widely applicable and empowering. Australia remains the only Commonwealth country without a treaty with FNP.

On 7th March the Aboriginal Treaty Working Group officially handed over its final report to the Victorian Treaty Advancement Commission, delivering key recommendations on the design of the Aboriginal Representative Body.

The Commonwealth Games have kicked off this week and, while the opening ceremony included FNP themes and performers, many were protesting for the “Stolenwealth Games” mirroring the campaign of the same name which took place in Melbourne in 2006.

In both cases the campaign, with its thought evoking title, has been used to draw the world’s attention to lack of a substantial Aboriginal and Torres Srait Islander voice in the National discourse. While many gains have been made across the country since 2006, FNP and supporters feel the slow rate of action and high rates of inconsquential policies or recognition call for more focus on justice. It is particularly fitting when Australia is on the world stage.Around one hundred protesters blocked the route of the Queen’s Baton Relay as it made its way through the suburb of Southport. The protesters waved Aboriginal flags and chanted “No Justice, No Games.”

Reconciliation Writing Competition
Don’t Keep History A Mystery

The Reconciliation Writing Competition 2018, organised by Port Phillip Citizens for Reconciliation, is  now open to all Victorians. This is a chance to explore ideas about our past and our connection with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander history and culture, and to develop a deeper understanding of our national story.

All styles of writing are encouraged including fiction, non-fiction and poetry. Work must be original.

Read the flyer here.

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William Cooper statue unveiled

Hundreds gathered at Shepparton’s Queens Gardens for the unveiling of the William Cooper memorial statue on 27th March, including descendants of William Cooper, school students and community organisations.Kaiela Institute executive chair Paul Briggs spoke of the importance of the day in Aboriginal history. ‘‘It’s a day of mixed emotions as we’re not only celebrating a great event and a great man, but we’re also remembering the past and our journey,’’ Mr Briggs said.

To read more, click here.

Be part of a diverse group of leaders from across the corporate, government and not-for-profit sectors, exploring ways to increase development, employment and other opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

The aim is to look at how to make a deeper, collective impact on the progress of reconciliation in Australia.

Come along to an exhibition of Contemporary Indigenous works exhibited from the private collection of Geoffrey Hassall. Geoffrey has been collecting art for 42 years and Indigenous art since 1996. In 2014 Geoffrey received an OAM acknowledged for his service to the visual arts, particularly to museums and regional galleries.

This unique selection of works features key contemporary Indigenous Australian Artists such Sally Gabori, Doris Bush and Timothy Cook.

This exhibition is free entry. For more information, click here.

Do not miss the official opening of The Hassall Collection: A Selection of Contemporary Indigenous Art in Gallery 1.

The exhibition will be officially opened by Judith Ryan AM, Senior Curator, Indigenous Art at National Gallery of Victoria. Judith will also present a Floortalk at 3.30pm.

Booking is essential. Please call the gallery on 03 5722 0865 or click here.

Come and enjoy a great day in Boort with Jida Gulpilil and discover the richest cultural landscape on Dja Dja Warrung. The tour will include cross-cultural interpretation, canoeing and kayaking, Aboriginal culture, art and craft demonstrations, Aboriginal music, song and dance and much more.

Transport is provided, meeting in front of Castlemaine Visitor Information Centre at 8.00am, returning at 5.30pm

To read more and to buy tickets, click here.

Land Water Sky sees a stellar line up of works by Koorie artists connected to the Gunaikurnai country around Gippsland.

Artists include Ray Thomas, Charlotte (Penny) Hood, Ronald Edwards Pepper and Steaphan Paton.

For more information, click here.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people developed a number of practical ways to observe the Sun, Moon, stars, and planets to inform navigation, calendars, predict weather, and inform law and social structure. This knowledge contains a significant scientific component, which is encoded in oral traditions and material culture.

This talk will explore the many ways in which Indigenous Australians encode scientific information in their traditions and some of the ways in which they pass this knowledge from generations  to generation.

The speaker is Dr Duane Hamacher, an astronomer and Senior Research Fellow at the Monash University Indigenous Studies Centre. He specialises in Indigenous astronomical and geological knowledge in Australia and the Pacific.

To read more about the event and to register your interest, click here.

Yanha Kaiela Arts Fundraising Soiree
Yurri Catering will serve delicious, Indigenous-inspired food platters and a variety of light and alcoholic refreshments to accompany an illustrated presentation by Susan McCulloch OAM and a silent art auction featuring ten, Kaiela Arts, artists.In this illustrated talk, art writer, adjunct professor and consultant Susan McCulloch OAM will explore the pivotal role private collectors and public collections have played in the development Australian Aboriginal art over more than 70 years- from Arnhem Land’s bark art of the 1940s, the desert art of 70’s and 80’s to today’s initiatives that include emergent themes for collectors, in south east, northern Victoria and beyond.