The Australian Aboriginal Rights Movement

Respect for Aboriginal culture and traditions which is part of the Aboriginal reconciliation and integration movement in Australia is highlighted many times throughout Crow Country and illustrates the best and worst of Australians. The way different characters show respect towards aboriginal culture and feelings contrasts two different attitudes. Today, opinions about aboriginal life and culture are shared through politics, social media and protests. Kate Constable’s book portrays extreme behaviour with racism and provides the reader with a perspective on just how cruel people can be. We have a very superficial understanding about aboriginal culture and this novel encourages readers to explore aboriginal culture and beliefs.

The “Vote yes” campaign emphasized the problems with Australia's international reputation. Being counted for the census would eventually lead to better funding for the Indigenous people of Australia. Activist Charles Perkins lead the Freedom Rides in 1965. The “Vote yes”campaign was created on the publicity of Charles Perkins campaign showing the discrimination against the Aboriginal individuals. The politicians were influenced by the campaigns and the communities

In comparison to the white people’s rights, the Aboriginals had next to little or no rights. Charles had the desire to make a change in the world and therefore created the Freedom Ride in 1965. The Freedom Ride consisted of thirty white students from university who planned to take a bus and travel New South Wales. During this journey, they intended to investigate the living conditions of Indigenous people in all aspects of life: health, education and housing. They wanted to study the different races and their interactions with each other in Australia, and the level of racism and protest against it. They travelled to the town of Dubbo, where Aboriginal people were locked up for singing in their language. In theatres in Walgett, the black people were seated in the front, while the white people had the privilege to enjoy from the top seats. If the black people were to sit in the whites’ allocated spots, they were tossed down and the police were called. In Moree, Indigenous people were restricted from using local pools and in Bowraville, segregation was the norm. While the Freedom Riders travelled to these places, they were mistreated. In Moree for example, the female students of the Freedom Ride were spat on and Charles Perkins himself had an egg thrown at him, and was punched. Despite such difficulties, they

The attitudes of the white Australians also had a huge impact on change of rights and freedoms as it pressured the government into giving Aboriginals rights and freedoms. The 1967 was testament to this when a huge 90.77% of Australians agreed that Aboriginals had the right to be counted in the census. There has never been any real public objections to giving aboriginals rights, merely quiet harbored prejudices in the persons’ mind. On the other side of the case the Aboriginal rights in general have not improved with many Aboriginals being

It is without denial that aboriginal and Torres Strait islander people are treated differently in our society especially by the media. They are often represented as, trouble makers, violent and drunks. These remarks used by the media are giving bad impressions on Aboriginal people. Tonight, on Media Matters we will unmask the truth on the media’s treatment of the famous Sydney Swans footballer Adam Goodes. The media has heavily criticized this athlete making unfair statements causing them to break the journalist’s code of ethics, the very rule book they should be following. The code of ethics applies to all journalists and is designed to keep their reports fair, non-judgemental.

Faith Bandler was one of the most prominent figures promoting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders civil rights in Australia, and played a significant role in the success of the 1967 referendum. Bandler’s background and early life significantly influenced her later activism, causing her to question injustices against Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders. Bandler spent most of her adult life promoting the cause of ATSI civil rights and racial equality, and was involved in a number of key events, one of the most significant being the 1967 referendum. Bandler’s legacy is extremely important in Indigenous Australia’s and Australia’s history, and her life will continue to impact millions.

In 1967, a landmark event occurred for the Indigenous Community of Australia. They were no longer declared Flora and Fauna This means that Aboriginal people would be considered a part of the landscape and not humans in their own right.. In 1967, a Referendum was held by all members of Australian society voting on the issue of allowing Indigenous Australian to be a part of the census and thereby able to vote and be counted as part of Australia’s population. This achieved not only citizenship for Aboriginal people, but put the issue of Indigenous Rights on both the political and social platforms. This essay will look at the lead up to the Referendum, how Aborigines and their supporters communicated their belief in their rights to the

The Australian freedom ride was strongly inspired by the American civil rights movement, particularly in segregation of public amenities in country towns but this movement also wanted to draw public attention to the substandard ways indigenous people were living in rural communities. The Aboriginal Freedom Ride of 1965 was a civil campaign influenced by the US civil rights movement. The campaign was led Charles Perkins, an Arrente man born in Alice Springs, who was a third year arts student at university. He was elected president of the newly formed Student action for Aborigines (SAFA). At midnight on the 12th of February 1965, Perkins invited a large group, approximately 35 students that are of white and indigenous culture to

The land rights movement is of critical importance for Aboriginal spirituality, as the Dreaming is inextricably linked to the land. With many Aboriginal people having lost their spiritual links with the land as a result of European settlement, the land rights movement has been necessary to help Aboriginal people re-establish their sacred connection with the land.

Once the group had finished visiting these towns and had ended their journey Charles Perkins reported what had happened to a crowd of approximately two hundred at the 1965 Federal Council for the Advancement of Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islands conference in Canberra. The responses after this conference were mainly positive and because of Charles Perkins’ the NSW Aboriginal Welfare Board had announced they would spend sixty-five thousand pounds on more housing in Moree for the Aboriginals. The Australian Freedom Riders had caused many debates all across Australia which had then caused the 1967 Referendum which got rid of a law in the constitution that had stated ‘laws can be made for the people of any race, other than the Aboriginal race in any state, for whom it is deemed necessary to make special laws’. The law was changed and removed the section ‘other than the Aboriginal race’ this was a positive change as it meant laws could be made in favour of the Aboriginals which could help protect them. Another positive aspect that came out of the

Over the past 230 years, Aboriginals have protested in many different ways to gain rights, which they believe they are deserving of. Through aims of what they wanted to achieve, the processes they went through brought them disappointment over the poor results of some actions and pleasure over the success of others. Over those years, very few periods of protest have been as revelational or effective as the protests occurring between 1938 and 1972. During this period many different groups of Aboriginals have fought for the common cause of being recognised as people rather than interferences caught in the midst of Australians expansion as a nation.

Charles Perkins played an extremely significant role in the struggle for rights and freedom of Aboriginal people. He was born in 1936 and was an Australian Aboriginal activist, the first Australian Aboriginal to graduate from university, and he also led the freedom ride in 1965. He was a manager of the Foundation for Aboriginal Affairs, an organisation that took a key role in getting a 'Yes' vote for the 1967 referendum regarding Aboriginal rights. His controversial actions allowed him to successfully reduce discrimination against aboriginals. He has also exposed the discrimination and segregation that existed in Australian society, he then tried to educate the Australian society to reduce racial discrimination and get greater equality or indigenous Australians. Perkins was later elected as the deputy chairperson of the Australia and Torres straight islander commission.

Terra Nullius was once apparent in Australian society, but has now been nullified with the turn of the century. With the political changes in our society, and the apology to Indigenous Australians, society is now witnessing an increase in aboriginals gaining a voice in today’s society. Described by Pat Dodson (2006) as a seminal moment in Australia’s history, Rudd’s apology was expressed in the true spirit of reconciliation opening a new chapter in the history of Australia. Considerable debate has arisen within society as to whether aboriginals have a right to land that is of cultural significance and whether current land owners will be able to keep their land.

During the period between 1965 and 2014, many campaigns involving Indigenous Australians were held to support their rights. The effectiveness and results of the campaigns from earlier years lead up to how Aboriginal people are treated today. The Freedom Rides was one of the first campaigns to be held within the time period and consisted of a group of university students promoting awareness of poor treatment of Indigenous Australians. The 1967 Referendum, which was influenced from the Freedom Rides, was the introduction of a law involving the Aboriginal people being included within the census and the government making laws

Many people have tried to close the gap between indigenous and non-indigenous people in many different and inspirational ways. Eddie Mabo was a moving man that, from his works has changed the lives of many aboriginal/indigenous people today. I believe that Eddie Mabo has influenced modern society with his beliefs and values of the Indigenous people and their rights. Eddie Mabo fought for the rights of the people of Mer Island, so they would not lose their home, memories and life.