Environmental Issues in Indigenous Environmental Issues in Indigenous Movements in Australia Debal K. SinghaRoy 1
Contextualizing the Social Movements • Body of Literature of Social movements • Interchanging and inclusive use of protests, collective mobilizations, struggles, revolts as social movements • Shifting perspectives on organizational structure, strategy of collective ll ti action, ti leadership, l d hi worldview, ld i goals l of f social i l movements • Articulations and shaping • Articulations and shaping of these dimensions in a given of these dimensions in a given contexts of flow of objects and information, in creasing interdependence, global pressure, fluidity and resurgence of p , g p , y g new solidarity from below… • Decline of conventional social movement culture, rearticulating of new protest identities locally and globally—through primordiality, environment and related issues • Contemporarility C t ilit needs to be linked to historicity of events, d t b li k d t hi t i it f t change and transformation 2
Contextualization of the Indigenous Issue � Indigenous lives have remained intrinsically linked to land, environment, nature and autonomy , , y � Movements have been centered around their dispossession from traditional land, livelihood, culture and environment and historical colonization and contemporary marginalization in wider society � Movement is a continuous experience in terms of historical oppression and dispossession � Formation of international rights and norms for � f l h d f indigenous people highlighting the issues of their development autonomy and self determination development, autonomy and self determination � Increasing civil society engagements ( local, national and international) on the issue of indigenous people and international) on the issue of indigenous people and environment 3
Wide Contexts and Historical Issues I • Indigenous movements in Australia have passed through I di t i A t li h d th h several stages since colonization in 1788 � Persistent demand for land rights since invasion despite increasing oppression, inflicting of new disease and dislocation, forced assimilation � The indigenous struggle for the dispossessed land and g gg p autonomy started getting concrete shape in 1960s through formation of leagues and networks, coalitions, public meetings, campaigns, strikes, deputation of protests, legal petitions � Recognition of voting Rights 1962, attainment of full citizenship through referendum 1967 citizenship through referendum 1967 � 1970 formation of coalition for land and land councils 4
Wide Contexts and Historical Issues II � Establishment of Tent Embassy 1972 � Introduction of the policy of Aboriginal self determination by the Whitlam Government 1972 (paving the way emergence of aboriginal h l ( h f b l controlled organization, limited rights on ownerships of land, allowing the aboriginal people to make decisions about their own priorities s and life ‐ style , � Enactment of Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory)Acts 1976, � NSW Aboriginal Land Rights Acts 1983 � NSW Aboriginal Land Rights Acts 1983 � Enactment of Native Title Act 1993 after the Mabo case in 1993 � WIK decision1996 recognizing indigenous rights over pastoral leases g g g g p � Acceptance of the Reconciliation Motion by Australian Parliament naming miss treatment as the blemish chapter in 1999 � 2008 Public apology to the members of stolen generation � 2008 Public apology to the members of stolen generation � United Protests: Aboriginal Day of Morning 1938, Cook Bicentennial 1970,Bicentennial of the First Fleet 1988, Opposition against NT intervention , Queensland's Wild River law 5
International Declarations • The principle of equal rights and self ‐ determination of peoples UN Charter 1945A ‐ 1) • All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights • All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights Universal Declaration of Human Rights 1948 • All peoples have the right of self ‐ determination. International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights 1966 • Drafting of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People began in 1985 right to freely determine their political People began in 1985 “right to freely determine their political status” and “right to autonomy or self ‐ government” • The right to development is an inalienable human rights Un Declaration OF Rights to Development 1986 D l i OF Ri h D l 1986 • ` ‐‐‐ affirm the fundamental importance of the right of self ‐ determination of all peoples ‐‐‐ Bearing in mind that nothing in this p p g g Declaration may be used to deny any peoples their right of self ‐ determination ‐‐ draft united nations declaration on the rights of indigenous peoples 1994 UN General Assembly adopts the Declaration in y p p p September 2007 6
New Institutional Arrangements New Institutional Arrangements Formation of two ( three?) tire Land Council • • The Indigenous Land Corporation (ILC) as a statutory authority set up under the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Act 2005 to assist Indigenous people with land acquisition and land management to achieve economic, environmental, social and cultural benefits. . • Land Identification and Recovery L d Id tifi ti d R Ministry of Indigenous Affairs • • I di Indigenous Development Programme l • The Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation (established in 1991) convinced governments that a whole of government’ approach was convinced governments that a whole ‐ of ‐ government’ approach was necessary to improve key social indicators in health, housing, education , employment, justice and culture for Aboriginal people. education , employment, justice and culture for Aboriginal people. 7
New Policy Initiatives • A New Way of Doing Business with Aboriginal People (NSW Aboriginal Affairs Plan 2003 ‐ People (NSW Aboriginal Affairs Plan 2003 2012, aims to: • Coordinate management of Aboriginal affairs in Coordinate management of Aboriginal affairs in NSW • Strengthen Aboriginal leadership and economic g g p independence • Implement strategies to improve the key social p g p y indicators focusing on families, youth and culture. • Environmental Conservation through Land Council • Aboriginal people continue to remain the most di disadvantaged people in Australia today. d d l i A li d 8
The Indigenous People Today • • Total Population: 562861 (2 6%) Total Population: 562861 (2.6%) Over the past 20 years, Indigenous people has doubled from 227,593 in 1986 by natural increase • (births minus deaths). • • 45 % living in Regional 31% of the in 'major cities' and remaining 24% in remote areas 45 % living in Regional, 31% of the in 'major cities' and remaining 24% in remote areas • Indigenous language 12%, Eng. 86%. • Of those Indigenous people who speak an Indigenous language at home, almost three ‐ quarters (74%) live in Very Remote Australia, with 14% living in Remote Australia. Only 4% of Indigenous (74%) li i V R t A t li ith 14% li i i R t A t li O l 4% f I di people who speak an Indigenous language live in Major Cities. 73% Christian, 24% no affiliation, 1% indigenous • The proportion of Aboriginal adults married to non ‐ Aboriginal spouses was 69%, more in • capital cities: (87%) than in rural and regional areas (60%)Australia. 88% of the offspring of mixed marriages identify as Indigenous Australians Type Indigenous Non ‐ indigenous Median age 21 Years 37 Years Children aged under 15 years 37% 19% people aged 15 ‐ 24 years 19% 14% people aged 65 years 3% 13% 9 Average household Size 3.3 persons 2.5 persons
Population Distribution 2009(ABS) Jurisdiction Jurisdiction Indigenous Indigenous Proportion of Proportion of Proportion of Proportion of population Australian jurisdiction Indigenous population (%) p p population (%) ( ) NSW 1 165,190 29.4 2.3 Vi Vic 5 5 36 734 36,734 6 5 6.5 0 7 0.7 Qld 2 160,514 28.5 3.6 WA 3 76,218 13.5 3.4 SA 6 30,382 5.4 1.9 Tas 7 20,086 3.6 4.0 ACT ACT 8 8 4,709 4,709 0.8 0.8 1.3 1.3 10 NT 4 68,599 12.2 30.5
Educational Status 2006 Types Indigenous Non Indigenous N Never Attended School Att d d S h l 2 5% 2.5% .9% 9% Five year old Children attending School 88% 95% Retention rate from year 7/8 to year 12 46% 76% Completed year 12 22% 47% Post ‐ school qualification 25% 47% Attending a university 1.7% 4.1% 18 ‐ 24 years age group attending University or 6% 25% a Technical or Further Educational Institution 11
Employment and Income Type Indigenous Non Indigenous Employed 15 years or older 46% 62% Unemployed 16% 5% Not in Labour Force 46% 35% Most Common Employment M C E l L b Labour 25% 25% P Professional 22% f i l 22% Mean gross household income per week $460 $740 Median gross individual income per week $278 $473 � ‘ professionals’ were the highest median gross weekly income earners and ‘labourers’ were the lowest, but Indigenous people earned 28% less and 16% less th than non ‐ Indigenous people in these occupations [22].93% are employees, 6% I di l i th ti [22] 93% l 6% work in their own business and 1% are family workers � 74% were employed in the private sector, and (26%) work in the public sector � over half (57%) worked full ‐ time, 39% worked part ‐ time hours and 4% did not work in the week prior to the Census 12
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