Indigenous Solidarity Action Network presents:
MUSIC FEST FUNDRAISER
THURS 20 SEPT, 7PM ON
BAR 303 HIGH ST, NORTHCOTE
in support of the Aboriginal Tent Embassy
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Dear People
The 26th January, 2002 will be the 30th anniversary of the establishment of
the Aboriginal Tent Embassy on the lawns of Old Parliament House, Canberra.
At the Aboriginal Tent Embassy,indigenous people from the many nations
continue to struggle against the system that the invaders have enforced
across this continent. We have don this by taking back land from the
"commonwealth" and consistently occupying this land. We have used this
prime position in the parliamentary zone of Canberra to protest against the
"commonwealth" government and the queen. We have fought against the
imposition of British law and the export of capitalism to our country since
invasion. We are the original people of this land who never ceded our
sovereign rights in this country. We have held many rallies and events
over the last 29 years at the Aboriginal Tent Embassy and we will continue
to do so until this criminal and racist government ceases to operate.
The Aboriginal Tent Embassy is a sacred site where we have ceremony. The
sacred fire for peace and justice is constantly burning, surrounded by our
sacred objects and humpies. This is the place we talk of our world before
the coming of the white people. This is where we know and fight the
present genocide of our people. This is the place where we talk of and
fight for the future when the destruction of the land and the people will
end. The ashes of warriors for indigenous justice have been spread on the
earth at the Aboriginal Tent Embassy. Many indigenous people have brought
ashes and wood from their ancestral homelands to this sacred place.
This year the "commonwealth" and white "australia" celebrate the centenary
of federation. The constitution of the "commonwealth of australia" is
based on lies, theft and murder. The centenary of federation is nothing
more than a celebration of invasion and genocide of a race of people, the
original people of this land.
A large proportion of indigenous people are locked up by the white law. As
a race of people we are the poorest Australians with the worst levels of
health, housing, education. We are locked up for stealing because we have
nothing. We are locked up for being alcoholics because we are sick with
pain from being stolen from our families and kept in concentration camps
such as missions, reserves and homes. We are locked up for refusing to
vote for an illegal white government. We are locked up for protesting
because our people are being killed by the system. When we are in the
cages of the white man we die in custody at an alarming rate.
Our laws continue to be broken as our land is torn apart by mining
companies, as pastoralists, industry and developers clear the land and
poison the earth, the rivers and the air. Yet these criminals walk free.
This is the extent of genocide committed by the "commonwealth" on the
indigenous "australian" race. There can be no reconciliation. We at the
Aboriginal Tent Embassy call on all people who support our struggle for
justice and all those who marched for reconciliation due to good intentions
to join us in fighting against the government until the genocide
ends. Until there is no more exploitation of the land our mother, until
there is no more exploitation of any peoples in the name of economic
benefit to a minority.
The "commonwealth" government plans to build a monument to reconciliation
called "Reconciliation Place" at a cost of 5.5 million dollars from the
"public" purse. "Reconciliation Place" is a dirty public relations
exercise based on lies. In an attempt to keep indigenous "australians" in
our place as an oppressed race, the "commonwealth" would ultimately like to
combine the construction of "Reconciliation Place" with the removal of the
Aboriginal Tent Embassy. It just doesn't fit to have an "everything is OK
now we have reconciliation" monstrosity alongside a site of protest for
justice for indigenous people.
We, the grassroots Aboriginal people will not allow this "Reconciliation
Place" monument to be built. We would like your support in our campaign to
prevent the construction of "Reconciliation Place" and to protect our
sacred Aboriginal Tent Embassy protest site. We are currently occupying
the site of the proposed "Reconciliation Place" with our sacred fire
ceremony for peace and justice. The National Capital Authority and the
Australian Federal Police have moved in on our protest on four separate
occasions over the last month and a half, each time breaking our law by
desecrating our sacred ceremonies, impounding sacred objects and arresting
a keeper of the sacred fires.
We would encourage you to show your support by visiting the Aboriginal Tent
Embassy. Bring some wood for the sacred fires and come to speak with us
and learn about our struggle and discuss a better future for us all.
This year in October, Australia is hosting the Commonwealth Heads of
Government Meeting (CHOGM). CHOGM is a major decision making body of the
British Empire. We will be protesting against the Queen of the British
Empire, the "Commonwealth of Australia", the Centenary of Federation in the
period surrounding CHOGM. We would appreciate your attendance and efforts
to build for our protest rallies and events to be held at the Aboriginal
Tent Embassy from October 1st to 9th. We will inform people of what will
be happening on each date shortly or contact us for further information.
We would also appreciate your attendance and efforts to build for our
protest to be held on invasion day, 26th January 2002 on the 30th
Anniversary of the Aboriginal Tent Embassy.
We urgently need assistance with funding with all these campaigns relating
to the Aboriginal Tent Embassy. Please make cheques out to 'Elders for
Spirituality/Justice'. Alternatively make a direct deposit to this account
through Australia Post (cost=$2). The account details are as follows -
ACCOUNT NAME: Elders for Spirituality/Justice
INSTITUTION: Canberra Credit Union
BSB: 801009
ACCOUNT NO: 1142075
We appreciate your solidarity,
The Aboriginal Tent Embassy.
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