And now:[EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: Date: Wed, 29 Sep 1999 12:32:08 -0400 To: [EMAIL PROTECTED],[EMAIL PROTECTED] From: Lynne Moss-Sharman <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Masonic Bone Ritual shocks Aborigines; boys find skulls in storeroom Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" The West Australian (Perth) July 23, 1999 by Anne Buggins MASONIC BONE RITUAL SHOCKS ABORIGINES: Freemasons give police human skulls for forensic testing Aboriginal activist Clarrie Isaacs, who is a former member of the WA Freemasons, says he is surprised and disappointed to discover Aboriginal bones had been used in masonic secret rituals. A skull and crossbones belonging to the Newman Masonic Lodge was identified as Aboriginal, prompting Freemasons to surrender up to 60 such skulls to police for forensic testing. "I wouldn't like to see the use of human bones in any ritual," he said. "I don't think it is a Christian sort of thing to have bones hanging around." Mr. Isaacs, who is a Muslim, said he was a member of the Concorde Lodge in Stirling Highway for about three years, but left in 1988. "I somehow felt it didn't really fit my style," he said. "It was a lot of big businessmen and tons of police." "Some of them were doing good things -- not all of them were police. I was just working for the Water Authority, I couldn't keep up with all their donations. I don't think they objected to me, maybe it was a novelty to say they had the only Aboriginal in the lodge." Despite ent3ring the third masonic degree and attaining the title of Master Mason, Mr. Isaacs had never seen a set of bones used for any ceremonial ritual. He said he may not have been eligible to see them. "As you join among men and want to be their equal, you would hope they don't have such dastardly things going on," he said. Mr. Isaacs said he became fed up with the amount of time masons spent memorising things and reading them out. "I thought, 'How am I ever going to apply this stuff'. It was a bit like nonsense," he said. Yesterday, Coroner's Court manager Glenn Spivey said police had handed in a few skulls for testing in recent weeks. Forensic tests normally took up to 10 days, but there could be a delay if lots came at once. Other Aboriginal spokesmen have reacted strongly to the news. The Perth Noongar Regional Council chairman, the Rev. Cedric Jacobs, said he was devastated to think the bones of any human had been used in such a manner and believed the Masons should be prosecuted. He said the matter would be raised at a council meeting next month. But Manguri Aboriginal Corporation director Dean Collard said he saw practical difficulties with any move to prosecute. "I don't think it can be done," he said. "Just in a practical sense who do you prosecute?" He applauded the Masons' decision to hand other skulls in for forensic examination. He said it showed respect for Aboriginal beliefs. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ FREEMASONS HAND OVER 60 SKULLS FOR POLICE TESTS The West Australian (Perthy) July 22, 1999 page 1 by Anne Buggins WA Freemasons could be forced to reveal details of their secret ceremonies after a skull and crossbones belonging to the Newman Lodge were identified as Aboriginal. The discovery has prompted Freemasons to surrender up to 60 such skulls for forensic testing and to begin using photographic transparencies instead of human remains in rituals. Aboriginal elder Ken Colbung, who likened Freemason rituals to those of a witches' coven, wants the masons to be prosecuted. "It makes your blood run cold really," he said yesterday. "I am not against them using skeletal remains as long as they have got permission, but when they become grave robbers we would tend to think they shouldn't be doing that." But South Hedland DetSgt. Ron Clarke said prosecution was not an issue. The masons had not contravened a section of the Criminal Code which dealt with "misconduct with regard to a corpse." Irene Stainton, assistant director of Aboriginal heritage and culture at the Aboriginal Affairs Department, said it was "hugely significant" to all Aboriginal people that human remains be returned to a person's country or place of origin. But pathologists could confirm only the remains were those of an Aboriginal man, aged 30 to 35. (continued on page 2) BONES POINT TO MASONIC RITES page 2 The West Australian (Perth) July 22, 1999 The masonic ritual came to light in February when three boys, aged six and seven, took a box containing the bones from an unlocked storeroom of the Newman Masonic Lodge. After ruling out any suspicious circumstances, South Hedland detectives sent the bones to Perth for forensic testing. They were found to be Aboriginal, placed in the custody of the Aboriginal affairs Department, and are now stored temporarily at the WA Museum. Peter Bloor, grand secretary of the Grand Lodge of WA Freemasons, yesterday insisted the bones, covered with a cement-like substance and some yellow paint and kept in a box equipped with an electric light, were nothing more than a simple teaching aid. "We use them as teaching aids in much the same way as a university uses a human skull," he said. "The show the inevitability of death and the fragility of life." He said about 60 of the 180 masonic lodges across the state had a similar set of remains. Some were made of ceramic or plaster, but most were human and came from the Indian sub-continent, as did those used in universities. He said records did not show where the bones were from, but it was possible they had been transferred from a lodge in Cue to one in Newman earlier this century. The remains were viewed by candidates for the third and highest masonic "level of understanding" known as the third degree. Mr. Bloor acknowledged that the switch to using transparencies in rituals could be seen as forcing the masons into the 20th century. He said the bones were not touched or interfered with in any way. In a lodge such as Newman, this type of ceremoney would occur about once a year. He said the masons had not known the remains were Aboriginal. The decision to surrender all skulls was made to ensure any other Aboriginal remains could be dealt with properly. Ms. Stainton said the Freemason's decision to surrender other remains was a responsible attitude which showed they respected Aboriginal culture. She said if the remains predated the 1972 Aboriginal Heritage Act a prosecution would not be possible. "Let Us Consider The Human Brain As A Very Complex Photographic Plate" 1957 G.H. Estabrooks www.angelfire.com/mn/mcap/bc.html FOR K A R E N #01182 who died fighting 4/23/99 [EMAIL PROTECTED] www.aches-mc.org 807-622-5407