Aboriginal Australians

Download or read book Aboriginal Australians written by KEITH D. SUTER and published by Minority Rights Group. This book was released on 1988-07-01 with total page 32 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Reclaiming the Land: The indigenous Aboriginal peoples of Australia once inhabited the whole continent. For over 50,000 years their rich and varied culture revolved around the land. In 1788 began the white invasion of Australia which destroyed many Aboriginal communities. Thousands of Aborigines died of disease, from poisons, and in frontier wars when their land was stolen and used for agriculture, grazing and mining. Aboriginal rights were unrecognized in law. Two centuries later Aborigines have achieved legal equality. But their rights are often disregarded and they suffer massive inequalities in housing, education, employment and health compared to other Australians. They are more likely to be arrested and imprisoned. Since 1980 over 100 young Aboriginal men have died while in police custody. But the greatest loss has been of land and it is the need to regain and protect the land which has been the impetus behind contemporary Aboriginal political activity - a struggle which many Aborigines believe has been betrayed by successive governments. In the Northern Territory and South Australia large areas have come under Aboriginal ownership but other states have conceded little or nothing. Today an historic High Court judgment has opened the way to a new relationship between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Australians. Aboriginal Australians gives a concise and factual account of the major problems currently facing Aborigines. This updated edition traces developments into the 1990s, including the Mabo judgment and its consequences. A useful and detailed report on a unique people and their fight for justice, it should prove an invaluable resource for teachers, students, the media and all those interested in racism and Australia.