Australian Issues
Indigenous Australians are the original inhabitants of the Australian continent and nearby islands
DNA Evidence Debunks the “Out-of-Africa” Theory of Human Evolution
The earliest definite human remains found to date are that of Mungo Man, which have been dated at about 40,000 years old (although comparison of the mitochondrial DNA with that of ancient and modern Aborigines indicate Mungo Man is unrelated to Australian Aborigines). However, the time of arrival of the ancestors of Indigenous Australians is a matter of debate among researchers, with estimates dating back as far as 125,000 years ago.[6] There is great diversity among different Indigenous communities and societies in Australia, each with its own unique mixture of cultures, customs and languages. In present-day Australia these groups are further divided into local communities.[7]
Although there were over 250–300 spoken languages with 600 dialects at the start of European settlement, fewer than 200 of these remain in use,[8] and all but 20 are considered to be endangered.[9] Aboriginal people today mostly speak English, with Aboriginal phrases and words being added to create Australian Aboriginal English. The population of Indigenous Australians at the time of permanent European settlement has been estimated at between 318,000[10] and 1,000,000[11]with the distribution being similar to that of the current Australian population, with the majority living in the south-east, centred along the Murray River.[12]
Since 1995, the Australian Aboriginal Flag and the Torres Strait Islander Flag have been among the official “Flags of Australia”.
The Aboriginal flag was designed by Harold Thomas, a Luritja man from Central Australia. It was created as a symbol of unity and national identity for Aboriginal people during the land rights movement of the early 1970s.
Gary Foley took the flag to the East Coast where it was promoted and eventually recognised as the official flag of the Australian Aboriginal people.
The flag was first flown at Victoria Square in Adelaide on National Aborigines Day, 12 July 1971.
The flag was chosen as the official flag for the Aboriginal Tent Embassy and was first flown there in 1972.
In 1995, the Australian Government proclaimed the flag as an official ‘Flag of Australia’ under section 5 of the Flags Act 1953.
In 1997, Harold Thomas was recognised as the author of the artistic work under the Copyright Act 1968.
Symbolic Meaning
The symbolic meaning of the flag colours (as stated by Mr Harold Thomas) are:
- Black: Represents the Aboriginal people of Australia
- Red: Represents the red earth, the red ochre and a spiritual relation to the land
- Yellow: Represents the Sun, the giver of life and protector
The Torres Strait Islander Flag was created as a symbol of unity and identity for Torres Strait Islander peoples, designed by the late Bernard Namok from Thursday Island.
It was the winning entry from a design competition held as part of a Cultural Revival Workshop, organised by The Islands Co-ordinating Council in January 1992. The flag was recognised by the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission in June 1992 and given equal prominence with the Aboriginal flag.
In July 1995, it was recognised by the Australian Government as an official ‘Flag of Australia’ under the Flags Act 1953.
Symbolic Meaning
Each part of the flag is designed to represent something about Torres Strait Island
culture.
- Green: Represents the land
- Blue: Represents the sea
- White: Represents peace
- Black: Represents the Indigenous peoples
The dhari (headdress) represents Torres Strait Island people and the five pointed star
represents the 5 major Island groups. The star also represents navigation, as a symbol
of the seafaring culture of the Torres Strait.
The Island Co-ordinating Council also chose the design as its simplicity would allow
each Torres Strait community to incorporate their own emblem into the design for
local identification.
Original, First Peoples/tribes, Origine are the most politically correct terms used today for the people who first occupied the land mass known today as Australia.
Now as we speak our children are being removed just like the stolen generation, our men jailed more than any other country, youth suicide is an epidemic and our country is crying our for help. All through our country we have veins called songlines, our ancient passages with their special songs and energy; they carried us to where we were going and into the ages. My/our nightmare is that this ignorant government will never acknowledge us rightfully as their ancient brothers and sisters who are kind enough to share our home and who carry universal treasures for a new consciousness of balance and harmony that served us for millenia, when it really was The Lucky Country.
We are ready to reclaim this for the world and we believe we can depend on the good of man to help us call for peace to end this silent war.
We alone may achieve peace in the next 50 years here but with global awareness because of the lack of positive progress here, people power and political pressure on a global stage will up show these puppets and free the people within their strangle hold. We have alot of supporters worldwide, we love you all for thinking of us although you are thousands of miles away and need to get this message to them all urgently. We stand with all people suffering and are praying each day for your freedom too. I don’t want to let anyone just take away my mother’s tongue when some of us, against all odds are so close to learning our traditional language after a generation gap of non speakers like in Hawaii and our Indian families. We will have nothing for our children if we loose our language and let them spoil our pristine water and land. Our language is key to our wellbeing and survival as the latest research revealed shows. We already know it to be the heartbeat of the land and the law connected to all living things is also in these languages.
And secondly, would you be willing to send prayers of support to keep or light a candle for the oldest living culture alive and thriving, please?
The least we can do is ask individuals to think of us at the time when you pray or join with us each morning to pray for a brand new day for all doing it hardest. At 6am your time or when you open you beautiful eyes and ask to c the beauty in the day, please also ask that the people of the land be free to live in peace and harmony and c more beauty everyday where they are. I feel we need a spiritual revolution to nurture spiritual growth, consciousness and unity especially now that more can see the crippling conditions that most are not awake to, so that finally after 220 years of marshal law in this country for example, we can begin our healing and continue practicing our ancient traditions to fix this mess.
We are ready but are only 1 million and majorly disadvantaged by trauma of oppression and poverty, in a universe of billions. Please help us to hold on to the wisdom of our ancestors and the land we are now the caretakers of, together, we can turn, turn this situation around. Leave us to one day live in peace and celebrate as 1. I ask of the oppressor’s why you do this? How can we look after anything when we are wounded like this? You know with your ignorance we are to be depended on for having to look out for your children now too, because you are failing even this.
With limited money I feel like we are in a straight jacket as I watch old people being man handled by men in uniforms while they sit protesting peacefully against a 30 billion dollar project to destroy another huge part of us. If you can do more than pray, please do. Come, organise buses, food & support 4 protestors, care for our elders still protesting in winter or even an urgent letter writing campaign. Please see links below for how you can be part of this global movement to protect our roots. I invite you all on behalf of the First Australians who are concerned for our land, culture and all of our futures. We hope you see how this can be of benefit to you and your family as it is like an investment to make available a huge piece of the global puzzle.
Thank you kindly for you time. Many blessings of light love and laughter for a safe and happy journey together into our new day.
Kaiyu Bayles & Family
“The most powerful weapon on earth is the human soul on fire.” Marshal Ferdinand Foch
Speaking an Indigenous language linked to youth wellbeing:
http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Latestproducts/4725.0Media+Release1Apr+2011?opendocument&tabname=Summary&prodno=4725.0&issue=Apr%202011&num=&view=
Australian Key Findings statistical information
https://thrivalinternational.wordpress.com/category/statistics-2/key-findings-australian-statistics/
Or check out our grapevine on fb, by becomming my friend, I can link you to our many interest groups.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Save-The-Kimberley/146254135411987
Peacefully uniting to protect our oldest surviving people, culture and land
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_186985498026447
thrivalinternational 