Aden Derek Ridgeway is an Australian former politician. He was a member of the Australian Senate for New South Wales from 1999 to 2005,representing the Australian Democrats. During his term he was the only Aboriginal member of the Australian Parliament. He is currently a spokesperson for Recognise,the movement to recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait peoples in the Australian Constitution.
NAIDOC Week is an Australian observance lasting from the first Sunday in July until the following Sunday. The acronym NAIDOC stands for National Aboriginal and Islander Day Observance Committee,originally National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee.. NAIDOC Week has its roots in the 1938 Day of Mourning,becoming a week-long event in 1975.
Alas Poor Yagan is an editorial cartoon created by Dean Alston and published in the Australian newspaper The West Australian on 6 September 1997. The cartoon,consisting of eight panels featuring Noongar activist Ken Colbung and three Indigenous Australian children,sparked controversy due to its content,leading to a racial discrimination complaint lodged with the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission. The commission ruled that while the cartoon made inappropriate references to Noongar beliefs,it did not violate the Racial Discrimination Act 1975. The commission's ruling,which found the cartoon to be an "artistic work" published "reasonably and in good faith",has been the subject of academic debate,with some commentators expressing concern about the broad interpretation of the exemption provided under the Racial Discrimination Act. This decision was upheld upon appeal to the Federal Court of Australia.
The Native Title Act 1993(Cth) is a law passed by the Australian Parliament,the purpose of which is "to provide a national system for the recognition and protection of native title and for its co-existence with the national land management system". The Act was passed by the Keating government following the High Court's decision in Mabo v Queensland (No 2) (1992). The Act commenced operation on 1 January 1994.
Noongar is an Australian Aboriginal language or dialect continuum,spoken by some members of the Noongar community and others. It is taught actively in Australia,including at schools,universities and through public broadcasting. The country of the Noongar people is the southwest corner of Western Australia. Within that region,many Noongar words have been adopted into English,particularly names of plants and animals.
Racial discrimination in jury selection is specifically prohibited by law in many jurisdictions throughout the world. In the United States,it has been defined through a series of judicial decisions. However,juries composed solely of one racial group are legal in the United States and other countries. While the racial composition of juries is not dictated by law,racial discrimination in the selection of jurors is specifically prohibited. Depending on context,the phrases "all-white jury" or "all-black jury" can raise the expectation that deliberations may be unfair.
Henrietta Marrie is a Gimuy Walubara Yidinji elder,an Australian Research Council Fellow and Honorary Professor with the University of Queensland.
Jacqueline Gail "Jackie" Huggins is an Aboriginal Australian author,historian,academic and advocate for the rights of Indigenous Australians. She is a Bidjara/Pitjara,Birri Gubba and Juru woman from Queensland.
Racism in Australia comprises negative attitudes and views on race or ethnicity which are held by various people and groups in Australia,and have been reflected in discriminatory laws,practices and actions at various times in the history of Australia against racial or ethnic groups.
Angela Ryder is a Wilman Noongar activist and community leader from Western Australia who is a co-founder of the Langford Aboriginal Association and the Senior Manager of Aboriginal Services with Relationships Australia.
Patricia Audrey Anderson is an Australian human rights advocate and health administrator. An Alyawarre woman from the Northern Territory,she is well known internationally as a social justice advocate,advocating for improved health,educational,and protection outcomes for Indigenous Australian children.
Indigenous treaties in Australia are proposed binding legal agreements between Australian governments and Australian First Nations. A treaty could recognise First Nations as distinct political communities,acknowledge Indigenous Sovereignty,set out mutually recognised rights and responsibilities or provide for some degree of self-government. As of 2023,no such treaties are in force,however the Commonwealth and all states except Western Australia have expressed support previously for a treaty process. However,the defeat of the Voice referendum has led to a reversal by several state liberal and national parties in their support for treaty and a much more ambigious expressed position by state Labor parties and governments.
Terri Janke is an Indigenous Australian lawyer of Wuthathi/Meriam heritage. She is considered a leading international authority on Indigenous cultural and intellectual property (ICIP),and is the Solicitor Director of Terri Janke and Company.
Barbara McGrady is an Aboriginal Australian photographer and photojournalist based in Sydney,New South Wales. She is the first Indigenous Australian photojournalist.
The Aboriginal Heritage Act 1972 (AHA) is a law in the state of Western Australia governing the protection of Aboriginal cultural sites,which was superseded by the Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Act 2021 on 1 July 2023.
Juukan Gorge is a gorge in the Hamersley Range in the Pilbara region of Western Australia,about 60 kilometres (37 mi) from Tom Price. It was named by the daughter of Puutu Kunti Kurrama man Juukan,also known as Tommy Ashburton,who was born at Jukarinya.
Dorinda Rose Cox is an Australian politician who has been a Senator for Western Australia since 2021,representing the Greens. A Yamatji and Noongar woman,she is the first Indigenous woman to represent Western Australia in the Senate. She was originally appointed to fill the casual vacancy caused by the resignation of Senator Rachel Siewert in 2021,and was then elected as the Greens' lead Senate candidate in Western Australia at the 2022 federal election.
Chelsea Joanne Ruth Watego is an Aboriginal Australian academic and writer. She is a Mununjali Yugambeh and South Sea Islander woman and is currently Professor of Indigenous Health at Queensland University of Technology. Her first book,Another Day in the Colony,was published in 2021.
Vanessa Marie Elliott received an Order of Australia,for "significant service to the Indigenous community,to the mining industry,and to public administration" in June 2024. She is a non-executive board member on various First Nations stakeholder boards and has expertise in sustainable land management,with over twenty years experience in managing stakeholders from First Nations communities and the mining community in Western Australia's Kimberley area.
