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Europeans committed genocide against indigenous Australians, inquiry finds
Europeans committed genocide against indigenous Australians, inquiry finds

South China Morning Post

time19 hours ago

  • Politics
  • South China Morning Post

Europeans committed genocide against indigenous Australians, inquiry finds

European settlers committed genocide against Australia 's indigenous people, a truth-telling inquiry in the state of Victoria has found, calling for government redress including financial compensation. Advertisement In a final report, Victoria's four-year royal commission said indigenous people suffered massacres, the forced removal of children from their families and the suppression of their culture. The findings – presented to parliament on Tuesday – said mass killings, disease, sexual violence, child removal and assimilation had led to the 'near-complete destruction' of indigenous people in the state. 'This was genocide,' it said. This was genocide The Yoorrook Justice Commission report Among 100 recommendations, the Yoorrook Justice Commission sought redress for damage and loss, citing 'genocide, crimes against humanity and denial of freedoms'. It urged monetary compensation and the restitution of traditional lands, waters and natural resources. The arrival of 11 British ships to set up a penal colony in Sydney Cove in 1788 heralded the long oppression of indigenous peoples, whose ancestors have lived on the continent for more than 60,000 years. Advertisement Making up less than 4 per cent of the current population, indigenous peoples still have lives about eight years shorter than other Australians, poorer education and are far more likely to be imprisoned or die in police custody.

NGOs call for immediate release of Penan protestors detained over Long Tepen logging dispute
NGOs call for immediate release of Penan protestors detained over Long Tepen logging dispute

Malay Mail

time2 days ago

  • Malay Mail

NGOs call for immediate release of Penan protestors detained over Long Tepen logging dispute

MIRI, July 1 — Sarawak non-governmental organisation (NGO) Keruan and Swiss NGO Bruno Manser Fonds (BMF) are calling for the immediate release of two Penan protestors from Long Tepen. On Sunday, the men were remanded for four days to assist with an investigation under Section 103 of the Forest Ordinance. In a joint statement yesterday, Keruan and BMF called on the government to support the immediate release of the two men and to take action to stop logging in the area. 'The rights of indigenous peoples to their land must be respected and protected,' said the statement. The NGOs called for assistance on the matter from the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam). According to the statement, one other man escaped with minor injuries and reported the incident to the police. Komeok Joe from Keruan said while the Penan community from Long Tepen has repeatedly filed police reports against the destruction of their forests by a company, their rights have been ignored and their defenders criminalised. 'Instead of addressing the community's legitimate concerns, authorities have chosen to target those who stand up for their land and culture,' he claimed. According to the NGOs, Long Tepen folk filed police reports in September 2024, March 2025, and June 2025 against the logging activities of a company on their ancestral lands and the dismantlement of their blockades. Yesterday, Roland Engan, the lawyer for the two men, called on all parties to remain calm to allow the investigation and any possible prosecution to proceed without interference. The Sarawak Forest Department said in a statement that the two men were also being investigated under Section 506 of the Penal Code for making criminal threats. The department claimed the two men were among individuals who had set up a blockade in Telang Usan on June 28 and used violence against the department's enforcement personnel while they were carrying out their duties by abusing and injuring them. 'These individuals also issued threatening words against enforcement personnel during the incident,' said the department. The department added another suspect fled the scene and is still being pursued. — The Borneo Post

First Nation sues province for failing to protect the Cumberland House delta
First Nation sues province for failing to protect the Cumberland House delta

CTV News

time10-06-2025

  • Politics
  • CTV News

First Nation sues province for failing to protect the Cumberland House delta

Cumberland House Cree Nation (CHCN) is suing the Saskatchewan government for failing to protect its most vital resource: the Saskatchewan River Delta, North America's largest inland delta. On Tuesday the First Nation, situated in the marshy forest in northcentral Saskatchewan near the Manitoba border, filed a lawsuit against the province for infringing its constitutionally protected Treaty rights to maintain its way of life. 'In Treaty No. 5, CHCN's ancestors agreed to share the lands and waters of its territory with settlers. In exchange, the Crown promised that CHCN would be able to continue to hunt, fish and trap, and maintain its way of life,' the First Nation said in a news release Tuesday. 'The Saskatchewan River Delta is a place of outstanding ecological importance. It has historically been a wetland of astonishing productivity, providing habitat for vast populations of migratory birds, furbearing animals and fish.' Now, the First Nation says the vital wetland is in 'ecological crisis' and drying up because of industrial and agricultural activities upstream — including hydroelectric dams, irrigation and fertilizer-intensive farming. It says animal and fish populations have plummeted, and the water is no longer safe to drink. 'For far too long the Province of Saskatchewan has disregarded the Delta and our rights,' Cumberland House Cree Nation Chief Rene Chaboyer said in the release. 'Cumberland House Cree Nation is suing the province for approving and supporting these industries 'without any credible plan for managing their cumulative impacts on the delta.' An environmental consultant working with Cumberland House says the delta provides an irreplaceable service to the broader climate. 'The continued degradation of the Delta due to a lack of responsible management would result in the loss of one of Canada's largest carbon sinks and irreversible impacts upon wildlife populations,' said Aaron Kuchirka, founder of Climate Smart Services. This is not the first time Cumberland House Cree Nation has sued to protect the delta. In 2023, it sued the provincial Water Security Agency and SaskPower after it renewed the licence for two upstream hydroelectric facilities nearby, the E.B. Campbell Dam and the Nipawin Dam. In those cases, and later in a 2024 appeal, the First Nation argued the two Crowns failed to meet their duty to consult when SaskPower's licences were renewed for the two dams. The claims were later dismissed. It remains to be seen what a King's Bench judge will make of the current case, which is broader in scope. Cumberland House Cree Nation is located about 450 kilometres northeast of Saskatoon, adjacent to the Northern Village of Cumberland House, the oldest community in Saskatchewan and one with historic ties to the fur trade and the Hudson's Bay Company.

'It's incredible': Seized ancestral homelands handed back to Yurok Tribe in California
'It's incredible': Seized ancestral homelands handed back to Yurok Tribe in California

Sky News

time05-06-2025

  • Politics
  • Sky News

'It's incredible': Seized ancestral homelands handed back to Yurok Tribe in California

Roughly 73 square miles of ancestral homelands have been returned to the Yurok Tribe in California. The move is what is known as a "land-back" deal - where homelands are returned to indigenous people through ownership or co-stewardship. The land-back conservation project along the Klamath River, a partnership between the Yurok Tribe and the Western Rivers Conservancy, is being called the largest in state history. The Yurok Tribe had 90% of its territory taken during the California Gold Rush in the mid-1800s, suffering massacres and disease from settlers. For more than a century, the land was then owned and managed by timber companies - severing the tribe's access to its homelands. However, over 73 square miles of land along Blue Creek stream and the eastern side of the lower Klamath River in northern California will now be permanently managed by the Yurok Tribe for fish, wildlife and forest health within the newly-created Blue Creek Salmon Sanctuary and Yurok Tribal Community Forest. Western Rivers Conservancy and the Yurok Tribe established a long-term partnership in 2009 to buy 47,097 acres along the lower Klamath and Blue Creek from Green Diamond Resource Company. It has cost the partnership $56million (£41m). The deal to hand back the land comes amid mounting recognition that indigenous people's traditional knowledge is critical to addressing climate change. Studies found the healthiest, most biodiverse and resilient forests are on protected native lands where indigenous people remained stewards. The tribe's plans include reintroducing fire as a forest management tool, clearing lands for prairie restoration, removing invasive species and planting trees while providing work for some of the tribe's more than 5,000 members and helping restore salmon and wildlife. The area is home to many creatures, including northern spotted owls, elk, deer and mountain lions. Galen Schuler, a vice president at Green Diamond Resource Company, the previous land owner, said the forests were sustainably managed by the firm when it managed them. Over the last decade, nearly 4,700 square miles (12,173 square kilometers) were returned to tribes in 15 states through a federal program. Barry McCovey Jr, whose ancestors were members of the Yurok Tribe, was involved in the effort to get the land returned to the tribe and said: "Snorkelling Blue Creek ... I felt the significance of that place to myself and to our people, and I knew then that we had to do whatever we could to try and get that back." Mr McCovey Jr, who is director of the Yurok Tribal Fisheries Department, would have to sneak through metal gates and hide from security guards in order to fish in the Blue Creek stream connected to the Klamath River. He said: "To go from when I was a kid and 20 years ago even, from being afraid to go out there to having it be back in tribal hands … is incredible." The tribe aims to restore the historic prairies, but members know it's going to take decades of work for the lands and waterways to heal. "And maybe all that's not going to be done in my lifetime," said Mr McCovey Jr. "But that's fine, because I'm not doing this for myself."

Amend Article 153 to recognise Orang Asli rights, says Suhakam
Amend Article 153 to recognise Orang Asli rights, says Suhakam

Free Malaysia Today

time05-06-2025

  • Politics
  • Free Malaysia Today

Amend Article 153 to recognise Orang Asli rights, says Suhakam

Suhakam said policy gaps have left indigenous communities vulnerable to land disputes, displacement, and the loss of livelihoods. (Bernama pic) PETALING JAYA : The Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) has called for Article 153 of the Federal Constitution to be amended to explicitly recognise the Orang Asli as entitled to the same constitutional safeguards and affirmative action measures as other indigenous groups. In a statement, Suhakam said such recognition was essential to ensuring that the rights, identity, and entitlements of the Orang Asli were no longer subject to administrative ambiguity or exclusion. Suhakam said the amendment was also in line with its call to develop and implement a comprehensive national action plan to safeguard the rights of indigenous peoples. 'For decades, these communities have endured systemic neglect, marginalisation, and violations of their fundamental rights, particularly concerning land, identity, and socio-economic inclusion,' said the rights body. Article 153 of the Federal Constitution ensures that the Malays and natives of East Malaysia have access to 'such proportion' of positions in the public service, scholarships, as well as permits and licences for the operation of any trade or business, as the Yang di-Pertuan Agong may deem reasonable. In its statement, Suhakam also pushed for the creation of an independent national commission on indigenous peoples, as recommended in its National Inquiry into the Land Rights of Indigenous Peoples. The proposed commission would advise the government on relevant laws and policies, monitor sustainable development on indigenous lands, encourage indigenous participation at all levels, and conduct research on issues affecting their communities. Suhakam said the commission must comprise mostly indigenous representatives, selected transparently and with community endorsement, to ensure that it truly represents their voices and respects the principle of self-determination. Suhakam said although the government accepted 17 of its 18 recommendations from the national inquiry, progress had been slow. Suhakam also called for a full review of the Aboriginal Peoples Act 1954 and a reform of the Orang Asli development department (Jakoa). It said Jakoa, currently the main federal agency overseeing Orang Asli affairs, must evolve into a rights-based institution capable of protecting indigenous rights, not just delivering welfare. Another critical issue highlighted in the statement was a lack of alignment between federal and state policies, particularly in the recognition and protection of ancestral and customary land. Suhakam said policy gaps had left indigenous communities vulnerable to land disputes, displacement, and the loss of livelihoods. Suhakam said both federal and state governments must uphold their responsibilities as custodians of indigenous land and resources, including enforcing land rights through clear, consistent policies aligned with international standards such as the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the ILO Convention 169. 'These instruments affirm indigenous peoples' rights to free, prior, and informed consent, and to preserve their culture, lands, and institutions,' said Suhakam. Suhakam added that no meaningful reform could happen without the active involvement of indigenous communities and civil society, stressing the necessity of their participation to ensure that any changes are effective and accepted by those directly affected.

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