Charles Nelson Perkins was an inexorable activist who sought justice and equality. He influenced the succession of Aboriginal liberties leading various constitutions that supported Indigenous freedom and rights. The extent and description of his influence will be explored throughout this essay concluding his impact on the referendum that enables Aborigines citizenship and government.
Charlie Perkins was an influential Aboriginal rights activist, who relentlessly fought for aboriginal equality upon the constant realisation of inequity, cruelty and discrimination inflicted upon his race. On his arrival back to Australia in 1957, after venturing to England and successfully playing for Everton, his Australian soccer career culminated after captaining
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the Sydney Pan-Hellenic Club. Perkins initial introduction to activism occurred in 1961, attending an annual conference for the Federal Council for Aboriginal Advancement, where he passionately delved into the blatancy and extent of double standards and discrimination that resided in Mungana Reserve. Post referendum Perkins criticized the Federal council stating its lack of aggression and progression regarding aboriginal rights could be increased. That conference signified the beginning of Charlie Perkins and his fight for freedom. In 1961, Perkins married Eileen Munchenburg and moved to Sydney, where he would initiate his University degree in Arts.
At this Time Perkins was one of two part-Aboriginal students at Sydney’s University the other being Gary Williams, Perkins would later be the first indigenous to graduate tertiary education. Whilst completing his third year at university Perkins formulated a group that would expose the aboriginal cause: The Student action for Aborigines (SAFA). Inspired by the American civil right freedom riders, thirty students devised a bus tour to segregated areas of western and coastal New South Wales. The intention was to draw a significant amount of publicity to the inhumane Aboriginal conditions including their health and education. They encouraged the resistance of the social discrimination barriers and constantly voiced the injustice Aborigines were accustomed to. The freedom ride travelled to Gulargambone, Kempsey, Bowraville and Moree, the students were exposed to the realistic confinements of Aboriginal people in those communities. Appalled by their treatment students decided to document their journey and expose the situation to a broader spectrum of people. The severity of racism in country towns was now uncovered. The most controversial act of resistance executed by the riders was in the town of Moree where segregation was liberally practiced, it was there that they chaperoned Aboriginal children into the pools as a sign of resistance. The exposure and awareness raised by the Freedom riders, in reference to the inequality indigenous people endured, was phenomenal gaining recognition throughout Australia and internationally in the New York
Times. The referendum that eradicated discriminatory segments of the Australian constitution ensued in 1967, two years prior the SAFA Freedom rides successfully exposed the blatant racism in Australia. Subsequent to the predisposition enabled by the riders an overwhelming number of Australians voted YES to Aboriginal equality and citizenship. Charles Perkins existence and dedication to his peopled enabled their suffering to be broadcasted and uncovered. Without his passion for equality the Freedom Rides may have never occurred or never been executed with such success. Charlie Perkins significance in Aboriginal civil rights is innumerable, he was the first Aboriginal to graduate tertiary education, and successfully lead the Australian Freedom Ride. His perseverance and devotion was later rewarded with the referendum success. Without the exposure and documentation and the awareness raised in regards to the discrimination, the level of success exhumed in the referendum would’ve been lessened dramatically. Charles Nelson Perkins, a man fueled with passion and determination, a catalyst for Aboriginal constitutional rights and a man whose legacy will remain bestowed in Aboriginal history.
Governor Bourke’s 1835 proclamation Overturned Batman’s deed. What does this say about European Attitudes to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander sovereignty?
The Calder Case was the spark that led to the Canadian government recognizing Aboriginals and their rights. Firstly, the aboriginals used the Calder Case to inform the government that they were taking away their rights. The Calder Case was launched after the Attorney General of British Columbia declared “that the Aboriginal Title, other wise known as the Indian Title, of the Plaintiffs to their ancient tribal territory...has never been lawfully extinguished.”1 The statement made by the government claimed that the Aboriginal Title did not exist in the eyes of the law and before the Calder Case, it allowed them to ignore Aboriginal land rights all over the country. In addition, The Calder brought the issues the Aboriginals were facing with land claims to the attention of the Canadian government. “According to Kainai Board of Education The case made it all the way to the Supreme Court of Canada where the court ended up rejecting the native's claims after being split on it's validity. However, the Supreme Court of Canada's recognition required new respect for Aboriginal land claims.”2 The Supreme Court of Canada's recognition of the Calder Case benefited the Aboriginals as the government was...
The 1964 Australian Freedom Rides were conducted by Sydney University students who were a part of a group called Student Action for Aboriginals (SAFA), led by none other than Charles Perkins— a man who would be the first Australian Aboriginal University graduate and was, at the time, a passionate third year arts student when he was elected leader of the SAFA.— Despite the name, the freedom rides took place on the 12th of February in 1965, the 1964 title refers to when SAFA banded together to organise the rides and insure sufficient media coverage was had. The students’ aim was to draw attention to the poor health, education, and housing that the Aborigines had, to point out and deteriorate the social discrimination barriers that existed between the ‘whites’ and Aborigines, and to support and encourage Aborigines to resi...
This presentation is about Charles Perkins, an Australian Aboriginal Activist. This presentation will outline who he is, why he promoted change, his roles, the outcomes of his actions and the people who benefited from his actions. This presentation focuses on Charles Perkins actions gaining rights and freedoms for Australian Aboriginals, mainly focusing on the freedom ride. Australian Aboriginal activist, Charles Perkins, had a significant impact and effect on the rights and freedoms of Indigenous Australians mainly in NSW but also Australian wide from 1963 to 1972 through organising the freedom riders and participating in other organisations and activities for Australian Aboriginals. Charles Perkins has done many things to help in the fight for rights and freedom for Australian Aboriginals. One of the main things he did was organise and lead the freedom ride in 1965. There were various reasons as to why Charles Perkins promoted change, but that fact that he experienced the discrimination and poor treatment of Aboriginals first hand definitely made his motives stronger. He had many roles in the fight for rights and freedom for Aboriginals, but one of his main positions was co-organising and leading the freedom ride in 1965. The main outcomes of his actions, was he helped gain rights and freedom for the Indigenous Australians.
The National Apology of 2008 is the latest addition to the key aspects of Australia’s reconciliation towards the Indigenous owners of our land. A part of this movement towards reconciliation is the recognition of Indigenous Australians and Torres Strait Islanders rights to their land. Upon arrival in Australia, Australia was deemed by the British as terra nullius, land belonging to no one. This subsequently meant that Indigenous Australians and Torres Strait Islanders were never recognised as the traditional owners. Eddie Mabo has made a highly significant contribution to the rights and freedoms of Indigenous Australians as he was the forefather of a long-lasting court case in 1982 fighting for the land rights of the Torres Strait Islanders. Eddie Mabo’s introduction of the Native Title Act has provided Indigenous Australians with the opportunity to state claim to their land, legally recognising the Indigenous and the Torres Strait Islanders as the traditional owners.
The 1965 Freedom Ride exhibition introduced to many the Students Actions for Aboriginals organizations and explained how students from the University of Sydney drew national and international attention to the poor living conditions of Aboriginal people and the racism that was rife in New South Wale country towns from 12-26 February 1965. This event marked the beginning of resetting the relationships between Aboriginal people and non-Aboriginal people in contemporary Australia. Aboriginal people weren’t counted as citizens and they faced a lot of discrimination. But Charles Perkins wanted to change that. He was the first Aboriginal person to graduate from university. He was also a big fan of American civil rights activist Martin Luther King. So, inspired by events King championed in US, Charles organised a
He also assumes that they should be participated in economic cooperation, resource development and the sharing of knowledge and technologies, like they assisted non-Aboriginal people in the past time. (James Tully pg.53) Obviously, Aboriginal people get a chance to participate in the society and to get respect and rights to exert their ability. Therefore, Aboriginal are able to promote the economic development. It is sufficiently show equality between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people in economic aspect. On the other hand, Tully’s states that Aboriginal people want to get power back from the government, they more likely to govern themselves and desire to delegate several of their rights to the political area. (James Tully pg.53) I will argue that it is valid to repatriate legal and political powers to Aboriginal people. Because when they self-govern accord with their own tradition and laws, it will create stabilize social order which avoid misconduct in our society. Furthermore, it offers Aboriginal people fair chance to speak in public that maintain their interest and profit. Most importantly, it recalls and emphasizes mutual respect is a factor to balance citizens between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal. So that while Aboriginal people express their voice to society, it gain
John Diefenbaker was able to accomplish his main goal while he was in the Prime Minister’s chair. He was able to enact the Bill of rights “under which freedom of religion, of speech, of association…freedom from capricious arrest and freedom under the rule of law”. [2] He made it into an official document that would prevent the continuous abuse of the rights of many of the minority groups. He had seen the discrimination with his own eyes during his earlier years with the aboriginals, “[he] was distressed by their conditions, the unbelievable poverty and the injustice done them.”[3]
This essay is about the land rights of of Australia and how Eddie Marbo was not happy about his land been taken away from him. In May 1982 Eddie Marbo and four other people of the Murray Islands began to take action in the high court of Australia and confirming their land rights. Eddie Marbo was a torres islander who thought that the Australian laws were wrong and who went to fight and try and change them. He was born in 1936 on Mer which is known as Murray Island. The British Crown in the form of the colony of Queensland became of the sovereign of the islands when they were annexed in1978. They claimed continued enjoyment of there land rights and that had not been validly extinguished by the sovereign. (Australian Bureau of Statistics 2012)
Both men agreed that Aboriginal rights were an important issue that needed to be addressed. This shared opinion was due to their shared experiences as Aborigines and the timing of both opinions, when Aboriginal people were marginalised and forgotten in society.
Of the 8 successful, the 1967 referendum which proposed the removal of the words in section 51 (xxvi) ‘… other than the aboriginal people in any State’ (National Archives of Australia ND), and the deletion of section 127, both, which were discriminative in their nature toward the Aboriginal race, recorded a 90.77% nationwide vote in favour of change (National Archives of Australia, 2014). As a result, the Constitution was altered; highlighting what was believed to be significant positive political change within Indigenous affairs at the time (National Archives of Australia, 2014). Approaching 50 years on, discussion has resurfa...
Wilcox, B. (1996). Dennis Banks runs for justice on behalf or American Indian Rights. Metro, 14-20.Retrieved January 20, 2005, from http://siouxme.com/lodge/banks.html
Struggles by Aboriginal and Torres Strait islander people for recognition of their rights and interests have been long and arduous (Choo & Hollobach: 2003:5). The ‘watershed’ decision made by the High Court of Australia in 1992 (Mabo v Queensland) paved the way for Indigenous Australians to obtain what was ‘stolen’ from them in 1788 when the British ‘invaded’ (ATSIC:1988). The focus o...
The Indian act, since being passed by Parliament in 1876, has been quite the validity test for Aboriginal affairs occurring in Canada. Only a minority of documents in Canadian history have bred as much dismay, anger and debate compared to the Indian Act—but the legislation continues as a central element in the management of Aboriginal affairs in Canada. Aboriginal hatred against current and historic terms of the Indian Act is powerful, but Indigenous governments and politicians stand on different sides of the fence pertaining to value and/or purpose of the legislation. This is not shocking, considering the political cultures and structures of Aboriginal communities have been distorted and created by the imposition of the Indian Act.
The Australians got the ideas of non-violent direct action from Martin Luther King Jr and the bus trip going around a significant amount of distance protesting and raising awareness for the affected race, when a group of students went to the United States to protest against racial segregation in 1964. The events that had helped the 1965 Freedom Rides by SAFA to become a success, in the United States, include the Birmingham Campaign and Martin Luther King Jr’s