International Action Alert: Solten heads, stolen children, stolen land. Help stop the racist assault on Australia's First Peoples

From LeftLink, 25 May 1997

For more than 200 years, Australian Aborigines have endured the racist and genocidal policies and practices of the British and their descendants.

The recent election of the Blair Labour Government in Britain presents the first real opportunity in decades for Britain to redress some old wrongs against Australia's First Peoples.

The head of Yagan, a member of the Nyoongar tribe of Western Australia was severed from his corpse and taken to Britain last century without the permission of his people. This outrage was perpetrated on the remains of many Australian aborigines.

Yagan's descendant, Mr. Ken Colbung AO, is currently in Britain seeking to reclaim the remains of his ancestor.

This is important not only to redress an offence against one individual but also as a gesture towards healing the damage of all of the racist and genocidal attacks on Australia's indigenous peoples since the continent was first settled by Europeans - including stealing their traditional land and stealing their children.

[To find out more about the issues of stolen land and stolen children you can search the archives of the _Sydney Morning Herald_ online at:
http://www.smh.com.au/daily/
using key words and phrases such as `Wik' and `stolen children'.

Also visit the Action for Aboriginal Rights website:
http://yarra.vicnet.net.au/~aar/ ]