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Four Corners: Celebrating native title on Ruby Tuesday

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Indigenous leaders sit around table at press conference
Four Corners: Celebrating native title on Ruby Tuesday

SUBJECTS:  Civics and Citizenship, History

YEARS:  9–10


Have you ever had to compromise to achieve a good result?

When opposition to native title threatened to suspend the long-standing Racial Discrimination Act 1975 (RDA), former prime minister Paul Keating and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leaders had to compromise to save the RDA and native title.

Watch as negotiations over native title reach their climax.

This clip is fifth in a series of six.


Things to think about

  1. 1.Here's the problem. In 1992 the High Court agreed that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples could claim native title over some public land. The mining and pastoral industries were very concerned they would not be able to operate on land claimed under native title. Political opposition to native title was growing. One solution: suspend the Racial Discrimination Act, which would hand authority over some Indigenous matters to the states and territories.
  2. 2.What were the responses of Indigenous leaders — the 'A Team' — to news that the Racial Discrimination Act (RDA) would be suspended? What was the 'quid pro quo' they needed to agree to in order to avoid the suspension of the RDA? What convinced Graham Blight from the National Farmers Federation to support the Native Title Act?
  3. 3.Two solutions to the Native Title dilemma are suggested in the clip. One is the suspension of the RDA. What is the other, successful option? Do you think it is reasonable? Why do you think the A Team was so disappointed that the RDA was to be suspended? What does this suggest about the faith its members had in state and territory support for native title?
  4. 4.The clip features a number of significant Indigenous leaders, including Lowitja O'Donoghue, Mick Dodson (wearing a brimmed hat and checked shirt) and Noel Pearson. Select one of these people to research. List their achievements and contributions to Australian society.

Date of broadcast: 7 May 2012


Copyright

Metadata © Australian Broadcasting Corporation and Education Services Australia Ltd 2012 (except where otherwise indicated). Digital content © Australian Broadcasting Corporation (except where otherwise indicated). Video © Australian Broadcasting Corporation (except where otherwise indicated). All images copyright their respective owners. Text © Australian Broadcasting Corporation and Education Services Australia is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License (CC BY-SA 4.0).

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