THREAD/Another @amnestyOz forum on now, live steamed on their FB page. "Time to Tell the Truth: a conversation about Australia's Indigenous past". I only just got onto the stream now, so missed the first bit. @LarissaBehrendt moderating, @lidia__thorpe talking now about Treaty

Paraphrasing @Lidia_thorpe - Treaty is a blank canvas, lets get in contact with our brothers & sisters around the world who have experienced the good & bad, so that it is backed by Geneva convention, and can't be broken, lets come up with something beautiful that unites us all

Next up, Rodney Dillon, Palawa man, talks about the police leading by example in accepting the behaviour of colleagues who commit offences against First Nations people. Talks about the Intervention, the basics card, the CDEP, that have all had harsh impacts on First Nations

Rodney Dillon - That it's hard for people to heal under these conditions. That politicians have continually failed First Nations, that children are locked up & hurt, atrocities of the past, the massacres, murders, to steal the land. We didn't have a settlement, we had an invasion

Rodney Dillon - talks about kids being transported by police in cages on the back of police vehicles. No child under 14 should be locked up, if a child is locked up at that age, you know where they're going to be at 20. That's no place for kids. Sign the Amnesty petition...

Rodney Dillon - talking about protecting culture heritage sites, significant to the world, when culture is destroyed, it destroys a part of the people. Hunting & gathering, needs to be sustainable, & the water systems are so important. Needs protection

Here's the petition regarding detaining children: https://action.amnesty.org.au/act-now/demand-the-release-of-children-awaiting-trial

Next up, Bruce Pascoe, starts off busting the myth about hunter gathers. That there's a myth brought with early settlers of no spirituality, no economy, no work ethics, brought along into the present.

I'm going to bow out from tweeting this, as I can see @thatironical is also covering this forum and is doing an outstanding job. I'm going to share her thread and just put out some main points.....

Bruce Pascoe talks of the 'Andrew Bolt fund' where the sales of Dark Emu doubled in support of him, when there was a concerted attack on him just after the bushfires. That money now employs several First Nations people to work on a project to produce flour from a native grass.

. @lidia__thorpe talking about the Sovereign Hub in that has come from the Pay the Rent concept and supporterd by the Australian Conservation Foundation. Need Sovereign Hubs set up all over the country, supported by Pay The Rent, so that they are independent and sustainable

Rodney Dillon, never underestimate a signature on a petition and pressure put on government. Walk together to bring about change. I note that Rodney is also an Indigenous Rights Advisor with @amnestyOz so he has experience to bring about change.

Bruce Pascoe also supports the power of an email, a hand written letter, a phone call, especially to your local member within your own electorate, because they are supposed to pay attention to their concerns.

Bruce Pascoe talks about building personal relationships with the local Aboriginal community in your area. That those relationships will likely hit rocky patches, might be difficult at times, & that's OK. That those relationships are vital in supporting movements, such as #BLM

I love this quote:

Bruce Pascoe: 'Leave the lounge room, do the work'

. @lidia__thorpe talks very clearly about the process she sees as vital. That Treaty MUST come first, then
Constitutional Recognition comes as a part of that Treaty process. The Constitutional Recognition cannot come before Treaty. That this sequence of events is very important.

Another great forum, thanks @amnestyOz for putting this on and the forum on '13 years of the Intervention' that was held a few days ago. Very valuable to hear First Nations voices directly. And much thanks for your wonderful facilitation of these forums @LarissaBehrendt