Indigenous Movement
Content in the Indigenous Peace Movement Archive has been made available because of its historical and research importance. Statements which form part of the collection are not made on behalf of the University and do not represent the University's views. It contains material that some researchers might find confronting. This includes: language and images that reflect either the attitudes of the era in which the material was originally published or the views of the creators of the material but may not be considered appropriate today; names, images and voices of deceased Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in published and unpublished printed material and photographs.
Items within the Indigenous Movement for Peace and Anti-war predominantly focus on opposition to military operations and Uranium Mining. During the 1940’s, there was a lack of proper community consultation with Indigenous people living with the ‘Rocket Range’, meaning that the importance of their land and sacred sites was often overlooked. During the 1970’s, the Government’s push for Uranium mining particularly affected Indigenous people as it was on land that was occupied and held great cultural significance.
During the 1970’s, various anti-uranium mining groups and campaigners were concerned with environmental implications and the use of uranium as a nuclear fuel, either to generate electricity or for use in nuclear weapons. The Movement Against Uranium Mining (MAUM) was formed in 1976 and stated that their primary concern with uranium mining was related to Aboriginal land rights. Protesters accused the Government of lacking community and ranger consultation and not translating information into local languages.
The MAUM collection holds records on Aboriginal support and resistance, and includes leaflets and photocopies detailing Aboriginal opposition to uranium mining at the Ranger uranium mine. Also included are newsletters, articles and press releases on the topic published by related organisations and collected by MAUM.
The Campaign for International Co-operation and Disarmament (CICD) collection holds extensive resources uranium mining in relation to the Indigenous community. It includes various newsletters, letters from National Aboriginal Liberation Front (NALF), publications, reactions to Fox Report by Federal Council for the Advancement of Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders (FCAATSI), Kimberley Land Council Newsletter (Vol. 1, No. 1, Jan 1979); leaflets from Friends of the Earth (FOE); CARE News, Campaign Against Racial Exploitation (No.4, March 1978); letter to Bruce McPhie (CICD) from the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, R.I. Viner, committee letters and Black Resource Centre Correspondence.
Dr. Charles Deguid led the 1947 campaign against the establishment of a British-Australian rocket-testing program in the Central Australian Desert. He worked to inform the public of the harmful effect that this program would have on those people living traditionally. While the testing program went ahead, the public meetings held to oppose it brought to public attention the issue of nuclear testing and the effects this would have on the Indigenous community. A copy of his address delivered at Town Hall, Melbourne, 31stMarch 1947 is available in the Victorian Peace Council and Research and Information Centre record collection.