STOLEN WAGES

Outline

• Definition • Causes• Aboriginal slaves• Repayment

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3oQMT0jiLsM

What does the video clip tell us?

• Aboriginal People were paid only 31% of White wages.

• They received only 20% of their own wage.

STOLEN WAGES?When?

From the late 1800s until the 1970s

What happened?

-Enslavement of Aboriginal workers -Denial of access to their wages (corrupt officials and employers stole their wages in many cases) A CYCLE OF POVERTY

-general reluctance to pay the monies withheld of governments and churches

Aboriginal Workers Employer Governmen

tPocket Money

Administered Money

Gary HighlandNational Director of

ANTaR

Rachael SiewertGreen Senator of

WA

Views about Stolen Wages

Aboriginal Workers

Repaying Stolen Wages….?

Stolen Wages Repayment Scheme in Queensland

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QuRdspayj04

$2,000 to $4,000 for a lifetime of work

(2002)

Set aside $55.4 from Indigenous Wages

and Savings Reparations Scheme

(2002)Draw more than $15

from Qld Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander

Foundation(2008)

Conclusion

• Many Aboriginal workers couldn’t receive the wages.

• Many Aboriginal women worked like a slave labour.

• Governments have tried to pay back wages of Aboriginal workers.

• But it is not easy to collect records.• Aboriginal people claim low success of

repayment.

Discussion Questions

• Do you agree with the amount of repayment that Queensland government decided? ($2000-$4000)

• How do you think the reasons that other states and territory (South Australia, Victoria, Tasmania, Northern Territory) do not set up repayment scheme?

Reference• gonkybonks 2007, Justice?, video recording, YouTube http

://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3oQMT0jiLsM• History of Indigenous wages: Queensland Government

2012, viewed 18 September 2013, <http://www.qld.gov.au/atsi/cultural-awareness-heritage-arts/history-indigenous-wages/>

• Korff, J, creative spirits, viewed 11 September 2013, http://www.creativespirits.info/index.php

• Queensland Stolen Wages Fact Sheet, viewed 17 September 2013, http://www.reconciliation.qut.edu.au/issues/recweek/StolenWagesFactSheet.pdf

• World News Australia 2013, Stolen wages issue heats up, video recording, YouTube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QuRdspayj04