Vincent Forrester facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Vincent Forrester
Born	1952 Alice Springs, Northern Territory, Australia
Nationality	Australians
Occupation	Activist, artist
Years active	1970s–present
Style	Western Desert painting
Notes
Forrester is of Luritja and Aranda peoples.

Vincent Forrester (born 1952) is an important Aboriginal Australian leader. He is also an artist and someone who works hard to make things better for his community.

Vincent helped start many Aboriginal groups in central Australia. He lives in a place called Mutitjulu. There, he was the chairman of the community council. In the 1980s, he gave advice to Australian governments. He helped leaders like Malcolm Fraser and Bob Hawke understand issues for Indigenous people.

For many years, Vincent has spoken out about important issues. He has strongly disagreed with the "Intervention" in the Northern Territory. He also believes there should be more jobs and schools in affected communities.

Early Life and Work

Vincent Forrester was born in 1952 in Alice Springs. His family comes from the Luritja and Aranda peoples. One of his grandfathers was Scottish.

Vincent grew up on a large cattle station. It was in the Angas Downs area. His grandparents taught him many things. He learned about the sacred stories of his land. He also learned about bush foods and bush medicine. When he became a young man, he went through a special initiation ceremony.

As a teenager, Vincent worked on the station. He was a station-hand and a stockman. Later, he worked in a place where animals are processed, called an abattoir. He also spent three years serving in the army in Townsville. Vincent has had many interesting jobs. He was a horse-riding clown and a rodeo rider.

Vincent's first language is Luritja. He also speaks English and Arrernte.

Activism and Community Work

Vincent Forrester has been an activist for Aboriginal Australians for most of his life. When he was growing up in the 1960s, he saw that Indigenous people did not have the same rights as others. He disagreed with the government's assimilation policies when he was at school. These policies tried to make Aboriginal people live like non-Aboriginal people. Later, he joined the fight for Indigenous land rights. This meant getting their traditional lands back.

In the 1970s, after leaving the army, Vincent helped start the Central Australian Aboriginal Congress (CAAC). This group provides health care for Indigenous Australians. He worked there as a field officer and then as a secretary. He also helped create the Central Land Council. This group helps Aboriginal people manage their land.

In 1982, Vincent went to Geneva to represent Australia. He attended the first meeting of the United Nations Working Group on Indigenous Populations. In the mid-1980s, he helped set up the Central Australian Aboriginal Media Association (CAAMA). This group helps Indigenous people share their stories through media. He has been a treasurer, manager, and a board member for their TV network, Imparja.

Working with National Leaders

In November 1977, when he was in his mid-20s, Vincent helped start the National Aboriginal Conference (NAC). This was a group that represented Aboriginal people. In October 1981, he was chosen as the chairman for the Northern Territory. In this role, he advised the governments of Malcolm Fraser and Bob Hawke. He gave them advice on issues affecting Indigenous people.

In 1979, a group called the National Aboriginal Government set up the Tent Embassy in Canberra. Protesters asked the Australian government to make a treaty with Aboriginal people. A treaty is a formal agreement. Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser said he would only talk with the NAC. This was because it was the only elected group representing Aboriginals. The NAC then started working on a plan for this treaty. The government did not like the word "treaty." So, the NAC chose a Yolngu word, Makarrata. This word means a coming together after a struggle.

After becoming NAC chairman for the Northern Territory, Vincent helped write the Makarrata plan. This plan was for a treaty that would recognize the sovereignty of Aboriginal nations. Sovereignty means having the right to govern themselves. People wanted the Australian government to treat Aboriginal nations like other independent countries. Support for this treaty grew through the 1980s. Vincent talked with Aboriginal communities in his area. He became sure that his people wanted a treaty. He believed the United Nations should oversee these talks.

The Hawke government closed the NAC in 1985. But Vincent stayed involved in planning the Makarrata proposal. The campaign for the treaty remained strong. It was at its peak in 1988. Vincent even did an interview about it on CAAMA radio in 1989.

Jobs and Education

Vincent Forrester started working as a tour guide at Kings Canyon. This was when more Aboriginal people around Uluṟu began working in tourism. Later, he became a ranger for Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National Park. He also mentored young Aboriginal people at Alice Springs Desert Park. He trained them to be guides and park rangers.

Vincent believed that tourism and conservation offered great chances for Aboriginal people. He was against economic development that came from uranium mining. Many central Australian communities get money from mining companies. But Vincent argued that they should not rely on this.

While working in tourism, Vincent spoke out about the lack of job opportunities. He said Indigenous people in central Australia faced poverty. He believed this would get worse if the government did not talk directly to communities. Vincent claimed that racism was a big part of the problem. He called the situation "economic apartheid". This means people are separated and treated unfairly based on their race, especially in jobs and money.

He also knew that most people from Indigenous-speaking communities could not read or write English well enough for many jobs. Many adults could not read or write. Younger people did not have enough access to education. So, Vincent worked for several years to create new school curricula.

In May 2011, the Ayers Rock Resort at Yulara was sold. The Indigenous Land Corporation bought it. At that time, only two out of 700 workers at the resort were Indigenous. By early 2013, this number had grown to 170. About 35% of them were from Muṯitjulu.

Vincent was critical of Malcolm Fraser when he was Prime Minister. But he later said that Fraser was one of the few leaders who talked with Indigenous communities. He discussed issues that affected them directly.

The Intervention

In 2007, the government of John Howard started a series of actions. These actions aimed to fix problems in the Northern Territory. This was often called "the intervention." Many people, including Vincent, saw these actions as racially unfair. Vincent was already a leader in Muṯitjulu at that time.

In February 2008, he went to the Tent Embassy in Canberra. He went to hear the new Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, say sorry to the Stolen Generations. While there, he talked with other Indigenous people from the Territory. They discussed how the intervention affected them. The group then met with politicians. They talked about their demands.

Vincent called the intervention an "occupation" of Indigenous lands. He said the military was involved. He demanded that these policies be stopped. He encouraged Aboriginal people in the Territory to disobey the intervention laws. This was a way to protest peacefully.

Vincent argued that social problems can be avoided. He said the government needs to provide the right schools and services. He noted that the population of Muṯitjulu had dropped by over 40%. People were leaving. Vincent claimed the government was too slow to fix the real problems. These problems were jobs and education. He said life in Muṯitjulu had only gotten worse since the intervention laws.

In 2009, Vincent became chairman of the Muṯitjulu Community Council. He remained chairperson until about 2012. He then swapped roles with his cousin, Sammy Wilson. Vincent has since partly retired. He lives near Alice Springs with his wife and daughter. He is also an elected member of the First Nations Referendum Council. This council works for changes to the Constitution to recognize Indigenous sovereignty.

Artwork and Storytelling

Vincent Forrester started painting in the early 1990s. He paints stories from the Dreamtime. He has said that his art tells a story. It is also a "spiritual legacy" for his descendants.

At first, he used acrylic paints. But he later started using natural ground-up paint made at Uluṟu. Traditional methods and tools are used to grind natural pigments into powder. Then, they are mixed with something to make a thick paint. The colors Vincent uses are traditional. They are the same colors used for ceremonial body paint.

His painting Resurrection at Mutitujulu Waterhole was made using these methods. It was chosen as a finalist for the Togart Contemporary Art Award in 2012. This painting shows the waterhole at Uluṟu. It also tells the story of Wanampi, the Rainbow Serpent. This painting was part of a series dedicated to women.

See also

In Spanish: Vincent Forrester para niños