Elders discuss Aborigines Welfare Fund sharing

ABC News Thur, 29 Mar 2001 11:08 AEST LOCAL NEWS : Queensland

More than 200 elders from across Queensland have wound up a conference in Rockhampton discussing ways of distributing almost $8 million from the Aborigines Welfare Fund.

  The State Government has promised to return the money to Indigenous people after it was found that wages from Aborigines were paid into the fund between 1943 and 1966.

Convenor Cheryl Buchanan says while no firm decisions were made about how to divide the money, the conference was a good starting point.

"What we've found over the past few days I guess is that a lot of emotion, a lot of anger, a lot of hurt, a lot of pain," she said.

  "But in through telling those stories, I think the importance of it now is that people realise is that everyone must have a say about this important issue.

  "People look forward to going back to their communities, talking these issues through, and progressing of just what is going to happen."

  =A9 1999 Australian Broadcasting Corporation

http://www.abc.net.au/news/state/qld/metqld-29mar2001-9.htm

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