Yothu Yindi - Treaty (Australia)

Here is an additional comment about the inspiration for the song "Treaty" from this band's Wikipedia page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yothu_Yindi:

"In 1988, as part of Bicentennial celebrations, Australian Prime Minister Bob Hawke visited the Northern Territory for the Barunga festival where he was presented with a statement of Aboriginal political objectives by Galarrwuy Yunupingu and Wenten Rubuntja.[7] Hawke responded to the Barunga Statement with a promise that a treaty would be concluded with Indigenous Australians by 1990.[7] By 1991, Yothu Yindi were Hughie Benjamin on drums, Sophie Garrkali and Julie Gungunbuy as dancers, Kellaway, Marika, Mununggurr, Gurrumul Yunupingu, Makuma Yunupingu on yidaki, vocals, bilma, Mandawuy Yunupingu, Mangatjay Yunupingu as a dancer.[1] Mandawuy, with his older brother Galarrwuy, wanted a song to highlight the lack of progress on the treaty between Aboriginal peoples and the federal government. Mandawuy recalls:

Bob Hawke visited the Territory. He went to this gathering in Barunga. And this is where he made a statement that there shall be a treaty between black and white Australia. Sitting around the camp fire, trying to work out a chord to the guitar, and around that camp fire, I said, "Well, I heard it on the radio. And I saw it on the television." That should be a catchphrase. And that's where 'Treaty' was born.[8]"...

-snip-

Click the hyperlink to read the reference sources that are indicated by the enclosed numbers.

More viewer comments from

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sprocketrocket07 (11 months ago) Classic! Will never tire of hearing this song - Underestimated. More please.
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jezzandjo (11 months ago) I love this song.. I grew up to it. I havent seen the clip for many yrs. Good to see it again
*big smiles*
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jarrods3 (10 months ago) Never will tire of this song, but When i was in Nhulunbuy (which is where they live) i heard he was sick, i hope he is all right and still makes good music in the future!

Rock on Yothu Yindi!
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acehighpat (10 months ago) TREATY YEH!!! TREATY NOW!!!
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wotnow1 (9 months ago) This song is awesome. I like it. Play it all the time. Will never stop playing this.
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aardmark85 (9 months ago) almost 20 years later...
where's the friggin' treaty?
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oo0LEX0oo (9 months ago) XD i have to hear this song in Englisch at school
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baloosey (9 months ago) Yothu Yindi members invited me to visit them in Arnhem Land, Northern Territories which means we could get in without a government Pass. Im going to put this on my radar finally. love this band and what they have achieved. Treaty is an old song back from Midnight Oil 'Beds are burning' days. Xoxooxguys
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Lianabanana88 (8 months ago) I love this song so much!
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Winklepicker1983 (8 months ago) Some of the words in this song bring tears to my eyes. And the bits sung in the Aboriginal anguage is beautiful. We are sorry, sorry, sorry, our indigenous brothers and sisters.
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TashBabbey (8 months ago) heyy im doing an assesment task on this song for school and need as much info as i can get anyone help?? plz thanks x
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preacain (8 months ago) Yothu Yindi Visited Ireland way back when i was in school and put on a great concert I was very good life experience to meet people from the same planet who dance under stars that Ihave never seen ! talked with them told them i would like to show my support for them and tyhey told me to buy a greenpeace T-Shirt! some walkabout !!!!!!!
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daretodreamdaretofly (7 months ago) this song is awesome but i cant understand the bit where its in a different language

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mems3210 (7 months ago) he sings in aboriginal
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daretodreamdaretofly (7 months ago) but there is different aboriginal languages
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mems3210 (7 months ago) true most of them are lost forever becuase most aboriginals where killed and died from flu, aboriginal languages lost forever
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maroonsman (7 months ago) All you idiots trying to put down Aboriginal people have no idea. Go and learn stuff before you criticize us.

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preacain (6 months ago) too right man! Yothu Yindi came to visit my people and i took the oppertunity to talk with them !!! ***** Treaty written in the sand great viva Gwandana
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JUPITERsMoonLight (7 months ago) this song is one of my fave songs EVER.
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MrJavaCoder (5 months ago) mandawuy yinupingu (lead singer)
hes the best.....!!!
im learning about him...
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passingthruthislife (5 months ago) One of the most powerful, wonderful songs ever put together...the lyrics resonate into the now:
'White promises can disappear just like writing in the sand'
'The planting of the Union Jack
Never changed our law at all'
One only has to look at Brit colonizer mentality comments here to get a grasp on how entrenched scientific racism, 'white' supremacy and Brit domination are in the 21st century. I salute Indigenous Australia for their courage, dignity and proud culture. Fight on

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ajb2066 (5 months ago) Interesting comments. For me, when listening to this song, I always contemplate that to this day, a treaty between the traditional owners of this continent and the colonisers, has never eventuated. I hope I live long enough to see that actually happen. I hope I live long enough to see the Aboriginal people achieve some real justice for the atrocities committed against them since 1788. Looking around me generally and to some of the comments posted here, I unfortunately don't hold much hope.
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silvercorolla (5 months ago) This was played at my Year 12 school formal....Good times....Thanks for posting
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AFTERMATHMATIC1986 (4 months ago) Greatest relevant song in Australian history, The words from the song still apply today..
"this land was never given up, this land was never bought and sold"
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sharrunkin (4 months ago) just love this song , it should be oz national anthem and not matilda, or advancing aus,

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VK4LA (4 months ago) im a white aussie ,and im not proud of my ancestry of australia,we all should hang our heads in shame for what our ancestors have dont to the aborigines of australia.........

on the other hand a bloody great song and group.......ps the lead singer of this group lives in poverty in northern australia(true story)
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ramm2302 (4 months ago) Amazing Song I love it
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pacamootha (3 months ago) yothu yindi ,rocks...lov u brothers.keep singing...
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bvonny (3 months ago) what an austrlaian classic
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LTTPUK (3 months ago) Begging to be remixed - loved this years back when I lived downunder
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TriV40 (3 months ago) Wonderful song. My kids and I were dancing away. Please ignore the racist comments, they come from ignorant and ill informed neanderthals. A lot of us dont think that way and are deeply ashamed of the actions of our ancestors.
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TJnomadi (2 months ago) ''the planting of the union jack never changed our law at all'' ''words are easy,words are cheap.' great lyrics! sydney olympics-what a joke!
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senseitre (2 months ago) Deadly dancing in this video....
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jardinorganico (2 months ago) God bless the aboriginal sacred tradition!!!

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niddy9 (2 months ago) from a white man to a black man, I offer the the spoken word , `sorry`, not to be politically correct , but to help put aside the sins of past generations. We are all brothers and sisters of this great country, none of us own it, we just look after it to pass on...................peace for all Australians
Yothu Yindi blend white and black in music, openning minds on both sides to see we are all the same
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38tibba (1 month ago) @niddy9 i agree with you mate
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MissRandomness82 (1 month ago) Used to dance a around to this in the lving room watching rage on a saturday morning as a kid, love it!!
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MrDaveLogan (1 month ago) "I'm dreaming of a brighter day when the waters will be one"
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sikguyy123 (3 weeks ago) deadlyy songg!
koori prideee [-o-]

[Editor: http://www.nma.gov.au/exhibitions/now_showing/first_australians/language...
“In numerous languages across South-Eastern Australia, Koori means man or people. Since the 1960s, it has become widely used in New South Wales to describe Aboriginal people in general. Variations: Coorie, Goorie, Koorie."
Koorie with an 'e' is a word used by Aboriginal people in Victoria."]

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lalamango1 (1 week ago) Great song. As an Indian-American (parents are from India - Kerala State- and came to the USA in '74), I can't help notice the similarities in the phenotypes of the Aboriginal people of Australia and the Dravidians, the original inhabitants of India.
Can't wait till the day Aborigines get economic and political parity, and the white racists(not all whites, just the racists mind you) get their comeuppance. Empires rise and fall; the hunters become the hunted.
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MrBenzyboi (1 week ago) This song has been played in over 14 Australia Day Skywork Shows! With spectacular sync, which brightened up the cities of Australia.