Statement: Arrest of Uncle Jim Everett

The Wilderness Society Tasmania strongly denounces the arrest of Uncle Jim Everett - puralina meenamatta and stands in solidarity with the respected activist, writer and Tasmanian Aboriginal Elder.

Today in Lutruwita / Tasmania, Uncle Jim Everett was arrested for standing up to the destructive native forest industry logging his Country in the Central Highlands. He states that “First Nations’ law is in Country and we are obligated to defend our law because we are Country and Country is us.”

"Palawa law is in Country, and I am obligated to protect Country as a law-keeper. The government must eventually acknowledge that First Nations are not Australian citizens, and that the ongoing destruction to our lands, seas, waterways, and sky country must be addressed in a treaty," Uncle Jim says.

So called Australia’s laws are failing nature, as species extinction and forest destruction continues. Tasmania’s native forest logging industry is exempt from Australia’s national environmental laws. Instead, native forests are managed, and regulated, via a Regional Forest Agreement (RFA). The RFA exemption should be ended immediately.

Those who are trying to stop the decline of nature during this crisis are heroes. Especially at a time when laws disproportionately favour destructive industry and are against nature and people trying to protect it.

Uncle Jim is calling for an escalation in the campaign in the coming summer months. "The profit-driven, and huge taxpayer costs to maintain the forest industry, and the costs in terms of destroying natural ecosystems and the life therein, is a serious issue at this time of climate change, and it has to stop immediately” he says.

"Our Palawa community is very alarmed at how the destruction to Country continues, and are preparing to campaign hard during the summer season,” he states.

“Across Lutruwita/Tasmania, Aboriginal and non Aboriginal communities are standing up for forests and wildlife but are routinely ignored, not consulted with and have forest destruction inflicted on them, despite its lack of social licence,” says Wilderness Society campaigner Alice Hardinge. “The community is demanding stronger laws to save and protect what little forest is left, to prevent species decline and extinction and to permit peaceful protest,” she said.

Uncle Jim is calling for action, stating, “We are asking all of you strong First Nations People and organisations, and mainstream supporters to join in the challenge, together we will achieve change. We are asking mainstream Australians to stop ideas of assimilating First Nations into the destruction of All-life environments and come our way, learn to understand Country, and find identity here with Country. We know the way, come and we will teach you, this is what we are saying. If we are to live with a healthy Country we need to force change, we must go together and take all of Australia with us.”

The Wilderness Society Tasmania stands with Uncle Jim-puralina meenamatta, and is answering this call.