Mr Ward
Encyclopedia
Ian Ward commonly known as Mr Ward in media reports,Mr Ward's first name was generally not used in media reports in respect for Aboriginal naming customs
. was an Australia
n Aboriginal
elder
from Warburton
, Western Australia
who died after being transported in the back of a prison van in the Western Australian outback
.
He was involved in forging relationships between his own community and non-Aboriginal communities in Western Australia
, Australia
and overseas: he was chosen to represent the Ngaanyatjarra
lands in a delegation to China
. Mr Ward assisted and worked in outback Western Australia with a variety of scientist
s, geologist
s, paleontologists, geophysicists and others associated with geological surveying. He had worked as an interpreter in transactions relating to native title
. Mr Ward was involved in Landcare
, looked after water holes, and baited fox
es, dingo
es and wild cats
. He was a highly skilled hunter, but also assisted many non-indigenous people to see native wildlife such as bilbies and rock wallabies. As an elder Mr Ward worked for many years in a battle to have the rights of his people in the Gibson Desert
Nature Reserve recognised. Mr Ward was a well-known dancer and speaker and created works in glass including the art glass series The Seven Seals of the Ngaanyatjarra Lands.
. He was then driven 570 kilometres to a courthouse, remanded in custody, and driven a further 352 kilometres to a prison. It was noticed by the prison officer
s driving the vehicle that Ward was unconscious. He died shortly afterwards.
The mode of transport used in Ward's death had already been warned about prior to his death The response to the circumstances of the death was in part immediate
Compensation for his family after his death was delayed, and involved a number of government authorities The delays caused significant loss of confidence in both the government and its capacity to have safe delivery of prison transport in isolated areas of Western Australia. In 2010 the family were compensated.
By 2011 some further responses were occurring, including the Department of Corrective Services pleading guilty to his death in May 2011.
Taboo against naming the dead
The taboo against naming the dead is a kind of taboo on the dead whereby the name of a recently deceased person, and any other words similar to it in sound, may not be uttered...
. was an Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n Aboriginal
Indigenous Australians
Indigenous Australians are the original inhabitants of the Australian continent and nearby islands. The Aboriginal Indigenous Australians migrated from the Indian continent around 75,000 to 100,000 years ago....
elder
Elder (administrative title)
The term Elder is used in several different countries and organizations to indicate a position of authority...
from Warburton
Warburton, Western Australia
Warburton or Warburton Ranges is an Indigenous Australian community in Western Australia, just to the south of the Gibson Desert and located on the Great Central Road and Gunbarrel Highway...
, Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
who died after being transported in the back of a prison van in the Western Australian outback
Outback
The Outback is the vast, remote, arid area of Australia, term colloquially can refer to any lands outside the main urban areas. The term "the outback" is generally used to refer to locations that are comparatively more remote than those areas named "the bush".-Overview:The outback is home to a...
.
Life
Ward was filmed as a child leading a traditional life with his family in the 1960s by film maker Ian Dunlop. He was a central community figure at Warburton and in the surrounding lands with a knowledge of culture, land, and art, and was known as a "culture man".He was involved in forging relationships between his own community and non-Aboriginal communities in Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and overseas: he was chosen to represent the Ngaanyatjarra
Ngaanyatjarra
Ngaanyatjarra is an Indigenous Australian cultural group in the Western Desert, Central Australia.-Meaning and origin of the name:Ngaanya literally means 'this' and -tjarra means 'with/having' ; the compound term means 'those that use "ngaanya" to say "this"'...
lands in a delegation to China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. Mr Ward assisted and worked in outback Western Australia with a variety of scientist
Scientist
A scientist in a broad sense is one engaging in a systematic activity to acquire knowledge. In a more restricted sense, a scientist is an individual who uses the scientific method. The person may be an expert in one or more areas of science. This article focuses on the more restricted use of the word...
s, geologist
Geologist
A geologist is a scientist who studies the solid and liquid matter that constitutes the Earth as well as the processes and history that has shaped it. Geologists usually engage in studying geology. Geologists, studying more of an applied science than a theoretical one, must approach Geology using...
s, paleontologists, geophysicists and others associated with geological surveying. He had worked as an interpreter in transactions relating to native title
Native title
Native title is the Australian version of the common law doctrine of aboriginal title.Native title is "the recognition by Australian law that some Indigenous people have rights and interests to their land that come from their traditional laws and customs"...
. Mr Ward was involved in Landcare
Landcare
Landcare may refer to:*Landcare , a group formed to seek land protection*Landcare Australia, an umbrella organisation seeking land protection in Australia*Landcare Research New Zealand Limited*Landcare...
, looked after water holes, and baited fox
Fox
Fox is a common name for many species of omnivorous mammals belonging to the Canidae family. Foxes are small to medium-sized canids , characterized by possessing a long narrow snout, and a bushy tail .Members of about 37 species are referred to as foxes, of which only 12 species actually belong to...
es, dingo
Dingo
The Australian Dingo or Warrigal is a free-roaming wild dog unique to the continent of Australia, mainly found in the outback. Its original ancestors are thought to have arrived with humans from southeast Asia thousands of years ago, when dogs were still relatively undomesticated and closer to...
es and wild cats
Feral cat
A feral cat is a descendant of a domesticated cat that has returned to the wild. It is distinguished from a stray cat, which is a pet cat that has been lost or abandoned, while feral cats are born in the wild; the offspring of a stray cat can be considered feral if born in the wild.In many parts of...
. He was a highly skilled hunter, but also assisted many non-indigenous people to see native wildlife such as bilbies and rock wallabies. As an elder Mr Ward worked for many years in a battle to have the rights of his people in the Gibson Desert
Gibson Desert
The Gibson Desert covers a large dry area in the state of Western Australia and is still largely in an almost "pristine" state. It is about in size, making it the 5th largest desert in Australia, after the Great Sandy, Great Victoria, Tanami and Simpson deserts.-Location and description:The Gibson...
Nature Reserve recognised. Mr Ward was a well-known dancer and speaker and created works in glass including the art glass series The Seven Seals of the Ngaanyatjarra Lands.
Death
On 26 January 2008, Ward was arrested by Laverton police and charged with a driving under the influence of alcoholDriving under the influence
Driving under the influence is the act of driving a motor vehicle with blood levels of alcohol in excess of a legal limit...
. He was then driven 570 kilometres to a courthouse, remanded in custody, and driven a further 352 kilometres to a prison. It was noticed by the prison officer
Prison officer
A prison officer , also referred to as a corrections officer , correctional officer , or detention officer , is a person charged with the responsibility of the supervision, safety and security of prisoners in a prison, jail, or similar form of secure...
s driving the vehicle that Ward was unconscious. He died shortly afterwards.
The mode of transport used in Ward's death had already been warned about prior to his death The response to the circumstances of the death was in part immediate
Inquest and response
Ward's death was the subject of a coronial inquest. The inquest found the two guards who accompanied him, the company in charge of the prison transfer service (GS4) and the WA Department of Corrective Services contributed to Mr Ward’s death.Compensation for his family after his death was delayed, and involved a number of government authorities The delays caused significant loss of confidence in both the government and its capacity to have safe delivery of prison transport in isolated areas of Western Australia. In 2010 the family were compensated.
By 2011 some further responses were occurring, including the Department of Corrective Services pleading guilty to his death in May 2011.
External links
- http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/searchlite/?p=mr+wardThe West AustralianThe West AustralianThe West Australian is the only locally-edited daily newspaper published in Perth, Western Australia, and is owned by ASX-listed Seven West Media . The West is published in tabloid format, as is the state's other major newspaper, The Sunday Times, a News Limited publication...
archive of news stories under the keyword Mr Ward]
See also
- Aboriginal deaths in custodyAboriginal deaths in custodyAboriginal deaths in custody became a major issue because of a widespread perception that a disproportionate number of Indigenous Australians were dying in jail after being arrested by police...
- Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in CustodyRoyal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in CustodyThe Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody studied and reported on the high level of deaths of Aboriginal people whilst in custody after being arrested or convicted of committing crimes. This included suicide, natural causes, medical conditions and injuries caused by police...