The 2013 federal election and the advancement of Indigenous Australians

Haven't heard much from Labor but just heard a speech by Tony Abbott.  Looks like he wants the great indigenous leaders like Noel Pearson to self determine the way forward.  Not mad on the Libs but if Tony means what he says then good on him.  Now he has to deliver!

It has taken the Libs a long time to be dragged kicking and screaming towards self determination.  Prime Minister Howard would not even apologise for the wrongs of the past. In his speech Tony referred to the 1788 landing as the beginning of modern Australia which is a very debatable view.  Shades of colonialism methinks.  On the positive side Tony Abbott admitted the great wrongs that were perpetrated on the indigenous Australians from the time of the landing.  He seemed moved in his speech. Let's hope he can get self determination up and running strongly.  Part of the action plan has to be an enlightening of all Australians about the past and to build a deep respect for their indigenous brothers and sisters. All Aussies watch their TVs and I am convinced this is the medium for getting all Australians on board.  This is a matter much more serious than can be handled by Twitter, Facebook or the internet in general, although they may have a role to play.

My deep-rooted personal view is that the advancement of indigenous Australians should be through a bipartisan approach by the Federal Parliament.

Indigenous Australians - Indigenous Philosopher Kings and Queens as Leaders

In earlier posts I described how the governments of the day need to identify indigenous leaders of the order of the Dodson brothers, Noel Pearson and Rosalie Kunoth-Monks et al and give these great leaders the unfettered opportunity to self determine the future for their peoples.  I see them as the Philosopher Kings and Queens of their peoples and can't wait to know that they are in the highest halls of Australian governmental power bringing about the change that is needed for indigenous Australians.

In the ABC Q&A  this week Professor Fiona Stanley and others put the above view and I was heartened.

Those who believe in the cause need to canvass their pollies of both sides to see which side, if elected, will act and act decisively and without all the bureaucratic palaver.

Despair hurting the cause for Indigenous Australians

"Lessons learnt from violent colonial past", The West Australian, Thursday May 23, 2013.  In this article we are reminded that in 1833 Midgegooroo, a Noongar leader was executed by firing squad without trial.  He was the father of Yagan a Noongar who resisted white settlement.  Yagan was later killed by a white settler.  This is the despair of happenings as part of the systematic destruction of the aboriginal culture(s) across Australia that progressed well into the 20th century.

In the same article we read of the effort of the current WA state government which is in the process of resolving a settlement of the 2006 Noongar native title decision.  "This is said to include a $1 billion package of cash and land transfers to the Noongar people of  Perth and the South West."  The Premier Colin Barnett aims to reach a settlement with the native title representative body ".....that would extinguish all future native title claims in Noongar country but benefit an estimated 35,000 Noongar descendants." The agreement is also to include "...recognition of the Noongar people as the original inhabitants and traditional owners and this would be enshrined in an Act of Parliament."
If this is accepted by the Noongar people it could be a good thing but only time will tell.  I suspect that the hurts of the destruction of the culture of the Noongars still runs deep.

In recent editions of The West Australian the despair about far too many suicides amongst aboriginal youth is recorded and is being addressed.  Also there are often articles despairing the high proportion of aboriginal incarcerations within the total prison population.  This blog has addressed this issue in previous posts.  I have just received an email from Generation One who have set about taking positive action to reduce this incarceration.  My experience in a past career and from what I read still suggests to me that many aboriginal youth learn from their elders to have a major disrespect for anglo Australians, whites if you like, such that acts of crime are somehow part of the fight to right the wrongs of the destruction of aboriginal societies. A sort of terrorist warfare if you will.  On one level this is understandable given the horrific wrongs of the past.  On another level, if true, how is it helping the achievement of a true reconciliation commencing with Kevin Rudd's apology?  Any effort to right the imbalance of aboriginal incarcerations needs to be bold enough to explore with the elders the depth of animosity that may manifest itself in needless criminal activity.

Recently I learned of an incident where someone close to me was driving along with an aboriginal friend in his car when a band of aboriginal youths threw two rocks at the moving car breaking the passenger window.  Fortunately no one was hurt, but the negative  fallout in the mind of the young driver, a white anglo who has many aboriginal friends was very sad.  One can see his support for the aboriginal cause waning.  He sees these young people destroying themselves and their peers and elders by drawing negative reactions from the wider community because of such vandalistic and dangerous random acts.

Recently the Chief Minister of the NT added to the picture of despair when he boldly suggested removing aboriginal children from abusive environments.  The cry naturally was 'back to the Stolen Generation'.  There is no doubt that the Chief Minister's motives were solely to protect young children who happen to be aboriginal. No matter whether indigenous or non indigenous there is no excuse that will explain the abuse of young children.

Are we moving forward as a nation of mixed races and ethnicities and allowing our indigenous brothers and sisters to self determine their future as part of this rich fabric of our society?  Is there a self destructive undertone that is severely hurting the aboriginal cause?  Do more aboriginal persons have to die by their own hands or commit what seem to be needless criminal activities and be incarcerated or can we stem this tide of despair?

NITV CH34

Mega exciting that indigenous Australia can now talk to all Australians through their new free to air TV channel.

The trick is to have SBS encourage its viewers to watch CH34.  A sample I viewed enabled me as a non-indigenous Aussie to understand more about the history of Aboriginal life before 1788 and after 1788.

Get it out their so that the ratings suggest a difference is being made and indigenous Aussies are being given the respect they so richly deserve.

The challenges for non-indigenous Australia will be to tolerate and live with the nuances of Aboriginal cultures as they exist in the 21st century.