"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?
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