W A Government Land and Cash Offer to the Noongar Peoples - Way Forward or Sell Out

Yesterday Premier Colin Barnett and some of his colleagues met with the South West Aboriginal Land and Sea Council (SWALASC) representing the Noongar People in order to consider the offer and develop a response.

There was a tent embassy type beating on the glass protest as the protesters vented their view that the offer was a sell out and that the SWALASC does not represent all Noongar people.

There is a long way to go in working through this offer and in the end it may not be accepted.  A major positive is that it presents the Noongar Peoples with an opportunity to talk comprehensively and exhaustively to map out where they want to go.  Such talk will no doubt be at times hostile and angry and at other times full of vision and hope.  If it results in a Noongar consensus for a way forward, even if it is not the WA Government offer, surely that would be something to celebrate.

It would also give the Australian population at large an insight into Aboriginal issues and the determination of this significant group of First Australians to resolve matters. What could be better on the eve of the Constitutional referendum on recognising the First Peoples.

Canberra protest

It all happened this week.  Sad in many ways and yet it at least brings Aboriginal issues to the fore in the lead up to the referendum on the constitutional recognition of Australia's First Peoples.

Much as I am a passionate supporter of the resolution of Aboriginal issues in our great land I cannot condone any action that puts others in a situation of physical fear, namely our PM.  Tony Abbot's comments were ill timed and ill considered.


I was intrigued by the tent embassy representative arguments on sovereignty for the First Australians dating back to legislation from Queen Victoria's reign.  These reps were asked whether they wanted self rule in their native lands.  They seemed confused about this and I am also very confused. It may be opportune to revisit the recent Sander's report from WA in which self determination, and if I recall correctly, some self government models for Aboriginal persons were recommended.

Coming out of the protest was the view by some protesters that the whites should "...take their roses and go back to England".  Very tricky and it will be intriguing to see how this view plays out in the coming months. It needs to be recognised that the Australian population is made up of many different cultures from all over the world.  Many of these new arrivals will have no understanding of the events from 1788 onwards in respect of Aboriginal peoples.

At the risk of being accused of the cracked record syndrome I again urge the powers that be, namely a bipartisan set of Federal and State pollies and key leaders of the various Aboriginal communities to support a massive TV campaign to open up the issues and the successes with the aim of educating the Australian population about Australia's First Peoples.  This must be done before any referendum if there is to be an informed vote that if successful in recognising the Aborigines as the First Peoples, will be part of a massive change for the better for these First Peoples.  Such a campaign needs to be designed by advertising professionals in conjunction with recognised leaders of various Aboriginal communities. A hollow meaningless yes vote would be very disappointing.

Let's keep moving forward.

Q & A on the ABC on 17 October 2011 with Rosalie Kunoth-Monks

Oh boy what a show.  Rosalie was superb as she called for the Prime Minister to enter into dialogue with the First Australians.  Rosalie wants a process of self determination, a welling up from the ground to bring about real change.

I am sure she shocked a lot of viewers about how nothing has changed for her people and how they remain in a downtrodden state, still subject to racism.

Q & A showed the power of TV to get to a viewing audience and have a dynamic effect.  One could tell from the Twitters that were shown during the program.

The Way Foward for Australia's First Peoples

Shane Wright reported in The West Australian, Monday 8 August, 2011, p 13 "Indigenous money waste huge: report".  He was reporting on a report commissioned by Kevin Rudd and compiled by Finance Department officials early in 2010. The report was "scathing of the 232 programs aimed specifically at indigenous people or which have had a focus on Aboriginals or Torres Strait Islanders since 2000. "...much of the  $3.5 billion a year in special programs delivered 'appalling' results".  "Past approaches to remedying indigenous disadvantage have clearly failed and new approaches are needed".

Wright indicated:  "The reports authors struggled to find all the programs aimed at indigenous Australians, saying more money was not necessarily the answer".

Against the background of this article by Wright one sees sick Aboriginal persons camped in appalling conditions adjacent to the Port Hedland Hospital.  They must be there as many of them have for example regular dialysis treatment. Admittedly a new hostel is being built nearby but it is far from completion and some of those it is meant to house fear that it will mean a sort of institutionalisation.

The plight of the Oombulgurri people has been highlighted in a previous post on this blog.

Also in The West Australian, Monday 8 August 2011, p11, Nathan Dyer reports on a serious suicide problems for young indigenous persons at the Balgo community.

To balance these examples of sadness above the writer of this blog gets a lot of good news stories in emails from Generation One which is all about education and jobs for indigenous persons.  There are also lots of good news stories of remote indigenous communities that have conquered the scourge of alcohol and other drugs. What about the indigenous Clontarf Football Academy in WA?


Put these good news/bad news scenarios in a context of the promised 2013 referendum on recognising the First Australians in the Australian constitution. 2013 is not far off and I am tipping that there will be a resounding yes for such recognition because Australians have an active sense of a fair go.  If a "fair go" is the main basis of a strong yes vote then it will only have meaning if it is based on each voter having demonstrated that they have a deep respect for the First Peoples that is manifest in all sorts of positive relationship actions.

How will this respect be nurtured in those who have little or nothing to do with indigenous Australians?  Following are some suggested actions:

• Federal and State governments need to cooperate in a massive bipartisan TV advertising campaign that highlights the good news stories and shows that urgent actions are taking place to alleviate situations like the Pilbara sick persons camped near the hospital or the Balgo youth in crisis.  This campaign needs to be developed by advertising professionals not well meaning boffins . The TV campaign would get to most Australians whereas Twitter and blogs would have a more restricted audience.
• Federal and State governments need to identify influential indigenous leaders, listen to them, and support them in their planning and actions to lead their people to a life that is rooted in the Aboriginal culture while embracing  such things as the benefits of modern medicine and rejecting the temporal pain relief that alcohol and other drugs might give for cultural loss.  No more NT interventions. These leaders already abound some recognised like the Dodsons, Noel Pearson, Rosalie Kunoth-Monks, Mandawuy Yunupingu and Tania Major and others waiting to be identified.  Australia at large will easily understand the work of non-government movements like Generation One (see above) but will have to be tolerant and non-judgemental if say elders in remote communities are supported by their leaders in living out their lives based largely on the old ways.  These elders have suffered enough as they lived through the destruction of their cultures. If these indigenous leaders want to take their people down the path of negotiating with mining companies over their land then so be it.  For communities that don't have mineral wealth then State and Federal Governments must support the leaders' plans as the way forward.
• These great indigenous leaders need the wisdom of Philosopher Kings to bring indigenous and non-indigenous Australians together in a true reconciliation where forgiveness for wrongs of the past is strong and stubborn prejudices are banished.  Maybe treaties are needed.  The ultimate goals are:

1. .....a nation that manifests respect, non-indigenous for indigenous and vice versa as the norm, such that the world at large easily recognises that this is how it is in Australia and;
2. .....indigenous Australians able to easily satisfy primary needs and enjoy some of those extras that modern life offers in ways that do not rely on government handouts with their choices being rooted in self determination.

Oombulgurri Western Australia - Aboriginal Issues

I heard on SBS1 last night that the Oombulgurri mob are basically homeless in Wyndham having relocated because of declining services in the remote Kimberley settlement of Oombulgurri, like the closure of the school.  Over the last two years the WA government has spent some $4 million on work around the community.  The TV footage showed fairly solid houses at Oombulgurri.  The TV presenter mentioned that the Oombulgurri people had been promised housing in Wyndham but the reality is that they are living in small tents without water or sewage facilities. The TV presenter also reported that there had been serious alcohol issues at Oombulgurri.  I think a lot of us might turn to drink if our culture had been left in tatters by white settlement.

Surely a leader from the Oombulgurri people can be found and mentored to lead these people to a grog free and better existence where their pride is restored as they once again have cultural roots to hold on to.  That leader could rebuild the cultural roots so that the population of Australia at large offers and regularly shows its respect for the culture.

Come on WA government, find an indigenous leader or leaders and mentor them so that they can lead with confidence and promote their people so that they are respected across Australia.

One woman from Oombulgurri, now in Wyndham, said that she felt lost and is it any wonder.

In the eyes of the United Nations we are not doing too well, however one can cite all the clauses and declarations one likes and beat our country over the head in terms of these matters but we know well enough that we are not doing the right thing.  Find the indigenous leaders and support them to turn these situations around and do it now.  We must feel for the elders who I guess cannot see light at the end of the tunnel but they cannot be ignored by having a sole focus on the young.  You can't write some off in the hope that it will all come right if the young are educated and get jobs.  Of course education and jobs will be essential but the elders are also here now and are hurting.

Those great indigenous leaders are out there like Patrick Dodson and Noel Pearson and many others.  Can Oombulgurri throw up a respected leader who can carry the day?  There are many functional indigenous communities that can be used as models of what can be achieved by indigenous leaders (men and women).

I hope the Oombulgurri mob can hold their heads high well before we have to vote in the 2013  referendum on recognising Australia's First People in the Australian Constitution.

The WA Government may just have to bear some costs to revive and keep communities like Oombulgarri going until the young have reached an age and have the knowledge and skills to decide where they want to live.  It is the least that can be done as a true reparation for the effects of white settlement. Also the WA and the Federal governments could run regular TV adds to showcase great indigenous communities in order to educate the Australian people in the lead up to the 2013 referendum.  In this way Australians would have the opportunity to learn to respect what their indigenous brothers and sisters are and can achieve.

A national discussion - Aboriginal Issues

I set out on this blog to stimulate a "conversation".  Bit disappointed with myself as I fear I have slipped into the contemporary jargon.

I really want to stimulate a "discussion" as I believe this implies more strongly that we are seeking to arrive at agreements and in some cases maybe disagreements.

Being a West Aussie I am becoming more and more disturbed by the bad news about what is not being done to resolve issues for the First Australians. 

Watch this space!

High levels of incarceration of young indigenous Australians - a difficult issue

Robert Isaacs, a Nyoongar elder, a member of the Stolen Generation and a JP for more than 30 years told the annual Indigenous Justice Forum that "Young Aboriginal offenders have an increasing tendency to claim they are seeking revenge for the mistreatment of their parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles when they lash out at society...".  Mr Isaacs is further reported as saying that "..the disadvantage faced by Aboriginal people - including poverty, ill-health, continuing discrimination, cultural differences and stressful home lives which were influenced by conflict and drug and alcohol use - should be recognised, but not used as an excuse for young people to continue to behave outside society's laws". (See the article:  Banks, Amanda, "Don't play the race card: Isaacs", The West Australian, Thursday 19 May 2011, p9)

I recall many years ago that incarceration was reported from Queensland jails as being seen as a badge of honour by many Aboriginal offenders. Was this somewhat the same as Mr Isaacs perceives where indigenous persons feel a need to right historical wrongs perpetrated on their ancestors and on their contemporary indigenous society by committing offences against the descendants of the wrongdoers?

The high levels of incarceration of Aboriginal youth and adults is frequently reported and there are cries to fix the problem.  A lot is being done and Mr Isaacs is reported as saying that "...education, mentors and respect were the keys to overcoming the cycle of offending".  I hear people saying when a spate of robberies is reported:  : "I bet they were Aborigines!"  Often they weren't, but this is what I hear people say. We have to worry when this perception rears its head over and over.  It could be one of a number of serious obstacles to the removal of prejudice between indigenous and non-indigenous Australians.  With the 2013 referendum looming all Australians, indigenous and non-indigenous, must be engaged together in talking these things through resulting in an outcome of solution and understanding.  The discussions must not be judgemental.


A discussion of this matter will not be easy because it centres around ideas like the necessity of contemporary non - indigenous guilt, like revenge and/or like some indigenous Australians maybe secretly or not so secretly wanting non-indigenous Australians to go back to the lands of their forebears.  Let's get it all out and maybe it will be seen as an issue that will be resolved as more indigenous persons achieve higher levels of education and employment yet maintain a strong indigenous cultural platform that is respected as a norm in Australian society. 

If the latter is the way then come on to this blog and say so in very strong terms so that all Australia knows.  Just imagine if this were a widespread view across the country how the validity of the vote in the 2013 referendum would be enhanced.  Maybe you have a contrary view or some constructive comment on this view.  If so make a comment on this blog and let Australia know.

I can think of other issues like the one above that need urgent conversational clarification amongst all Australians.  I have been thinking long and hard before composing this post.  For better or worse, you be the judge?