Anticipation

In Australia we are on the brink of a referendum to recognise indigenous Australians, our First People, in the federal constitution.  There is even talk of a Treaty.  Wise people are in committee setting up this much anticipated occasion.

We want it to be a resounding 'yes' vote for constitutional recognition and I have always been sure it would be.  A Treaty is a deeper matter and the ramifications of this are yet to be revealed to we the great unwashed.  I don't fear it.  I would welcome it.

What I fear most is that nothing may change in practical terms for those indigenous persons who still have a lesser life expectancy, suffer kidney and diabetic illness, live in poverty, live in remote communities whose very existence is threatened and who suffer ridiculously high rates of incarceration. The elders who can remember vividly the details of the destruction of their culture(s) deserve to be placed in a situation whereby they can live out their lives with some pride in who and what they are.  The young adults and children deserve every opportunity to be what they want to be and to take advantage of those parts of 21st century living that they aspire to.

We are one people and the non indigenous must, yes I say must, learn to respect their indigenous brothers and sisters.  I have seen some behaviour from indigenous persons in metropolitan Perth that is a major concern but the same applies to many non indigenous persons.  This errant behaviour from a few is no reason to disrespect a wider population trying to do the right thing.

Are we on the brink of a breakthrough for indigenous Australians all?  I have faith and hope that this is the case.  I've tried my hardest as an educator to help, but being non indigenous such help is not always welcomed and understandably can be viewed as interference in the self determination that is undoubtedly the way forward for indigenous Australians. I guess it is me thinking have I done enough in my career that is now over.  I'm not wimping or moaning I am just concerned to see it all go well before I leave this mortal coil.


May the Force be with us all!


GD

OPEC criticises successive Australian governments

OPEC rightly claims that these governments over the years have not done enough to support and assist indigenous Australians to overcome the lingering grief and hurt of the invasion of their lands by the British, and the resulting destruction wrought on their culture(s).

Today there is some concern about the quarantine of cash for use on welfare cards so that indigenous persons cannot waste money on alcohol and drugs. It is claimed to be working whatever that means.  It is not on the surface a self determined solution, but there are claims that the current Federal Government will not or cannot release the names of indigenous leaders who support this welfare card solution.  The government says many of these leaders do not want their names released.  I must say I can believe this as there are nuances in Aboriginal culture that might make this true and too many Australians make no attempt to understand these nuances or are ignorant of them.

Again over the last weekend during the football clash between Port Adelaide and Adelaide there were dreadful and callous racial slurs made by fans at the game towards two indigenous football stars. Racism is alive and well in my country and sits just under the surface breaking out every now and then.  Not good enough.

May the Force for racial tolerance be amongst us all!


GD

The latest on closing the gap for indigenous Aussies

The latest report turned up many of the old chestnuts of failure to see change for the better.  One ray of sunshine was an improvement in the numbers of indigenous Aussies participating in higher education.

Come on PM Turnbull get with opposition leader Bill Shorten and show some innovation and sustainable bi-partisan concern.

May the Force be with all Aussies.  We are one.


GD

Australia Day January 26th

On January 26th 1788 the NSW colony was founded and the land and its indigenous people were forced to accept the white intruders from England.  Most Aussies rejoice on 26 January that they love being in this blessed land, but many indigenous Aussies see it as the day of invasion and the beginning of the destruction of their many cultures.

It's a tough question with one senior Aboriginal elder recently coming out and beseeching his people to forgive and rejoice in being Australian on Australia Day.  I am sure his views will be fiercely rejected by many of his brothers and sisters.

I feel we can have an Australia Day for all once we become a Republic, being then divorced from the ties to England and all it stood for in 1788.  I mean no disrespect to England and the English.  My grandad came to Western Australia from England and bought land for farming.

There has been much pressure for and against in respect of changing the date from January 26.  An alternative is to time the institution of a Republic on January 26 and name it Republic Day with ceremonies of citizenship on that day. It will be a new beginning as we celebrate the birth of the Republic to which we belong as one.  January 26 will not officially celebrate the 1788 settlement but those who wish can celebrate in whatever way they want.  It would be a holiday anyhow as it has become Republic day.

We must become a Republic and asap.  We cannot wait for the Queen to die. The world must think we are still a bit juvenile hanging on to the ties to England.  Unless I am mistaken even Queen Elizabeth is a bit nonplussed that we have not already become a republic.

Join the republican movement ARM and help us to achieve this vital change.


May the Force be with you!



GD

Hermansberg in South Australia

A few days ago I viewed a TV program on this remote Aboriginal community.  I know these communities well having visited nearly every remote community in WA in a former career as an educator.  I've written about my views on how well we educators did in other posts in this blog.  I felt we did poorly in our work despite great efforts by conscientious teachers.  We did not sufficiently  embrace the local cultures in what we did.

Hermansberg was established as a Mission station by the Lutherans in the 19th century.  History shows that this was often a disaster and the beginning of the end of the local Aboriginal culture.  To the great delight of my wife and myself we discovered that the Lutheran brethren had from the beginning of their time recognised the local culture and set about translating Christian hymns into the local language.  In the TV program we saw and heard a choir singing these hymns and saw pages of the script in the local language.

A local man was loud in his praise of how the Lutherans retained much of the local culture particularly the language.

My observations here are not to say that Christian missionary zeal was the way to go for these remote places.  However in this case the harm to the local culture was minimised and well done Lutherans. Hermansberg is a dry community having suffered the ravages of alcohol at one stage in its life, presumably after the Lutherans had gone.

Well done Hermansberg you are a lighthouse community for the Aboriginal people.

Great to have good news.


May the Force be with you.

GD

2017

A very happy and prosperous 2017 to my viewers.

May the Force be with you.


GD

Has anything changed II

I was stunned to listen to a very good friend of mine pay out on the City of Fremantle shifting the 2017 Australia Day celebrations to signal to our Aboriginal brothers and sisters that we recognise the 26 January 1788 was not a good time for the indigenous inhabitants.  The cultural disruption began almost immediately with it reported that the Aboriginals around the first settlement could not understand how the whites caught a lot of fish and did not share.  Some of their tribal lands were immediately annexed.

There were Aboriginal heroes in various parts of Australia as each state colony was established.  In my own city of Perth there was the famous Yagan who is now recognised as a hero who stood up for his people.  The Queensland Aborigines were a determined group of tribes that fought against the invading settlers and as a result suffered hideous consequences.

Yet in that same City of Fremantle I often observe Aboriginal persons shouting at each other across the street and generally causing some fear in the general population.  Perhaps the Fremantle Councillors hoped that their action would calm the hurt that is manifest frequently amongst the local indigenous population.

It's a tough issue.

Currently there is a Royal Commission (RC) inquiry into the detention of young persons, mainly Aboriginal, in the Northern Territory.  The RC was brought on by our Prime Minister after TV footage of what must be seen as inhumane treatment of young inmates was shown on our screens across the nation.

It's a tough issue.

There is lots of positive evidence of Aboriginals who have "made it".  They are lawyers, doctors, diesel mechanics, national park rangers, senators and the list goes on.  Despite this there are more Aboriginals proportionately than other groups locked up in our jails.

It's a tough issue.

Come on Prime Minister Turnbull link up with the Leader of the Opposition Bill Shorten and keep moving forward to eliminate the hurt, the sickness the domestic violence that plagues many indigenous Australians.  Part of the mending should be a federal government TV campaign that educates the general population about the past and asks for understanding and actions by individuals.

May the Force be with our First Australians.

GD