Thanks for an informative article Joe. I think the key point you made is 'one graduate in every three city-based adults, versus barely one graduate in every twenty remote-based adults '.

I have worked with and befriended full blood indigenous people in the Kimberlies for 18 months - on the 'Red Scheme' in Broome in 1976, in agriculture in Kununurra in the same year and in a remote community at Noonkanbah in 2003.

I grew to respect them, mainly for their down to earth, simple honest ways and love of their country. They are quite different and have quite different priorities than urban mixed blood aborigines. I think the educational aspirations and needs of these two groups, both university and technical, should be addressed and assessed separately.

I don't think its a good thing to have all Aborigines 'assimilated' into the White way of life and values. Their traditional values and semi- settled way of life on the remote communities, on their beloved 'country' should be encouraged to continue. For those who want to stay in this lifestyle, assistance should focus on helping them to make a more healthy and viable lifestyle out there.

PS I have a young friend (who still calls me 'uncle'), who is 1/4 Aboriginal blood and I am proud to say she was recently employed by the Federal Government as a lawyer. She is a very competent urban professional(more successful than I ever was). But she has quite quite different priorities to her full blood distant cousins in bush communities.

Clearly, we need to bite the bullet and get more kids into city based high schools, even if that means housing their immediate families as well, while they attend school, and maybe, even later uni!
And something that could be gradually withdrawn as kids become more self reliant young adults.
These kids need to learn that, their familiar family homes will always be home-base, but they also can walk tall in the westernized world.
And having made a resounding success, able to go back and contribute to their own communities, be it with advanced medical care, to further reduce the life expectancy gap, or provide long needed, superior teaching and far better local high schools; or, superior legal advice, that gives the community an edge over the mining industry; or even enables them to mine their own minerals, using the latest mining advances and able to bring in the necessary, finance, due to promising prospecting results?
Or those who may want to use their backyard as some sort of dump, while keeping most of the possibly massive profits for themselves, when what should prevail, is unfettered information flows, and genuine economic partnerships?
Better education, invariably leads to improved economic outcomes for the student; and given enough of them, for whole communities!
Well done and more of the same please!
Rhrosty.

Dear Joe,

I'd also like to add my Thanks for your informative
article. Most of us have so much to learn about our
Indigenous people. I watched "Q and A," last night.
(Monday 4th August 2014). The entire panel was made up
of Indigenous people - and there were many in the
audience with questions as well. It was the best
"Q and A," ever. I learned so much. I actually teared
up in the end. It should have been compulsory viewing
for every Australian.

Roses1:
If you are not part of the solution, then you may well be part of the problem!?
There is not a white way or a black way, just a right way!
And if urban blacks have different priorities, is it because or the reverse racism, too many, or their parents/Grandparents suffered in their formative years, but particularly those who didn't have a dad, to protect them, from traditional, different or wrong color bullying?
Which in too many communities is still alive and well Roses1.
And then we wonder, why urban blacks have different or more personal priorities?
If nobody took them, maybe someone or something drove them away, and forced them to assume a different communal urban black identity?
Fortunately, more and more, so called full bloods are getting a westernized education, and then coming back to traditional communities, to share their new skills and knowledge, and indeed as required, combine it with traditional skills.
People can walk in two communities, unless jealous power hungry control freaks, try to prevent it, or give new meaning to traditional law, so they can retain that control, and or continue, with their humbug or patently punishable perversions.
As one elder might have said, if we do not control and end child sexual abuse, as high as 50% in some remote communities, when will we? When they again take the kids away?
Get on board or get out of the way!
Rhrosty.

Isn't it amazing how 45 minutes of Q&A can offer so much insight, more insight than living for 35 years amongst indigenous people. Wow !

There is not a white way or a black way, just a right way!
Yes, Rhrosty but unfortunately the right way doesn't as yet pay as much as the other two.
You must remember that white & near white bureau rats are making very good money as long as this is not solved. What would many of the academics do if suddenly there were no need for more hare-brained schemes ?
No, mate can't have that !

Certainly Noel Pearson was a breath of fresh air last night as the Captains pick really followed the path of her captain (political dogma). Noel seemed to be the only one to realise that indigeneous people need to integrate if they are going to benefit in the future. The others who are living high on the gravy train just wanted to trash the train not realising how they have become so privileged. Mr Wyatt and the tribal elders did quite well. If Nova was to give rulership back to her people as a woman she would more than likely be required to remain silent and let the elders speak. An inconvenient truth. It does seem like it is the women who are speaking to men like Twiggy that seem to be making some progress with issues.