“Involving the Indigenous community is vital to ensure Aboriginal children can remain in their homes.”
That sounds terribly ominous. Don’t you think the government has done quite enough of their “involving” the indigenous community in governmental schemes for their forced improvement?

“The differential treatment of the Indigenous Peoples in the Northern Territory involves impairment of the enjoyment of various human rights…”
Yes it does, but in the same article you yourself call for *more* differential treatment of the indigenous peoples. This involves the same fault as all the failed schemes of all the failed social engineers before you - that you know what's better for people, than people.

Even granting the wrongs of their unjust dispossession, it is hard to think that the Aboriginal people would be any worse off if there had never been any race-based schemes, and they were equally subjected to the same laws as everyone else.

All race-based laws and policies are an abomination and should be abolished.

Natalie Hunter,

Let me tell you a secret. It's probably the worst kept secret in Australia. I'm going to put it in capitals so you can't miss it.

MOST AUSTRALIANS DON'T GIVE A RODENT'S RECTUM ABOUT THE PLIGHT OF ABORIGINES.

Some, perhaps the majority, are even prepared to admit this in private.

The politically correct minority claim to be "deeply concerned", "horrified", "ashamed" etc. But they're not. Not really. It's not a first order issue for most. It's not even a second order issue.

For most Whitefellas expressing shame over the plight of Aborigines is simply a way for them to demonstrate their moral superiority over the "rednecks".

Maybe the lesson we should draw from the plight of Aborigines is this:

HOWARD WAS RIGHT. BORDER PROTECTION IS IMPORTANT

The Aborigines lost their country because they had an inadequate border protection capability.

Speaking personally I think we should simply say to the Aborigines:

We took your country.

We're not going to give it back.

But we'll pay you compensation - say $10,000 tax free per Aborigine per year for the rest of your life. We'll also pay the next generation. But then it ceases.

The total cost would be about $5 billion per annum.

This does not affect in any other benefits to which you may be entitled as Australian citizens.

Aborigines who have not already taken matters into their own hands and moved into the general community as many, if not most, of them have, are a lost cause. Think about the hard working aboriginal Australians who have succeeded in working out their own lives; forget the no-hopers who want to live in the past.

Congratulations Natalie, well said.

The first three posts sort of say it all, their comments indicate their level of thinking.

Please do not let the small-minded eurocentric rabble's comments get to you. There are a few of these strange being lurking on OLO that pop up with thier random thoughts of racist drivell.

Perhaps it might be a bit challenging for them to read an article from an Aboriginal woman. Poor fellas, you sort of have to be kind of sorry for them.

Nice try Aka but unfortunately it's those *in favour of* racially discriminatory treatment that are racists, not those against it, you fool.

another typically racist comment from aka, who probably doesn't realise how racist she is "read an article from an Aboriginal woman"

Why not an article from ANY person, why aboriginal, why a woman, if its an Aboriginal woman, does that make it better? More racist?

"Poor fellas, you sort of have to be kind of sorry for them." ignoring the usual sneering at "whitefellas", Why, because after all this time and all the effort and all the pandering too, you don't understand why some people get sick of one group of the community still wanting more than any other group - merely because they are different?

You're a racist, plain and simple and want special treatment because of race for aboriginals, why not ALL Australians getting the same?

Why indeed?

This racist nonsense will not abate as long as we don't have equal responsibility which opens the door to equal rights, starting with the Public Service & other public funded organisations. It is not possible to achieve equilibrium when the scale is lopsided.
I'd like to hear some indigenous australian views on responsibility vs rights & some proposals for involvement in the development of communities.
Would it be preferable if non-indigenous had no involvement ? What are the involvement keys to supporting communities from an indigenous perspective ?
There must be a model out there by now somewhere. Let's have it out in the open for all to see ! Nobody can do something right without enlightenment of what's expected.

Fiona Stanley wrote and speaks about some very good ideas on responsibilities and ways for working positively. I think you should be able to google her easy enough.

Fiona calls for the people who are supposed to be delivering services, doing the jobs, etc to be held accountable for their success or failures. These people include public servants, tradespeople, non-indigenous and Indigenous.

I do commend Natalie, for having the bravery to submit herself and her article to standard sniping by the likes of the current posters

Natalie, at least you are trying to do something for your people, and I commend you for that.
Whatever has been, or is currently, happening for Aboriginals in this country has not worked, and so something else must be tried.

I don't agree that we should compensate all people affected by the so called 'Stolen Generation'. Where would all this compensation stop?
Do we continue compensating all descendants of this Stolen Generation for 10 years, 20 years, 50 years?

From the years I have worked with indigenous Australians in the health field, the people who have stood up for their communities, gone ahead and had more education, and more likely to have jobs etc, were those who were actual members of the Stolen Generation, or their children/ grandchildren.

Why was this? Because many Indigenous Australians who were sadly removed from their Parents were actually given a reasonable, modern education. Yes, they suffered from not having their parents, but I wonder what some of their fates would have been had they not been removed?

Aboriginal Children who are being physically, emotionally and/or sexually abused at their home should be removed straight away, regardless of any other considerations.
That is how it should be for all children in this country.

Education is the ONLY way the Indigenous people will rise up and take their rightful place in Australian society

suzeonline

Hear, hear!

Spot on.

It should be so Suzeonline but it is not.

We cannot leave our army of lawyers short of cash and the Judges among them do also need cash and prestige.

We, the newcomers, have brought with us our untold miseries and have poured them on the people of this continent. The pouring will continue probably until there is a single aborigine left.

Each of us, individually and in groups, has taken from the primal occupiers, the land and, with it, those people’s freedom, health and dignity.

Our moral decay cannot be absconded when, in the short period of two century, we, the civilized European, have decimated the population of the Aborigine of Australia and repeated the earlier equal massacres of the Aborigine of the Americas.

What is the essence of the sorrow expressed by a Prime Minister when, if one of us, driven by moral compulsion, wished to direct some financial help to relieve the suffering of the aborigine, does not know where to look?

Every venue of aboriginal welfare is in the hands of institutions regulated by unknowns who do not feel the duty to specify how the help is used.

My experience tells me that glossy magazines and expensive cards of thanks from unknown entities or personalities instead of reports on the distribution and quality of help supplied hardly encourage further support

Skeptic,<"Every venue of aboriginal welfare is in the hands of institutions regulated by unknowns who do not feel the duty to specify how the help is used."
I could say the same to you- it should be that way, but it isn't!

Having worked in Aboriginal Health in the community (country and city) for several years, I can tell you that when money is given by the Government to some supposedly upstanding members of Aboriginal communities to be used where it is most needed, it is squandered.

The people in control of the money usually use a little of it for community projects, and the rest is used for their own extended family. They buy four wheel drives, TV's, cars, anything!

They can't and wont say no if family members know they have access to money, and ask them to 'share' it. That is just the way it is.

Sorry if I sound cynical, but I have seen it all and have now left that area of health in despair.

Skeptic & Suzeonline,
I can tell from experience that both of you speak from experience & what both you stated is undeniable fact. Therein lies the dilemma.

Natalie,darlin'
The aborininal community want compensation because they lost possession of their land?
That was over 600 odd years ago,dear.The people who occupied or captured the land you have in mind are all dead and buried. They should pay the compensation to those who survived. It's all long since gone,you poor thing.Your descendants have been getting paid compensation for hundreds of years. How much longer does this have to go on? Is there any end in sight?

Most Australians today were born abroad and had nothing to do with the killing and capture of your land. I for one dont feel i owe you a tinker's fart.

socratease

socratease,
you are hilarious, I hope you are not a history teacher lol. 600 years, how hilarious. Hmm, and you go around valuing tinkers farts I presume.

You state that "Most Australians today were born abroad and had nothing to do with the killing and capture of your land. I for one dont feel i owe you a tinker's fart."

What you fail to recognise is that you directly benifit from this brutal dispossession.

I don't care when you decided to abandon your country, but until a year ago, some of these brutal murders occurred in living memory in our region. It is possible that there are still a few oldies around who are able to recall one particular event when a family group was wiped out, with only 1 survivor.

See if you can find the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Women's Taskforce on Violence report in your library or online and you will see some of the shocking events that happened in the early 1970's. Hardly 600 years

The Maoris also seek compensation even though they ate some of their predecessors.

suzeonline,

Your practical experiences tally with what I have observed.

You are not alone in your assessment, my recollection is that Neville Pearson has said similar things about education. He added that through education he was able to move into a middle class suburb where he was able to shed his family of the extended relatives who come to stay and are a threat to his children.

Keep it up, OLO is often long on idealism and advocacy, but painfully short on practical experience and independent advice.

Thanks Cornflower, but I don't think many people want to hear my ideas because they are not always very politically correct when it comes to discussions on Indigenous Australians.

I went through a hard time when I worked in that area, and am still suffering the consequences.
Maybe I am too discouraged to give any really helpful ideas.