Perseus
didn't mean to misunderstand.. but personally I'm rather reluctant to bring in the idea of 'mortgage' to Aboriginal life, apart from a protective proviso that Banks cannot forclose and sell the land to anyone but Aboriginals. Once its lost in the morass of EuroEconomic rationalism so much more than just the land will be lost.

I guess I'm more sympathetic to the indigenous connection with the land than many of we white trash, as I've married an indigenous girl from Borneo, and have seen pretty much all the issues first hand, (disposession, manipulation, exploitation etc) and I have a pretty good handle on their feelings. Sadly, many WOULD jump at the short term angle (just like us by the way) without thinking of the long term heritage impact.

Christopher, you wrote very eloquently, and I would truly like to know in very down to earth practical terms how you see the

'training and development into full employment'....happening.

Can you give this a real world context, including a particular geographic community, and propose specific approaches to fulfill this ?

I was encouraged greatly to do a search on your name and find you and others in the Indigenous University. How do you see this fitting in with the master plan of development into full employment ?

What cultural barriers/issues if any, do you see, which might cause problems (or actually promote it) with that ?

I have had the opportunity to live and work in some extremely remote communities, and I foresee many difficulties with this supposed solution. The leaders of some of these Comunnities will, due to their having slightly more education, will reap virtually all of the benefits, whilst the less fortunate will lose out again. The difficulty faced by virtually all remote communities is that very few indigenous residents are provided with all of the benefits of their present situation, the problem is the sheer lack of accountability and responsibility.

Until the Commonwealth and State governments have sufficent intestinal fortitude to insist upon each community council and land council being subject to an annual audit, and to the prosecution of any fraud uncovered by it, the lot of the majority will not improve. The individuals currently entrusted with the running of some communities, have in the past been granted carte blanche to do as they wished, with the reult that until the offenders are punished, why should anyone else act more responsibly.

If this annual audit is not undertaken, the income generated from the will inevitably dissapear down the same fiscal toilet, as so much before it. The majority of the residents in the communities where this occurs will be worse off, having received no benefit, and not having their land into the bargain.

The major problem, particularly in the Pitjanjarra lands is petrol sniffing, I have personally witnessed three and four generations of the same family walking along the road sniffing 'sunshine milk' tins. This problem is huge and will eclipse that of the 'stolen generations' within a decade, whilst the 'Pit' lands will be virtually uninhabited.

This post is not intended to vilify or defame any person in the communities named, they were named simply for demonstration purposes. of course any resemblence to any person, alive or dead, to my comments is strictly unintentional.

The issue of what happens if a foreclosure takes place can be dealt with by a system of land off-sets. That is, a block within a community area is freeholded as a house block and is therefore morgagable but in the event of a foreclosure, a block of similar value near the boundary of A&I Council land is handed over for sale, preferably to black fellas only. I doubt there would be many prospective outside buyers for foreclosed blocks in the community area due to the outstanding baggage attached to it.

The issue of developing the capital base to fund home building can also be dealt with by off-cummunity blocks. For each community member that needs finance for their own house the Council can create two blocks, one in the community for the resident and another to be rented or sold for enough to partially finance the residents house. There is no shortage of spots on A&I Council land that could make very exclusive weekender villages, with rents to match.

Of course, care would have to be taken to insulate the community from the influx of ignorant, overpaid urban dropkicks. A requirement for them to only build structures that can be put on a truck and shipped out would help. And a system of measures to remind them who owns the place would also help.

Again, the solution is not what is being done but how much is being done and how. An excess of anything is counter productive.

Good on you Perseus, so nice to see someone who has thought it through to the point you have.

Check out the tirade by Rancitas in the Noel Pearson comments against me, I think he could learn a lot from you.

Such issues will simply end up as political footballs unless thoughtful people think outside the 'labor/liberal' points scoring loop.

Well done.

See Land Rights and Development Reform in Remote Australia by
J.C. Altman, C. Linkhorn & J.Clarke.

http://www.anu.edu.au/caepr/Publications/DP/2005_DP276.pdf

It answers many questions raised in this forum as well as dispenses with many of the ill equipped assumptions made (often in good will).

Dear Ranier
sure, I can wade my way (if I had time) through a volume..but the easy way, in this medium is for you to give some simple points yourself, having knowledge of this text.

It has to amount to a manifesto/agenda ..something which can be easily stated here.

It worries me that the likes of Noel, is castigated by other indegenous people, for reasons I really don't understand. Is it some kind of 'political camp' thing ? Is he the wrong 'party' flavor ?
I honestly don't know but Rancitas seems to suggest so, and you were not far behind. Is it a squabble about funding ? or 'ministries' competing for recognition ? a territory thing ? Maybe even a CLAN or tribal thing ?

There is a lot not being said here, which I think is coming out indirectly.
So, while we are seeking to interact on the topic, please try to summarize for all of our sakes those interests you feel are the most valuable, and whether you see a realistic pathway to advancing Aboriginal interests... your response will be appreciated.

Using Cape York as an example (because the article is about it) will give it a context.

As far as I can see, NP wants aboriginals to get training and Jobs.
I would like to know his thoughts on exactly 'how' "jobs" are going to suddenly come into being ? Maybe u have a different idea ? lets hear it.