Amanda

What little I know of Aboriginal culture suggests it is typical of the pre-literate tribal cultures I encountered in Africa. There is little or nothing that is relevant to the 21st century.

The “holistic” approach you talk about has nothing to do with actual tribal culture. It is a “manufactured product” marketed to gullible Whites. It is a reflection of what gullible Whites want to believe about tribal cultures.

In other words, Amanda, some shrewd Aborigines figured out what you, and people like you want to hear, and sold it to you. I saw it happen all over Africa and it seems to be happening in Australia.

There is no “ancient wisdom” in primitive pre-literate tribal cultures. A much better guide to who and what we are is emerging from our understanding of our evolutionary origins as well as our growing ability to probe the functions of our brains.

If you want a truly holistic understanding of our environment study ecology. We’ve learned more about the functioning of eco-systems in the past century than in all of previous human history put together.

If it’s ancient wisdom you’re after there is more to be learned about the human condition from the plays of Sophocles and Euripides or the novels of Jane Austen or Emily Bronte than from primitive pre-literate tribal cultures.

I’ve used phrase like “primitive pre-literate tribal cultures” a number of times. That’s deliberate. These are pre-literate cultures and, in truth, there’s little we can learn about them. Mostly what we get is what purveyors of that “culture” believe we want to hear. For the most part Aborigines themselves know little about what life was like here before the arrival of Europeans.

Stezza,

Of course there was hunger among Aborigines in Australia. Even when population densities are low primitive pre-literate cultures have a hard time feeding themselves.

Here’s the thing Stezza. The White dominated compassion industry needs victims – especially victims of a darker hue. Aborigines fill that need. It’s a symbiotic relationship.

My god the pettiness of the other posters is mind boggling. I don't think a referendum will launch at all if the only thing you people whinge about is superficial 'victim mentality', the commentators complaining about the situation and whether the rest of Australia has to feel bad about it;
Grow up. This is an incredibly serious issue.

It seems nobody DID read over the article, because potential implications of being barred from prime food and material resource estate formerly owned could indeed be a common practice and explain a lot about new hardships. Nor, what Dodson went on about throughout most of the article, that little thing about a low guarantee of Aboriginal rights in Ausrtalian constitution or law (the NT intervention being proof).

I think we should make a special request upon people who post in Aboriginal issue threads- that they can step outside the "whites are badguys and Aboriginal people won't let it go" mentality and actually analyze the situation from a NEUTRAL rational manner (like me), instead of huffing and puffing as if you were unfairly put into the naughty corner?
Because people carrying around the black-armband mentality (whether of guilt or the angry Abo-bashing angst) are just, quite frankly, mentally ill, and emotionally unstable morons who desperately need psychiatric care long before they are fit to speak in these topics.

I bet nobody will get it though.

ah, so anyone who disagrees with king hazza "are just, quite frankly, mentally ill, and emotionally unstable morons who desperately need psychiatric care"

I love democracy, where people are allowed to comment that anyone who disagree is mentally ill.

Come on kh, people are allowed opinions, as much as you think they should not be allowed them, oh and by the way - they probably think the same of you, but would probably add, intolerant high horse finger wagging chip on shoulder pompous git .. metaphorically speaking of course.

i think there will never be reconciliation, since Dodson and his ilk are only after "special treatment", since they are so used to it and want it enshrined.

Don't touch our constitution, to most of us, this is just an opportunity to put themselves above the rest of Australia, it's inherently racist (as usual)

I cannot understand all the protestations coming from people about this Referendum. Giving our First Australians equity enshrined in law seems to be something that is long overdue and it's a good place to start. As the author points out much work will need to be done, and of course it will just be a first step. However, nothing else seems to have worked in the past - perhaps because tolerance and understanding have not broadened out as much as we like to think that it has.

Hazza,

[Sorry, mate, I'm a republican]: you wrote:

"I think we should make a special request [see (a) ] upon [see (b) ] people who post in Aboriginal issue threads- that they can step outside the "whites are badguys and Aboriginal people won't let it go" mentality and actually analyze the situation from a NEUTRAL rational manner (like me), instead of huffing and puffing as if you were unfairly put into the naughty corner? [see (c) ]

"Because people carrying around the black-armband mentality (whether of guilt or the angry Abo-bashing angst) are just, quite frankly, mentally ill, and emotionally unstable morons who desperately need psychiatric care long before they are fit to speak in [see (b) again] these topics."

[a] 'special request' ? At least as far as I can understand your language [see (b)], are you suggesting that us [we] citizens should have fewer rights to analyse, criticise, comment on, debate, discuss etc. Indigenous issues than other issues ? Not a good start to full and frank exposition of all of the issues that Dodson alludes to, let alone the ones he avoids.

[b] Forgive me for being a bit pedantic but PLEASE use the appropriate preposition: ' ... a special request TO or FOR people ... ' and ' ... fit to speak ON or IN RELATION TO these topics.' Why do some writers think it's cute to use any preposition that comes to mind ? What we/you write has to make sense: none of us should pretend to be Delphic Oracles.

[ c ] Pot and kettle ?

And 'quite frankly', I can't make any sense out of your last paragraph: who [whom] are you having a go at here ?

Joe

lexi - everyone needs to express their opinions .. whatever they are, they are the reflections of Australian contempory thought - like it or not.

Tolerence and understanding is a two way street, many Australians clearly do not feel it is - and when they express that, they are howled down as racists, rednecks or whatever it was kinghazza said.

These typical attacks on Australian expressing themselves are intended to suppress debate, all it does is drive it down to a murmur, but the feelings are still there.

you yourself are amazed "perhaps because tolerance and understanding have not broadened out as much as we like to think that it has.", because you don't hear or want to hear typical Australians .. you don't, it doesn't mean these attitudes go away.

many posters here are just reflecting the community .. and some posters reflect the intolerant liberal/progressive stance of no dissidents, typical fascist lefties who support the victim mentality.

A referendum will fail, not because people are against aboriginals, but because THEY (ordinary hard working Australians) are not heard and are damned if they are going to give someone else a leg up to lording it over them.

Calling Australians names and berating their opinions, is not going to help aboriginals in any way.

Respect cuts both ways, not just a one way street, reconciliation is not a one way street. Some talk reconciliation, but really mean, recognized racial benefits and superiority ensconced it seems.