Col Rouge - I was referring to your earlier post when I said I agreed with you. Your latest post: " governments cannot be responsible for us – they are our servants – not out guardians" - I would say that the Government is responsible TO us. It is accountable TO us. This includes accountability for policies it has implemented - in this case, those policies clearly have not worked.

The issue here is one of differing cultures and the Aborigines' need to cling to its past. But if a mixture of cultures are to co-exist on an equal basis, then the watering down of our cultures is inevitable. It's important to have knowledge and understanding of the cultural past, but unless the Aboriginies are fully self-sufficient, having separate "pockets" of Aboriginal communities within "white" Australia can never work.

the crux of this issue is that on those aboriginal communities, whether its mutitjulu or cherbourg, there is this - nothing to do.
alcohol, substances, suicide, violence - it all stems back to that issue of nothing to do.

on top of that is the historical issues, yes it goes back to days of inception of these communities, their purpose and the treatment of the people.

those communities need to be developed in such a way as to provide community members with a role in that development and ongoing operation/management, and in a way that will provide the community the means to contribute in an economic context back to itself and the wider community. this development must include aboriginal cultural influences because it involves aboriginal people, some who are still living 'close to traditional lifestyles', a practical mixture of two-worlds.

easier said than done - obviously.

the other crux is the general attitude of non-aboriginal australians toward aboriginal australians. whilst the last 40 years have seen improvements in general attitudes, those old deep rooted notions are still very much alive.

i am an aboriginal woman who lives in urbania australia, i run my own business, send my children to school to achieve and am involved in my community. comments like the initial one made by lisamaree prove those old notions live on and do little except maintain barriers.

Kalalli, whilst I agree with most of what you say, both you and Rainier have totally misunderstand the point I was trying to make with my original statement. Let me be quite clear with my meaning:

I, and I'm sure many (most?) urban-dwelling "white" australians, do not see many aboriginals "conducting a normal a life as many australians". It was not meant as passing "comment". This is not a "notion". It's not an "attitude". It's a Fact. It does not mean I am putting up any barriers. It does not mean I live a rarified existence. So please try to get that huge chip off your shoulder and forget all the boring old cliches. I congratulate any australian who makes a positive contribution to australian society, and brings up their children to do the same.

Why, when confronted with the complexity of issues in Indigenous affairs, do white Australians trot out their favorite 'I once knew, know of, Aborigine story to qualify their latest (apparently) well informed analysis?

It’s as though Australians do not know and relate to Aboriginal people in real time but they can relate to stories told by their 'mates', parents, grandparents. And let’s not forget those they make up just to sound authoritative, justified, and worldly and anthropologically knowledgeable. I wonder if every white Australian family has an heirloom aboriginal story they pass down to through their grandkids for protection against…..?

Kalalli,
Well at least you tried sister, a month of sundays with a psycho therapist would see exactly the same results you got.

"It’s as though Australians do not know and relate to Aboriginal people in real time but they can relate to stories told by their 'mates', parents, grandparents. And let’s not forget those they make up just to sound authoritative, justified, and worldly ...." etc etc.

And yet, from the same person:

"Why.......do white Australians trot out their favorite 'I once knew, know of, Aborigine story to qualify their latest (apparently) well informed analysis? "

and another from the same:

" could go on about Aboriginal history and Joh (whom I knew) and his redneck ideologies and practices but I fear this might offend those Qlders who grew up learning Joh myths and not the facts of his fascist regime. Its understandable, even Hitler still has supporters in Germany."

aaand another...:

"Anytime you'd like me to show you around the Cape, let me know. But beware; us Aborigines up here have orthodox political views just like everyone else. (shock horror!) ...On your way up you can drop into one of the more opulent suburbs of Cairns and have a chardonnay or two.....(poolside of course). "

O the irony of it!