Big Nana,
In my area the term clan is a misnomer because just about every family calls themselves a clan. A small assembly of some 10 families call themselves a Nation with Statesmen etc. & just like in other Nations the Statesmen are kept by the taxpayer.

Thanks Individual,

Whatever name people use or used, the gist is that there traditionally were many tens of thousands of 'groups' controlling land-use over specific stretches of land across Australia. Often, as I understand it, people might leave part of their land for months or years, or even decades, particularly during droughts.

But still, the 'group', by whatever name, held the land-use rights to that land. Some areas seemed to be shared - down here in SA, parts of the Gawler Ranges, for example, and perhaps no particular 'group' claimed it outright.

But any drive to recognise 'nations' might have to contend with tens of thousands of groups, often disputing boundaries and historic entitlements. A lawyers' life-time banquet !

But back to topic: why is there so little enthusiasm for demonstrable Indigenous success in higher education ? Why are the elites so silent ? Why is the non-Indigenous 'Left' so silent ? Does the whole concept of Indigenous success go so much against their 'knowledges' ? Would they be more comfortable with a tiny handful, while the rest are denied full education ?

Joe

Joe, a handful of educated elites have been acting as spokesmen for indigenous matters for several decades now. The thought of being reduced to one amongst many is probably not a comfortable one. They may as well get used to it, because, as you say, the numbers are increasing rapidly and even worse, up here we have a young generation of very dark skinned kids getting educated and in the eyes of the general community, they are the ones with credibility, especially those from remote areas.
One of my grandsons attended a small, independant college in Darwin and one of the students, who would have finished year 12 last year, was a lovely, full blood girl who was an incredibly good speaker. I would love for her to go on into some leadership role and I only hope she would get a better response from the indigenous elite than Bess Price has had.
Unfortunately, educated and very obviously aboriginal people tend to get a poor reception from their own. Whether it is because they are seen as a threat to the status quo, or because they tend to be conservative I don't know.

Hi Big Nana,

Fantastic ! I certainly wish them well. Charles Darwin Uni has tripled its enrolments since 20067, with Batchelor closing down - I hope that those students are enrolling in full-degree courses, not in those useless (no offense to anybody) diploma courses.

But of course, students from the north, and from remote areas, should be able to enrol in any course in Australia. I recall driving a group of Alice Springs students around Adelaide in about 1997, including one lovely girl who wanted to study Marine Science at Launceston - I hope she made it. But I'm sure there would be some dumb-arse 'counsellors' who would purse their lips and shake their heads sorrowfully and say, "Sorry, dear, there won't be a need for that in Alice Springs, why not do hairdressing instead ?" God save us from 'counsellors'.

Another young girl in a career-workshop in Broken Hill was passionate about becoming a rainforest manager. I hope that she never told that to a 'counsellor'. I would die happy to find out that she is now doing precisely what she wanted to do.

Was it Eileen Joyce, the world-famous pianist, who was born in a tent out from Kalgoorlie ? And the wonderful operetta singer, June Bronhill, who was raised in Broken Hill (hence the name) ? Location is not destiny :)

But certainly university student programs should be unstinting in publicising university study opportunities in the most remote communities. When I was at Salisbury campus, I would spend, I'd say, a full two months each year either putting together information packages or going out to schools. One year, Maria and I spent our mid-year break driving up around Brewarrina and Bourke and Wilcannia, talking with kids about their career opportunities. And another year, down to Ivanhoe. ['Where the hell's Ivanhoe ?' Yeah, we bought the bumper sticker.]

But that won't happen as long as the elites' tacit slogan is "We've made it, Pull up the Ladder." "Veniti sumus, scalam retractate."

Joe

Loudmouth, "why is there so little enthusiasm for demonstrable Indigenous success in higher education ? Why are the elites so silent ? Why is the non-Indigenous 'Left' so silent ? Does the whole concept of Indigenous success go so much against their 'knowledges'?"

Not something the 'fact checking' ABC is interested in. Not useful to the Progressives' agenda.

OTB,

The recent review of Indigenous higher education used data no later than 2005, when the down-turn had been going for five years or so - and before the substantial rise in numbers and performance. There are probably twice as many Indigenous students enrolled this year (we won't know until July next year) as in 2005.

Individual,

The low-hanging fruit has always been the easiest to pick, in the cities and amongst working people. Now might be the time for the real work to start:

Much of the funding for Indigenous student support at universities should urgently go towards very active and ongoing liaison between universities' Indigenous student support staff, and remote, rural and outer suburban populations (most likely through schools), in order to publicise, select, and recruit prospective students from those areas, followed up by rigorous preparation of any prospective students, immediately before their courses start - followed up by intensive on-campus support.

As well, something similar should be put in place at TAFE Colleges - for Indigenous students in genuine courses, leading either directly to trades or to preparation for such courses, or for entry into university. There surely is enormous scope for all manner of trades training, either on-site or in conjunction with TAFE Colleges ?

One hears stories about a plumber being flown out to a remote community to change a tap washer. What the hell has been going on all these years ? Indigenous enrolments at TAFE Colleges have been enormous year after year for twenty years or more now - and what is there to show for it ? Thirty six thousand tradespeople ? I don't think so.

I'm sure not all communities are bereft of tradespeople, that some people there have got off their elbows and learnt valuable skills for the benefit of their communities. It would be great to get some figures on this.

Joe