GY.

Interesting view. But a too forgiving view. I take a more sinister view, which leads to the question of who drives the divisive agenda of Aboriginal reconciliation, and who actually benefits from the division?

Obviously it is not the rank and file Aboriginal person that gains, but individuals and organisations encamped in and around the honey pot!

Just expect more not less of a division. At least while taxpayer billions pour into the bottomless pit of pity.

just look at how our totally dishonest academics and national broadcaster uses the term genocide. The only true genocide to take place in Australia has been in mother's wombs. Dumbed down crowds like getup use the Indigeneos people to divide the nation. Thank God their is an occasional sane voice like Jacinta Price.

Excellent, erudite, well researched, credible, cogent, articulate article Graham!

It's long past time the professional victims on both sides of this divisive debate moved on and accepted, once the pages of history are accurately recorded, they can never ever be erased!

Moreover, we can only own our own behavior, not that of long dead explorers/tourists/former enemies!

We live in a fracturing world ruled by devide and rule, diabolically disengenuous annus sphincters!

And at a time in our history when the most important issues that absolutely must be front and centre, are the things that unite us and common humanity!

Or take a leaf from the book of Islam and go to an eternal vicious war over a, [awash with the blood of innocents,] blood stained history and diabolic disingenuous divergent takes of it!

That neither prospers nor advances any of the protagonists!

This is one spear that must be proffered, broken! And with that done, move on!

There is only one constant in the entire universe and that one constant is constant change!
Alan B.

Beautifully presented Graham.
Would love to see this posted far and wide.
Thank you.
Narelle47

We've all heard the statements of people suggesting -
"get over it - its hundreds of years ago, move on.
It's divisive."

Then we so revere the notion of "Lest We Forget"
when remembering our role in a foreign war (WWI)
also hundreds of years ago.

It puzzles me why we simply can't tell a history that
has never been adequately told in the first place.
Why are we as a nation so reluctant to face up to our past.
It appears that inconvenient truths that risk tainting
the white "pioneer/settler" narrative are not to be
commemorated, but forgotten.

The historical record documenting our colonial past is
mostly limited to written records that largely exclude
Indigenous voices. Yet as educators point out the
magnitude, persistence and near universality of Aboriginal
oral narratives are surely telling.

Monuments and sites are powerful tools in remembering.
They are physical markers on the landscape of events
that happened. They need to be accurate and correct.
Words therefore are important. For many Indigenous
communities - the physical markers are important just
as Gallipoli - important places of rememberance that
should never be forgotten.

Hopefully one day Indigenous people will be able to
visit these sites and see that their history is also
included. They will be able to reflect on our collective
history - and see that they have not been left out.
That we are inclusive - and that they have not been
excluded. That we are no longer threatened by our
collective past.

"So both groups of settlers – Aboriginal and European – brought technology and human violence to the continent."
Interesting. British naval forces and Aboriginal countries were equally violent.( D Trump 2017). Cook discovered gold like bushrangers shooting up a gold-fields coach or bottle shop ram-raiders. Aboriginals deserved what they got from the winners.