Oops, in the above "surface topology" should be "surface topography".

I stated earlier that I agreed with much of what Andris stated. I also agree even more with thinkabit's words.
Here we have two views on a situation for which we all want to see a solution but never seem to find one.
Andris's posts clearly show an idealist view whereas thinkabit clearly shows a realist perspective.
One is a wish list, the other other a summary !
I can't get any clearer than that !
Rewriting history will make things worse & merely perpetuate the problems, preventing a repeat will only get up the heckles of those who constantly blame others for their own short-comings !
Solution ? Change the top brass in the Education system & create a National Service !
Leading by example is the best tactic to achieve unity !

Thinkabit: You claim: 'There is next to nothing that we can learn from the aborigines. Western knowledge surpasses traditional aboriginal knowledge in just about every field' Really? 1 History: Writing is recent invention. 99% of history has been passed on through oral transmission. The Aboriginees did this for 60 thousand years. Their hundreds of languages are no less sophisticated than Western languages. Through oral tradition the Aborigines developed extraordinary skills and knowledge as to how to live with nature in harmony. Our ignorant West is scrambling to recover such knowledge now, having nearly destroyed the planet through our unsustainable civilisation. 2 Love of country: I mean the extraordinary sensitivity to, belonging to, care and management of every nook and cranny of this vast continent and its fauna, also enshrined in their sacred sites, totems, rituals and stories. They lived with nature vs destroying it. 3 Spirituality. Einstein says: “There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.” He asserted that his scientific insights stemmed from his spiritual revelations. The Aborigines' 'dreaming' was to infuse their nature derived spiritual wisdom into their day to day living. Western Quantum science tries to catch up with the ancient wisdom-insights inherent in nature and its Aborigine people. 4 Tracking: Aborigines need no GPS satellites to find their way in country. Their scientific observational skills are extraordinary and enabled the newcomers to find their ways and survive here. 5 Medicine: We introduced measle that nearly wiped them out and now we are wiping out ourselves with Covid 19 and its coming successors. Our high tech medicine is trying ever more vainly to save us from ourselves. 6 Bushtucker: Their vast knowledge of bush tucker was passed on through the oral tradition and was expanded over their long history. We are still learning new things from them. Fire management: To save ourselves we are at last trying to return to the Aborigines' burn off tradition.

Dear Andris,

Beautifully put!

Thank You.

Individual: The perspectives you refer are not realistic. They perpetuate the destructive misunderstanding of reality starting with the invaders. There is nothing realistic about 1 discounting the wisdom inherent in the surviving remnants of ancient Aborigine tradition, 2 in denial of the crimes committed against the entire Aborigine traditional society and 3 of the newcomers' primal responsibility for their devastation and disintegration, and 4 in continuing to blame the Aborigines for the mass they have been finding themselves in. Take for example, how the primal initial devastation of Aboriginee societies is looked over in blaming the victimising victims in the domestic violence situations of Aborigines. First of all, domestic violence is shocking amongst non-Aborigines too, with women dying daily. Secondly, mainstream society's responsibility for the the violence committed against Aboriginees which in turn bred domestic violence amongts them with the victims becoming victimisers of their own people, is consistently denied.
The vicious cycle is continued by the punitive incarceration of Aborigines without any serious rehabilitation programs. This leads to deaths in custody and further criminalises receidivists who could be best rehabilitated outside jail in Aboriginee run programs. Aborigene leaders, such as Neil Pearson, were intrumental in beginning to organise native communities to get their children to school in the NT and stay in school through offering them innovative and engaging school programs. Practical idealism does not deny reality but sets out to transform it to solve problems rather then giving up and continuing to spread the ideology of gloom and doom. Power to the emerging Aborigine leaders!

Andris,
I respect what you're saying but I'm also wondering that by your words the Aborigines are superior in many ways so, how is it that they aspire so openly to western standards ?
I haven't as yet heard of a clan reverting to these apparently wonderful ways let alone clearly & openly desiring to do so ? They own much country yet so many favour living in western cities & demanding western life styles.
Could it be due the fact that most who identify with indigenous heritage are too far removed from that heritage to live that life style & culture ? Could their lighter than our skin not be tolerant of the conditions in the country ?
As I see it, you're seeing what you want to see rather than what really is !