Gore Vidal said "history is agreed-upon lies". Saying "our ancestors lived in harmony with each other" is a worry. My grandfather went to Darwin in 1880, and I was born there. Among the Mulluk Mulluk, Berinken and Larrakeah, women were chattels. When a girl reached pubity, the elders allocated her to one of themselves. Young men could only get women by stealing them from other groups - hence the constant warfare. When a person (sorry, MAN) died, the elders decided who had caused his death - there was no concept of natural death. Then the identified perpetrator was "sung". Do you call this "harmony"?

I am no expert in history but to say "our ancestors lived in harmony with each other" is a little hard to swallow. I work with many indigneous people who have told me personally of some of the evil cultural practices that have resulted in tradegy that we see today. I have no doubt that many in the white community have mistreated the indigeneous but also know that the worse abuse today is the damage done to women and children within their own community. You can't continue to blame others for your own actions today. Until truth is faced up to freedom won't and can't be found. We have a choice to be prisoners of our perceived past or choose to make the most of the future.

I think the auther is indulging in a day dreaming or wishful thinking. Who can possibly describe the circumstances of 10,000 years ago?
I know of family violence only too well. The perpetrator had been well brought up in a religious home but later in life turned to grog and gambling. His violence grew with his drunkenness. There was no excuse for it, nothing in his past to explain it. It was simply a lack of self discipline , and a desire to have his own way in everything.

Stephan , I agree with you .For many Aboriginal People the discipline and work ethic that kept them going for thousands of years was destroyed by our invasion with it's evils .
Getting those qualities back and then being motivated when often your only option has been working for the unsympathetic invader can't always be easy.
Howard just makes it harder for them with the adversarial attitude he and his government has to Aboriginal culture and tradition .
It was good to see so many white Kiwis at the rugby league international singing in Maori .When will we catch up??[ cheers ,kartiya ]

I empathise with your friend Stephan and I can understand how generations of violence can contribute to the downfall of an individual. However, I have to say that I find this all a bit much to understand. I was bought up in a domestic violent homelife and I have experienced several aspects of abuse as a result of that. I do however, have to say that it is up to the individual person how they conduct themselves in relationships. I made a conscious decision that I would not tolerate that behaviour and would not be the perpetrator of such behaviour. I feel strongly about providing myself and my family with a safe, loving environment and would not dream of inflicting that pain and suffering on the ones that I love. We as Indigenous people need to step up to the plate and take responsibility for ourselves, which in turn will help our significant others to do the same. It is time that we took a stand against this self defeating behaviour and start living a life of true harmony, respect and discipline. Empowerment is necessary if we are to experience a life of love and joy. So lets get off our backsides and stop blaming others, so as to empower ourselves.