CJ. this time you put your foot in it.....

http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/thread.asp?discussion=130

Is where I lay into the Queensland government, AND the Church with hobnailed boots.
You don't know of this thread because I was the ONLY person who made any contribution. I put 2 posts there. In the first I expose the abuse by the Government and the Church.
Am I sorry for what happened ? How could any fair minded person not be ? What can be done about it ? After bringing 47 tribes together and stripping them of their connection to tribal and ancestral cultural cues, not a lot.

To me, the 'human' outcome of such a dog act can only be doom and gloom.

In my second post, I highlighted the incredible DIFFERENCE among those who have truly found Christ among the Cherbourg Aboriginals.
I'm not talking about those who are now 'obedient to the church', but those who know the daily reality of Christ in them.

Perhaps you should read those posts b4 ripping into me here ?

Final point. I am very aware of cultural diversity here.. and I have presented a means of creating a new and harmonious Australia through intermarriage, yes.. removing that diversity as far as possible.
I also point out that the only barriers to such a goal are 'racist' ones !

Boazy, I think it's truly wonderful that you had a self-righteous rant about Cherbourg back in October. But why have you been so silent about all those other 'missions' and 'concentration camps' (e.g. Palm Island) before and since? What have you actually ever done personally with Aboriginal people in Australia?

Are you even aware that the Torres Strait Islanders who are the subject of this article are culturally distinct from mainland Aboriginal peoples, and that their experience of colonisation was quite different from, say, the poor bastards who survived the frontier brutalities and were herded into places like Cherbourg?

Ironically, the missionisation of the Torres Strait Islands that directly facilitated their attempted expropriation (until Mabo anyway) is still referred to by indoctrinated Islanders as "the coming of the light". Fortunately, it seems that they are beginning to come to their senses.

Torres Strait Island people's culture is a unique and valuable part of Australia's cultural mosaic despite a century and a half of Christianity as handmaiden to Australian colonialism. If evangelical missionaries like Boaz want to hijack a thread that celebrates this unique and special part of Australia's heritage, then they should get their facts straight before letting fly so insensitively.

But as ever, old Brother Boazy is never one to let mere reality get in the way of a good rant, is he?

CJ. .. If you want to hijack the perceptions of the Torres Strait Islanders about Christianity and turn it into an anti colonialist rant...then.. :) see where I'm going there ?

I don't deny for a moment the wonderful diversity existing with the TSIs. And regarding Palm Island.. my views on that are the same as for the Qld Government over Cherbourg.

What have I done for Aboriginals here ? Not much. I've made enquiries to Aboriginals in Melbourne about certain matters, but apart from that, little. I did give the prime of my life from 28 to 40 to service among indigenous people in Borneo, so I think that qualifies me to at least speak about indigenous issues here. Only one life CJ, cannot be everywhere at once.

A small but important point about celebrating heritage. Celebration is not far from 'ethno-nationalism' which in turn is not far from vulnerability to socio political exploitation over past grievances.

Remember one of our posters who said regarding Aboriginals "The Radicals haven't taken up weapons.....yet"

Just because one groups historical experience is different from anothers, does not lessen the need to integrate them as far as possible with the whole of Australia does it ? I would just add the rider that there should not be an active program of cultural 'weakening', rather an active program of Australian-ness.

I doubt they will accept anything which is too foreign to them, and rightly so. But over time, one would hope they feel more a part of 'us' and we of them.

Boaz there is a huge difference between a racist and someone or some groups, like Indigenous peoples around the world, that have been belittled, disposed, humiliated, murdered even and taunted on racial and cultural supremacist grounds since colonisation asserting that that process of dehumanisation, exploitation and putdown didn't work. It, for me, says: “We survived.” It says: “We will not be your victims.”

Fly those Indigenous flags. For me, they symbolise the survival of compassion and humanitarian ideals over those of acquisition, monetary gain and achievement at other's expense.

We are one nation Boaz. The only way to have a nation is to not deny others within that nation their history, culture and individuality? To embrace difference. Your “non-racist” way is to deny this difference (or disregard it) and insist on compliance with some vague notion of common ideals. Ideals that conveniently profit those that have already profited from mostly unlawful, immoral, unethical ways with racism one aspect behind the reasons this betrayal of goodness has happened. That those ideals always seem to see Indigenous peoples and other different thinking people being denied their ideals, their culture and being coerced or forced into accepting what is ideal for the establishment and the monoculturalists escapes your reasoning.

My flag is the Australian flag. But that doesn’t give me the right to deny others their flag and indeed, given the circumstance and the unresolved issues in relation to the dispossession of Australia’s Indigenous population I see nothing wrong those peoples’ maintaining their links with their lands and expressing their solidarity and love of the land through the Indigenous flag. If that means that there is a nation within a nation then that is the way it has to be. So what?
Just because New Zealand is another nation doesn't mean I am a racist for not sharing their love for sheep. Your logic is flawed.

One Nation is really Boaz Nation. It's premise is that we think the same and salute the one idea (Boaz's). Let’s just do what Boaz wants and all will be fine. Sorry mate – disagree.

David , you're going to have to check your compass.
Two flags only are required for Australia if we want to live in Peace and Happiness - an Invaders' Flag and the Aboriginal one.

["Mr Sagigi said that his people felt the time was now right for a name change from Torres Strait, named after Luis Vaes De Torres, a Spanish Explorer who discovered Torres Strait in 1606 on his way from Espiritus Santos in the New Hebrides, to Zenadth Kes."]

-- A change of name seems reasonable to me, if that is what the community votes for. Thought it would just a matter of voting and then partitioning for the change. Good luck! Hope the Islands succeed.

--Think we could do with a few less Royal connonations too. "Queens"-land and a zillion George Streets.

["Many of our high profile indigenous athletes today chose to make statements about pride in their RACIAL (emphasis added) origin."]

-- Substitute "Ayrian" for "indigenous", and, we have the wrap of the German team at the 1938 Munich Olympics.

Hoped we had left racial supremacy behind. Seemingly, not. Albeit, common sense dictates, white supremacists must have their counterparties.

Else, enjoyed an interesting article.