I am not your mate and I do not wish to go on with my personal issues regarding your comments, lastly, you are only speaking for Tennant Creek - typical to paint the brush on every other indigenous person in ALL locations across Australia (who are affected in these remote/rural locations) that is part of the problem on why we have these problems in the first place, if only aboriginal people were treated right in the first place we would not have these problems and if government knew how to deliver these services properly we also would not have these problems, but then again, you speak for ALL of us do you?

A glib article. What would be useful is if people like Stephen looked at what elements might be present in Aboriginal culture which limit the effectiveness of past and present attempts to improve services to remote communities and to those living in towns.

Do traditional creation myths hinder peoples take up of opportunities?

Does the explicitly spiritual nature of aboriginal belief limit ability to utilise our materialistic solution based approach?

Are the traditional paternalistic attitudes a factor?

Can Stephan acknowledge that the poor condition of remote communities is in part the result of some wishing to partly turn their backs on modernity?

Does the dislike of whitey by many aboriginals lead to less education
for their kids?

Is Stephen aware that employers in Alice Springs are sponsoring the migration of black Africans to fill otherwise unfillable jobs? Comment?

palimsest

Are the traditional paternalistic attitudes a factor? Certainly

Can Stephan acknowledge that the poor condition of remote communities is in part the result of some wishing to partly turn their backs on modernity? No. It is only partly true. Many want modern day convenience without modern day responsibility.

Does the dislike of whitey by many aboriginals lead to less education
for their kids? Undoubtably. Many have been indoctrinates with the black arm band of history from an early age.

Is Stephen aware that employers in Alice Springs are sponsoring the migration of black Africans to fill otherwise unfillable jobs? Comment? This is happening throughout many communities in WA also.

"dying 17 years younger than our white counterparts, severely over represented in the criminal justice system, under represented in home ownership and having least access to employment and award wages, health facilities, education and rights to our land."

Here's a novel idea! Stop abusing your bodies with alcohol and other drugs, stop committing crimes, stop beating each other senseless, join the rest of society and move to where the jobs are instead of demading the government provide first world facilities to bush camps.

And more than anything, stop this childless, racist mantra that all your problems are the fault of white people and your personal responsibility is nil.

Try it! It might just work!

grn

If you were born black (aboriginal) and lived black (meaning you acknowledge your aboriginality and identify yourself to be aboriginal) you would personally understand what they went through. It’s sad to see that you can write something like that and not understanding the wrong and barbaric things that OUR indigenous people have gone through - if you were some what educated or Aboriginal you would understand no matter what background you are from.

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NEITHER YES NOR NO BUT HOW ?
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My understanding is that the Aborigines had been living in this country for about 50 000 years when the British government took over and colonised it with convicted criminals whom they exiled, as prisoners, from their homeland. That saved British taxpayers a lot of money and provided free (slave) labour for the British colony.

I understand the eight months boat trip was no joy ride and there was no picnic on arrival. The first batch arrived in 1788 when slavery was in full swing and continued for 80 years until 1868. Slavery had already ended three years earlier, in 1865, when the USA, the last country to abolish it, finished freeing about 4 million black Africans.

A total of 165 000 convict slaves were deported from the UK during that period and about 3 000 died en route. Most of them were petty thieves who had stolen food just to survive. Many were only children. The youngest was only nine years old. It was all work, no play and lots of punishment by flogging.

Those so called "first settlers" were not Australians. They were British. They were not conquering heroes. They were convicted criminals. They did not come here of their own choice. They were deported from their country by the British government to develop the colony as free labour.

Perhaps I am wrong, but I can't help feeling that the aborigines were not the only victims of the British government. Those so called "first settlers" were too.

Unfortunately, whereas the latter progressively obtained their freedom and ceased to be victims, the aborigines never really have, even to this day. The handicaps they have to overcome are of a different nature to the ill treatment they received from the foreign invaders of their country. 50 000 years of isolation from the rest of humanity have left their toll. How can any human being, however brilliant he may be, bridge a 50 000 year civilisation gap in a single lifetime?

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