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The Forum > Article Comments > Outstations policy is a fresh attempt at assimilation > Comments

Outstations policy is a fresh attempt at assimilation : Comments

By Thalia Anthony, published 28/5/2009

The policy of undermining outstations is a threat to Indigenous wellbeing and is against evidence-based research.

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If indigenous communities wish to live a "traditional" lifestyle, what is wrong with their traditional shelters? Most of us know that white fella housing does not last long. Traditional culture sees a 'shelter' as a temporary structure to be abandoned/destroyed as the group moves to fresh hunting and gathering sites.

I can readily see that neither Federal nor State/Territory Governments want to keep throwing money at housing. If these Aborigines want to keep the culture and simple life of their forebears - give them the freedom to live it without the whitey trappings.
Posted by divine_msn, Thursday, 28 May 2009 10:10:53 AM
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“The policy of undermining outstations is a threat to Indigenous wellbeing and is against evidence-based research.”

Really? Aborigines are having such a wonderful life on ‘outstations’ (read camps) are they? The claimed “evidence-based research” doesn’t stack up very well against the real evidence to the plight of aborigines living in remote locations.

“Evidence shows that Indigenous wellbeing declines in townships.”

Poppycock! This is true only of towns with large indigenous populations that have drifted into to town for an easy life on the sauce without any organised assistance from responsible organisations. I have lived in town where aborigines have lived just like everybody else: with jobs and self-respect.

Assimilation is the only way to improve the lives of Australian aborigines. This woman relies too much on ideological opinion and so-called scientific reports to have any credibility.

The “…dangerous political prejudices” are all hers.
Posted by Leigh, Thursday, 28 May 2009 10:22:46 AM
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Hmm… I keep hearing how aboriginal life expectancy is so much lower than White Australian life expectancy and how poor old aboriginals are so hard done by.

Like Leigh says “Assimilation is the only way to improve the lives of Australian aborigines.”

And “assimilation” will always be the better option to “separate development” (which always has been a politically correct euphemism for “racially biased development”)

Strangely, on another post today, I did comment to the matter of separate cultural and racial development and how “successfully” (or otherwise) it had been employed in Germany in 1930’s, South Africa 1950’s-1970’s and the Balkan’s in 1990’s.

Yet here we have some law lecturer spouting on about how essential separate development is in Australia.

I agree, Leigh is correct “This woman relies too much on ideological opinion…”
Posted by Col Rouge, Thursday, 28 May 2009 11:06:38 AM
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I have to agree with Leigh here.
Remaining hunter-gatherers is not an option, reversing the western invasion is not an option. Like most indigenous cultures invaded by Europeans they will just have to do the best they can in the modern world.
Moving into farming seems sensible as they have a great affinity with the land, however modern farming is a sophisticated business and it is hard to do it profitably without capital, skills and business knowledge. Even the farming option involves assimilation.
How to help without spoiling? No idea. I spent a year in Darwin and it left me more confused than optimistic.
Posted by Ozandy, Thursday, 28 May 2009 11:36:45 AM
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OK the author is saying it's bad to try to assimilate people, (like the Borg I'm guessing but that's just frivolous)

So we leave these people alone, in the wilderness to roam and stay as hunter gatherers? Do we put a fence around them so no one can go near them and possibly temp them with the fruits of assimilation, like packaged food, TVs, internet, music etc?

How do we know if and when any of them decides they'd like to know more about civilized society, (as we know it), and approaches a settlement, how they should be handled?

Do we hand them over to a special contact group, (of lawyers perhaps?) to ascertain if it is "true contact", that they have not been coerced, that they will get fair treatment.

What if they are escaping some feud or a bad marriage or other trauma, then surely if our society gives assistance, then that might be seen attempted assimilation, by freely giving benefits and thus corrupting these pure and noble hunter gatherers?

how do we share the benefits of society, or is it so bad and their society so good that never the twain should meet?

I very interested in the authors views on what should be done, because this article is just about what should not be done with none of the implications thought through.
Posted by rpg, Thursday, 28 May 2009 2:44:05 PM
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Ironically, I find myself agreeing with Sol Trujillo: Australians are a bunch of Racists if the first 5 posts are representative of our demographics.

Obviously these experts have never been anywhere near an 'outstation'
and glean their information from the daily sensational disclosures on anti-social behaviour from the various sausage wrappers that report on the Indigenous people WHO HAVE BEEN FORCED TO LEAVE THEIR OUTSTATIONS AS A DIRECT CONSEQUENCE OF INTERVENTION and find themselves in the regional towns.

The results of the 20 centres policy will deny outstation dwellers basic services that the rest of Australia takes for granted.
The policy is seriously flawed and if the Government chooses to ignore the results of properly conducted research, they should be held to account for repeating the history of the assimilation / stolen generation era
Posted by maracas1, Thursday, 28 May 2009 3:42:10 PM
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