I've been thinking a great deal about the upcoming
referendum. I can't help wondering how many Australians
know much about our Aboriginal people, their history,
the problems they currently face, and so on. Truth-telling
has not been part of this country's history.

Most of us live in our own bubbles and yet we are being
asked to decide outcomes for our native people. No wonder
some are torn about the big decision that awaits us all.

Instead of fighting with each other and demonizing each
other personally - perhaps we should quietly be working
towards finding answers to the bigger questions that we should
be asking such as - what we can do to improve the lives and
self esteem of our Indigenous people? Why not allow them
to have a say in their own lives? Why not give pride to
younger generations in their ancestry - so that their self
esteem will rise. And the list goes on.

If we keep putting people down and treating them as children
then we shouldn't be surprised that many of them haven't and
won't continue to progress. If we keep doing things for them
and telling them how they should live nothing will change.
Why not let them have a say? What we've done to date has not
worked. It is time for us to listen and give them what they
are asking.

Paul,

I'm not disputing that Aus was inhabited 60 000 years ago, just that there is no proof that the culture then bears any resemblance to the culture today or even the culture 1000 years ago.

Similarly in ancient Rome, the average lifespan was in the mid-30s but about 7% lived to be over 60 years old so a few skeletons of aborigines that lived to 70 is not proof that the AVERAGE age was greater than say 35.

Finally, I never used the word massacre, you did. The conflict between small tribes tends also not to involve more than a few people at a time but far more frequently. As tribes get bigger the clashes are far bloodier but less frequent. The net result according to anthropologists is that the larger the tribes the lower the average losses per 1000 people to conflict become.

Given the 6000-odd individual tribes in pre-colonial Australia and assuming that Aborigines don't differ from other humans, it is extremely unlikely that the statistics that have held for all other humans don't hold here.

If it had not been English settlement in Australia it would in all probability have been settled by French, Dutch or a mixture of nationalities
There is no doubt there would have been conflict between a mix of nationalities and I suspect any consideration toward indigenous folk would have been far less than where we are now.
We do have a civilised base to work from as compared to other countries whose history has been a real shambles.
Blame does not make a good foundation for anything worthwhile nor do politicians and posers.
Best there be small steps rather than sweeping changes as from what I have observed one size will not fit all.
Far from it.
SD

Dear Shaggy Dog,

The Voice to Parliament is a small step. It's merely an
advisory body with no power. It's a start.

And the British Empire has a woeful reputation in its
behaviour. Even King Charles has acknowledged that.

Antigua, Barbados, Australia, the Bahamas, Belize,
Canada, Grenada, Jamaica, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea,
Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and
the Grenadines - have all asked for an acknowledgement of
past atrocities.

At a meeting of Commonwealth Heads of State in June last
year, King Charles said:

"While we strive together for peace, prosperity, and
democracy. I want to acknowledge that the roots of
our contemporary association run deep into the most painful
period of our history. I cannot describe the depths of my
personal sorow at the suffering of so many as I continue to
deepen my own understanding of slavery's enduring impact."

Foxy,
My work has taken to me the great majority of those countries you mention plus quite a few others that have a colonial background from other powers.
It would appear no one has a real answer or solution to the deleterious effects of early colonisation for the sake of a name.
The process is still going on it would seem and I doubt it will ever cease, this of course with varying outcomes. Some good and some not so good.
It would appear to be the nature of homo sapiens to dominate where and when possible. We are still evolving of course and none too long out of the trees.
Treaties and such like will be broken as it suits those with a vested interest.
SD