mhaze,

An accepted definition, and the one I accept of a person who could be considered an "Uncle Tom";.

"A person regarded as betraying their cultural and/or social allegiance." That's not limited by colour or race.

Such betrayal may be of good intent, believing through certain actions or inaction they will minimise harm to themselves and/or for those within their own grouping. In the case of indigenous people, where some leaders have attempted to appease aggressive colonisers they have come up against race haters with unfortunate results for themselves and their tribal group. I believe several Maori chiefs acted the part of "Uncle Toms" during the New Zealand Wars (1845 - 1872). Some chiefs believed by siding with the British colonisers, their people would be spared the barbarity the British unleashed on the belligerent tribes, murder of women and children and land confiscation. They were wrong, as ultimately their own people also suffered the same fate as the others. European colonisers acted that way in all cases when it came to dealing with indigenous people.

Now apologise for your ill founded comments.

So you claim you weren't referring to Price or Mundine but won't say who you were referring to. Typical.

"That's not limited by colour or race."

Oh ...so when was the last time you referred to a white person as an Uncle Tom?

FYI...a Webster Dictionary definition....
"a Black person who is overeager to win the approval of whites (as by obsequious behavior or uncritical acceptance of white values and goals)"

mhaze,

Your Webster Dictionary definition is one of many dictionary definitions , there are others including the one I gave you, so, what is your concern with alternate definitions.

Without evidence you claimed I was referring to Price and Mundine, when I made no mention of either, given your Webster definition their names must have been front and centre in your thinking, as a pair of "Uncle Toms", you are an idiot if that's what you actually think, but I accept your apology. Just don't do it again!

I don't apologise for this I got right.

I still note that you can't name the members of this ""indigenous leadership" you originally referred to. Are they. like most of your 'thoughts', fictitious?

You wrote... "Its always been the case with some indigenous leadership, the Uncle Tom types, " Come on Paul, who are these leaders you were referring to? Grow a pair and own up. If you can't or won't it leaves as all knowing that you were in fact referring to Price and Mundine but tried to run and hide when bounced on it.

Dear Paul,

I received an email from Aunty Bilawara
Lee, Senior Larrakia Elder. She writes:

"I was just 17 when the '67 referendum gave us the right
to exist and to be counted in the place we'd always called home.

I'd turned 22 when the Larrakia people, my people, raised the
petition for our remarkable coastline to finally be given back.

By the time I'd turned 25, Whitlam finally poured that famous
red Kalkarindji sand into Vincent Lingiari's hand.

I was 58 when the Government said sorry - for the pain and
the heartache, for the families destroyed and the children
who were taken. Simple words that took so slong to be
spoken.

By the time I'd turned 67, the Uluru Statement from The Heart
was written in ink, and we had a plan to decide our future -
to gain a real voice of our own.

I'm 73 today, a Larrakia elder, and in my time I've seen so many
promises made and broken. Governments come and go, I've
watched mouths wide open and ears shut closed.

I've seen gaps get wider, disadvantage spread further, and
our voices go largely unheard.

But for the first time in such a long time, I feel optimistic
about the future we're creating.

This referendum isn't about politics or constitutions or
governments or legislation - it came from us, not from
them.

It's about finally answering a handful of questions that
have plagued governments of our people.

How do we keep our kids at school? How do we stop our
communities' suffering? How do we fight the scourge of
domestic violence, suicide, and poor mental health?

How do we stop repeating this same terrible cycle month
after month, year after year, decade after decade?

Some people say to me, "You're an elder, why don't you
fix this problem?"

Well, we need to have a seat at the table. Let me have a
say and bring our suggested solutions to these major issues.

We're not asking for money, we're not asking for your
backyards. We want recognition and acknowledgement. We want
to be included.

cont'd -

Dear Paul,

She continues with:

I'm tired of people making decisions for me and my
community. Anyone else would be too.

Let us have our say and bring our solutions. Let us have our voice.

Give our kids a better life.