WAYF - there is plenty of white trash out there too that neglect their children. They have their children taken from them to this day.

The subject here is aboriginals.

Now there wasnt too much 'science' around 200 years ago. In fact i dont think we had even discovered enzymes back then, so your comment that alcohol was always going to be a problem, is hardly fair. Who knew? 200 years later white man is still to be held responsible for alcoholism in the current generations of aboriginals? Please, we must be able to accept responsibilty for our own actions, black or white.

The topic is about Aboriginal Prime Minister PF...but having said that, the fact that the technology regarding that enzymes discovery wether it be now or 200 yrs ago is not the point..'who knew?'..
Maybe my point is not entirely fair, but then so is the comment that says when you destroy the fabric of a culture, bash it, try to make it and its pple into somethging its not and then say..'hey get your act together' is also wildly unfair..
The culture of the Indigenous pple took 60,000 yrs to evolve into pre-contact form, can they now rise from the ashes and morph into a coherent and responsible society in this time span.?No.

Do you not acknowledge how much damage was done?Too simplistic to say 'youve had you whinge..'

Imagine this happening now, Indonesians hit our shores, came to your farm, slaughtered your family, took your farm, brutalised you sexually and psyhically whilst your family watched, killed your babies ,stomping their heads into the dirt.. babies buried in the ground with only the heads exposed whilst settlers came along on horseback, and kicked /whacked them off with poles ..recorded in Abl Culture and history Uni text books as fact.

Banned from towns and gave you flour,tobacco and alcohol for wages,no home, no identity as you watched your pple die?

Then the Indonesians occupied your country and them deemed you unfit because you couldnt speak the language understand their customs and took all your kids away because of all the problems associated with that. Instead of helping you to grasp the cultural misfit, they simply herded you onto reserves to keep you out of mainstream and out of the way fullstop, then for the ensueing 1-150 yrs do nothing to help you but provide a government handout..to this day thats all theyve (the goverment ) has done..
No special Ind reskilling in programs that help to address any of this , no addressing the education gap..nothing..the most disadvantaged Ind. group in the world..yes they must take some responsibility you are so right, but part of a much larger picture.

Education is a key, but IMHO aptitude is the secret. You can
force people to learn all sorts of stuff, if they don't enjoy it,
their heart will never be in it, they will struggle along, but
thats as far as it goes.

We are all different. Genetics and environment both influence whom
we are. We love doing some things, hate others. We seem to have
a natural ability at some things, no talent whatsoever in others.

Rather then trying to force young people to learn this or that,
more time should be spent in finding out what their true passions
are and where their true talents lie. Everyone has them, sometimes
they just need to be discovered.

If somebody loves doing something, if they then get paid for doing
it, so much the better. Look at Aboriginals with talent for art.
Its high value, many are good at it. Mechanics is another.
They flock to it, paid or not, just kind of natural. Perhaps
we should spend more time discovering these natural aptitudes, before
trying to force people to learn anything. If we do things with
a passion, if we are good at things, we will do them willingly
and efficiently. Half the problem is that some people try to
push other people into things they simply have no interest in.
No wonder problems arise.

Yabby..I love your post and you are absolutely correct..
I see I have underestimated you:)

Aboriginal pple with few exceptions love their art, and excell in that area..in this town I see old black men bugging tourists etc to buy their art to raise a little extra..just old men with a home grown talent. They will sell it for a pittance..25 dollars in some cases far less..These works of art,and I say beautiful , because they are,..could hang in a gallery they are so beautiful.

Aboriginal children are also very skilled and if at schhol, every day involved an art lesson, theyd be their with bells on.

You are so correct and you made my point far bettter than I , we need to provide programs that are target specific..ie. geared to their no.1 interests
no.2. to their needs.

We are all naturally disposed to excelling when we are doing something we love, so it makes sense that we would succeed.

Art and mechanics? mmmm... perhaps I should gone this way too and forgone my Phd.

Rainier.. your comment cracked me up..but im sure you appreciate the persepective here..that there are a lot of indigenous pple left behind and for dead. Governments dont care.

It is plain that you are in a postion to use your intelligence because thats how i percieve you to be at least from posts Ive read so far.

But of course you are completely correct a lot of indigenous pple in Uni and I know quite few, so the examples above are not representative of the experience of all indigenous pple and rightly so that you point that out.