I've been wondering: should the government not ask for Aborigine advice and action in government by asking people like Noel Pearson and the Dodsons and many others to become Ministers or advisers to Aborigine Affairs? Would they do it? Is that already being done? If not, can we agitate to have it done? Sincerely, Erika Stahr, coordinator, Indo-China Refugee Association, 42 Mallawa St., Clayton S., 3169, Vic.

No amount of advisers, whether they be black or white, will not solve anything.
Aboriginals living in camps want to live their traditional life style, but their is nowhere for them to do this.
They would be far happier living on lizards and kangaroo. But they have to settle for white mans tucker.
The elders hold back their young people, by not allowing integration.
It is very rare to see a real aboriginal in employment it is not in their coulture.
Advisers would have a hard job to come up with a solution, no mater what it was it would involve coultural change.
These people are traditional nomads.
They are imprisoned in camps.
The only time i have seen change is when the race has bred with white people. Then they live a normal life, as white people know it.

ekastahr2 you ask

'should the government not ask for Aborigine advice and action in government by asking people like Noel Pearson and the Dodsons '

the answer is obviously yes but you will find that opinion among the aboriginal leadership is by far from united. Even the 2 men you mention have vastly different outlooks on many issues. At some point in time the Government of all Australians ( of which aboriginals make of a very small number) must have the guts to put in place policies that will give the next generation a chance. You can be sure Mr Rudd's Government have not got the guts. They are more into spin and listening to spin than most. Mal Brough was a man who cared and still does. Unfortunately those in the Labour party who care are not being heard. Maybe they are frightened that some idiot in the UN will black mark them (no racial slur intended)

Lets not forget these people are tribal.
Thats why there is differing views.
Your are never going to come to a solution, asking the aboriginal people.
The outcome has got to be separation from the elders for their own good.
That point won't go over to well.
It's hard to come up with any answers without being labeled a racist.

It will make no difference by putting Noel Pearson or Dodson or any other in as advisors because the Aboriginal communities are far from being one set of people
We have different rules and ideas from nation to nation and tribe to tribe
The big problem with the Aboriginal is that past Governments took most of thier advice from the Wik nation which had different ideas to the other Nations ie Kamillaroi for one
Runner, "They are more into spin and listening to spin than most. Mal Brough was a man who cared and still does" Mal Brough had no more interest than any other politician
Mal Brough was contacted by my Local Member in relation to my case and did nothing he wasn't even prepared to accept the "Bringing Them Home" recommendations
Until ALL the people of this land unite as one instead of this Aboriginal.White,Immigrant separation then nothing is going to work
Thanks For Your time
From Dave

who let Desmond escape from the brig ... haha!

Erika, at the crest of a global paradigm shift from patriarchy to
equal rights custodians of the world's longest living culture have
proposed a congress comprised of equal numbers of women and men.
http://www.humanrights.gov.au/about/media/media_releases/2009/80_09.html

With a minimum of fuss Australia's indigenous peoples announced a forerunner
to an equal rights republic.

Coupled with collective bargaining between women’s and men’s legislatures,
Australia is poised to deliver.

Whistler
Just finished reading that link and also some of the others that were mentioned in it
"Equality and Learning" was mentioned and also the "Bringing Them Home" that was first released in 1997
Then if this "Equality and Learning" is going to be the basis of this "New Frontier" then answer me why my son was removed in 1997 by total Bu//sh/t against the written Act and against the recommendations of the "Bringing Them Home" report yet I, in all of the last 12 years could not get one response from the Indigenous Social Justice Commissioners or is this "Equality" only for some
My Son never even got an education because of the yearning he had for both his parents

While one child hurts our laws are sh/t be it white or indigenous

Thanks
From Dave

How would you make laws that aren't sh/t, Dave?

Whistler
First subject all laws to the three requirements that are required to meet Justice that being;
Equality,Logics and Morality
Then have the people that want to pronounce those laws, first subjectable to them and they that administer them accountable to them
Next get rid of the secrecy within the Departments and have an open accessible complaints body that is accessible by all
With the technology that we have today this should not be that difficult
Have the Ministers that run these departments answer to the people not have it where they just continue to pass the buck to some one down the line
And above all have the interests of our children first and fore most in mind as we are only caretakers of a land that the children of today will inherit tomorrow

This would be a Start
and you would find many of the present laws once subjected to the three elements required for justice would not measure up

Thanks for youir time
From Dave

Thank you, Whistler, for information given. I have now started reading
about the National Representative Body for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples. Fascinating! Erika

I would just like to be able to acknowledge the Decency of First Allyson Campbell,Executive Secretary to The ATSI Social Justice Commissioner for delivering my message
Next the Decency of The ATSI Social Justice Commisioner, Tom Calma for contacting me
I consider Decency should be recognized at all times
To the above My Thanks

To this forum my thanks for allowing me to express my thanks

From Dave

I feel that we should, but not quite in a manner limited to a couple of Aboriginal guys as consultants- as the different Aboriginal nations and cultures are COMPLETELY different- it would be like having a single representative for all of Europe!

For a better form of consultancy one would have to consult representatives of every Aboriginal nation affected by any proposal. That way there would be a proper level of consultation and cooperation with Aboriginal interests achieved- which is kind of what a lot of Aboriginal interest groups have asked for- along with a bit more autonomy.

But keep in mind, I believe the government should have to consult local groups regarding proposed changes and projects in general anyway- so I think treating local Aboriginal nations as an additional layer of consultation is no skin off my back as far as my reconciliatory and democratic ethics are concerned.

I cannot see too much hope. I live in regional Australia and the gap seems to be widening between us and the city, so the gap would becoming even larger for our Indigenous people. The population is becoming highly urbanised so there simply cannot ever be fair representation of those that reside outside the major cities.

So I see we will add non Indigenous to the same trouble pot. Humans react all the same to similiar circumstance. In the regional areas everyone will end up drunk and dead from being cast aside like some rural weed.

Noel Pearson is a great ray of hope, if Indigenous do not want his representation I will take it:)

TheMissus,

"Noel Pearson is a great ray of hope, if Indigenous do not want his representation I will take it:)"
Noel Pearson has no more capacity to represent the entire Indigenous than any other as I have said and also King Hazza no two Indigenous nations are of the exact same ideas and as King Hazza said " I feel that we should, but not quite in a manner limited to a couple of Aboriginal guys as consultants- as the different Aboriginal nations and cultures are COMPLETELY different- it would be like having a single representative for all of Europe!"

I tried to contact Noel Pearson in relation to my sons case and couldn't get to first base

I placed my thanks to Tom Calma and Allyson Campbell as it is the first time that I have been able to get past first base in 12 years

After speaking to Tom Calma he recognises that we need a representation from all the nations of the Indigenous and is prepared to try this with also equal representation of the women

Thanks for your time
From Dave

Dave, Yes I understand he would not represent many. This is why we will never have proper representation outside the cities. Too much diversity. Indigenous diversity is massive alone. Take main roads for example. They only ever seem to be built or maintained when there is mining, large scale agriculture or tourism in a regional area. In other words it needs to of benefit to a city person before the rural or Indigenous person. Near all decisions have finanical consideration before human. As nobody will have financial might without these basics then the gap just grows bigger.

TheMissus
I agree to a fair extent to what you are saying but it is not only the financial side that the politicians look at it is the number of votes and the cities just have too many seats to be won ie ten seats in the same acreage as one in the country
The thing with The indigenous is not an isolated case it is widespread right across society
We have the oldest continuous culture and people that want to continue this then it is time we preserved that culture and learnt from it
By looking at this culture we can see that alcohol and drugs are not healthy for mankind, we can also see degradation of the environment is also not healthy for mankind, greed is not healthy for mankind then have the urban communities cut these things and find a way to implement these concerns into urban society
The big trouble is that so much has been given and once given it is hard to take back
There is much more that I could say but am limited to the amount that I can post
Thanks for your time
From Dave

Ideally Indigenous culture should be allowed to evolve into whatever it wants in a natural fashion. However without mainstream education then young people would not have the choice , but given a good mainstream education there is little incentive to stay around. So success is to get the education required to leave the community. Same as small towns, best if the young get a good education so they can leave. SO same though easier for integration into cities for white rual youth, though still the same limited choice.

There is no deep seated support for community, so plans will be written up, money injected here and there but there simply is no evidence of support for long term regional cultural and community growth. There is no evidence of support for real cultural differences. Building codes, council approvals, mass production of materials doom all building to look like. Business entry restricted by a range of laws , procedures, compliance, economy of scale. Enough to turn off many from even trying and resulting in bland cultural facades.

Indigenous have the only culturally relevant art and music. The didgeridoo is so underrated, not until it is heard played by a master in a natural setting does it’s astonishing beautiful sound become apparent. Was never made to be played by a busker alongside 6 lanes of traffic! People like Willie Gordon and festivals like Laura are uniquely important in a country devoid of any real cultural identity. IN FNQ they had six weather seasons that actually made sense. Then along come our educated in climatology who came up with wet and dry lol. There is much to respect and for all Australian to take pride in but if you can’t float it on the ASX I am not sure it will survive. Plus the total disconnect of people in cities from the bush, they have no reality to draw from.

So yes I think we are all the same, success is measured by the urban masters. Then yes we will regret, and already do, what we have lost.

Dave also.
Theres a saying that SOME of us whites use up in our mixed race backwater in FNQ. The only difference between white and black drunks is that we do it behind closed curtains. Most know that more white than blacks have a drinking problem. The health impact is more noticeable in Indigenous but far, far fewer drink.Maybe that truth needs to get out.

TheMissus
The Didge a wonderful and haunting musical instrument my son played his first notes on a cardboard tube when only 31/2 years of age and it was something that he taught himself as I had long lost a lot of my culture because of removal from my mum at an early age
I still have his drawing book that he was using at 61/2 while on access where he drew a picture of himself playing his didge and a photo of him playing it in the lounge room at the house he called home
Mainstream education well he entered grade 7 doing reading and spelling from grade 2 and maths from grade 3
The things my mum was teaching and showing me when I was a boy are priceless I only wish that I could have learnt more but that was not to be and I have searched for that loss since
So my son has missed out on both sides so much for "white" intervention
I will go now as the the hurt is building but if you or anyone want to contact direct it is graysond49@yahoo.com

Thanks for putting up with me
From Dave