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The Forum > General Discussion > What to do with Aboriginal Communities?

What to do with Aboriginal Communities?

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I won't repeat many of the sound comments by Custard, Suze and others.

Just to add, if those representing Aboriginal communities to State and Federal Governments are considered an elite or priveleged 10% why not introduce a voting system within those communities to elect representatives. A mini-Council election if you like.

Trust issues are always difficult to resolve - so put the power back into the hands of the members.
Posted by pelican, Tuesday, 8 June 2010 9:54:31 AM
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The essential problem in all Australian communities is the absolute disbelief in the rule of law which asserts that a majority of the parliament can remove all women members and prohibit all Australian women the vote. The rule of customary law has been replaced by the rule of patriarchal law. Nobody takes patriarchal law seriously anymore so the solution is the revival of customary law with governance conducted by agreement between women's and men's legislatures, courts and corporate committees. benq is spot on that 'we' is the problem.
Posted by whistler, Tuesday, 8 June 2010 1:13:05 PM
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It's true that "we" are the problem, not the aboriginal people. But whistler, I can't see how your post relates to the subject matter. Maybe you could elaborate in order to clarify what you mean.
Posted by benq, Tuesday, 8 June 2010 2:59:54 PM
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Whistler, I cannot see how your post adds anything either... If you'd care to elaborate, that'd be grand.

CJ, yeah, I know that the proposed solution is unlikely to happen, that really doesn't change the fact that it would answer most of the problems on the ground.

Apart from the States Agencies, the only "white fellas" ever seen on most communities are, on the whole, the extortionate contractors, who contribute nothing to the community unless at an exorbitant price, and who live in fenced in compounds to protect them from the mob.

The State/Territory Police, they are universally distrusted and hated, with for the most part good reason. Yes, there are some good cops, but there are plenty of bad ones too, the bad ones undo every bit of good the others achieve.

As for the Army, it is actually practicing how to rebuild shattered, non-functioning communities and gain the trust of the inhabitants thereof. From what I've seen of their efforts on a 'few' communities in the past, they are respected (a whole lot better than one might expect based upon the interaction of our indigenous minority and the inhabitants of Robbertson & Lavarack Barracks).

What is the problem with them training on Aboriginal Communities? The same issues they are going to face in Afghanistan are there too, the remoteness, the isolation, the need to win the trust of the community and the need to not only rebuild it, but teach people how to run it themselves.

But I do admit, it is unlikely to happen... Too many vested interests, too many toes to be stepped on, so into the too hard basket. Shame, because it, of all the ideas actually could work.
Posted by Custard, Tuesday, 8 June 2010 4:23:58 PM
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Al, believe it or not, I have actually lived in and around Doomadgee (Doom City) for quite some time. I have seen people try to implement programs and then seen them sacked by the council, because as part of implementing the programs they asked too many questions about the gaping hole (some $500K from memory) in the Council coffers.

I've been there when the police evacuated the "white fellas", and chose to stay (I trusted the locals more than I'll ever again trust Qld Police), when a malnourished child was bought to the hospital too late and it died, and of course the Dr was blamed.

I've seen the drug & grog runners, an Oz = $500 (some ten years ago) & a bottle of scotch $100-200 (especially during the wet). It is not really all that different in the Territory or the other missions in NQ. Mutitjulu & the Pitjanjarra Lands stand out - I've seen 3 generations of a single family walking down the road sniffing milk tins and watched petrol being sold for anything up to $50/L.

I'm not approaching this from the point of view of an innocent mate. Like I said, I can claim Aboriginality, but have yet to do so anywhere outside a Qld/NT watchhouse (the last place it'll do ya any good). My suggestions come from a fertile, somewhat overactive mind, discussions with others and a real desire to see REAL change. I admit here and now, alcohol has to be allowed, midstrength and the sale monitored.

That will stop the grog runners simply by reducing their profits (petrol prices are prohibitive then). It will also mean that people who have, due to enforced abstinence, zero tolerance to alcohol aren't suddenly drinking a carton and going berko.

What to do with the sniffers, that is an altogether harder question. The only thing that would entice them away from that utopia is grog and lots of it. Otherwise the Pitjanjarra Lands will be a ghostland by the end of this decade.
Posted by Custard, Tuesday, 8 June 2010 4:36:29 PM
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What to do with Aboriginal Communities?
I suppose expecting them to work for a living is racist?
Posted by Proxy, Tuesday, 8 June 2010 5:50:04 PM
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