Danielle

Saying that "Anthropology, sociology and history are but majors of an Arts Degree" tells me that you don't know that one can do a full degree in any one of these fields.

It's a good idea not to make comments on subjects you don't have any knowledge about. It makes you look childish.

Mr Opinon,

And what mickey mouse UNITS are these degrees comprised of ... and how lacking in depth ...

Sociology at Macquarie

examples ...

Naughty boys, bad girls: Gender and discipline at home and at school

The Intimate Sphere: Love, Friendship and Family

Incidentally, you employ the term "blackhearted." Isn't this politically incorrect?

However, I must heed Jay of Melbourne.

I thought Mr Rudds apology was going to fix all this. You aren't telling me they were crocodile (sorry political) tears are you? I wonder if Tony has spent some more of his leave lately doing something practical by helping out the communities. And to think of the propaganda taught in schools.

btw Pearson is a true hero. Seems some have changed their tune on this. Pearson seemed to have a good relationship with Howard.

runner,
he has the knack of telling the not so knowledgeable what they want to hear

This was taken from the Northern Territory News,
13th September 1966:

"A Plea for Help - to the United Nations."

"Our tribal lands have been taken from us and
handed over to big pastoral companies, often
foreign-controlled, and to wealthy mining
companies. We have received only inadequate compensation
for this. However, compensation is not the point, our
people want to have a say in controlling and working
the land.

On the big cattle stations of the Territory our
people work long hours doing skilled, hard and often
dangerous work mustering, branding and injecting
cattle for a miserable pittance of six dollars sixty-six
cents a week. Even Federal Government concerns like
the Army pay Aboriginals in Darwin only 10 to 14
dollars and keep, which is only a fraction of the
payment made to white men.

This is happening in a country which is really ours
and where even the poorest white man receives 40 dollars
a week and usually lives in a comfortable home...

Living conditions on the pastoral properties are
shockingly bad. Most of our people live in humpies
without even minimum hygiene facilities. Their diet
consists of the poorest parts of the meat, tea, flour,
sugar - just enough to keep body and soul together...

In most cases our children do not receive a proper
education and training for jobs. On the majority
of cattle stations education is non-existent. In
recent years hurried, makeshift attempts have been
made by the Australian Government to disguise the
true position which is revealed on investigation,
since all the youth and adult population on pastoral
properties are absolutely illiterate. The special
schools recently provided in some places do not
measure up to the needs of the people. This leads to
a position where the individual has no choice of
employment.

Many of us are robbed of part of our social service
payments like pensions and child endowment in a
disgraceful and illegal manner. Instead of being paid
to the Aboriginal direct these payments go to the
cattle station employers, Missions and Government
Reserve authorities in a lump sum and ..."

cont'd ...

cont'd ...

"we receive only a fraction of it in cash.
Because the food, clothing and shelter
provided for Aboriginals at these places is
inadequate they are actually making a profit
from social service payments."

David Daniels, Secretary, N.T. Aboriginal Rights Council

This was written in 1966 - how much have things improved
today?

It is important to remember that education facilities,
medical care and equality of opportunity were special
"privileges" which, until 1970s, were not available to
most Aborigines.

Has the conscience of Australians finally been awakened
to the fact that Aborigines want to and will make decisions for
themselves. In the past many Aboriginal aid schemes were
run by "whites" who adopted a paternal attitude to
Aborigines treating them like children and considering
that only they knew what was best for Aborigines.

In the last decade, legal aid, land rights, education,
and health care for Aborigines have become the important
issues for government Aboriginal Affairs departments.

Many Australians have never seen an Aboriginal Australian,
and perhaps through ignorance, their plight has been
overlooked.

Hopefully today progress is being made at last in the
Aborigines' fight for the chance to survive in today's
Australia, and although much needs to be done, perhaps
the outlook is more hopeful now than it was in the past.