Foxy,

Do you want it both ways - that all discriminatory clauses should be expunged from the Constitution (I agree) AND Indigenous people should be given special mention in the Constitution ?

No particular group gets special mention in the Constitution (except in the clauses that we all want expunged). Nobody should get special mention in the body of the Constitution - surely that's discriminatory ?

As for that charlatan Pascoe - you can't be serious. Surely you're not that gullible ? Are there any Dreaming stories about farming ? Like all across Europe ?

Love always,

Joe

Steele,

It's called hunting and gathering ..... Nowadays, out on the sea, there are many fishing vessels. None of the crew would think of themselves as farmers.

Joe

Dear Steele,

I can't wait to begin reading Bruce Pascoe's
book, "Dark Emu." It looks to be a real eye-
opener as you point out. Also the recommendation
by Prof. Marcia Langton gives it credibility plus
the fact that it won both the Book of the Year
Award and the Indigenous Writer's Prize in the
2016 New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards.

Bruce Pascoe has a Bunurong, Tasmanian and Yuin
heritage. He's currently working on two films, a
novel and various other contributions to
Aboriginal writings in Australia.

My other book, " A Rightful Place: A Road Map
to Recognition" edited by Shireen Morris
with a foreword by Galarrwuy Yunupingu is a
collection of essays written by people like
Noel Pearson, Megan Davis, Jackie Huggins, Rod
Little, Damien Freeman, Nolan Hunter, Warren Mundine,
Stan Grant, who all have knowledge and experience to
share at a time of great importance to the
Australian nation when hopefully the people will
decide whether or not they will deal with the
relationship between Indigenous people and the
rest of us.

After more than two centuries, can a rightful place
be found for Australia's original peoples?

Dear Joe,

The effects of more than 200 years of dispossession,
racism, and discrimination have left many of our
Indigenous people with low levels of education,
an inability to gain meaningful employment, over
representation in the prison system and appalling
housing conditions.

Too many recommendations made for and by Indigenous
people over decades have never been acted on.

Instead, poorly designed policies made on their
behalf are funded and enacted.

Dear Loudmouth,

Nah mate, it is called aquaculture.

It might piss you off, might offend your sensibilities, might put your knickers in a proverbial knot, but this was a form of agriculture and William Buckley who lived among the Wathaurong for over 30 years speaks about the trade in smoked eels across Western Victoria.

The tribe at Mount william traded in greenstone axeheads. Part of their quarrying technique was to place a fire under a seam of greenstone for many days and then divert water through sluices water on to the superheated rock thus shattering it into workable axeheads. These they traded up into NSW.

Why is it so important to you to ignore the accounts of our early explorers and to regard indigenous people to be utterly and irredeemably primitive hunter gatherers?

cont'd ...

Dear Joe,

More weighty and bewildering government reports
won't solve anything. Even if they make
governments feel like something is being done.

It is a sad reality that Australia is a very
long way from being reconciled. Indigenous people
in Australia continue to experience poorer
living conditions, shorter life expectancy, and
disadvantages in health, education, housing, and
employment.

Constitutional recognition would mean a great deal.
It could make possible a political voice, a
fairer relationship and a renewed appreciation of an
ancient culture. It could be the path to change.
Because what we've had to date has not worked.

Dear Steele,

Smoked eels are a favourite amongst Lithuanians.
Especially during "kucios" - Christmas Eve
Holy Supper - as one of the many "fish" dishes
served that evening.