Foxy,

Why do you assume that all Indigenous people will agree with each other ? Nobody else does. Can't you see that there is - and ought to be - a multitude of voices, in every community, town and city, across every region and State. I don't think that even the elites agree amongst themselves.

And of course, in a way, that's how it ought to be - the task should be to co-ordinate all of those conflicting opinions, facilitate their civil discussion, at local, regional, State and federal levels, over the next few years (since it will take that long to get all of this properly organised, even in ideal circumstances).

I don't think some pissy one-week road-trip by Linda Birney taught her anything. Of course, the elite want to push the myth that there is only one Indigenous Voice (i.e. theirs) when anybody in the business knows that that is a complete lie.

But keep pushing it, if you think it will tick the box of 'virtuous things to do'.

Joe

Loudmouth how very true problem is that may weaken the whole
Saw tree sit in near by as road works planned [long finished] went along to see and hear their case
Always interested and had mates in the local traditional owners
Turned out the sitters did not come from area or tribe, night time raid by locals blood spilled
No gains and trees came down
We will see a bill put before us and that vote will be important, if it fails it will be disastrous
Unity please

I had an argument with someone recently (what's new ?) about the herding of Aboriginal people onto Missions. I asked, "By who ?" [of course, it should have been 'by whom']. "By the missionaries," was the reply, sort of self-evident. I retorted very cleverly, "But missionaries were often on their own, trying to set up class-rooms, cottages, the store, their own house, etc., and in any case, there were no fences around Missions." In fact, quite often, people were expelled from missions on grounds of misconduct, attempted child abuse and adultery.

"Well, by the Protector then", came the easy response. This being South Australia, and since I'd typed up nearly seventy years' of the Protector's Letters here (available on my web-site: www.firstsources.info ), about nine thousand in all, I pointed out that the Protector was the only employee of the grandly-named Aborigines' Department. Sometimes there were part-paid people, often called Sub-Protectors, but usually he was it:

His main job was to supply up to seventy ration depots, usually on Missions, pastoral stations (and paid for entirely by the pastoral lessees), or under local coppers.

As well, he had to oversee the medical attention (free) in many regions for which doctors were paid annual stipends.

Plus, he had to organise free 15-ft boats and guns for many Aboriginal people who could no longer work. Plus oversee the issue of free travel passes on railways and ships. Plus meet people coming in to hospital, and organise their accommodation.

Probably the most valuable items issued at the depots were the fishing gear - lines, hooks and netting twine. This must have revolutionised Aboriginal fishing, from spears and rafts, to sitting on the bank in a blanket, just tossing a line in and chatting while they waited for a nibble - and of course, we forget that, in the early days, the rivers and seas were teeming with fish.

My acquaintance was not convinced. Clearly, he would rather have not had any evidence of the conditions of life for Aboriginal people in the early years of settlement. We haven't spoken since.

Joe

Loudmouth,
Rather than slowing down, this gravy train is gathering speed !

hello