Australia Apology to Aborigines
It’s about time damn it!
I was well and truly flabbergasted and appalled when I researched(amongst other Asian countries) the treatment of the Aborigines of Tasmania and Australia for my dissertation whilst at uni a decade ago. The accounts, quotes illustrating ‘white’ perspectives of ‘these vermin’, the massacres, the children whom were kidnapped by government agencies to be bred ‘white’, and one account which still stays in my mind, how a mother was forced to watch her child being murdered and then having the head of her child hung around her neck. One cannot but wonder who the true savage animals were in the classical phase of colonialism (we are not in the medieval-modern phases of colonialism by the way). Colonialists? You mean rapacious, pillaging, genocidal bandits in uniform don’t you. Alright, calm down ed. Get them granite knuckledusters off.
Anyway, I have to applaud the Australian government for getting its head out of its proverbial and finally getting round to doing what they ought to have done decades ago. However, what disturbs me is that the government being able to place priority on wiping its ass over issuing an apology to the aborigines for decades were allowed to have their priority list ordered in such a way by the amount of public outrage and clamour that it would take to have this take place much earlier (government-sponsored kidnapping took place in Australia till the 70s). That doesn’t bode well for the speedy upliftment of the victims of more than a century of gross discrimination. In other words, the apathy it took to enable previous administrations to ‘pooh, pooh!’ such initiatives is that which is going to ensure many amongst the aborigines are going to be kept down and dirty for quite a while more.
I have to say
that when I was in Cairns, Australia, for a couple of weeks some years ago, I couldn’t help
noticing that all the chamber-persons were aborigines; I couldn’t help
noticing that all the administrative staff I encountered were ‘whites’; I couldn’t
help noticing that aborigines were underrepresented in the media; I couldn’t
help noticing enclaves away from the tourist areas (I always venture away from
such areas to look for the truth behind the façade) where many aborigines hung
out in observable poverty; I couldn’t help noticing that any aborigine of paler
complexion whom I encountered and asked if they were aborigine were quick to
say that they were only ‘1/8th’ or ‘1/16th’
aborigine as
if desirous to show that they were more something else other than
‘aborigine’(that evidences the pervasiveness of a socialised
inferiority complex. And I still can’t forget an Australian I made
friends with in HK a few years ago (he was a pilot) who said that ‘all these
aborigines want to do is to burn their houses and eat raw meat’. I know that this is not representative of all
‘white’ Australians, but I know it is Neanderthal mentalities such as this that
is going to keep these beautiful children of the earth down.
More must be done, but if it is going to take a few decades to issue a simple, ‘I’m sorry’, then I dare say that this apology will more likely be taken as effort enough by many since the bulk of the Australian population couldn’t even kick their government to do this much earlier. (it would be a completely different scenario in the UK). And just in case anyone might be inclined to say, "they (the stolen generations) were removed from neglect and abuse" (a comment i encountered on youtube), that can only be said if we take as acceptable the discriminatory cause behind the neglect and abuse of these children. Additionally, whilst this might sound like a nice justification, the intent of the Australian government policies were hardly these, and the plight of the kidnapped children weren't always as such. I would recommend documentary research for such idiots before they take their ability to cast an opinion as a validation of its validity. Justifying this is akin to utilising the consequence of victimisation to further victimise.
Said Indigenous Affairs minister, Jenny Macklin,
“It would be made "on behalf of the Australian government and does not attribute guilt to the current generation of Australian people", she said in a statement.”
Yes, it must not attribute guilt to the ‘current generation of Australian people”, but it must make them at least blush a bright black knowing that they are profiting from the actions of their ‘ancestors’. Let them be acutely aware of that and hence, perhaps, this might lead them to make more effort than they might otherwise would.
For starters, let Australia be renamed with a name of the aborigines' choosing, or an ancient name if there was one. Do we not carry on the surnames of our parents? Well, let the country carry the surname of their benefactors. Let's see how sincere you are.
I wish all ‘Australians’ well, and salute my sisters and brothers, the Children of the Earth, the Aborigines, with a single and long blow on my didge with my left hand on the earth - thy mother's heart.
(original flag modified by edsperience for vox group, 'dreamtime')
ed’sperience
(aborigine of mother earth, and an incarnation of the Spirits of the Dreamtime)
singapore malaysia hong kong thailand india taiwan japan asia uk australia philosophy aborigines culture history racism discrimination
Comments
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"... for decades were allowed to have their priority list ordered in such a way by the amount of public outrage and clamour that it would take to have this take place much earlier ..."
Ah, I see. So the referendum on the Aboriginal vote, in which 94% of white Australians made clear that native people should be fully included, just didn't happen. There was no pressure built up by the public which directed the government of the day to even consider a referendum. I see.
There appear to be many things you couldn't help noticing during your stay of a few weeks, years ago. You have assumed much from that time, and most of it appears to be shallow, brittle, accusative and misdirected. It shows an almost complete misunderstanding of how the Aboriginal culture works. European settlement brought its own work ethic: stay put, sink roots, and take the longer view. This is anathema to the Aboriginal culture which was and is largely nomadic, has no written language, hundreds of dialects, and little in the way of inter-tribal fusion and solidarity.
Uneducated (usually by choice or direction of tribal councils and elders) not only in Western ways but also in the value of an ongoing classroom-setting education itself, it's no wonder a preponderance of Aboriginals work in menial jobs, when they choose to work in built-up areas at all. Your insinuation that they are kept down is as unfair to them and their cultural mores as it is to the whites.
"For starters, let Australia be renamed with a name of the aborigines' choosing, or an ancient name if there was one. Do we not carry on the surnames of our parents? Well, let the country carry the surname of their benefactors. Let's see how sincere you are."
Yes, there was one. It's common knowledge to every child in Australia. So much for your dubious research and understanding of the facts and issues. In terms of name-changing as some sort of proof of sincerity I can only ask: "How old are you?" That is as childish as it is absurd.
In reading your diatribe I found many holes large enough to throw dogs through in your 'research', knowledge, understanding and opinions (which are largely uninformed and, I think, meant to mislead others who don't know the indigenous and transplanted histories of the country). I suppose I could point to credible sources but, frankly, if you can't be bothered to be the least bit rigorous in your research before making so many outlandish claims i don't see why I should do your work for you.
You have misrepresented not only the native people but also the successive transplanted populations. You paint a picture that is nothing more than a very badly-scribbled caricature using all the wrong colours. It's clear to me that you have no understanding of historical or contemporary issues as they relate to Australia, which includes its indigenous population.
Many (most) non-indigenous people are breathing a sigh of relief that the apology will be made on February 13th. Similarly, we have not, by and large, begrudged the billions of dollars directed towards helping the indigenous people. Our courts upheld the Wik and Mabo land rights issues, as they should have. Uluru resorted to its original name. There are literally thousands of instances where these decisions have worked profoundly in the interests of the historical landowners.
"More than a century of gross discrimination", you say? Try 220 years as a more accurate historical timeframe. Yours wasn't even close. The discrimination ran both ways. When we go back to 1788 let's have a look at who threw the first spear. One can only wonder what atrocities on both sides may have been prevented had not that spear pierced a sailor's chest, and had it not been followed up with savage and unprovoked attacks on sleeping sailors, who at that time were merely explorers for the English Crown and neither settlers nor invaders.
Now let's look at vilification: yours.
"chamber-persons" - we don't use derogatory position descriptions like this. How Eurocentric of you.
"enclaves" - hahahahaha! They're called 'communities'. Our 6-year olds know that.
"idiots" - do you mean people who disagree with you?
So much ammunition, so little motivation. I could feel my IQ plummeting just reading this mish-mash of supposition, outright wrong-headedness, and risible and uninformed conjecture, but the bit I liked the most was your admonition that any idiot (using yourself as a benchmark?) who disagrees with you should do their research. That was great. Thanks for the laugh, otherwise I might have taken you seriously.
Your insultingly narrow-minded, jaundiced view of all Australians, coloured and otherwise, is not mitigated by posting a few youtube videos and your feeble attempts to make yourself the spokesperson and champion of indigenous Australians.
I hope this in some small way rounds out the education you so sorely need on the subject.
That is interesting. So, in other words, much of the plight of the aboriginals are self-inflicted by way of their culture serving as an impediment to their aspiring to other things besides what their ancestors have done. I see that you undervalue the value of media representation and inclusion in significantly plotting the course of one's aspirations, amongst others.
I do not disagree with you entirely though. One's existing culture can also inhibit one's adoption or embrace of another. To what degree this is true of the aboriginal culture is another matter though.
For myself, i am quite unprepared to blame those who have verifiably been victimised till all discriminatory impediments to their emancipation have been removed.
"Yes, there was one. It's common knowledge to every child in Australia. So much for your dubious research and understanding of the facts and issues. In terms of name-changing as some sort of proof of sincerity I can only ask: "How old are you?" That is as childish as it is absurd."
Common knowledge is nice. Let's make it official shall we....and render the current official name 'common knowledge'. My suggesting the name-change is not to 'get back' at the 'white' australians but to simply promote egalitarianism by allowing the first to put themselves last so that they may be more amenable to other changes after this significant and undoubtedly difficult step. For to do that is to give great significance, for starters, to the culture they have disparaged in many ways from the time that 'australia' was colonised.
And, by the way, if you think 'my age' is relevant to determining the validity of my argument, than your own ability to determine relevance in any discussion is suspect.
"There are literally thousands of instances where these decisions have worked profoundly in the interests of the historical landowners. "
I do not deny the efforts at change by quite a few australians and the government themselves. But i do not, unlike yourself, devalue the value of an apology for that which significantly served to found the current state of 'australia'. Giving the aboriginals the vote includes them, but dear sir, it does not elevate them to historical and social equality as opposed to democratic equality. Now if you are suggesting that the former two does not compromise the latter of the three, i beg you reevaluate your standpoint.
Additionally, it is not only what is being done but what is not being done that is my primary concern. When you study human history and social and individual psychological tendencies, you will find that many a time 'what is done' frequently serves as a refuge for many who will confuse it with 'enough being done'. Whilst changes still may occur, it is this attitude that slows down progress. That is what i would term, 'the principle of relative relief' where one confuses the relief one feels for relief itself as opposed to a simple lessening of that which one has suffered.
"One can only wonder what atrocities on both sides may have been prevented had not that spear pierced a sailor's chest, and had it not been followed up with savage and unprovoked attacks on sleeping sailors, who at that time were merely explorers for the English Crown and neither settlers nor invaders."
That is pure rubbish.
When, or if, you study the racial discourses of the 18th and 19th centuries, and the perspectives of 'respectable' historical figures, you will find that the plight of the aborigine had far more to do with the attitude fuelling western global banditry. All one had to do was to simply refuse entry and exploitation rights to the 'colonialists' and trouble can be expected. This is borne out by the treatment experienced by various asian countries, south america, and africa. 'Resistance', my friend, was taken as a sure sign of 'savagery'. This, coupled with 'nudity', the absence or presence of 'civilisational' infrastructure, not having cities, not having an exploitative relationship with nature, etc, were also variables that were pertinent in determining if emissaries or a sabre was sent as a greeting card.
Assimilation, and the degree to which this took place correlated very well when i did comparison studies between every asian nation. Any wonder why Japan was granted equality with western nations in 1895(or was it 1905...not too sure) due to their rigorous observation of assimilation 'where it mattered'?
""chamber-persons" - we don't use derogatory position descriptions like this. How Eurocentric of you."
'Derogatory'? You mean you came up with a term to mask the job description? How novel and nice.
""enclaves" - hahahahaha! They're called 'communities'. Our 6-year olds know that."
I suggest you avail yourself of a dictionary. Perhaps a 6 year old could point you to one;)
""idiots" - do you mean people who disagree with you?"
You've taken it out of context i'm afraid. But i'm sure you knew that.
"So much ammunition, so little motivation. I could feel my IQ plummeting just reading this mish-mash of supposition, outright wrong-headedness, and risible and uninformed conjecture, but the bit I liked the most was your admonition that any idiot (using yourself as a benchmark?) who disagrees with you should do their research."
Perhaps you over estimated your IQ? Just a thought.
As for the rest, again, taken out of context. Perhaps you didn't know that.
"Your insultingly narrow-minded, jaundiced view of all Australians, coloured and otherwise, is not mitigated by posting a few youtube videos and your feeble attempts to make yourself the spokesperson and champion of indigenous Australians."
Is it not? Why? You ought to be a politician mate. You exhibit a remarkable ability to take things out of context and alleging victimisation of those whose cause is actually being given the attention it sorely needs. Remarkable indeed. By the way, you have made much personal allegations that have not, in the most part, been substantiated by proof. But, if you're an aspiring politician, i suppose this article has provided you with some practice.
Keep up the good work. I suppose not much education is required to put up the 'argument' you have forwarded. You have, indeed, done much with little sir.
Thank you for dropping by. 'Twas quite entertaining. I'm sure you can find your way out.:)
ed
I realised the illusory value of 'borders' and 'racial identity' in my late teens. These nationalist flags serve to do little more than serve as binds that blind one to one's true human and global identity. But i dare say you know and feel the same from your poetry. :)
I recall speaking for some hours with an aboriginal who was, according to him, one of the 'stolen generations'. Wish i could have spent more time in Australia so that i could have gotten to know more of the aborigines. I remember recording the discussion on video. Will put it up if i find it. Personally, i'm a fervernt admirer of the aboriginal culture. Watching their dance and listening to their music was like a 'homecoming' to me that hit me like a ton and a half of bricks. Strange, i'm supposed to 'be indian'. But i've always felt something else that includes India and so much more.
Thanks for your kind words Shobha. :)
ed