Question for the Aussies

[footfootfoot]

So what's the deal with the Abos these days? Do you not call them abos anymore? Are they still getting the shaft? Are you seeing a lot of them in suits and ties working in brokerage firms or are they living on reservations? How did the assimilation plan work out? live and let live?

Wondering what your take is, we don't hear or see much in the Aussie films with the exception of Walkabout and Rabbit Proof fences.

What's the real deal?

Oh yeah, what about Rolf Harris? What's up with him? Are you all feeling "how come the stingray didn't get him instead?"

[Aliantha]

What a weird post foot.

Rabbit Proof Fence is an awesome movie and from my own knowledge and that of critics and historians, a fairly accurate depiction of actual events.

Tensions between indigenous australians and white australians are quite high at the moment due to the death of a man in police custody a couple of years ago. Recently the officer in charge was found to be responsible for the mans death and yet he's not been charged with anything. This of course is outrageous and the man should be charged with manslaughter if not murder in my opinion and he certainly should not still have a job in the police force.

Historically Aboriginal people have caught the rough end of the stick and it continues to be so. In some ways I believe the culture here is changing for the better, but in others not. I don't believe the structures put in place by white governments are appropriate and I don't believe Aboriginal people have enough right to self determination and that the Howard government are reducing those already minimal rights slowly but surely by closing official agencies which have traditionally acted on and made decisions for the Aboriginal community at large.

One of the greatest challenges facing Aboriginal people is that some live in the cities and have ordinary jobs like everyone else, while others live either in missions or what you call reservations relying on handouts or payoffs from the government while others live a tribal existance and are working at creating and renewing a culture which has dwindled sadly over the last 200 years. Trying to bring these different groups together is very difficult and unfortunately means that the process of having a voice is almost impossible for the aboriginal people - who like indigenous americans come from different tribes with different customs, beliefs and laws.

My mum used to love Rolf Harris. He's a legend in Australian television and entertainment, mostly for his wobble-board and folk style songs. I doubt anyone wishes he'd died instead of Steve Irwin although I suppose there may be some.

[DucksNuts]

What Aliantha said basically.

A couple of years back my friend and I went "road tripping". We headed toward Mildura (North West Victoria on the Murray River) then upwards towards Wilcania (central New South Wales).

My socialisation with Aboriginal people had been really limited. I had a few that were friends in School and just dealing with them when I was in retail, never had any issues and thought they were mostly great people (especially the friends in school).

About 10kms out of Mildura, we started to notice these tin type sheds clumped together to form semi settlement areas. They were really typical of what I had seen on doco's, lots of kids running around, looking really happy, playing with a multitude of dogs, the women sitting around doing crafty stuff and doing the food thing. It was really cool to see.

When we hit Wilcania....totally different ball game.

The Aboriginal people were sitting in the street with boxes of beer, the kids were being fairly unruley and the police presence was HUGE.

Driving around, we noticed there were a few houses that had really high fences (not common), what appeared to be ridiculous measures taken to secure their cars, windows etc.

Went to the local pub, walked in to find bare concrete floors, the furniture bolted to the floors, the serving area enclosed FULLY in wire mesh with just little serving slots and everything served in plastic cups.

Talking to the local policeman, he said that it was like this 7 days per week, the secure houses were the *white* people houses like school teachers, bankers etc.

Sorry, got my waffle on about nothing in particular.

We have a large community of Aboriginal people locally, but dont see many of them around, not in the workplace or just out and about. I dont understand that. We have lots of community service programs for them, recruitment agencies, family support etc

Rolf Harris - he's in the UK now I believe. Not doing so much wobble boarding or painting....dont really care. I personally dont wish the stingray got him instead, there would be a fair line up of people I would like to push to the front of that line. Rolf not being one of them.

Although, if I hear "six white boomers" at my parents again this Christmas, I may go mad.

[Aliantha]

lol...what's wrong with snow white boomers?

[Hagar]

Originally Posted by footfootfoot

... Are they still getting the shaft? Are you seeing a lot of them in suits and ties working in brokerage firms...

I think that they're a long, long way from any sort of equality. It's very rare to see any aborigines working in any white collar job. As Aliantha says, it's a huge and (at the moment) insurmountable problem. Reservations/homelands/reserves (or whatever you want to call them) are often poverty stricken and offer a standard of living that's barely better than the third world. There have been recent calls by politicians to abolish the traditional tribal law codes which are still used in certain areas, because they're being used as an excuse for all sorts of crimes, including rape, incest and assualt. These calls were met with the usual accusations of racism.

The recent Palm Island death in custody inquest has me baffled. How a police officer can be found to have caused injuries that led to a man's death and not be charged (or even stood down) is beyond me. How must that man's family be feeling - to be vindicated by the coronor's findings, but still, two weeks later, nothing has been done by the police or the Director of Public Prosecutions.

Aboriginies are still a relatively rare sight in Brisbane and most suburban areas. My experiences with urban dwellars have been poles apart. The first was a mother and daughter who lived in my street when I was growing up. The house (housing commission) and garden was immaculately kept, and they kept to themselves and were perfect "normal" neighbours. Mum worked and the daughter went to school.

The second was a few years later when I was working in a house rental office, and we received an application from a local aboriginal man to rent a house we managed. The application came in on a Friday, and on the Saturday, a couple of the other residents from that street presented me with a petition urging us to decline the application. We presented the owner with all the information, including the petition, she accepted the application. Three months later there were numerous unidentified "cousins" living on mattresses in all parts of the house, the rent was very late, there was substantial damage and the neighbours were all unhappy. It took several weeks to get them out, and cost the owner thousands.

There is a distinct feeling among urban anglo folk that aboriginies would rather get drunk on their free (measley) government handouts than look for work, and that any attempt to challenge or change this sort of behaviour is an assualt on their culture.

Aspects of Aboriginal culture survive in that there is extensive respect of sacred sites, the national broadcaster dedicates a fair bit of airtime to indigenoulsy (sp) produced radio and TV, and tourism helps to maintain an international interest.

These are only my experiences, make of them what you will. I think it's criminal and a national shame that so many live in third world conditions, but I find it hard to be sympathetic when you're spat on and abused by drunk teenagers in the Brunswick St Mall at 10am on a Tuesday.

[Aliantha]

but I find it hard to be sympathetic when you're spat on and abused by drunk teenagers in the Brunswick St Mall at 10am on a Tuesday.

I think this is the problem many australians have with reconciling what they feel is right in their hearts, and what they feel is deserved by some members of the society in question. Personally, I don't believe youths like this are representative of the true nature of Aboriginal people so hope that other Australians feel the same.

[Tonchi]

How many of you saw The Chant of Jimmy Blacksmith? What did you think of it?

[Hagar]

Originally Posted by Tonchi

How many of you saw The Chant of Jimmy Blacksmith? What did you think of it?

I did, only about a year ago, for the first time. Pretty well made, a good movie for the era.

[xoxoxoBruce]

There was an article in Smithsonian or National Geographic awhile ago about the new North/South railroad. They said it would open up and bring jobs/wealth to new areas which would benefit the local poor natives. Also it had been mandated some of the construction jobs go to the natives.

I couldn't help but wonder if the whites would follow the railroad (and the money it generated), to just push the natives out of more land?

If this global warming changes the weather patterns to make the outback wetter, it will be interesting to see who prospers and how the benefits will be reaped.