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"Sorry" Day - Australia
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<blockquote data-quote="Marguerite" data-source="post: 127571" data-attributes="member: 1991"><p>Star, I hear you. The biologist in me knows that whenever you get two groups occupying the same niche, one group will be eliminated. We like to think that as humans, we are bigger than this. But if you look at the evidence through history, no matter whether we try to eliminate the rivals or assimilate them or allow them autonomy, the end result is nearly always negative. </p><p></p><p>The human side - whenever a more technologically advanced group has moved in to an already-inhabited area, the less well advanced (technologically) often gets wiped out or at least decimated. It throws everything out of balance.</p><p></p><p>If you ever saw "Rabbit-Proof Fence" you will see that the motives were good. But what was done was bad. The gist of Kevin Rudd's speech yesterday was, "We shouldn't have to grow up and live, without access to your family. Family is everything."</p><p></p><p>When Europeans settled in Australia, they claimed the land as "terra nullius". The inhabitants were not even considered to be human. No culture, no civilisation, no intelligence. REading the jourhnals of Josepgh Banks, the scientst on Cook's first voyage, shows the thinking. The standards by which the Aborigines were judged were 18th Century European standards.</p><p></p><p>I use the term "Aborigine" because it seems to be the least confusing, the least offensive. For some years their own word, "Koori" was considered the acceptable term. But not all Aborigines are Koori - our friend who is a teacher at the school where the older three went is from further north - the Murri area. I don't want to risk labelling someone inappropriately.</p><p></p><p>A funny story from our Bicentennial, 1988 - my local greenie ratbag mate Bill was friends with a koori storyteller and actor, Burnam Burnam. we met up with them one afternoon at Sydney Uni, Bill was getting some brochures printed. On Australia Day 1988, 200 years to the day that Capt Arthur Phillip formally established the colony, Bill and Burnam Burnam formally claimed Great Britain as Terra Nullius for the mighty Aboriginal nation. Aparently, nobody had ever formally claimed Great Britain, which made this legallyh possible. In Burnam's speech he promised to not poison the flour, rape the women or ply the people with grog. They made a strong political point, eityh humour and peace.</p><p></p><p>B uenam was a man of peace, a man who wanted Australia to move forward into a new age of unity between black and white, with the best of both cultures freely available.</p><p></p><p>I wish he were still alive to have heard this. He was an amazing man.</p><p></p><p>I haven't had a chance to speak to Bill yet, since the sorry speech. I'm looking forward to talking to him, as well as our teacher friend.</p><p></p><p>And now we have to see what happens - we need now to put some practical measures in place to try to close the gaps - the high infant mortality, the shorter lifespans - it's not going to be easy. Because we mustn't make the same mistakes again.</p><p></p><p>The problems in Northern Territory MUST be addressed - the stories we hear are shocking. WHat gives me hope now, is that BOTH our political parties are working together, and this time they are taking advice from the Aboriginal elders themselves. Giving people a sense of purpose and hope may begin to ease the problems. But more needs to happen.</p><p></p><p>When we were in New Zealand last June husband & I were very impressed with the degree of integration and involvement of Maori culture into New Zealand culture in general. I remember saying, "What a pity it's too late for us in Australia."</p><p></p><p>Maybe it's not too late after all.</p><p></p><p>Marg</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Marguerite, post: 127571, member: 1991"] Star, I hear you. The biologist in me knows that whenever you get two groups occupying the same niche, one group will be eliminated. We like to think that as humans, we are bigger than this. But if you look at the evidence through history, no matter whether we try to eliminate the rivals or assimilate them or allow them autonomy, the end result is nearly always negative. The human side - whenever a more technologically advanced group has moved in to an already-inhabited area, the less well advanced (technologically) often gets wiped out or at least decimated. It throws everything out of balance. If you ever saw "Rabbit-Proof Fence" you will see that the motives were good. But what was done was bad. The gist of Kevin Rudd's speech yesterday was, "We shouldn't have to grow up and live, without access to your family. Family is everything." When Europeans settled in Australia, they claimed the land as "terra nullius". The inhabitants were not even considered to be human. No culture, no civilisation, no intelligence. REading the jourhnals of Josepgh Banks, the scientst on Cook's first voyage, shows the thinking. The standards by which the Aborigines were judged were 18th Century European standards. I use the term "Aborigine" because it seems to be the least confusing, the least offensive. For some years their own word, "Koori" was considered the acceptable term. But not all Aborigines are Koori - our friend who is a teacher at the school where the older three went is from further north - the Murri area. I don't want to risk labelling someone inappropriately. A funny story from our Bicentennial, 1988 - my local greenie ratbag mate Bill was friends with a koori storyteller and actor, Burnam Burnam. we met up with them one afternoon at Sydney Uni, Bill was getting some brochures printed. On Australia Day 1988, 200 years to the day that Capt Arthur Phillip formally established the colony, Bill and Burnam Burnam formally claimed Great Britain as Terra Nullius for the mighty Aboriginal nation. Aparently, nobody had ever formally claimed Great Britain, which made this legallyh possible. In Burnam's speech he promised to not poison the flour, rape the women or ply the people with grog. They made a strong political point, eityh humour and peace. B uenam was a man of peace, a man who wanted Australia to move forward into a new age of unity between black and white, with the best of both cultures freely available. I wish he were still alive to have heard this. He was an amazing man. I haven't had a chance to speak to Bill yet, since the sorry speech. I'm looking forward to talking to him, as well as our teacher friend. And now we have to see what happens - we need now to put some practical measures in place to try to close the gaps - the high infant mortality, the shorter lifespans - it's not going to be easy. Because we mustn't make the same mistakes again. The problems in Northern Territory MUST be addressed - the stories we hear are shocking. WHat gives me hope now, is that BOTH our political parties are working together, and this time they are taking advice from the Aboriginal elders themselves. Giving people a sense of purpose and hope may begin to ease the problems. But more needs to happen. When we were in New Zealand last June husband & I were very impressed with the degree of integration and involvement of Maori culture into New Zealand culture in general. I remember saying, "What a pity it's too late for us in Australia." Maybe it's not too late after all. Marg [/QUOTE]
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