OT!!!!! Dont read if not interested!!

What award? None of the Aboriginal people I know have been given an award because of their ancestry.

Do they get a cool award like a cash prize, or simply a crappy little plastic trophy?

As I understand it, whatever is done special for the Aboriginal people is positive discrimination. It's an attempt to bring them up to par with the wider community.

The stolen generation was an attempt at positive discrimination. Didn't work though.

Saying sorry is an attempt at putting things right. I doubt that it will make any noticeable difference to the lifestyle of the indigenous Australians, but it needs to be said.

So, for those interested, what is the answer for the original Australians?

Regards,
Laurie.

Strange question!
The way i see it, we are all immigrants or the descendants of immigrants. In some cases immigration occurred last week for others 30,000 years ago.
It is however, unfortunate that the descendants of those that immigrated a long time ago are not always shown the respect of and by those that immigrated more recently (and visa versa).
If we believe in and practice equality the issue will go away soon enough. Unfortunately life's not like that and I certainly don't have the answer but nor have the leaders of our country and our communities.
The sooner we embrace what it is to be Australian the better.

Yes we should be equal. What our ancestors did to the way of life of their ancestors almost totally destroyed the fabric of their society and created the mess we now have. However imperfectly, we have been seeking to redress the situation. Morally and legally we are equal. Otherwise we have a way to go yet and so most Australians believe positive discrimination is warranted.

It doesnt appear to be a problem particular to Australia. Take for example, native American Indians, American Negros, NZ Maori, African Tribes, Pacific Islanders, Aboriginals....the list goes on....

These are all Peoples that at one time or another have had Western culture either, at worst, forced on them or, at best, slowly infiltrate their social networks.

I recall, a few years ago, an academic from some university over East somewhere who's research suggested that the darker the skin of a person the more they are inclined towards violent crime. He was quickly shot down and as far as Im aware, was lucky to retain his job. I personaly dont think I needed a professor telling me what I already knew, but hey, its a free country...!!!

Doug may be on the right track....hehehe....no pun intended.

A while back I was having a drink at the Last Chance Inn [South Hedland] and got into a deep and meaningful conversation with an aboriginal elder, or so he reckoned. After an hour or so we trusted each other enough to debate the "white-black" issues honestly and at times with much "rigour". His parting words were- The white fellas are trying to put a 21st century brain into a stone age head.

Just something to consider........Lionel.

"The white fellas are trying to put a 21st century brain into a stone age head". True. Previous government was pushing home ownership for traditional Aboriginal people, where did that dumb thought come from?

Many people up here in the Pilbara and Kimberley didn't lay eyes on a white man until they were teenagers.

They had lived as hunter-gatherers to that stage. They couldn't sustain living off the land because white man was encroaching and they eventually had to join missions. In many cases this only ocurred in the late 1960's.

If white people think that these Aboriginal people (and their children) can be changed into having white man's values then white people are the ones who are mistaken. In sober Aboriginal people the culture is alive and well.

Award? That is a bizarre post and one that really shows a lack of understanding.

Barnesy

I just wonder how many who posted above know what they are talking about.

Cheers........BIGDOG (Kalgoorlie born and bred)

PS..SORRY! I have done nothing to be sorry for.

Gday,

Barnesy.."Award? That is a bizarre post and one that really shows a lack of understanding."
Should I mention that the lady who asked the question is as black as the ace of spades? Its ironic (if thats the word) that you make a comment about lack of understanding about a culture when the question comes from a cultural person.
Ill make the question a little clearer....
At my daughters graduation the the other night there were certain awards were given out. There were quite a few awards along the line of "the indigenous achiever award"

From a white persons view....
I find it racist that my kid is eligible for some awards but not others but ab kids are eligible for them all because of their colour.
I think it will only start arguments and racial problems.

From a black persons view....
"Why is it you get an award for being indigenous...????"
My friend would like her kid to be recognised for his achievements not for being black!
"Don't you think he's smart enough to get an award on his achievements?.....only his colour.???? and why is your kid not eligible for this award?? they both grew up together in the same environment???"


"Putting a modern brain in a stonage man" or that type of thought??...................
If I adopted 2 kids, 1 black and 1 white and brought them up in the exact same environment do you really think they would be much different????

In the past a few people on this forum have labelled others (me included) as racists for there simplistic views on an apparently very complex situation. (who is making it complex)

So many people find blackfella jokes racist....
When really, accepting jokes about every other race except aboriginals is truely racist?

Did you hear the one about the aboriginal terrorists...
Dont panic!!!!! The cops have caught most of them!
So far they have got.....
Bin Drinkin
Bin Smokin
Bin Bludgein
Bin Fightin
The only one they cant find is Bin Workin...

Ah sheet here we go!!!
Its a joke!!! And sent to me via text message from a black fella
Because he has no problem with beeing black!

Ok..Im on a roll. Here is another one and again it come from the same bloke so it cant be (so called ) racist.

An aboriginal bloke was standing in his front yard one day when housing commision pulled up.
There was rubbish spread all over his yard...
The commision bloke just looked at him and said..
Maaaattte wheres ya bin?
The blackfella replied...Id bin to Kintore mister.
The commision bloke says....No, wheres ya Bin!
The blackfella says...Id been to Yuendamu.
The commision bloke says...NO! Wheres ya Wheelie Bin!
The blackfella says...Shh!! Id wheelie bin to jail, but dont tell the Mrs. She thinks Id been out hunting!!!

See its not racist to accept some one as equal. You can hang bleep on everybody equally. Why leave a group out of the circle?

Without starting an argument...Im interested to here from people who think Australia should be saying sorry, do feel obliged to treat indigenous people different and think we should be handing more land back?

Cheers

If everyone was equal then there would be no need for awards. People get awards for doing something that differentiates them from others (for better or worse).

A vague non-descript title with an unsubstantiated argument; are you out just to stir things up or is there a point to all this?

I've just now added an article to my community driven news website, Sapphire Coast News, because it demonstrates the vast difference that sometimes exists between indigenous and white Australia

It's not all one sided, ya know!

Regards,
Laurie.

Doing the POOR white man thing again H, if she wants to win the award... She Has To Be BLACK.....

You need to take off the glasses get a hair cut sit down and have a long hard think about your self..

I'm sure there are plenty of RN site for the white folk to grandstand on not this site..

There is another forgotten stolen generation, thousands of British children, taken from their families after WW2 & sent to Australia.

Also don't forget many 'white' children were, & still are taken from abusive family environments for their own welfare, this is also one of the reasons that many 'indigenous' children were removed from their families. One of my lifelong friends was raised as a "ward of the State".
Also don't forget that not so many years ago, female babies were unwanted & killed in their tribal situation.
So, am I sorry ...... not really!

Soapbox time again?....lol

Me Bin Staying-out of this one....hahahahaha

Cheers

Well I have something to add to this, i am a self employed painter i am of croatian heritage ( both Parents migrated here in sixties).
I have been brought up to accept all people and nationality yes even the serbs. now i had a call from a 31 year old man looking for a job i said come to the job tomorrow and we will talk some more. Apon meeting up he shook my hand and produced a card.
I said is this ur buisness card? he replied no its my indiginous card!
I was what the f*** is that?
He said if i hire him for 6 months i will get a $2500 golden handshake from the government.
I said i am not interested in any contracts with the government i just want a good honest worker.
Hence he lasted 2 weeks and just disapeared under a tree i guess.
havent seen him since, but mind you the 10 days or so he worked he did tell me he has 4 kids to 3 women and only has to pay them $6 a month. How pathetic how pathetic is this system?

Heres a good news story that was in todays West Australian newspaper to change the tone a bit.

These young aboriginal men will be leaders in there own right. How proud must their families be??

Also link : Here

Young Aboriginals ambassadors for youth:

Tom Price Senior High School student Benjamin Limerick never shied away from helping younger Aboriginal students do their best at school.

The 17-year-old, the first student from the Wakathuni community to graduate from the Pilbara high school, was among 29 WA high school students named district ambassadors at a ceremony at Government House yesterday.

The award winners demonstrated a positive image of young people in the community.

Benjamin said he had always tried to be responsible and hoped the award had made family members proud. He had mentored younger students, passing on traditional knowledge as a leader at bush camp. “I am not shy or nervous and I just have fun and enjoy meeting new people,” he said.

With plans to start an apprenticeship at a mining company next year, Benjamin hopes to become a diesel fitter.

Tom Price Senior High School principal Alan Curtis said Benjamin was a trendsetter and a respected young leader to a growing number of promising indigenous students.

Mr Curtis said Benjamin had been so valued that the school had asked him to stay on for the third term as a paid Aboriginal and Islander educational worker after finishing Year 12 studies.

Fellow award winner, Richard Noddy from Mt Magnet District High School, came from a town troubled by substance abuse problems but proved to be a positive role model for other students.

The 18-year-old head boy is the first Aboriginal student to graduate from Year 12 at the school and plans to do an apprenticeship in gardening or carpentry at TAFE.

The Department of Communities Office for Youth awards have run for 10 years in a bid to tackle negative perceptions of youth. This year, there were a record 123 entries.

KAREN HODGE


Cheers
Alan

Ohhhh that is very easy, I want the award!
:-)

Gday,

Yes this post could have been a little misleading...but only if you have a preformed opinion. Yes the idea was to stir the pot maybe, but it gets the mind rolling.
If it read "Why is it you get an award for being muslim or Croatian...????"
No one probably would have given a rats! Or probably even given them a sledging.
That in my opinion would be racist , isn't the meaning of racist " to treat someone different because of their race"???

After reading most of these replies I think my friend is right, a lot of people do think aboriginals are lesser people and do want to continuously put them on a pedestal, and their way of helping them is jumping to their defence rather than telling the truth.
I couldn't count how many kids I've seen go through courses, been given certificates purely on attendance and fallen flat on their faces when they get out in the work force because really didn't learn bugger all!!! (token certificates)

On a better note...I went to the casino last night and bumped into a few old students ( Yeah blackfellas ) all of them have been working and holding their jobs for over a couple of years and yep they were buying me drinks. not bludgin! ( not cdep either...Granites, Hospital interpreter, carpenter,welder...)
None of them got any certificates from me for being black, only for hard work and good results like anyone else. In fact one of them asked me out side on his first day for a blue and last night he dam near crushed me when he came up for a big hug.

Ill leave you to make your own ideas about the best way to treat people....

Cheers

This gets me thinking.
When I was young and at primary school, we had a mix of races and at the time I was fairly unaware that was the case. To me the other kids were just the other kids.
I played with them all, fought with them all, and ate with them all.
It wasn't until after school that I realised some of them were Aboriginal, some were Asian and I suppose there were other races as well. We were all different yet all much the same. We mostly came from low socio-economic backgrounds and a fair percentage were commission based.

It's funny to think back and remember the two kids particularly that won most of the foot races ended up being aboriginal. I could never work out why they were so fast. It became obvious that they were older than me when they started sporting moustache growth in year 7. That got me asking why would an older kid be with us younger kids for school? They simply started their education later and fortunately for them were generally only a little larger than us so they fitted in well.

As I have grown, I like to think I have held on to those naive values, but in reality it has gotten a little slanted. I put that down to the racial assistance creating the "them and us" thoughts.
Even now when I am with a group of folks, I regard them firstly for their attitude to me and friendliness, humour, and general conversation. Race is the last thing I think of.
Even though I am a little deaf, I hear accents before I "see" colour. I struggle with understanding some accents and as a result I don't always fit in to the conversations.

As a post earlier said but seemed to be taken out of line, I wish for the simple earlier days I had when race was not the issue but rather how we all got along. Ignorance is bliss and children without parental influence see through colour and recognise people for who they are. It is us educated older folk that recognise race and suffer because of it.

In reference to the original post, I agree that awards should be based on achievement first. Even a male/female differentiation is sometimes too much. It's a bit like the first female to do this or that, really who cares as it should be the first person to do this or that for this year, or this month or whatever. Be the best we can be without sacrificing our principles, whatever they may be.
And no everyone is not equal. But not based on race or society, but based on the individual. There are some lowlifes out there and there are some high achievers. I strive for mediocrity as I know I'm not the best and I know I'm not the worst but I still keep trying to be better.

I notice now the younger generation is getting lazy in general. They expect the same pay and conditions as older more experienced workers but don't want to put in the hard yards to get there. This is the same type of talk when aboriginals started getting heavy government assistance. Are we now breeding a society of welfare seekers. In our efforts to please everyone we are ripping the very core of our well being to support the minority with loud voices. If we want to be treated as equals we should all expect to be treated as equals and give respect back to those that deserve it. When filling in forms we should remove the sex, race checkboxes, and replace them with age. For it is age that sets most people apart and with age should come respect.

And no, I am not old nor young, black nor white, smart nor dumb, but I am male with an expectation for a shorter than hoped for lifespan (all males in my family have passed away young I have recently found out). But when I get to heaven, we will all be as equals there.

Cheers