Tuesday, May 26, 2009 at 22:53
It is a sad and difficult problem and there ( unfortunately ) is no simple answer, I wish there was one.
The permits have not done the damage nor has any single event or decision. My son spent 5 years in the wester desert of WA as a cop working with indigenous people and I have worked with them on and off all my working life.
I think the state of some communities is appalling but again their is no simple answer and none has been found by any indigenous people anywhere in the world who are facing similar problems.
There has to be a balance found between paternalism ( total control like in the mission days ) and total freedom without responsibility.
The best and most optimistic people I have talked to think the problems will take generations to solve and that it will be a long and difficult process for all involved.
Sadly we have not made a good start and we need to catch up on they decade of neglect we have just experienced. Followed by the short burst of extreme paternalistic vote grabbing policy just before the last election.
I do not know what the answer is, but I think we all need to have some understanding and compassion for how Aboriginal people feel about their land.
PS I use the backyard analogy because I used to have a property with a good fishing creek running through it. I had no problem with people asking if they could fish in the creek but would get upset when I found people who had not asked my permission, camping, chopping down trees, lighting fires and making a mess on my land. I think you will find many Aboriginal people feel the same way. if you ask the right way, their right way, ( this may take months to get to know them) you are usually made welcome in their communities I know I have. If you just ask for access "Whitefella way" then you usually don't get it.
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