Advancing Reconciliation and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples Rights

HOW DID THE RECONCILIATION DEBATE INVOLVE YOU AND / OR YOUR ORGANISATION?
The people that these subjects were discussed with informally included relatives and friends of
a) other people who adopted an indigenous boy in the sixties, hoping that he could inherit their farm, with the permission of his family who did not want him; and
b) people who gave their lives and comfort to trying to help indigenous people on mission stations - I think their degree of sacrifice should not be forgotten, even if other people think they were misguided now, and
c) a relative who has been teacher and principal of indigenous schools in the North, Alice Springs, Healesville and Queensland and is at present in East Timor. At the time they only saw the struggle of indigenous people to survive, their frequent oppression by pastoralists and others, and thought there was a need for them to be able to bring their culture into the rest of Australian culture.

HOW DID IT CHANGE YOUR IDEAS, YOUR ATTITUDES AND YOUR LIFE?
The reconciliation debate did not change how the people in the discussions felt.

HOW DO YOU THINK THE PEOPLEÍS MOVEMENT FOR RECONCILIATION AFFECTED THE LEGAL SITUATION THROUGH THE 1990S?
Not sure what is meant by the legal situation.

WHAT WOULD BE THE BEST STEP FOR A POST-HOWARD GOVERNMENT TO TAKE ON RECONCILIATION?
Well, say sorry and be done with it, and support innovative ways to help indigenous people to be literate instead of not even looking at them, as at present.

WOULD AN OFFICIAL MONITORING AGENCY HAVE MADE A DIFFERENCE ON IMPLEMENTATION OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE ABORIGINAL DEATHS IN CUSTODY ROYAL COMMISSION, AND COULD IT MAKE A DIFFERENCE ON THE BRINGING THEM HOME RECOMMENDATIONS?
Depends on who is in the agency. If it is well-paid it probably wont do much good; if it includes impartial volunteers it has a hope.

WHAT CAN BE DONE NOW TO TAKE THE RECONCILIATION PROCESS FORWARD?
Many steps, which include innovative ways to tackle literacy; bringing aboriginal culture to the rest of Australia and vice versa; preventing sniffing and alcoholism before they damage brains; giving young people experience of living in semi-arid areas with indigenous people able to sustain themselves in it - including indigenous people from the cities; finding a shorter word and easier to spell than 'indigenous people' so that 'red-neck' prejudice against continual euphemisms is negated (why not koori?). Inidigenous is a bad word because many people think it means indigent,, meaning destitute and in need; producing a documentary of transmissable aboriginal culture that can be shown in country towns etc.as well as on TV and overseas.

WHAT STRATEGIES CAN BE DEVELOPED TO IMPROVE EMPLOYMENT AND BASIC SERVICES FOR INDIGENOUS PEOPLE AND THEIR COMMUNITIES?
Three major problems are:
1. people in increasing numbers living in areas where previously only a few indigenous people were able to live sustainably. This problem has to be tackled sooner or later or it will get worse.
2. Reduction in competence through brain damage through alcoholislm and juvenile sniffing. Ethnic pride and alternative action can be cultivated to stem both of these.
3. Racism in both directions. Local people in disadvantaged communities can even resent educated indigenous people coming trying to help them. Combined culture has to get status.

Suggestions include
* bringing into youth initiations skills and knowledge that will be useful in the modern world too, including the traditional tracking and foraging and conservation and protection of breeding grounds, and also how to grow things, make things, mend things, use things.
* Putting incentives into welfare that encourage rather than being perceived as driving people to improve their own housing and develop environmental skills and use literacy as a tool. Possibly 'Standards' certificates which people can collect and possibly put up somewhere, and decorate.
* Challenging aboriginal (OK indigenous) communities to find ways to solve problems that other Australians cannot solve - e.g. reducing feral pests and finding uses for them; growing in and fertilising the exhausted soils of the edge of white settlement, and even vast areas like the Murray Darling Basin; conserving endangered species like turtles.
* Awards for Aboriginal (OK indigenous) Innovators of the Year.

WHAT DO YOU THINK ARE THE STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES OF THE NATIONAL STRATEGY TO OVERCOME DISADVANTAGE AND FOR ECONOMIC INDEPENDENCE DEVELOPED BY THE COUNCIL FOR ABORIGINAL RECONCILIATION (SEE PAGE 8)?

IS THERE A FUNDAMENTAL CHANGE OF COMMUNITY ATTITUDE REQUIRED EVEN NOW, BEFORE PROGRESS CAN BE MADE AT THE POLITICAL LEVEL ON RECONCILIATION?
Everything has to be done at the same time.

WHAT STRATEGIES CAN BE PURSUED TO OVERCOME CURRENT OPPOSITION BY MINERS AND PASTORALISTS TO LAND RIGHTS FOR EXISTING INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES, AND COMPENSATION FOR STOLEN LAND?
Baffled - although one 'propaganda' weapon would be documentaries and evidence of existing indigenous communities improving areas where they do have land rights, and making sound use of them. People agin them use as propaganda evidence of waste and stupidity.

WHAT COMMUNITY-BASED INITIATIVES CAN HELP MOVE THE PROCESS FORWARD?

WHAT MEDIA STRATEGY COULD HELP OVERCOME PREJUDICE AND RESISTANCE TO JUST CLAIMS FOR LAND BY ABORIGINAL AND TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER PEOPLES? See above.

WHAT HAPPENS AFTER THE RECONCILIATION COUNCIL?
Keep going.
Literacy is essential - both to preserve their own culture and to be able to live with ours. And that means learning how to work out words and read books - not just chant away in classes.
I would like to promote an easier English spelling for international use - perhaps more like Tok Pisin of PNG - with the surplus letters omitted. Then the English who wanted to stay with the cluttered stuff could stay - but the rest of us could move on, with Bran Nue Day and Koori Kolej and all that.
(I wd like tu promote an esier English spelling for international use - perhaps mor like Tok Pisin of PNG - with th surplus letrs omitd. Then th English hu wonted tu stay with th clutrd stuf cd stay - but th rest of us cd muve on, with Bran Nue Day and Koori Kolej and all that.
I have a spelling test of 16 common words that most people can spell about half of, and the most educated among us can spell about 80% of - but indigenous students doing courses to get into Monash Univerity could only spel an average of 2 out of 16. This shows what an opression for indigenous peple English spelling is. Why hav a republic and keep English spelling!

(Here are the 16 words that most peple cannot get all 'right'.

acomodate . . . . . . exessiv . . . . miniture . professr . . . . . . . . remembrd . . . unparaleld . disapoint . . . . gardian . . . . mischivus . psycology . . . . sovren . . . . . . disiplin . inocuus . . . . ocasion . . . . . recomend . tecnicly . . . . . At an international conference on Dyslexia, the only word that the psychologists attending it all got right was . . psychology.)