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August 14, 2007
In an article entitled Lack of respect will not help indigenous children in the Sydney Morning Herald Banduk Marika draws attention to the disturbing aspects of the Howard Government's intervention in indigenous affairs in the Northern territory.
Alan Moir
Marika, a community leader and artist in Yirrkala, Arnhem Land, says that:
now it seems that our whole culture is being blamed by government and media for the problems associated with grog, poor education, a lack of jobs, houses and health care. The main problem our culture is being blamed for is child abuse....We live in circumstances that are not of our own making and without the kind of support that other people in Australia have had for many years. The small number of persons who go against their families and bring shame on us all must be held accountable - but it is not the fault of our society as a whole. Many of us do not drink or take drugs, and we protect, respect, love and care for our children, our families and our cultural traditions.
This contests the failed state metaphor deployed by Minister Brough to legitimate the law and order approach with its underlying policy of assimilation.
Marika adds that the Howard Government:
is now trying to say that land, community councils and the permit system are also part of the reason for child abuse. But this is a lie. Has any non-Aboriginal council ever been taken over by the government because of child abuse occurring in its area? Has anybody in non-indigenous Australia had their land taken away because of child abuse in their community? I don't think so.
She points out what is obvious th the indigenous people's relationship to their land has nothing to do with child abuse. Or alcohol for that matter. The issue is clearly stated:
So I want to say that we do honestly welcome any real help with the problems created by our contact with non-indigenous society, and by past failures to fund and deliver basic services, but we will not be treated as though we have no rights in our own land or lives. Like our elders before us, we will continue to stand up for what is right and fair. And for who we are. I
The charge is that the Howard government is using the children as an excuse for stealing the land away from indigenous people.
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Taking control of the land gives the government the ability to impliment housing strategy without having to put up with radicals and those that attempt to spoil and slow things down by claiming racist agendas.
Those that link the seizing of land for 5 years to uranium or other mining rants fall into this catagory also.