The state of the remaining aboriginal population brings shame on all of us. They deserve better. Their forefathers migrated here before ours.
However we can't rewrite history or reinterpret 1788 as if it were 2010. Australia was going to be taken by one of the colonial powers, it was inevitable. It was the way of that age. The Chinese came first, it could have been the Dutch, Spanish, Portugese or French. Even the Japanese had a go.
Of all these options I am thankful it was the British.
We should make a concerted effort to raise the standard of living, health and dignity of the aboriginals. Any group in such poor condition should be helped. This requires practical solutions not normally associated with Canberra.
They need to be rescued from the career public servants. The way to help the aboriginals is to let them get to their own feet. The public servants should go find another group to 'help'. Noel Person shows us they have the capacity.
Any group kept longterm in remote, purposeless camps in a small group would struggle with their mental health. The idea that they are to be kept as specimens of nobel savages living in harmony with the land owning nothing but communal property is inhumane. No more ABC mood music.
All primitive cultures had animistic and land related myths. All cultures living in tribes had communal property and rights. However the rest of us were allowed to evolve and develop. We are allowed private property. The concept of 'inalienable' property rights is uniquely inflicted on our aboriginals. The rest of us can sell, mortgage or rent what we own.
They are no different to other people, they want the same things. They are actually asset rich but are not allowed access to their own assets.
I would like to see the aboriginals freed from their remote 'zoos', given free title to whatever rights they hold under native title and freed from the career do gooder public servants who have reduced a noble race to their current condition.
