The Intervention......

Until now I haven't really made a statement about the goings on up here in the Territory since the Federal Government's emergency response commenced. There are a number of reasons for this, one of the main ones being that nobody up here really understands what is going on and what impact it is going to have. Another is that the 'topic' of Aboriginal people has always been a difficult one for me to discuss, especially when we live in such a culture which, in general, has such a paternalistic, negative and superiority complex driven attitiude towards our Indigenous people.

It's on everyone's lips at the moment, at least people who are out there working and interacting with the people who are being hardest hit by the intervention... Indigenous people in remote communities.

I am not claiming to be an expert here, I am just wanting to share what I have heard, the discussions I've had and my humblest of opinions....

Basically, it seems that this response was not as spontaneously conceived as it first appeared to be. Apparently army and police forces have been prepared for this for upto 4 months... so it seems the government were simply waiting for the release of the Little Children are Sacred report before making their 'response'.

Additionally, it seems that other measures are being implemented which somehow link to addressing issues of child sex abuse. The quarantining of welfare payments, confiscation of pornography and the drying out of communities are a few such measures. But one that came into play yesterday was the removal of the permit system. Unless you are of Aboriginal descent (and in some cases this is not sufficient reason), you must apply for a permit to enter Aboriginal lands. This protects communities from having random people entering their country and gives them a say as to who can and can't come in. But now, every man and his dog can gop wherever the hell they want, leaving these community people unsure, insecure, and bascially scared about who might come into their communities and homes...

No matter what your attitude is towards Aboriginal people, it is difficult to label these series of events as anything but outright racial discrimination. Different people have different views as to the underlying motives but the majority see it as a mega land grab attempt, others as pre-election stunts... whatever it is, it is isolating and focusing on one racial group... it is not just. What of the non-Indigenous alcohol, drug and child abusers??

I have spoken to various people, black and white about the issues and the main feeling is one of disbelief and utter confusion. I spoke with an old Aboriginal man the other day, a very wise and inspirational man who has done so much for his community. He asked me "so is this stuff happening to you whitefellas too or is it just us blackfellas?". I shook my head, looking towards the ground, not able to look him in the eye as I said "it's just the blackfellas". "But that's racism!" he cried... and all I could say was "I know I know, it's not right".

'Survey teams' have been visiting each community to explain what is going to happen on a pragmatic level as result of the intervention. Communities have reacted with varying levels of anger, disbelief and suspicion... well those who were there. Many families took their children away before the teams arrived, fearing they were coming to remove them. Can you believe this is happening in our own country??

Once again, the government is proving it's shortsightedness and blatant disregard for the deep rooted, trans-generational trauma these people have suffered and continue to suffer at the hands of a supressive, paternalistic regime.

Yes some people have alcohol problems, yes some people neglect or abuse their children, yes some people are violent.... but we can't keep putting Aboriginal people in boxes and write them off as hopeless and lazy. I know so many people out here who want things to change, who want to improve their lives and the lives of their families, but they feel so disempowered to act. And with this latest sequence of events it is just another blow.

All I can say is please educate yourself on the real story (if you can find it) and don't disregard what is happening... this isn't democratic and it's completely unjust.

Sorry for the rant, I thought it was about time to say a bit.

Claire