In this Reconciliation Week, Reconciliation Australia declares that:
At its heart, reconciliation is about strengthening relationships between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and non-Indigenous peoples, for the benefit of all Australians.
For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, Australia’s colonial history is characterised by devastating land dispossession, violence, and racism. Over the last half-century, however, many significant steps towards reconciliation have been taken.
Reconciliation is structured around five dimensions: race relations; equality and equity; historical acceptance; institutional integrity; and unity.
Invariably, weight of responsibility for making reconciliation rests on the current non-aboriginal population who had no participation in what happened 238 years ago yet pay dearly in taxpayer dollars ($34b/y), intrusion into every event, church service, school, sporting and business occasion.
“Truth telling” profiles Aborigines as forever victims of dispossession, violence, and racism, for which there is no reconciling: we will be ever guilty. No end game is in sight. Reconciliation Australia will be a taxpayer paid bureaucracy forever.
Harm of Victimhood
What does not appear in Reconciliation “truth telling” is that from the first day of settlement, 26 January 1788, Aborigines were considered equal under the law. Britain had learned from the loss of men, ships and treasure fighting slavery around the world and the war of independence in America, so had no inclination for more. All people in the new settlement were to be equal under the law.
Historical records (Cameron-Ash, Windschuttle) show that Arthur Philip, the first Governor of New South Wales, diligently abided by the edict. Significant efforts were made to engage with the natives. While relationships were occasionally fractious between people working out how to live with each other, transgressions by whites against natives were punished according to the law.
Land assumed by settler expansion was countered by Aborigines “coming in”, taking advantage of ready availability of food from farms and stores. According to Brittanica, there was no consciousness of a shared national identity, belying the claim of First Nations, a notion originating in Canada. Another fabrication.
In his book White Man Dreaming, Gary Johns identified Aboriginal victimhood in examination of three Royal Commissions which he believes cultivated a victim mentality that elevated, rather than calmed woundedness. Constant victim publicity over decades created a climate of the evil of colonisation and victimhood of Aborigines. Though each case was found without basis in law, claims of victimhood persist, clouding “truth telling”.
- Aboriginal deaths in custody: Within a few weeks, evidence revealed deaths of Aborigines in custody occurred at no greater rate than other inmates, yet the RC continued at great cost, under immense publicity, for several years.
- Hindmarsh Island secret women’s business: Building a bridge to Hindmarsh Island in South Australia stalled for years under claims that to do so would transgress “secret women’s business”. Over several years an image of “white” progress was orchestrated as harmful to Aboriginal women. Until one claimant broke ranks to refute the claims as fake. Still the image of victimhood prevailed.
- Stolen generation: Failed Court challenges did not allay myths of harm made famous in the movie The Rabbit Proof Fence. Historical records show that many of the children who ended up in care were placed there by parents not coping, or seen at risk in the mob, being unacceptable because of racial mix with whites. In that era, white children of unmarried mothers were also removed for adoption. Reconciliation Australia’s “truth telling” fails to mention the benefits accrued to those who learned hygiene, to read and write, able to make their way in the world. Ideological dedication to the “stolen generation” myth persisting today, committed generations of vulnerable children to sexual and physical abuse, neglect, chaos, depriving them of safety, education and a future. Kumanjayi Little Baby is sadly the current face of policy placing “culture” above child safety. What culture was there for a child in the Old Timers Camp? Can we reconcile with that?
Victimhood fails “truth telling”
Simplistically victimhood portrays white colonisers as all bad and Aborigines as all good, with no agency over their lives, forever blaming events beyond today’s memory for their current plight. With no end in sight for victimhood, there can be no reconciliation. No end to sorry days, reconciliation weeks, three flags, welcomes to country, recognition of elders, changing of names, payment of recompense, preferential treatment, treaties.
What is patently missing in the “truth telling” is honesty. Firstly, addressing limitations of their own nomadic culture that are unacceptable to modernity: violence; sexual abuse of children and women; always moving for survival; occasional scarcity of food; discomfort in absence of housing and clothing; scorn for white man’s medicine and education; laws that are customary and unwritten, so open to manipulation.
Secondly, about the benefits brought by British settlement against which protest increases in keeping with the scale of endowment. The more they get, the louder the protests; never mind reconciliation. What Jacinta Nampijinpa Price’s grandmother, born in the desert, is grateful for is the housing, hot water, ready food and education. Other things: universal language and law, which Aborigines are willing to exploit at every opportunity while administering divisively amongst themselves.
For a culture that had no money, Aborigines have been quick to catch onto its power, selfish leaders accumulating wealth for themselves, as at the Old Timers camp where Kumanjayi Little Baby died, while people the money was supposed to help wallow in squalor and dysfunction. Senator Price has long called for an audit and accountability for the bottomless pit of investment in $ and effort in Aboriginal advancement that so patently fails.
Nomadism vs Modernity
Reconciliation Australia does not recognise how progress in Aboriginal advancement is hampered by failure to transition from a nomadic culture and economy of hunter and gatherer. As nomads there was no housing, storage, maintenance or agricultural endeavour (despite discredited claims of Pommy author of Dark Emu), to modernity’s applied standards.
The 85% claiming Aboriginality who function in the world in jobs, housing and contribution to society have worked it out. For the remaining 15% or so choosing remote living, it is unrealistic to expect services and outcomes (equality and equity of the RA framework) to be the same as in major cities, even given extensive supports to “close the gaps”.
Houses built are not maintained, even destroyed because living is stationary, not nomadic. Health and education services are tolerated or defied. On country, the tail wags the dog, sustaining blame and victimhood as if without agency over their lives, when the inverse is true.
When undertaking background research for a kidney foundation, I learned from a leading Professor that Aborigines have fewer nephrons in their kidneys than whites, so are unable to process alcohol like those long accustomed to it. Saying as much would result in claims of racism. Yet if RA is to engage in “truth telling”, inconvenient facts need to be part of the mix.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples experience disproportionate levels of kidney disease, regardless of whether they live in urban, regional or rural areas. Compared with the general population, they are twice as likely to develop kidney disease and four times as likely to die from kidney disease. (Kidney Health Australia).
Benefits of colonisation
Aboriginal Australians should be grateful it was the British who settled here, rather than the French, who were a mere five days behind Philip’s fleet, or other colonising powers. They have benefited from universal language and law, equality, improved health care, life span extended by over 20 years, educational opportunities, privilege access to everything, recognition on every occasion, generosity of spirit of other Australians who want them to do well. Results of the Voice referendum demonstrated Australians do not want a country divided by race and Aboriginal specialness. A separate sovereign First Nations with their own flags is not reconciliation, it is division.
Understanding the structure of crisis and change shows the only way through is by recognising the problem (displacement) and taking assertive action (agency) to attain resolution. Other Australians cheering them on in support are likely to become disenchanted with forever victimhood. Instead, they wish to rejoice with Aborigines their excellence in sport, knowledge of the land and seasons, art expressed in white man’s paint, dance, theatre and media. In doing so, Aborigines must pick up their bed and walk, let go of victimhood, forgive colonisers after 238 years of service, end forever sorry days, recognise white contribution to their wellbeing and future, allow others to celebrate important occasions like Australia Day and remember valued elements of colonial history. There is no going back. The way forward is education in white man’s learning alongside their own, taking advantage of white man’s medicine. Education is a way of avoiding imprisonment that plagues the culture.
Some suggestions for improvement:
- A sunset clause on all special Aboriginal programs, indicating an expectation they will reconcile with others as equal partners in this wonderful, if imperfect democracy.
- Letting go of victimhood narrative of land dispossession, violence, and racism, especially as their 4% of the population now has dominion over 54% of the land mass and most of the violence is self-inflicted.
- Send a team of Aboriginal tradies on acontinuous circuit of repairs and maintenance.
- Develop a spirit of gratitude for the benevolence from the population that wills reconciliation and success.
- End litany of accusations and blame, which prevent reconciliation.
In the Catholic tradition of reconciliation, a sinner may confidentially confess sins to a priest, show remorse, receive forgiveness and do penance. Having done so, the sinner moves on, promising to do better.
Missing from the Aboriginal victimhood narrative and from Reconciliation Australia’s bureaucratic speak, is any sense we will ever be forgiven despite the number of apologies made, recompense paid, acknowledgements and concessions given. No end in sight. Behaviours defying purpose.
Much of the Judeo-Christian tradition upon which our country’s culture and laws are based, rightly see as virtuous tending needs of the poor, which has been done in spades for Aborigines over decades. Yet the other aspect of Jesus’ life and after-life, the resurrection, receives little emphasis. Raising up the body of Aboriginal life needs to be seen just as worthy as indulgence of obsolete, destructive practices.