From Nicholas Kerr, Friday, July 9
Rev Dr Samuel Kobia visited Australian Aboriginal people at a time when Indigenous people are facing a crisis.
They say their right to self determination is under threat.
The Australian Government has introduced legislation to disband the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC).
The Government wants to replace ATSIC with a hand picked advisory council.
Indigenous people see this as an attempt to silence the elected Indigenous voice and a blow to self determination.
They have welcomed moves by the Federal Opposition and minor parties for a Senate inquiry into the right of Indigenous people to determine their own future.
“The Aboriginal psyche has been dealt a heavy blow,” according to Alwyn McKenzie, chairperson of the Nulla Wimila Kutju ATSIC Regional Council, in the north of South Australia.
Mr McKenzie was one of the Aboriginal leaders who greeted Dr Kobia when he arrived in Port Augusta.
“We’ve had these blows time and time again in Australian history,” he said.
“Some of the legislation that has been put into place over the years has been introduced by fair minded, well meaning people.
“But the laws have turned out to be detrimental because legislators didn’t consult Aboriginal people first.
“The Government tends to put Aboriginal self determination into the background – but self determination’s of the utmost importance.
“Only Aboriginal people can articulate our vision for Aboriginal people.
“Non-Indigenous people shouldn’t decide how Indigenous people live.
“The Australian government is being incredibly paternalistic. Once again they’re telling us what is best for us. Once again Indigenous people are being used as a political football.”
Mr McKenzie said this was happening with ATSIC.
“Organisations that are supposed to be improving Aboriginal health and education, and finding Aboriginal people jobs, haven’t succeeded,” he said. “But it seems as though they’ll be rewarded and ATSIC will go.
“A lot of the ATSIC programs are going to be handed over to them on a silver platter.”
Mr McKenzie said there had been problems with ATSIC and reforms had been needed.
“But why get rid of ATSIC? Why not just get rid of the problems?
“It’s as if you had a Rolls Royce with two punctures. You wouldn’t throw away the Rolls Royce. You’d change the tyres.
“Most Aboriginal people believe that our Prime Minister has had a personal agenda for some time – to get rid of the Aboriginal voice.
“He’ll replace it with another sort of Aboriginal voice. There will be a council, picked by the Government. Aboriginal people will work in government departments.
“But it seems he wants to silence the authentic Aboriginal voice, the elected Aboriginal voice.”
“If the elected Aboriginal voice is silenced, who will evaluate what the government is doing? From time to time to government must be challenged. How can that happen if the aboriginal voice is silenced?
Mr McKenzie welcomed the Senate inquiry.
“The information it finds should be made available to every Australian,” he said.
Mr McKenzie feels the Government action could undo some of the achievements towards reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.
“We must work together on the question of reconciliation,” he said. “We must use the experience, the wisdom and the knowledge of all Australians, working in partnership.
“Indigenous people have an inherent right to be recognised as the first people of this country – and that needs to be recognised in the proper fashion.
“Aboriginal people will not have a real sense of pride until that’s happened.
“We’re occupied people in our own country.
“The Australian Government seems to be doing its utmost to get rid of Aboriginal people’s pride in their inherent identity as the first Australians.
“There is no other country that Australian Aboriginals can call home. This is it.
“We recognise that others, our fellow Australians, have a love for this country – but they take pride in their ancestry and their heritage from other countries as well.
“The same respect must be afforded to our heritage, our culture and our traditions.
“This is our country. We must be allowed to feel proud.”
Photo: Sam Kobia with local children at Port Augusta (Kerr)
