Antinuclear

Australia in desperate need of true history education, and a Treaty with Indigenous people

Tony Abbott, terra nullius and Warren Mundine, Independent Australia Natalie Cromb 4 July 2014, “……..This government, and all governments that seek to enact laws in this manner, need a history lesson. A truthful history lesson.

The crux of the matter is that European people settled on land belonging to the Indigenous inhabitants under the falsehood of terra nullius and, thereafter, the settlers imposed English law upon the Indigenous inhabitants, including laws which sought to disperse them from the lands to which they belonged on a spiritual level, and further to diminish and/or destroy the families and culture with which they identified.

This history, however bleak and embarrassing to Australians – and Tony Abbott – is what actually did occur.

Australia needs a leader and a government that will look at the history of this nation and utilise this history as a lesson in tolerance and how to be more appreciative of a culture that owned and cared for this land for at least 40,000 years before European settlement occurred.

This nation needs leaders that understand the racial divide of this nation and how to go about correcting and bridging this divide.

There are two key and pressing ways in which to make the first steps to effect dramatic change that will bridge this divide. The first is education and the second is a treaty.

Currently, there is very little education as to the true history of this nation and the events that occurred upon settlement, which is why Abbott was able to get away with his abhorrent and ignorant remarks yesterday,  receiving almost no media response. And unless one seeks out that education, the majority of Australians have nothing but negative mass media produced stereotypes about the First Peoples, which breeds malevolent disregard towards Indigenous Australians.

Thus, it was Warren Mundine’s job to rebut Abbott’s comments today, not downplay them and call them “silly”.

Moreover, the act of creating a treaty between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australia would provide not only a basis upon which future relations could be established, but it will create a legacy for future generations to look upon with pride. Whilst the history of this nation is turbulent, it does not have to be looked upon with shame forever.

Australia can become a nation proud of its rich cultural history and all that it entails by enacting a treaty which effectively conciliates the issues of contention between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.

Australia should be a proud nation without one culture having to compromise its entire identity. The Prime Minister has stated he has passion for Indigenous Affairs – and while that claims seems dubious – Warren Mundine should be holding him to his word and advocating for Aboriginal Australians.

Let me be clear: we do not need leaders that arbitrarily state Aboriginal people need to forgivebecause it is in keeping with their own personal beliefs, stemming from a European religious institution that has committed countless horrors against Indigenous people. That would be about as palatable to Indigenous people as asking victims of sexual predators to forgive their assailants.

What we need are leaders – whichever party they are affiliated with – to stand up to the policy status quo and fight the hard fight for the Indigenous people of this nation.

Most particularly, our Indigenous leaders need to fight for a change to curriculum in schools to educate future generations on the accurate history of this nation, so that future generations of Indigenous children do not suffer the ridicule of previous.

It is the duty of our Indigenous leaders to be effective communicators. We cannot rest until our perspective is understood and empathised with, because only then will there be policies enacted that are culturally appropriate and in line with community needs.

If you are the man for this, Warren Mundine, then I urge you to stop being a spokesperson for the Liberal party and start being an advocate for your people. http://www.independentaustralia.net/australia/australia-display/tony-abbott-terra-nullius-and-warren-mundine,6637

July 7, 2014 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | General News