T h e S a lvat i o n A r m y Au s t r a l i a S o u t h e r n T e r r i t o ry C o r p s P r o g r a m m e D e pa r t m e n t
Corps Resources
A Conversation with Aboriginal Elders from the
Northern Territory
By Major John Farquharson
On 19 May 2010 A Conversation with
Aboriginal Elders from the Northern
Territory was held at the Melbourne Law
School. The discussion was facilitated
by Jeff McMullen, Former ABC foreign
correspondent, prize-winning Four Corners
documentary film-maker and best-selling
author. The panel included Djirrikaymirr
Rev Dr Djiniyini Gondarra OAM, Yolngu
Elder from Galiwin’ku, East Arnhemland;
highly respected political representative
of the people and caretaker of Yolngu
Law (Madayin). Rosalie Kunoth-Monks
OAM, Alyawerre Ammatjerre Elder from
Utopia, Central Australia, highly respected
President of Barkly Shire, President of
Urapuntja Aboriginal Corporation and The
Hon Alastair Nicholson AO RFD QC, The
former Chief Justice of the Family Court
of Australia. The following are notes Major
John Farquharson took of the discussion
from the night.
The Discussion
Jeff Mc Mullen asked:
What consultation took place?
Rosalie:
None. People come to our lands and
spoke in a language that was unfamiliar
and told us what they were going to do.
Djiniyini:
They came and took our land, first on five
year leases, then forty year 190 year leases
to get housing.
Nicholson:
Acquisition was imposed without proper
justification. Was only possible through
suspension of Racial Discrimination which
still remains suspended.
Jeff Mc Mullen asked:
Does this mean end of communal land
ownership?
Rosalie:
Aboriginal culture in Northern Territory
and remote is alive. Does not think
in English language, but in her own
language. First and foremost an
Aboriginal woman, cultured, noble and
strong sense of what is right and wrong.
Land gives identity along with language,
customary practices enable me to
express who I am. Thus feel pain from
that so-called democratic government
can break rules on human rights that it
is a signatory to. The pain is hurting the
children they supposedly come to protect.
Signs tell me I am likely to be addicted
to pornography and alcohol. The vast
majority of my people do not know what
these are.
Djiniyini:
Collision of law. How do resolve the pain
and move forward. Is there a way. There
has been law in country, now being called
customary law. Aboriginal law been
here for 2000 years. This is L.A.W. it is,
has been part of practice. Today people
are asking are we subject to English/
Australian law. Forced to become citizen
of Australia. Thus subject to two laws –
Australian and Aboriginal. If want to talk,
important thing is not confrontation but
dialogue. Confrontation causes pain and
anger. After dialogue comes negotiation.
Country originally taken without
negotiation and so sovereignty rights
taken. People still maintain culture. Focus
of intervention was to say that Aboriginal
people are bad people. Aboriginal people
are deeply spiritual people. Tasking the
spirituality of the land is important.
Jeff Mc Mullen asked:
What is impact of intervention on
language?
Djiniyini:
Now that four hours in all schools are in
English. No equity for schooling. For
those on Aboriginal lands the schools
are greatly under resourced. Those
not on Aboriginal land have far more
resources. Homeland Learning Centres
are under-resourced with only limited
numbers of teachers available. Compared
to white schools, they are significantly
underfunded, under resourced.
Jeff Mc Mullen asked:
Has there been any change in school
attendance?
Rosalie:
there has been no change in attendance.
Made us feel even more alienated by rest.
My grandchild travels 140km a day four
days a week. There is little engagement.
In 1940’s/50’s more engagement than
there is today between teachers and
children and teachers and parents. To
make a child feel guilty about being a
certain race is psychologically destructive
of children. Children need safety, security,
acceptance and affirmation. Think of
the psychological damage to be done to
children in this process of intervention.
(Institute for Cultural survival).
Jeff Mc Mullen asked:
Questions over social problems around
alcohol and house overcrowding. Has
there been exodus from the remote
communities to towns caused by income
management.
Rosalie:
Income management is a crime. Someone
is controlling you. It has already been
done before, with remaining people.
People were removed from places to
mission station. This is again happening.
People are moving to towns in order to
use basics card. Now targeted Aboriginal
people. Problem of drug and alcohol
raises the question, who introduced this
poison and who continues to market
it. It is not an Aboriginal problem, it is a
white problem. Working for the future
(NT and Fed Government) is policy that
has resulted in removal of services from
remote areas. Policy is to move people
out of homeland and into the towns.
Government is investing the money into
building towns and not supporting small
communities. Yet small communities
is where people are healthy, culturally,
spiritually, psychologically.
Jeff Mc Mullen asked:
Evidence shows health and well being
is greatest in remote communities.
However, intervention is showing things to
be worse. What of the rise in suicide and
damage to health.
Rosalie:
Little children are sacred was significant
report that was needed. Health is
multi-dimensional and balanced. It is
about emotional, mental, social and
physical well being. When identity
and culture is denigrated well being is
negatively impacted. Communities where
intervention occurred have resulted in
worsening well-being and hence increased
health problems. Aboriginal law is holistic
and involves whole community in looking
after each other. Once system worked,
now system is being broken down.
Djiniyini:
Our people are still depressed, still living
in poverty, still being treated as second
class. There has been no change for
our people. The intervention has not
changed a thing. Most things promised
has not happened. It is biggest failure of
government policy ever.
Further Information
http://law.unimelb.edu.au/index.
cfm?objectid=4B1D1CB1-B0D0-AB80E28E8C05438EC230&DiaryID=4764
http://indymedia.org.au/a-conversation-withaboriginal-elders-from-the-northern-territory
http://stoptheintervention.org/facts
Myths & Facts on the
Intervention
`` The claims of rampant paedophilia
and child sexual abuse in Aboriginal
communities have not been born out.
There have been no paedophilia rings
uncovered, and there haven't even been
any child sexual abuse prosecutions as a
result of the intervention.
`` Of the 97 recommendations in the "Little
Children are Sacred" Report only 2 have
been implemented. The government has
funded only 20 child protection workers
to cover the whole Territory, and currently
only 1 is actually employed!
`` No one has been prosecuted for child sex
abuse since the intervention was rolled
out, clearly revealing that child sexual
abuse was an excuse for the government
to take greater control of Aboriginals lives
and deny their human rights.
`` It costs tax-payers $7000 per person
to administer the welfare quarantine
(according to HREOC) which has seen
people going hungry trying to access the
most meagre Centrelink payments.
`` The Racial Discrimination Act would make
it illegal for the Federal Government to
force communities to sign over control of
Aboriginal land in 5 year leases; prohibit
alcohol consumption and distribution in
Aboriginal communities; control spending
patterns through income management
and store cards and take-over Aboriginal
service-providers.
`` The capacity of Indigenous people to
control the affairs of their community
is the only road to improvements in
quality of life. For example, a study
from the University of British Columbia
by Michael Chandler shows that rates
of youth suicide amongst Aboriginal
people in Canada are dramatically lower
where there is secure title to traditional
lands, structures of self-government,
community-directed education, health and
fire services and resources for practice of
traditional culture.
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