Petrol Sniffing in Indigenous Communities

[bunnymunro]

I cannot be totally sure of this, but I believe that where grog is banned, it has been banned by the community itself, at least in many cases. NT may have some federal laws about it, bit in the communities that I have had experience with in Northern WA, this was the case,

 

[thestudent14]

I dont know how true that is as an overview of the situation, but I think extra drug regulations are necessary in certain remote areas. Obviously I dont think the government is capable of introducing sensible drug regulations. I do agree with harsher drug regulations for aboriginals in various incidences (in these communities), because aboriginals make up a larger relative percentage of problem users. It may not even come down to problem drug use, but problem behaviour in general. Either way

I do not agree with this, whether they make up a higher percentage of the problems does not mean they should receive harsher penalty's. Men are responsible for more murders then women, does that mean men should get harsher prison penalty's? I'm sure that the majority of Aboriginals in these areas are still very decent people so how can it possibly be just for them to receive harsher regulations because some other Aboriginals are wankers. It doesn't make any sense, Lots of white folk are douchebags in my suburb, does that mean our suburb should be treated differently to suburbs close to us. As I said previously, all this does is continues to seperate us and does nothing to solve the problems.

 

[drug_mentor]

Has anyone been to Alice Springs? I remember someone saying man introducing alcohol to aboriginals was the most detrimental thing weve done. It goes both ways, you cant say weve fucked up their way of life by imposing ours, then argue that taking back certain aspects of our way of living is the most wrong thing ever, when its in the interest of getting them to be more self supportive. I dont agree with it, but I dont think its the worst thing ever

I can easily argue that, personally I don't think alcohol is actually the root detrimental problem in Aboriginal communities it is just the most common way that these deeply ingrained problems manifest themselves. I don't think Aboriginals just somehow have less self control when it comes to alcohol due to some genetic predisposition or some shit, I think that given many decades of racism, abuse and oppression that alcohol becomes a very convenient way for them to try and escape their problems. If some of the bigger issues about how Aboriginals are treated were addressed then I believe the amount of alcohol abuse in those communities would decline.

The issue with banning alcohol in these communities is one of equality, if I as a white Australian can go down to Dan Murphies and buy myself a case of beer or a bottle of Jack Daniels then that is my right, to say as an Aboriginal Australian living in certain communities you do not have this right is a lack of equality. As I highlighted in an earlier post Aboriginals are already discriminated against in this country, probably most notably by Government agencies but also in general, to tell them as a matter of law they can be subject to penalties for engaging in the same behaviour all other Australian's have the right to do is even further discrimination and can serve no purpose other than to leave the people feeling even more angry, rightly so I would add. Furthermore, these regulations make the assumption that Aboriginals will fuck up if they have access to alcohol, an assumption that is not made about anyone else purchasing alcohol, that in itself is racist and unfair. Banning of alcohol and kava in these communities also brings a whole host of other problems, the same ones that prohibiting any substance does, it empowers criminal enterprise to make money and drives up the cost of the prohibited commodity which ultimately leads to more financial hardship for those using it, the list goes on.

I think you are fucking crazy to suggest extra drug regulations are 'necessary' in remote places! Is the drug war "necessary" too?! I think it is pretty well documented that all tighter regulation of drugs does is cause more problems while doing absolutely nothing to deter or otherwise limit drug use or abuse. I admit I am making an assumption about you here, but this is Bluelight, I bet you consider many (if not all) of the drug laws aimed at the rest of the population to be fascist and unfair, this is despite the fact that there are MANY problematic drug users in that population, could you please tell me why drug regulation would be unfair for the rest of us but justified for Aboriginals?

 

[bunnymunro]

It poses a huuuge question, and one that has been discussed in much more illustrious chambers than my dining room.
That is, to assimilate, or not to?
From there it can be argued that assimilation is a form of genocide.

So to support separate laws for a separate nation? Or assimilate the nation and let them lose their core values, their sense of identity, their lore, their culture?
I had it brought to me home one time, a bit like this...

OK, when you meet someone, it generally goes a bit like this: Gidday mate, whats your name? (Jimbo)
Ah, where you from, Jimbo? I am from Ekatahuna, me old man runs the servo just next to the diary.

In this way, you have gathered a sense of Jimbo's roots.

Blackfella from the city; Gidday mate whats your name? David. Sweet, David where you from? Draws blank... or makes up or tells where he was brought up, ( mission north of Perth, or whatever, but not a full, rich story).

Blackfella from the bush or regional Aus; I am (insert tribal name, and family heritage, ties with the land).
Now, this may sound as though I am on a rant about lands or stolen generation, which I guess it applies to also, but the point is assimilation as a form of genocide.

No easy answer.

If any aboriginals who read this have any objection to me using the term blackfella, please pm me, or make your objection known on on the thread, and I will edit and make a public apology, almost all the aboriginals I have met often used that term to describe themselves.

It would be interesting to hear any views of any BL original Australians on this topic, it seems a bit "colonial" to be listening to all us whiteys arguing this point without hearing the views of those who we are discussing

 

[poledriver]

I dont know how true that is as an overview of the situation, but I think extra drug regulations are necessary in certain remote areas. Obviously I dont think the government is capable of introducing sensible drug regulations. I do agree with harsher drug regulations for aboriginals in various incidences (in these communities), because aboriginals make up a larger relative percentage of problem users. It may not even come down to problem drug use, but problem behaviour in general. Either way

I don't agree with this. I have more to say on it all, but the posts above outlined some of my feeling on some of the points.

 

[Standup]

DM - assuming an aboriginal person will become a drunk fuckup isnt racist, its statistically more probably. If you wanna stay out of jail kids, do your best not to be black or hispanic. When I said introduce more drug regulations, I did clearly say the government would obviously fail at a reasonable approach. Drug regulation does not mean blanket drug ban, which you seem to have assumed. For example, to get valium you need to see your doctor, and your doctor should educate you on why valium is unsafe long term and assess your mental stability. This regulation has now lowered your chance of valium becoming a problem through education and a limited supply. A sensibly limited supply can go along way to stopping certain excessive use. An overly limited supply can leave the person seeking alternatives, often at greater risk to themselves due to the extra unknowns.

When does generations of discrimination and abuse become an excuse rather than a valid reason for drug addiction and behavioral problems? Say you have two kids. Ones fat, ones not. What do you do? Restrict the calory intake of the fat kid or ban fatty food? Is alcohol consumption there problem or our problem? What happens when you give a drug addict a million dollars? Do they live happily ever after or OD?

 

[catching fish]

Mods feel free to move this to the drug busts thread since it's not really about petrol sniffing, but is about people trying to get drugs into the Aboriginal communities -

Operation Ewok

Operation Ewok targeted the transportation of Alcohol and Drugs into remote aboriginal communities. Members from the Drug and Organised Crime Squad, the Substance Abuse Intelligence Desk, Federal Police and the Dog Operations Unit combined to disrupt the supply of these illicit substances into the communities via air and road transport.

Detective Senior Sergeant Peter Schiller said the operation involved the screening of passengers and freight at Darwin airport and strategic roadblocks across the Top End.

"Police will use every resource available against these people who are destroying lives and profiteering through the trafficking of drugs and alcohol. The coordinated effort between the Substance Abuse Intelligence Desk, the Federal Police and our Detectives and Dog Squad Members has prevented a significant amount of drugs and alcohol from reaching its intended destination."

During the operation eighteen people were arrested for Possess, or Possess and Supply, Cannabis and eleven people were given summons for Possess Cannabis.

Thirty four people received Drug Infringement notices while another two were issued cautions for Possess Cannabis and Possess Kava.

A total of 1,737 grams of cannabis, 1kg of kava and 0.3 grams of methamphetamines were seized during the operation.

Detective Senior Sergeant Schiller said one of the more unusual seizures was 190 grams of cannabis secreted inside two frozen lamb roasts.

“The offenders in this case had gone to some effort to conceal the drugs inside the lamb before freezing it in an apparent attempt to confuse the Drug Detection Dogs. The experienced dog Nugget was not fooled and gave a positive indication on the meat. An x-ray revealed packages inside both roasts.

And a few more pics on the site-

http://www.pfes.nt.gov.au/Media-Centre/Media-releases/2012/August/07/Operation-Ewok.aspx

I'm guessing this did more harm than good. I mean fuck, if you don't want communities sniffing petrol don't go to ridiculous measures to deprive them of safer drugs.

 

[Nozphexezora]

I'm guessing this did more harm than good. I mean fuck, if you don't want communities sniffing petrol don't go to ridiculous measures to deprive them of safer drugs.

Meat is serious business.

 

[thestudent14]

DM - assuming an aboriginal person will become a drunk fuckup isnt racist, its statistically more probably.

First of all, that is racist. Weather or not you agree with that being a racist statement, it pretty much is the definition of being racist.
Also, the way you have worded it, it sounds like you think the majority are fuck ups, even if 10 times more of them cause trouble then with other Australians, that would still put them at a small % compared to the number of productive and helpful Aboriginals.

I understand that you think extra regulations, but the valium argument has a big key difference. It is not dependent on the colour of your skin, it's just more difficult for everyone to get and need to be educated on. The idea that Aboriginals should need extra education or understanding of the problems with alcohol in order for them to get alcohol rather then other Australians is racist. I'm not saying you can't work on the education up there, by all means we should, but to have additional requirements that regulations bring is racist and I assure you would cause more problems then it solves.

 

[opi8]

its statistically more probably.

lol

I don't believe it is alcohol, or petrol, or any drug. I think, as stated already, the problem is complex and based on living conditions, decades of racism and oppression and as we all should know, banning something problematic isn't a solution.

Take a look at the Rat Park experiment if you're not familiar with it.

 

[poledriver]

http://www.news.com.au/national-news/our-village-of-the-damned/story-fncynjr2-1226654859280

 

[catching fish]

http://www.news.com.au/national-news/our-village-of-the-damned/story-fncynjr2-1226654859280

That article prompted me to read up and watch some documentaries on Wadeye. Some of you probably know of it - an Aboriginal community where there are gangs based on heavy metal bands. Pretty interesting but also pretty depressing.

The Aboriginal communities are pretty much fucked and I don't know if they have any hope apart from looking at a case by case basis, and even then it would resemble a second stolen generation.

 

[poledriver]

I don't think I'd heard of Wadeye before reading the article this morning. I might watch some stuff on it sometime.

 

[mindsnare]

There is a hell of a lot of ignorance in this thread...

First off more blackfellas don't drink then do drink. Something like only 30% drink. Those who do tend to do it too excess. These are the people you will see in town, kicked out of their community cos of their behavior. Most communities and homelands have banned alcohol themselves, or the land council has, they don't want the humbug it brings. The people living there work, but a lot of these places have cdep programs (ie being paid little more then the dole for working fulltime) whilst skilled white fellas are flown in, paid shitloads to work remote. Meanwhile my husband can't even get an apprenticeship to upskill himself. Go figure

You have no idea what its like to be a blackfella in this country. You get treated like a second class citizen. I can tell you, most blackfellas do work, and yes its crazy but some do go out on the weekends and have a drink. Except if you're black and having a drink, everyone assumes you're an alcoholic. The cops will throw you in the watch house just for walking home. If you drive a decent car, you get pulled over and questioned every other week Imagine everytime you went to the shops you get stared at, people are rude and you constantly get your bag checked cos you must be shoplifting.

The other thing is the constant grief. I mean, my son is one and he has already been to 5 funerals. You just can't come to terms with the sorry business. When people are dying young from suicide, accidents, health problems, alcohol, it just makes everyone feel so defeated. Indigenous people are really sensitive, thoughtful people who are close to their families, so it really affects everyone.

It makes me upset that there are people saying to just get over it or all blackfellas are drunken crooks. Indigenous people are juuat as diverse as you mob. Yes some have problems with alcohol and jail, but there are more that you don't see, on homelands, communities and in town, trying to do the best they can for them and their families. I can guarantee you each day they get out of bed, look after family, work and try hard even though they have more to overcome each day they you could dream of. And you might treat them like shit cos their English isn't great bit they speak 4 or 5 languages already.

And black people get just as angry as white mob that millions of dollars get thrown at problems without anything happening. Most of the money makes companies rich whilst people still live in third world conditions. You try and survive on cdep wage paying $10 for a piece of shit lettuce at a community store.

Sorry this is a ramble, I'm not the best writer but I hope yous get the point.

One last story, there are lots of people out there like my sister in law who I'm so proud of. She's a single mother, came from the desert to put herself to university, she works hard and has overcome so much, lost her brother at 21, her son at 6 and she still gets out of bed every day. She is amazing and she still gets called a n**** and a bitch and treated like shit by ignorant people who need to get out to a community and see the truth.

You are torn between two worlds, trying to keep your land and culture, and trying to keep your family fed and alive. You try being black for a day, its not all free money and alcohol I tell you mob that for a fact.

 

[Azron]

There is a hell of a lot of ignorance in this thread...

First off more blackfellas don't drink then do drink. Something like only 30% drink. Those who do tend to do it too excess. These are the people you will see in town, kicked out of their community cos of their behavior. Most communities and homelands have banned alcohol themselves, or the land council has, they don't want the humbug it brings. The people living there work, but a lot of these places have cdep programs (ie being paid little more then the dole for working fulltime) whilst skilled white fellas are flown in, paid shitloads to work remote. Meanwhile my husband can't even get an apprenticeship to upskill himself. Go figure

You have no idea what its like to be a blackfella in this country. You get treated like a second class citizen. I can tell you, most blackfellas do work, and yes its crazy but some do go out on the weekends and have a drink. Except if you're black and having a drink, everyone assumes you're an alcoholic. The cops will throw you in the watch house just for walking home. If you drive a decent car, you get pulled over and questioned every other week Imagine everytime you went to the shops you get stared at, people are rude and you constantly get your bag checked cos you must be shoplifting.

The other thing is the constant grief. I mean, my son is one and he has already been to 5 funerals. You just can't come to terms with the sorry business. When people are dying young from suicide, accidents, health problems, alcohol, it just makes everyone feel so defeated. Indigenous people are really sensitive, thoughtful people who are close to their families, so it really affects everyone.

It makes me upset that there are people saying to just get over it or all blackfellas are drunken crooks. Indigenous people are juuat as diverse as you mob. Yes some have problems with alcohol and jail, but there are more that you don't see, on homelands, communities and in town, trying to do the best they can for them and their families. I can guarantee you each day they get out of bed, look after family, work and try hard even though they have more to overcome each day they you could dream of. And you might treat them like shit cos their English isn't great bit they speak 4 or 5 languages already.

And black people get just as angry as white mob that millions of dollars get thrown at problems without anything happening. Most of the money makes companies rich whilst people still live in third world conditions. You try and survive on cdep wage paying $10 for a piece of shit lettuce at a community store.

Sorry this is a ramble, I'm not the best writer but I hope yous get the point.

One last story, there are lots of people out there like my sister in law who I'm so proud of. She's a single mother, came from the desert to put herself to university, she works hard and has overcome so much, lost her brother at 21, her son at 6 and she still gets out of bed every day. She is amazing and she still gets called a n**** and a bitch and treated like shit by ignorant people who need to get out to a community and see the truth.

You are torn between two worlds, trying to keep your land and culture, and trying to keep your family fed and alive. You try being black for a day, its not all free money and alcohol I tell you mob that for a fact.

Exactlly

 

[thestudent14]

There is a hell of a lot of ignorance in this thread...

First off more blackfellas don't drink then do drink. Something like only 30% drink. Those who do tend to do it too excess. These are the people you will see in town, kicked out of their community cos of their behavior. Most communities and homelands have banned alcohol themselves, or the land council has, they don't want the humbug it brings. The people living there work, but a lot of these places have cdep programs (ie being paid little more then the dole for working fulltime) whilst skilled white fellas are flown in, paid shitloads to work remote. Meanwhile my husband can't even get an apprenticeship to upskill himself. Go figure

You have no idea what its like to be a blackfella in this country. You get treated like a second class citizen. I can tell you, most blackfellas do work, and yes its crazy but some do go out on the weekends and have a drink. Except if you're black and having a drink, everyone assumes you're an alcoholic. The cops will throw you in the watch house just for walking home. If you drive a decent car, you get pulled over and questioned every other week Imagine everytime you went to the shops you get stared at, people are rude and you constantly get your bag checked cos you must be shoplifting.

The other thing is the constant grief. I mean, my son is one and he has already been to 5 funerals. You just can't come to terms with the sorry business. When people are dying young from suicide, accidents, health problems, alcohol, it just makes everyone feel so defeated. Indigenous people are really sensitive, thoughtful people who are close to their families, so it really affects everyone.

It makes me upset that there are people saying to just get over it or all blackfellas are drunken crooks. Indigenous people are juuat as diverse as you mob. Yes some have problems with alcohol and jail, but there are more that you don't see, on homelands, communities and in town, trying to do the best they can for them and their families. I can guarantee you each day they get out of bed, look after family, work and try hard even though they have more to overcome each day they you could dream of. And you might treat them like shit cos their English isn't great bit they speak 4 or 5 languages already.

And black people get just as angry as white mob that millions of dollars get thrown at problems without anything happening. Most of the money makes companies rich whilst people still live in third world conditions. You try and survive on cdep wage paying $10 for a piece of shit lettuce at a community store.

Sorry this is a ramble, I'm not the best writer but I hope yous get the point.

One last story, there are lots of people out there like my sister in law who I'm so proud of. She's a single mother, came from the desert to put herself to university, she works hard and has overcome so much, lost her brother at 21, her son at 6 and she still gets out of bed every day. She is amazing and she still gets called a n**** and a bitch and treated like shit by ignorant people who need to get out to a community and see the truth.

You are torn between two worlds, trying to keep your land and culture, and trying to keep your family fed and alive. You try being black for a day, its not all free money and alcohol I tell you mob that for a fact.

Great post and great to hear your perspective, I'm sorry to hear that Aboriginals still cop so much wasted hate for no reason. I assure you though whilst people may yell racist things, the vast majority of people are in no way racist and it's these shit people yelling hateful stuff that make the rest of us look bad. I live in Melbourne and I very rarely see any racism (last time I remember hearing someone be genuinely racist was 2010) I remember it clearly because I was disgusted that it was one of my friends being racist.

I hope that the being treated like a second class citizen is mostly abolished in this country as I never encounter it, but when I've been in rural parts of Australia this has always seemed magnified. Do you think any of the suggestions mentioned throughout this thread would be helpful? The truth is, it's easy for us to speculate on what will help, but as you said millions of dollars get spent and nothing changes. How do you think money invested in Indigenous communities would be most productive.

I think making better oppurtunities for people to get apprenticeships should be a higher priority. I'm suprised about this statement though

The people living there work, but a lot of these places have cdep programs (ie being paid little more then the dole for working fulltime) whilst skilled white fellas are flown in, paid shitloads to work remote.

only because from a company point of view, surely they would be more interested in hiring locals where they can as it costs much more to pay for people to work remote, if people who are living locally aren't getting preference then that to me shows racism beyond a street level and should be addressed.

Hope you know and remember, most people aren't racist, not in this country, probably not even in your town. It's just the few douche bags who yell hateful shit because their too ignorant and stupid to be decent human beings

 

[poledriver]

Yeah good post mindsnare, you're not a bad writer at all, very easy to understand all that, thanks for sharing.

Aborigines were here before whites for how long? I think it was a very long time, they looked after this country very well indeed. Not abusing resources, not polluting it, or over populating it, not killing off animals and birds through greed and boredom, no drug and alcohol problems, rich in culture, art, languages, music, crafts etc. Then whites came here, took it away, and have been here for how long now? What is it 240 years or something? Prices in certain areas for a block of land and a house can be over 3 million dollars (palm beach, eastern suburbs, central coast, byron bay etc) who the fuck will be able to afford this shit growing up? Certain areas are flooded with drugs and addiction and crime, certain areas its not safe to go out on a weekend or you might get bashed or shot because of alcohol related violence, or drug or gang wars. Pollution and over crowding is just getting worse and worse in certain places. Rapes and murders are common, religious sex abuse is common, animals and birds are becoming extinct as we develop more for all the people who keep breeding like rats and were paid to have more kids with a baby bonus. The list goes on. I'd hate to see this country in another few hundred years it will be a mess.

Following is a complete list of Australian animal extinctions from 1788 to the present. There are 23 birds, 4 frogs, and 27 mammal species or subspecies strongly believed to have become extinct since European settlement of Australia.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_extinct_animals_of_Australia

It's probably too late, but massive amounts of land should be given back to certain Aboriginal elders to do what ever they wont with. More Aboriginal art, music, languages and culture should be offered at schools across Australia and alot more done to recognise how well they treated this country before being forced to follow a whole heap of bullshit laws from whites when they already had their own things going on and had for along time.

 

[Esotericism]

Yeah good post mindsnare, you're not a bad writer at all, very easy to understand all that, thanks for sharing.

Aboriginals were here before whites for how long? I think it was a very long time, they looked after this country very well indeed.

Not well enough for my liking, I'm highly disappointed that giant wombats are not currently knocking over small buildings.

 

[gimpan]

There is a hell of a lot of ignorance in this thread...

First off more blackfellas don't drink then do drink. Something like only 30% drink. Those who do tend to do it too excess. These are the people you will see in town, kicked out of their community cos of their behavior. Most communities and homelands have banned alcohol themselves, or the land council has, they don't want the humbug it brings. The people living there work, but a lot of these places have cdep programs (ie being paid little more then the dole for working fulltime) whilst skilled white fellas are flown in, paid shitloads to work remote. Meanwhile my husband can't even get an apprenticeship to upskill himself. Go figure

You have no idea what its like to be a blackfella in this country. You get treated like a second class citizen. I can tell you, most blackfellas do work, and yes its crazy but some do go out on the weekends and have a drink. Except if you're black and having a drink, everyone assumes you're an alcoholic. The cops will throw you in the watch house just for walking home. If you drive a decent car, you get pulled over and questioned every other week Imagine everytime you went to the shops you get stared at, people are rude and you constantly get your bag checked cos you must be shoplifting.

The other thing is the constant grief. I mean, my son is one and he has already been to 5 funerals. You just can't come to terms with the sorry business. When people are dying young from suicide, accidents, health problems, alcohol, it just makes everyone feel so defeated. Indigenous people are really sensitive, thoughtful people who are close to their families, so it really affects everyone.

It makes me upset that there are people saying to just get over it or all blackfellas are drunken crooks. Indigenous people are juuat as diverse as you mob. Yes some have problems with alcohol and jail, but there are more that you don't see, on homelands, communities and in town, trying to do the best they can for them and their families. I can guarantee you each day they get out of bed, look after family, work and try hard even though they have more to overcome each day they you could dream of. And you might treat them like shit cos their English isn't great bit they speak 4 or 5 languages already.

And black people get just as angry as white mob that millions of dollars get thrown at problems without anything happening. Most of the money makes companies rich whilst people still live in third world conditions. You try and survive on cdep wage paying $10 for a piece of shit lettuce at a community store.

Sorry this is a ramble, I'm not the best writer but I hope yous get the point.

One last story, there are lots of people out there like my sister in law who I'm so proud of. She's a single mother, came from the desert to put herself to university, she works hard and has overcome so much, lost her brother at 21, her son at 6 and she still gets out of bed every day. She is amazing and she still gets called a n**** and a bitch and treated like shit by ignorant people who need to get out to a community and see the truth.

You are torn between two worlds, trying to keep your land and culture, and trying to keep your family fed and alive. You try being black for a day, its not all free money and alcohol I tell you mob that for a fact.

I agree with alot of what you said but am a bit skeptical that only 30% of aboriginals drink alcohol, do you have a source? Are you only talking about people in your town?

As for your husband finding it hard to get an apprenticship Im interested to know where you live as here in WA every mine ive worked at have strict quotas to favour Indiginous over anyone else, which from what ive seen is an excellent way of "briging the gap" by getting people skilled up, though if you live in central Australia and are finding it hard to get employed I doubt race has anything to do with it as companies dont have the infrastructure to train people without flying them to a major center first.

Id say your husbands chances of landing an apprenticeship are almost guaranteed in any trade he wants, you jusst may need to relocate to where the work is.

 

[gimpan]

It poses a huuuge question, and one that has been discussed in much more illustrious chambers than my dining room.
That is, to assimilate, or not to?
From there it can be argued that assimilation is a form of genocide.

So to support separate laws for a separate nation? Or assimilate the nation and let them lose their core values, their sense of identity, their lore, their culture?
I had it brought to me home one time, a bit like this...

OK, when you meet someone, it generally goes a bit like this: Gidday mate, whats your name? (Jimbo)
Ah, where you from, Jimbo? I am from Ekatahuna, me old man runs the servo just next to the diary.

In this way, you have gathered a sense of Jimbo's roots.

Blackfella from the city; Gidday mate whats your name? David. Sweet, David where you from? Draws blank... or makes up or tells where he was brought up, ( mission north of Perth, or whatever, but not a full, rich story).

Blackfella from the bush or regional Aus; I am (insert tribal name, and family heritage, ties with the land).
Now, this may sound as though I am on a rant about lands or stolen generation, which I guess it applies to also, but the point is assimilation as a form of genocide.

No easy answer.

If any aboriginals who read this have any objection to me using the term blackfella, please pm me, or make your objection known on on the thread, and I will edit and make a public apology, almost all the aboriginals I have met often used that term to describe themselves.

It would be interesting to hear any views of any BL original Australians on this topic, it seems a bit "colonial" to be listening to all us whiteys arguing this point without hearing the views of those who we are discussing

Genocide! are you fucking retarded? How the fuck is people changing their traditions and one law for everyone genocide?