Australia’s Fourth World

[erudito]

Tuesday evening, went along to the launch of Nicolas Rothwell’s new book Another Country, a collection of his writings on Northern (and particularly Aboriginal) Australia. It was quite a gathering-Dame Elisabeth Murdoch was there, for example.

Comments

[taavi]

I always understood the term "fourth world" to mean the indigenous peoples of the world. Which leads to a more general observation - it sucks to be indigenous, whether you're an Australian Aboriginal, a Native American in the north or the south, a Bushman in Africa, an Adivasi in India, a Mon-Khmer in SE Asia (outside Cambodia, where life generally is bad anyway), or an Ainu in Japan. I don't believe that the situation of all these different groups is due to western liberal cultural separatist goodthink. Many states have pursued policies of agressive economic, political, etc assimilation instead without improving the conditions of their indigenous peoples. A general human tendency to discriminate against those you've conquered seems a better explanation.

Actually no

[erudito]

A general human tendency to discriminate against those you've conquered seems a better explanation.
Actually, that is an extraordinarily inadequate explanation. On that grounds, all conquered peoples would be equally badly off, which simply ain't true.

My point is not that all problems have been caused by "the Coombs approach". Given the enormous cultural gulf between the early industrial age settlers and the old stone age inhabitants, it was never going to be a pretty picture.

My point is that, in Australia, they have demonstratably made things worse. That is what is so unforgiveable.

[tcpip]

... and through all this, not one mention of what indigenous people might actually want themselves. Just ideologically-grounded criticism of a person who dedicated their lives to aboriginal land rights, native title and a treaty.

Not being aboriginal

[erudito]

not one mention of what indigenous people might actually want themselves
And on what precise basis could I speak for that? And why would it just be one thing anyway?

This seems to me to be the common thread in the failures of indigenous policy. We have a great idea, so we will do X ... Years ago, in 1990, as the last thing I did before leaving the mainstream public service for the Parliamentary Library, I wrote a paper predicting that ATSIC would fail because it was not grounded in Aboriginal cultures or authority structures, but an imposed idea of (bastardised) Westminister notions of legitimacy.

Also, the sleight of hand of classing concern for how things actually are on the ground in Aboriginal communities as "ideologically-grounded" is a contemptible evasion.

Re: Not being aboriginal

[tcpip]

And on what precise basis could I speak for that?

One wouldn't; one could certainly advocate in the strongest possible terms that indigenous Australians however should be able to determine their own future rather than having one imposed on them.

And why would it just be one thing anyway?

That is not suggested in the slightest.

Also, the sleight of hand of classing concern for how things actually are on the ground in Aboriginal communities as "ideologically-grounded" is a contemptible evasion.

I find the suggestion that Coombs is somehow responsible for conditions on the ground this to be the same.

Re: Not being aboriginal

[erudito]

should be able to determine their own future rather than having one imposed on them.
Well yes, but by what mechanisms? ATSIC was a grotesque failure.

Coombs is somehow responsible for conditions on the ground this to be the same.
Ideas have consequences. The point is not the Coombs personally destroyed communities, but that the set of policy ideas best summarised as "the Coombs legacy" has been a comprehensive failure with disastrous consequences.

[mysterbey]

I didn't realise the Savage Club was still running. Are you a member?

No

[erudito]

The meetings are sometimes held at the Savage Club by the good offices of a couple of members of the discussion group who are members.