The torment of our powerlessness
October 27, 2017 11:52 PM Subscribe
On the anniversary of the Uluru land handback, the Australian government formally rejected the Uluru Statement (previously).
An interpretation of the government's press release on the matter from a law lecturer and cultural studies researcher at Oecomuse blog. As well as reposting the full text of the original statement, Crikey rounds up a few First People's voices in response to the rejection. The First Dog on the Moon as usual has an insightful assessment of the situation.
It is worth bearing in mind that the Uluru statement did not reflect the unanimous perspective of all First Peoples of Australia. You can read more about the dialogues, discussion paper, and submissions to the Referendum Council at their website.
(The referendum council's own website where the Uluru Statement is hosted refers to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, but please note that many members of Australian's First Peoples prefer the term 'First Peoples' and the Uluru Statement itself also uses the terms 'First Nations' and 'First Sovereign Nations'. The word Indigenous in particular is considered problematic by First Peoples in many parts of Australia. To clarify these debates it may be helpful to read this primer, and perspectives from a number of other people.)
An interpretation of the government's press release on the matter from a law lecturer and cultural studies researcher at Oecomuse blog. As well as reposting the full text of the original statement, Crikey rounds up a few First People's voices in response to the rejection. The First Dog on the Moon as usual has an insightful assessment of the situation.
It is worth bearing in mind that the Uluru statement did not reflect the unanimous perspective of all First Peoples of Australia. You can read more about the dialogues, discussion paper, and submissions to the Referendum Council at their website.
(The referendum council's own website where the Uluru Statement is hosted refers to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, but please note that many members of Australian's First Peoples prefer the term 'First Peoples' and the Uluru Statement itself also uses the terms 'First Nations' and 'First Sovereign Nations'. The word Indigenous in particular is considered problematic by First Peoples in many parts of Australia. To clarify these debates it may be helpful to read this primer, and perspectives from a number of other people.)
I’m so angry and sad, and sorry.
posted by chiquitita at 5:18 AM on October 28, 2017 [2 favorites]
posted by chiquitita at 5:18 AM on October 28, 2017 [2 favorites]
Everything about this makes me mad. "Speaking to 3% of the population when you are actually trying to deal with a national issue was part of the fail."???? Go f- yourself, Scullion. And now this POS is probably going to be Deputy PM.
posted by retrograde at 6:27 AM on October 28, 2017 [5 favorites]
posted by retrograde at 6:27 AM on October 28, 2017 [5 favorites]
"Please admit to our humanity."
"You don't exist in our white Australian hegemony"
The federal government response is a truly ugly historical document that will cause future people to roundly censure Turnbull, Brandis,and Scullion.. So easy to recognize the assholes here.
posted by BlueHorse at 5:33 PM on October 28, 2017 [1 favorite]
"You don't exist in our white Australian hegemony"
The federal government response is a truly ugly historical document that will cause future people to roundly censure Turnbull, Brandis,and Scullion.. So easy to recognize the assholes here.
posted by BlueHorse at 5:33 PM on October 28, 2017 [1 favorite]
What was the plan here? If it was to commit to rejecting symbolic recognition in the longish term in favour of working for something more real, OK.
But if the plan was to present this to this government thinking it would go forward: c'mon. The current government has the biggest "too hard" basket imaginable. They can't sell _anything_ to _themselves_ let alone contemplate bringing anyone with them. Their focs is on surviving the coming weeks. And even their parliamentary members who aren't actually hostile are paternalistic (as are a fair chunk of the opposition).
I really hope there is a long term commitment to a Truth and Reconciliation sort of path underlying this (as the Uluru statement emphasizes) and an expectation of initial rejection and resistance because it's going to be long term hammering away and then one day the moment is about right and the ground is prepared that gets anything done.
posted by hawthorne at 8:07 AM on October 29, 2017
But if the plan was to present this to this government thinking it would go forward: c'mon. The current government has the biggest "too hard" basket imaginable. They can't sell _anything_ to _themselves_ let alone contemplate bringing anyone with them. Their focs is on surviving the coming weeks. And even their parliamentary members who aren't actually hostile are paternalistic (as are a fair chunk of the opposition).
I really hope there is a long term commitment to a Truth and Reconciliation sort of path underlying this (as the Uluru statement emphasizes) and an expectation of initial rejection and resistance because it's going to be long term hammering away and then one day the moment is about right and the ground is prepared that gets anything done.
posted by hawthorne at 8:07 AM on October 29, 2017
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(The term 'First Peoples' likewise would not be appropriate in all situations either - My own usage of it is out of respect for a direct request to do so from the local elders of the land on which I live and work; and therefore it is the correct usage here in this very specific part of Australia. Other elders and councils have different preferences. And when referring to an individual rather than a group comprising people from various affiliations, the best practice is always to refer to that individual's own heritage specifically, e.g. "a Dharug man" or "an Arrernte woman".)
posted by lollusc at 12:19 AM on October 28, 2017 [6 favorites]