Expanding on Treaty

A treaty is the only real way forward for this country when it comes to Aboriginal/mainstream relationships. Sorry has been said, reconciliation has been shoved down our throats and now the recognise bike shows have flown through town.

None of these campaigns/projects have changed one life in any town in this country regarding Aboriginal rights. If anything, they are smokescreens while our rights are wound back. Here’s is one instance; the Queensland Government wound back laws to allow some oil and gas exploration in south-western Queensland. An article here – http://www.abc.net.au/am/content/2014/s4141805.htm

I will leave at the one because if I tried to fit as many as I can in this post would be just links to the injustices we are facing on a daily basis. And thank Biame we have such staunch elders and spokespeople, who stand up and say NO. Because we are not people who roll over and have our rights and beliefs stolen. We have always stood up for what is ours, RIGHTFULLY ours, even though you will never see that in a history curriculum text book (but that is another post).

Im my converations with Indigenous people across the world they all echo the same sentiment, we should have added this to our treaty, we should have held out for better conditions. And there ladies and gentlemen is the basis for any and all future treaties for this country.

We already have excellent templates to work from. The Treaty Of Waitiangi being one. A treaty that is still honoured today for the precise reason that New Zealand does NOT have a constitution. There is no doubt that the Maori were cheated of sovereignty in the treaty document, and were robbed of a lot of their land, but I believe it is an excellent document to begin with concerning Australias treaty with its first people.

Kevin Rudd said sorry for stealing our children, but he made damn sure no one would be recompensed. I saw a brilliant sign at a rally recently, “saying sorry means you wont do it again” referring to the inordinately high number of Aboriginal children in out of home care, another Stolen Generation in the making. So Rudd said sorry, but we do NOT forgive him or Australia, because isn’t that the natural order of saying sorry? You say you’re sorry, the aggrieved party forgives you. We do not forgive, and neither do we forget.

What exactly is reconciliation? I get the gist of it. I just yelled at my sons down the hall what they thought it was, one yelled back ‘it’s a march across the Sydney Harbour Bridge’ the other yelled it’s when you cut out a hand and write your name on it. Seriously, who thought of this fucking thing that is all ceremony with no substance. There is absolutely nothing that reconciliation Australia does that makes any Aboriginals lives better (except maybe the people who work there) and the grants they lord over come reconciliation week. Grants that could be handled by any government agency.  Abbott wants to but to the bone? Cut away brother. But he wont and we all know why, because reconciliation is nothing but a feel good organisation created by government to make us shut the fuck up.

Now let’s talk Recognise. The saddest of the sorry bunch. And this one makes my heart hurt because so many Murri, Koori, Goori. Yolgnu, Palawa, Murdi, Nyoonga, Wongai and Yaniagi people seem to have taken up with this mob of government soothsayers. Again, not one thing will change in the lives of everyday Aboriginals if this constitution shit is passed. NOT ONE THING. But everything will change if we get a treaty. Of course it will not be all smooth sailing, of course there will be bumps in the road, but when my childrens children are involved in having a say about what happens on our land, then that is an excellent day indeed. So I ask all you recognise mob to hang up them recognise boots, and come and lace up the gloves for a treaty. A treaty that ensures we have dedicated senate seats, dedicated parliament seats and dedicated legislature seats.

I believe in every bone in my body that it is doable, and there’s no time like the present.

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