Australia's Shame
/It started with reading John Pilger's account in the Guardian this week about the hypocrisy of the Western Australian tourism regarding Rottnest Island, a destination that promises much family fun and interesting history to learn. The dark history of black Australia is not mentioned at all in the country club or on the heritage trails. The luxurious lodge was the old Aboriginal prison and the man, Henry Vincent, responsible for the torture and murder of Indigenous prisoners even has a picturesque walk named after him. As I played with the quokkas there recently, I had no idea.
I think we all too often forget that history is written by the victors and they have predominantly been to date, well educated (in their culture), upper class, wealthy, white men.
The slanted perspective of only one side can never come close to describing actual events. (If you get a chance, get hold of the picture book by John Marsden, beautifully illustrated by Shaun Tan, called The Rabbits. It is an exceptional exploration of conquest. And it works for kids!)
Lest We Forget is the motto of the Returned Service League of Australia. It is dusted off each November for Remembrance Day to raise funds for widows and orphans of service personnel. It is a stark annual reminder of those few that fought for the many; to both rescue those abroad and defend those at home. Sentiments we as Aussies all hold dear. Yet no such thing exists for the Indigenous. Our soldiers are heroes but the abominable deeds of the pioneers and bureaucrats of this nation are swept under the rug and the victims of those atrocities left to rot. Why do we forget them?
We can talk about children of alcoholics and understand the repercussions of polluted parenting on children. We accept that the legacy is children who grow up crippled and in turn may wound their own children; we understand generational damage. But do we grant the Indigenous the same leeway? Have we forgotten the stolen generations? Are we so unaware of our own history and the devastation inflicted on the indigenous population by the invading settlers? Do we also ignore the pain and punishment that racism causes? Because it's a fact; ; it happens everyday in Australia in every city.
Pilger's article led me to the Stringer where Gerry Georgatos reported that Australian Aboriginal children have the highest suicide rate in the world.
Can you believe such a thing? In the United Nations Quality of Life Rankings, Australia comes 2nd in the world; something to be proud of (particularly when we are entering our 20th year of economic growth which no other country in the world can boast during this time) and yet our Indigenous are ranked 122nd. Yes, you read that right.
Most remote Indigenous communities live in third world squalor. So is it little wonder that their children are despairing, miles from employment opportunities or decent education? Don't forget that this situation is also on the increase all over Australia with teenagers and young adults finding it difficult to find jobs; "the lost generation" (as reported in yesterday's Telegraph). This is an issue on the rise.
In the Kimberley last year 40 young Aboriginal people took their lives. Forty.
In 2012 a Northern Territory Select Committee on Youth Suicides reported "that there are significantly higher rates of Aboriginal suicides when compared to the national average...The report highlighted the underlying causes to Aboriginal youth suicide as mental illness, substance abuses and sexual abuse trauma but failed to highlight acute poverty and a suite of rights denied to this day to Aboriginal peoples in many of these troubled communities."
"The number of completed Indigenous suicides (in the Kimberley) last year exceeded the Australian Defence Force fatalities in Afghanistan." Lest we forget...
Purportedly 25 billion dollars was spent on Indigenous communities; but it doesn't seem to be impacting the youth and building their self esteem and finding life's purpose for them.
Question is, what will? Until we can answer that, it's Australia's great shame.
Lest we forget; they're our children too.
Dumbartung Aboriginal Corporation is hosting a Suicide Crisis Summit on May 21 in Perth. I wish them luck and the Spirit's blessings.