Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

Judi Lynn

(160,219 posts)
Tue Jun 24, 2014, 03:45 PM Jun 2014

Failing Aboriginal Australians

June 23, 2014
The Great Silence

Failing Aboriginal Australians

by FIONA BROOM

Several recent events in Australia have served to again highlight how little the peoples and cultures of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island nations feature on the national radar. Lack of formal education about Aborigines and a failure on the media’s part to make up the shortfall are the prime culprits, along with a general apathy that pervades the national character.

Renowned journalist John Pilger’s latest film, Utopia, about the state of affairs for Aboriginal Australians, is billed as “an epic portrayal of the oldest continuous human culture and an investigation into a suppressed colonial past and rapacious present” that follows three other films since 1983. Prominent Aboriginal footballer and Australian of the Year Adam Goodes said the film was the “talk of Aboriginal Australia”, but the Australian premiere, attended by 4000 people, barely made it into the mainstream media.

The “Great Australian Silence” over the history between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians that anthropologist W.E.H. Stanner talked of in 1968 still exists to this day.

Mainstream media ignores those outside the bell curve

Critics apparently offended by Pilger’s film include The Australian columnist and the Sydney Institute executive director Gerard Henderson, who balks at his perception of an inference of inherent racism and carps “there is no fresh material in Utopia”. Henderson makes no complaint that massive discrepancies between the life expectancy, health, wealth and education of Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians have long been known, but not rectified.

More:
http://www.counterpunch.org/2014/06/23/failing-aboriginal-australians/

2 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Failing Aboriginal Australians (Original Post) Judi Lynn Jun 2014 OP
Kicking. nt littlemissmartypants Jun 2014 #1
"Mutant Message down under" dougolat Jun 2014 #2

dougolat

(716 posts)
2. "Mutant Message down under"
Wed Jun 25, 2014, 12:28 PM
Jun 2014

by Marlo Morgan, ever read it?

It presents the idea that some of the "traditional" Abos had decided to stop reproducing and leave the planet to us despoiling mutants.

Latest Discussions»Issue Forums»Editorials & Other Articles»Failing Aboriginal Austra...