There are many unresolved issues relating to Aboriginals which we now prefer to identify as Indigenous Australians - there must be something distasteful about the word Aborigine but I haven't quite pinned down the reason for this. In fact, we must refer to Indigenous and Torres Strait Islanders rather than Aborigines.
I wonder if the Americans refer to Indians these days as Indigenous Americans so they won't confuse them with those people who originate in India...
Now Australian politicians have tried many different ways to accomodate Aboriginals and these are too many to list here, other than to say that each and every policy has been deemed a failure in one way or another.
Making seperate laws applicable to Aborigines is one example of this thinking. The idea originates from the same group of people who tell us that all cultures are equal and therefore multi-culturism should be the norm.
The way to accomodate the Aboriginal culture is to recognize that there are different laws within their culture to the laws that exist for the rest of us (white) Australians and to have these aboriginal laws apply instead when dealing with justice for the aboriginal community.
Seems reasonable doesn't it?
And now I come to the court case where an aboriginal leader expresses the opinion that bashing women is not such a big deal within aboriginal tribal law.
2 comments:
Our long standing hereditary locals are now the First Nations. I get confused about the term Indian as well having grown up with Cowboys and Indians which makes no sense in the modern context.
Fact is, the former landowners culture would have changed if we'd never shown up anyway. It might not have been quite so dramatic but eventually, modern society would have imposed on these tribes anyway. I think they should just get with the program and do what everyone else has to do when something comes up that they don't like. If they lose? well too bad because most of us have to deal with losing.
Well written Lexcen. These "Koorie Courts" only add to the problem, separate court proceedings and in many cases, no real punishment at all...
If you're "indigenous" that is...
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