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Lots of Work in Australia - Arthus - 14th January 2008
Starchers belives I'm talking a load of Dribble.
Presumadly then so are all the Aboriginal Activist who say the same?
Incidently what was the percentage of Australians who supported Howard over Tampa and saw nothing wrong in locking up 5 year olds in Woomara (all polls showed over 70%).
And I suppose all those white/black/yellow/migrant/Aussie born/Labor activists/Christians (special mention for the Uniting Church) who have consistently fought for Land Rights, against Deaths in custody and against the Refugee Policies were all talking Dribble?
Or just the ones born in the UK?
Easy to find out really go along to the Indigenous Department, the Anthropology department, the Law department and the Archaeology department of UWA and ask all those Indigenous and non-indigenous teaching staff who have consistently organised and taken part in such activities to explain the 'dribble'.
British colonialism has been responsible for much of the worlds history of racism and through policies of divide and rule and white English supremist ideas surpressed the Irish, the Native Americans, divided the Indian subcontinent, 'caused' Ian Smith, South Affrica (with help from the Boars)surpressed the Welsh, Scottish played off Sinhalese and Tamil and stole people and produce from Affrica.
Begium did for Rawanda, Japan for the Anui the Koreans and China, Vietnamese communist fought French and the US (after killing 5000 Vietnamese Trotskyists) and then turned on their ethnic Chinese in 1979.
And now of course Bush and his alliance has destroyed Iraq and wants to pick a fight with Iran (a country who has not invaded another in 800 years* the west then friend Sadam invaded them).
All Colonialists of whatever colour or country has practised racist Imperialism. Even the lovely Dutch killed 'their natives'
Nobody can be responsible for their ancestors, but governments consistently right the wrongs (sometimes) of past government policies.
Little Johny Howard Apologised to the Vietnahm vets...
Starchers says "I may add that it started when the British colonised and continued for long after that".
Yes, I aggree 100%, whats your point?
I've heard this used often as an argument for not Apologising to the stolen generation for Government Policy British and Australian of stealing children right up until 1973, in fact its used by a friend of mine who is a direct descendent of a family (consistently part of the ruling class) who arrived in WA in 1829.
Federation was based on an alliance of Labor and Capital against the Chinese, the White Australia policy, now when did that end, not a hundred years ago 1973. The Capitalist feared the competion, the 'Socialists' [sic] for jobs and they all worried about the Chinese taking 'their' women.
So what do mean by this comment about British colonialism, its a bit circular really Brits became Aussies or do you think Australians with British Ancestry are more to blame than Aussies with Italian Ancestry for any recent racist policies?
Would you be arguing in the same manner if I was an Aboriginal person?
Surely its not that you just cannot stand poms 'coming over here and criticising 'my' country'.
I think not because you are obviously not a racist and such an argument would hint at it wouldn't it?
You see I'm presuming you agree that since I am as much a citizen as you I have an equal right to attack the racist policies of former Australian governments?
Here just as in the UK what anti-racist would ever dream of suggesting that a migrant had less knowledge, or right to argue his or her opinion based on the country they were born in.
I mean this does happen to me rather a lot (who could ever think why?) but then again before 1989 people used to shout "Get back to Russia" which was always a little confusing because I had'nt realised I came from there.
But then the people shouting seemed so sure, so I must have, a bit like the non-racist people who although having never met an Aboriginal person in their lives tell me I don't know what I'm talking about.
I suspect you think I'm proud to be British or some such Nationalist rubbish. You think I think the UK better?
I'm not proud or unproud to be anything, just human sometimes (although I sometimes wonder if I might get a lift to some other planet [thats a joke]).
I mostly aggree with Pilger but don't aggree with Howard, Malcolm X not Nixon, Tony Benn not Thatcher or Blair, trotsky not Stalin, Victor searge more than Trotsky, etc, etc.
And I am not a member of anything. I'm just me, who has been around a bit and read a couple of books.
When in India I have also seen BJP politicians (who ferment anti-Muslim and anti Christian) blame all Indias problems on British Rule.
The bright young Australian Nationalism of Keating et al conveniantly blames Britain for war mistakes and casts Australians as egalitarians and Brits as rulers.
Starchers you also said (before withdrawing from the argument because you felt it was all dribble)
"You obviously feel passionate about this, however you are just spewing forth diatribe and vitriol so I'm not going to engage you in any of this".
'Diatribe and Vitriol', 'Please explain', attack the argument please.
What I would like you to try in order to see if perhaps some residual racism might still live in Perth an Empirical experiement, pick any time period two weeks a month a year and read all the local papers and watch the News count the percentage of letters and articles supporting say an apology to the stolen generation and those viscously attacking the idea, then you could compare the opinions to BHP supporters in Leeds (sorry Leeds) Neo-Nazis in Germany and Rom (Gypsy) hating biggots in Italy Romania or Ireland.
You see I think a racist, is a racist is a racist.
Perhaps I've made my point now?
But specifically you claim that I talk of things that are a hundred years old.
Well I don't but I do think that archaeologists and historians have an important role in uncovering the past and seeing how it links to NOW.
Facts that can be checked.
There is a shortage of archaeologists in WA hence the large numbers of Archaeologists coming from the Eastern states.
An honours student from UWA did walk into a $90000 a year job a couple of years ago with BHP (surely you know him?).
The pay is much better than ever one could get in the UK.
My suggestion about archaeologist coming from Europe to work here came about when my definately non-racist university tutor suggested that "we don't want British archaeologists coming here".
Perhaps it was a joke?
Strange thing to say though, especially when this person had often praised Mulvaney who trained under Clark at Star Carr.
But it did annoy me
I worked for Onsite archaeology in York which at the time I worked was the best payed work in the UK (might still be).
Despite the shortage UWA produced two honours gaduates this year (I'm one of them).
One Aboriginal archaeologist will get his honours later.
An other Aboriginal archaeologist I did my undergrad with is now studying at Flinders (Move not to do with racism).
However, I was there when other students said insulting things to him.
University education has been one of the few areas in Australia where Indigenous people have done well throughout the country.
Many people becoming Doctors and Lawyers (similar to the first students to be allowed to go to University in Northern Ireland after 196:face-thinks: and the change was because of noisy angry people fighting for equal rights in both places.
And in both places the white, black, catholic and protestant people who fought for change were seen as commie trouble makers who kept harping on about the past and its result for the present.
However, at UWA for many years until about six months ago no other department would have much to do with the archaeology department. This was to do with a scandal unrelated to racism (And irrelevant to this discussion).
However this did result in departments such as Ancient history having nothing to do with archaeology.
There is a thriving Indigenous department at UWA doing a brilliant job in mentoring Indigenous students.
My basic degree (the system is different from the UK) was in Anthropology and Archaeology. There is a great deal of cross over between students taking Indigenous studies and Anthropology.
In my four years at UWA there has never been any relationship between the Indigenous Department and the Archaeology department.
This is a shame since many Indigenous students misstrust Archaeologists because of the early history of White Archaeologists stealing their Ancestors bones.
One of my Indigenous friends who studied Anth with me is now on the Local Land Council and helped win the first Urban Land Claim in Australian history. This means the right to enter and care for country, hold ceremonies, be consulted etc. No money no property rights a bit like an APOLOGY.
The Ruling Labor Party (whose political base is the Corrupt Police Union)is fighting this claim with all the money the boom can bring through the highest courts.
This is a good example of Institutional Racism.
As is the refusal to allow Indigenous people a monument in Kings Park (A New one going up soon to Anti-Land Rights Ant-Union diseased Court), the curfew for Aboriginal children in North Bridge (recently extended out.. if they keep extending they will end up in Nedlands!), the struggle for years after the Old Swan Brewery site was lost to Nunga people, by one Aboriginal man to paint a nearby seat in Aboriginal colours, the cutting of the Aboriginal Health service, the chronic (continuing) underfunding of the Department of Indigenous Afffairs, the lack of monuments and recognition of Indigenous people throughout Perth.
All this last FIVE YEARS.
Also when I went on the Fremantle Gaol tour (2 years ago) the guides were ex-screws, the one we had didn't even point out the wonderful paintings on the cell walls by Jimmy Pike, one of the most important and acclaimed Aboriginal Artists ever. This gaol burnt down during an uprising in 1988 (closed 1991)when Indigenous and non-Indigenous prisioners rioted after being kept in a tin shack in temperature of over 50 degrees C.
Such incidents of this, deaths in custody, and making the Aboriginal people of Roebourne live on a Grave Yard all occurred in recent years nothing like a hundred.
The proportion of Archaeology students who do a joint Anth/Arch degree is miniscule.
This is not because of racism from the arch department (all the teaching staff in Arch have always been Ant-racist).
However, some of the students in the Archaeology department have attitudes which result from Institutionalised racism of their society.
The majority of students are not racist (but some were).
However, there you go now.
I'd better go now, should have slept last night and now I've got to spend a bussy day talking dribble to my Aboriginal Mental Health clients.
Come to think about it, I might just stay as a nurse and not bother to apply for any archaeology jobs now.
OK off to work I'm going to have consider telling my Aboriginal Clients, coworkers and friends that they are talking dribble, then I can 'fit in' and enjoy a nice white BBQ somewhere in totally unracist Perth
Arthus
Lots of Work in Australia - BAJR Host - 15th January 2008
The problem her Arthus is you are angry. Thats a good thing... to be angry... you can use that to change things that you are angry about. ... you are however so angry that I can almost feel it through the screen, an anger that means you can only 'be angry' so far you have written lots.. much interesting and worth debate... but a lot is just being angry... confusing lists of the wrongs of the world... yes.. we have all ben around to see there is wrong.. we have all been places... seen things... you list things that are wrong... people who are wrong... places that are wrong..... you are angry....
Now step back... think of how this comes over... if you have a choice of people to listen to.. do you listen to the person who talks at you or has a dialogue? We have got the point...
Would it not be constructve to say in a shorter post... a suggestion of how to deal with one specific area..
You can't change the whole world.. So..... in your opinion... what would you suggest to balance what you see as a problem in taught archaeology in Perth.
I actually work with one of the Profs there - (he even emailed me about setting up a website for him yesterday) so may ask his perceptions as well.
BAJR Forum is not designed to jsut let off steam - its about solving
"No job worth doing was ever done on time or under budget.."
Khufu
Lots of Work in Australia - Arthus - 20th January 2008
The thing is that when people argue that nothing gets changed by shouting are sometimes right but not always.
The Ranters of the English Civil War no doubt did plenty of talking too, to win people over to their philosophy.
Lauajane Smith's book 'Archaeological Theory and the politics of Cultural Heritage', describes how around the world Indigenous peoples began to shout and argue for a say in the archaeology of their own cultures,its a very interesting read.
The context here is that for years Aboriginal people and their supporters having been shouting and over the years geting results... eventually, slowly but geting results.
And shout they did and still do when its called for.
But, you are quite right Host, the question is "What is To Be Done!"
If I had a say on how archaeologists and others could help improve the situation in Perth it would be to use the tactics of political activists in order to present non shouted interesting archaeology.
Any old Trot knows how to do it.
First step form a small organising committee and approach local Aboriginal organisations.
For Aboriginal leadership is required for any hope of success.
Then.
Perhaps (just an idea off the top of my head).
For example meetings could be organised in Perth away from the University advertised in the Newspapers, email lists, posters, through Trade unions, Churches, Councils, radio, TV etc.
Its simple to do if you know how.
And then in public lectures with photographs, clips of videos and power point etc could be used.
Around the walls could be artefacts maps etc.
The title could be something like 'How 60000 years of human occupation began in West Australia' and then archaeologists could talk about Devils Lair, Riwi, carpenters gap the Kimberly, Dampier, Walga Rock and make it exciting; which is easy because it is so fundamentally interesting.
This kind of thing could also be toured around schools and communities throughout WA.
So I'm arguing for community archaeology specifically aimed at linking up with like minded people in the education department and health and any other bodies who might be interested.
Imagination is needed. For example, why not use not just the Australian obsession with sport but also with war. There is a very interesting history of how Aboriginal soldiers fought side by side with their white mates on the Kokoda trail and the large degree of actual equality which existed in the army during the second world war. Its likely that army historians would be kean on such a project and might offer funding (and one of the Aboriginal Elders from down south was a famous sniper in the Vietnham war).
And then mention could be made of how they were treated when they returned..
There are so many aspects of WA's Aboriginal history (and Asian) which are know to so very few people.
And such a history from both ancient and recent WA history might well result in quite a few people more geting angry.
My experience is that most people are shocked to hear such a history, but very, very interested.
Concentrating on schools throughout the state would bring the reward of more archaeology students and in particular going to Indigenous communities and groups could result in scholarships for Indigenous students to study at UWA.
Now I am not for one moment suggesting that archaeologists from UWA and others are not involved in such projects.
For example, at the moment a UWA project down south is training Indigenous young people from Albany in surveys with the active involvement of the Aboriginal Elders. And the WA Museum has some fantastic exhibitions.
And the Berndt Museum is hoping to expand.
And the UWA Archaeology Department is very small and what with teaching, marking, researching etc, etc, its a surprise they find time to sleep let alone think of new directions.
But...
The fact is when talking to people in Perth I never shout and I researve that for consultant archaeologists who even though they trained at UWA seem to believe that racism and in particular institutionalised racism is predominantly something from a hundred years ago....
[Actually the fact that only a small number of UWA archaeology students study anthropology courses compared the much larger number of science or ancient history students is a real problem (and no one please jump in and suggest I'm anti-science or ancient history). I recent years this has got worse and I have found an unhealthy number of archaeology students who despise anthropology. Mind you this has been made worse by the combined affects of Winshuttle type revisionism in the anthropology department and the continuing influence of raw undiluted post-modernism in that department, but enough of this).
When talking to people in Perth the conversation always goes like this:
"What do you do?"
'I'm a commmunity mental health nurse and an archaeologist, I worked as an archaeologist in the UK and then returned to WA to complete my honours year so I could work as an archaeologist here'
Pause, long puzzeled pause then....
"But is there any archaeology here? I mean all our families favorite program is the Time Team but there were no Romans here were there?"
Then I simply describe what I learnt from archaeologists such as Jane Balme and anthropologists such as Bob Tonkinson.
Talk about the 60000 years, Devils Lair, ethnographic histories, Walga Rock, how the Bradshaws are similar to the Mimi rock art, etc, etc.
Not all at once of course...!
And believe it or not my listening skills are quite good (I mean even as a migrant I seemed to have picked up some knowledge ...
But people are incredibly surprised and very, very interested.
And often very interested in the 99.999999999% of all human history which was hunter-gatherer.
Many people tell me that in the 1980s or even the 1990's they learnt nothing about Aboriginal culture at school in Perth.
Perth does have a huge promblem with instituational racism. For exmple my 3 day orientaion program (hundreds of new hospital workers) at the Royal Perth Hospital (JUlY 2007) contained no mention of Aborignal society).
This was a shock for me because every hospital in NSW includes Aboriginal life and the RPH is full of Aboriginal people flown down from the north for the treatment of all the conditions such as diabetes which kill Aboriginal people on average 20 years before their non-Indigenous fellow citizens (a statistic which has got worse over a hundred years).
So there are so many way to further the struggle against racism.
Starting with above tactics most important. For Revolutionaries whether in politics, science or the arts are usually the best reformists.
And real reform in a society as institutionalised racist as Perth is more or less a revolution anyway.
For example, in a country and city obssessed with its war hero's (Don't get me started on the unmentioned heroines) a statue to the fallen Aboriginal Soldiers in Kings Park would be a huge step forward.
But I still plan to reveal the shocking history of Perth in a manner which will cause the right-wingers of Perth to hit the roof, because if you are not hatted by them you are not doing your job.
But I believe that both soft-cop and hard-cop tactics work best in tandem.
Arthus
Lots of Work in Australia - BAJR Host - 20th January 2008
Thnaks for that Artus ... that gives a solid 'something to aim for' type senario...
I would be interested in the number of community archaeology' groups there are.. andwhat their focus is... how do they present both themsleves and archaeology.
I would ahppily support an awareness raising -- which follows up with more and more info...
"No job worth doing was ever done on time or under budget.."
Khufu
Lots of Work in Australia - Starchers - 20th January 2008
The fact is when talking to people in Perth I never shout and I researve that for consultant archaeologists who even though they trained at UWA seem to believe that racism and in particular institutionalised racism is predominantly something from a hundred years ago....
Hmmmm obviously this is directed at me Arthus as I cannot see another consultant trained at UWA posting on here, sad that you stoop to this. Where exactly did I suggest this? You may possibly need to re read my posts in full and be slightly less selective. Please be very very careful before you start accusing myself or any other consultants of something like this, fairly harmless at the moment but I would not like to see you venture further down this path.
Lovely tactic ignoring points in a debate and carefully reconstructing some of them to your advantage by the way, sad yet lovely.
Arturs I said I was going to disengage from this debate and I see no reason as yet to change this decision. I will keep popping in from time to time to read your latest contributions as they are extremely interesting and seeing as you mention a number of people I have and will no doubt work with in the future I am now paying closer attention, however I would appreciate it if you are a bit more careful with your comments.
Lots of Work in Australia - Arthus - 21st January 2008
Words and reading of words are very important....
Starchers said "Please be very very careful before you start accusing myself or any other consultants of something like this".
No lets be clear its your words I object too, not anyone else. To use your phrases 'Lovely tactic' in trying to tie in other consultants in order to produce an apparant attack on Australian Archaeologists which would be a bit silly because then I'd be attacking myself.
Yes, you are spot on with my words
"The fact is when talking to people in Perth I never shout and I researve that for consultant archaeologists who even though they trained at UWA seem to believe that racism and in particular institutionalised racism is predominantly something from a hundred years ago...."
Is aimed at your statement Posted 7/1/08 when you said
"Yes many of the things you are talking about happened, some of them 100 years ago and more, some have been corrected where possible, much more needs to be done." [Ideas might be good]
So whats with the hundred years? The statues in Perth sprang up in the last two years, the plaques on the streets are still appearing, the curfew for Aboriginal kids was extended last year to the railway station. The Aboriginal mental health services cut about three years ago, 'our' Labor Government is fighting the first successful urban land claim NOW. Swan Brewery a few years ago, lack of info on Rottnest NOW, 20 year gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous life expectancy NOW, 40% Aboriginal kids in Juvenile justice in WA NOW, 14% of adults from 2% of Aboriginal people in Adult Gaols NOW.
Racist letters and articles filling the Newspapers NOW. I could go on.
I think it is a great shame that as an archaeologist trained at UWA you get hot under the collar at the 100% provable facts I list (but obviously you know they are all true, since you don't counter them)but have not given any ideas of what to do about these appalling examples of racism.
In addition, as archaeologists even things that happenened long ago, such as the 1905 act which gave a ticket system for Aboriginal people on farms or Rottnest etc are very important when this history is either not known or told in a distorted way.
So enough of your irritation at me, why not try addressing the question as to what archaeologists living and working in Perth and WA can do about the racism we hopefully all want to fight against.
Whether you 'disengage', or decide to 'pop' in again is not that important really.
But it would be interesting to know what you think might be a good strategy in countering the things mentioned above, because so far you hav'nt indicated what you think about
The statues in Perth, the plaques on the streets, the curfew for Aboriginal kids, extended last year to the railway station, the Aboriginal mental health services cut about three years ago, 'our' Labor Government fighting the first successful urban land claim NOW, Swan Brewery a few years ago, lack of info on Rottnest NOW, 20 year gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous life expectancy NOW, 40% Aboriginal kids in Juvenile justice in WA NOW, 14% of adults from 2% of Aboriginal people in Adult Gaols NOW and the Racist letters and articles filling the Newspapers NOW.
I'm even unclear as to whether you think these are all clear cut examples of racism.
Your position on this unlike you position about my comments is far from clear.
You also said "some have been corrected where possible"??
Which and where?
Do you know that the 1905 act which allows the speciffic of Gaoling of Aboriginal people with VD is still on the statute books?
Awaiting your reengagement when you pop in next.
Arthus
Lots of Work in Australia - Arthus - 12th February 2008
More on Australia
Latest Poll Published in The West Australian the local newspaper claims only 2 out of 5 locally born West Australians support tomorrows apology where as a majority of those born in other countries including the UK support it.
Previously on this web some people have condemned me for they see as the extremism of my language when describing the history of and the continuing racist treatment of Aboriginal people in Perth. I wish to reply to these people.
First, I think people unknowingly infected with racist ideas need to be shocked and outraged since then in discussion with others they might (very rarely) begin to realise the error of their ways, whereas too soft an approach will invariably lead them away from personal reflection as they are usually certain that racism could never effect them.
Second, I was truly shocked that some Australian archaeologists feel that none Australian born Australians have less right than an Aussie born non-Indigenous person to comment on the past and present examples of Australiaâs longstanding problem with racism.
I think this attitude is a good example of racism and as with all racist ideas lacks any scientific method.
The accompanying assumption that I must believe my country of birth to be better is simplistic and very, very wrong.
They donât seem to realise that I hate Nationalism, all Nationalism and all racism whether from Cuba, Australia, Britain or anywhere.
Third, it is also interesting that in with all the outrage the facts I outlined are not challenged because they are easily verified.
Fourth in order to demonstrate that my language is actually rather conservative I will give a few example of the language that other people have used in the not very distant past. Some of these quotes I found reprinted in a nasty little racist book âRed Over Blackâ (Geoff McDonald, 1982) who used the quotes to suggest that Aboriginal activists, Christians and others were controlled by communists intent on taking over Australia! However, Iâve checked a few out and they are accurate quotes. Apart from the man who wanted whites speared, I agree with their words:
Prime Minister of Australia, today: â⦠the failure of previous Australian governments to apologise to the stolen generation has left a stain on Australiaâs soulâ
Aboriginal activist Father (at the time) Pat Dobson: âThis nation belongs to Aboriginal, and it has never been handed over or cededâ.
Dr. Moss Cass, Laborâs spokeman on immigration in the The Australian 6/12/79: Attacked the âracismâ of some Anglo-Australians and said they were âarrogantâ.
WA Aboriginal activist Mr. Colbung, at the 150 anniversary of Western Australiaâs occupation by colonialists after playing the didgeridoo with Rolf Harris gave the
WA Governor a letter which in part said: âTake notice that the Aboriginal people of Western Australia hereby require you to quit and deliver up possession of all that land ⦠called Western Australia ⦠I am given to inform you that, after consultation the people whose forbears have been here for more than 40,000 years, it is our wish to sit down and negotiate with you about the land which was taken from our ancestors.â
Dr Coombs 1979: âAustralians should feel a sense of guilt and shame at the treatment of Aborigines.â
World Council of Churches reported in 1981: âracism is a fact in Australia.â
Best selling author Xavier Herbert: âViolence is the only solution to the Aboriginal problem. I cannot understand why an Aborigine has not speared a white man [recently]â.
Land Rights: A Christian Perspective by Derek Carne: â⦠many Australians have basic racist attitudes towards Aboriginal people even though they have never had any contact with them ⦠a racist ideology pervades every major aspect of white Australian culture.â
MP Al Grassby, immigration minister and later Community Relations Officer: â⦠the RSL had been infiltrated by Ku Klux Klan elementsâ. And another time, â⦠a feature of Australian racists was that they hated nearly everybody ⦠a survey of middle managers, whose average age was 35, revealed a high level of primitive intolerance.â He went on to say they hated âAsians, Japanese, Jews and Trade Unionists of all kinds,â
Deceased Aboriginal activist Charles Perkins talking about events from 60 years ago: âThe general relationship between Aborigines and whites was that Aborigines were often shot down like dogs, when ever the white pastoralists thought âtheir propertyâ was in jeopardy ⦠Many of the administrators and so-called âprotectors of Aboriginesâ did little to stop the shootingâ.
But of course things move on Rudds apology on behalf of the government this coming Wednesday is so welcome to the majority of Australians. The myth that this would in someway make people responsible from their ancestors actions has last be laid to rest. It is so long overdue as was the huge upsurge these last two days as to the acceptability of Chinese New year celebration.
But just to show that we still have a constant battle with racism, below is a letter which a few days ago appeared in an Australian Newspaper.
"Instead of Kevin Rudd saying sorry to the so-called Stolen Generation, they should say thank you to us. We saved them from a lifetime of physical and sexual abuse and gave them opportunities they would otherwise never have had. The only reason we should say sorry is because we did not âstealâ all the children and save them too. David Hickling, Bassendean."
And above is an example of the nasty racist dangerous minority, which as in all countries we have to fight.
Arthus
Lots of Work in Australia - garybrun - 12th February 2008
Racism exists in every country.
You have a right to be angry but venting your splean on Bajr users is perhaps not the correct way to go about it.
Website for responsible Metal Detecting
http://www.ukdfd.co.uk
Recording Our Heritage For Future Generations.
Lots of Work in Australia - BAJR Host - 12th February 2008
2 out of 5 locally born West Australians support tomorrows apology where as a majority of those born in other countries including the UK support it.
At least thats better than 0% given population demographics... whats the population figures. I would concentrate on a specific issue... archaeology.... fight it there... and deal with that issue, rather than the whole of Oz
"No job worth doing was ever done on time or under budget.."
Khufu
Lots of Work in Australia - Arthus - 13th February 2008
What is the correct way for 'venting ones splean'?
YES RACISM EXISTS IN EVERY COUNTRY, I HAVE REPEATED THIS OVER AND OVER AGAIN, WHY ELSE ALL THE STUFF ABOUT THE ANL, CABLE STREET.
I'm affraid to me, history, archaeology, British Colonialism and racism are very suitble topics for a thinking persons web site.
How would you suggest I vent?
Punch somone down the pub?
Suicide bombing?
I prefer writing.
See 'Time Team' down under for some specifics on 'What is to be Done'
Surely, archaeologists know how archaeology both historical or precontact is used to fight racism!
Any archaeology works here (and in the UK)'simply telling the stories without any political comment is fine.
Straight archaeology without politics is highly political.
Devil's Lair, Riwi, Carpenters Gap, Wyballenna, Spencer and Gillen, Jane Balme, Bob Tonkinson, WA Museum, NT Museum.
I guess less than 1% of the population of WA know anything of these.
To chnage things we simply have to intruce the mildest of Indigenous teachings into schools.
Its a bit like calling a Tower Block 'Mandella Building', easily scoffed at as "PC" but try living in a place where a fine arts student at UWA who I met the other night did not realise that Australian Aboriginal artists sold their paintings for the highest amount of any artist in Australia.
'Revolutionaries make the best reformists'
Demand revolution and get a new bus route.
Principle of Trade Union negotiation.
Host-If you rember the specific issue was archaeology (in the begining long ago) Time Team and work.
Any archaeology here and I mean any is highly political.
A major step is getting people to realise that we have archaeology!
The main focus should be in the schools (Just like in Northern Ireland)but since this is a site where people have been debating, I debated.
Isn't that what its for?
Arthus