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Thread: Our Generation - a story that needs to be told

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    Default Our Generation - a story that needs to be told

    The Australian population lives in the shadow of this shame... this story of dispossession and disempowerment is something that has me weep. A situation that undermines our National identity and pollutes the souls of each of us as individuals and that of our collective humanity.

    We are MANY we are ONE in Universal Law, differential treatment is a cost to us ALL..

    I was a 14yr old new immigrant to Australia from the UK, when l went on a school trip and met the interior of this continents vast and unfathomable spaciousness. After many hours of endless red desert roads, the immense shadow of Illuru (Ayers Rock) loomed over our bus. In that moment l was overwhelmed by something larger to my experience than I'd ever encountered. I was instantaneously confounded and cried.. the tears drying as swiftly as they fell in the dry heat. Some force of nature had encompassed me that has never left me. What l met there was something primal and beyond description.

    What l saw once we camped and night enveloped us, was a sky unimaginable. An infinate cosmic array of stars and a light show (aurora borealis) filled all in view beyond imagining. The next day.. we were approached shyly by four Aboriginal people (dressed in scant clothing), seemingly showing up from the vastness of the desert out of nowhere.. silently offering us hand made music sticks. I tentatively made the exchange with a few small dollars. I have these music sticks with me to this day.. an imprint in the physical of what transformed me from then on.

    Within this short encounter of 'difference', all the white colonial lies/histories l'd been spoon fed in Britain had been demolished. An aspect of child like innocence in my acceptance of what l'd been led to believe, scorched my being and fell to ashes... blown across that ancient landscape into oblivion.

    **My message being that what the keepers of 'The Dreaming' (namely the indignous peoples of Earth).. hold for humanity, is something l experienced a glimpse of... never, ever overlook the fact of what we 'need' to remember!

    http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/our-generation/

    Our Generation is feature-length documentary that explores the complicated relationship between the world's oldest living culture, the Australian Indigenous (Aboriginal) people, and the world's newest, the colonization of Western peoples in the same country. For over 60,000 years, more than 400 aboriginal communities have thrived on the continent. In the late 18th century, Western civilization began colonizing their land and various forms of oppression directed towards the indigenous people have been steadfast in their growth ever since.
    Much the same way the United States has tried to push the Native Americans into lands (i.e. "reservations") the government sees fit, Australian officials that reflect little to no elected representation of the indigenous people themselves have in essence herded Aboriginals into small sectors of the continent that are of course disadvantageous places to live for a range of reasons. In recent years, efforts to take even those lands for the purposes of excavating minerals and other resources have been put into motion under the guise that the Aboriginal people will be better served to be restricted to even smaller plots of land that are more urbanized - a way of life that is entirely contradictory to the nomadic one they have lived for tens of thousands of years.
    The forms of basic human rights Aboriginals are denied are many, but one of the most glaring facts touched on in the film is the lack of a formal agreement of any kind between the indigenous people and the Western government that has systematically seized their land for centuries now. It is the only such large-scale case in the world today.
    The story is told through interviews with a number of local people in the community of Yolngu in Northeast Arnhem Land, which is one of the few remaining lands where traditional Aboriginal culture can be found in Australia, many prominent indigenous leaders throughout the country, as well as accomplished historians and human rights activists that deal in the issue. First-time filmmakers Sinem Saban and Damien Curtis paint a concise picture of the deprivation of rights the Aboriginal people are being subject to in the film, as evidenced by its selection as Best Campaign Film at the London International Documentary Festival in 2011.

    Last edited by Hazel; 27th September 2014 at 11:47.

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    Default Re: Our Generation - a story that needs to be told



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    Archie Roaches 'They Took The Children Away' (1990), takes a heart-breaking and, these days, inexplicable episode in Australian history and makes something utterly beautiful from the shards of pain left behind. Some estimates suggest that up to three in every 10 indigenous children were forcibly taken from heir parents between 1910 and 1970. Roach himself, born in near Shepparton, was one. Fortunately, his “new” family had a love of music — including apparently of Billie Holiday — and thus Roach was able to find the tools for a musical career. His song undoubtedly invigorated debate in this largely pasted over aspect of Australian history and was a definite cultural influence leading to the seminal HREOC report of 1997, Bringing Them Home, and the subsequent and historic federal parliamentary apology in 2008.



    ** A few years ago at federal parliament house there was a national undertaking to say "SORRY".. for these sins... there was euphoria across the land from the majority. But where is the action to back it up? Until a national Bill of Rights that is inclusive to what Aboriginal peoples in this country want also... we will not truly begin to atone and seed the change needed. Until this happens, tragically... the 'white lie' prevails!









    **We are ONE: PEACETRIBE
    Last edited by Hazel; 27th September 2014 at 11:56.

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    Default Re: Our Generation - a story that needs to be told

    Hi Hazel,
    I live in Sydney's West, Parramatta, my background is european australian. We have every nationality under the sun living here including aborginals. We all live in "harmony" that is indian, african, asian, south american, european, aborginals, and of all different religions catholic, muslim, orthodox, anglican etc.

    Regardless of what the news wants to tell you about the local lebanese people gangs, drugs and racists violence for the most part it is just hyped BS.

    I agree we are MANY we are ONE in Universal Law, and there is no "differential treatment out here in Sydney's West".

    We can't change what had happened during the last 200 years, but we are making a difference now by living in harmony and respectful of one anothers heritage and thats an unspoken rule out here.
    Last edited by BMJ; 27th September 2014 at 13:39.

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    Default Re: Our Generation - a story that needs to be told

    BMJ your positive experiences in Sydneys' West and your positive outlook is music to me and likewise my personal observation is that most Australians embrace our multicultural society. My intent here was never about disappointment with fellow Australians.. but about exposing our countries 'leadership' for its wrongs that are an embarrassment to most citizens.

    I cannot concur with the dismissive mantra perpetrated during the Howard years of governance, that conveniently attempted to broad sweep away the continuing legacy of intergenerational harm with: 'we cannot change what happened over the last 200yrs" to the native people since European 'occupation'. If you consider the opening video in which Aboriginal voices state their case, you may appreciate that we as outsiders to their lived experiences, cannot readily speak through subjective perspectives.

    The Elders in aboriginal communities are delivering the strong message of self responsibility for dealing with the issues that have blighted their existence and threaten the very survival of their culture moving forward. Self-sovereignty is the birth right of every human being... therefore the colonial patriarchal stance of our government must be removed. It is their business, not ours.. as to what methods are most suited to turn around the legacies of damage done and in continuance to this day!.

    An Elder initiative: https://bepartofthehealing.org/EldersReport.pdf:
    Last edited by Hazel; 28th September 2014 at 01:14.

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