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An apology is the first step on a long road

By Wayne Bergmann

20 December 2007 - Economic progress is vital to ensure better lives for Aboriginal people.

THE election of a new Federal Government offers a historic opportunity to change the way Australia deals with Aboriginal people.

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's willingness to apologise to the stolen generation shows the Federal Government's ability to provide leadership in this area, but it is only a first step.

Federal and state governments must allow Aboriginal people to take the lead in finding solutions to our problems, and help us to benefit from economic opportunities created by the growing recognition of Aboriginal rights in land.

The extent and nature of the problems facing Aboriginal communities is clear. Lieutenant-General John Sanderson, the former governor of Western Australia and adviser on indigenous affairs to the West Australian Premier, and Professor Fiona Stanley have both recently reported that Aboriginal people in WA experience living conditions similar to those in the poorest Third World countries.

Cases such as the coronial inquest into alcohol-related deaths in Fitzroy Crossing paint a personal and deeply disturbing picture of what our people face. But what is the solution?

An apology is certainly important. The removal of Aboriginal children from their families is a blight on Australian history, and, in the words of the Canadian Government's apology to Aboriginal people it removed from their families, involved "evil acts that cannot under any circumstances be justified or excused".

No Australian would accept the removal of their child for assimilation to an alien culture.

An apology is a fundamental acknowledgement that an injustice occurred and that wrongs were committed.

It is a crucial first step towards forging a positive relationship between governments and Aboriginal people. It is the start we must have, but more is needed.

Governments must support Aboriginal people in making our own decisions, and assist us to pursue economic independence, especially by becoming active players in the development of Australia's resources.

Federal and state governments have repeatedly failed to empower Aboriginal people to find our own solutions and carve out a place for ourselves in the Australian economy.

The current bilateral agreement on indigenous affairs between Western Australia and the Commonwealth for Aboriginal engagement, for instance, was concluded without any input from Aboriginal people.

This cannot be the way of the future. History has taught us that nothing good comes from governments dictating policy and programs to Aboriginal people.

We need to be part of the solution. Indeed without our involvement there can be no solution.

And no lasting solution is possible unless Aboriginal Australians can achieve economic independence.

It is absurd that with Australia's economy enjoying an unprecedented resources boom, Aboriginal people living in Western Australia — the nation's economic engine room — are in such devastating despair.

We do not expect government to offer us economic opportunities on a plate. Aboriginal people can carve out our own economic opportunities, but we need the support of government to do so.

On the Kimberley coast, traditional owners are currently dealing with multibillion-dollar gas developments. With the Kimberley Land Council they are negotiating an active role in shaping development, and a major share of its benefits. The Government must support this initiative, by insisting that development cannot occur without the informed consent of Aboriginal traditional owners.

It must also ensure that traditional owners have the resources required to negotiate with companies whose annual turnover exceeds the gross domestic product of many countries.

At a more fundamental level, governments can help by following Canada's example and enshrining Aboriginal property and cultural rights in theconstitution, with a formal acknowledgment of pre-existing Aboriginal ownership of Australia's land and seas.

This should not be seen as a daunting proposition, but rather as an expression of the Federal Government's willingness to right past wrongs, while creating an economic foundation for our future.

Traditional owners in the Kimberley are not just focused on achieving economic benefits. We are not interested in "development at any cost". Traditional owners insist that development must occur in ways that protect environmental and cultural values, because for us land is an integral part of who we are, and is central to our culture and our wellbeing.

By supporting this approach, governments not only support Aboriginal people but ensure that development will be in the long-term interest of all Australians.

There is no quick fix for the problems facing Aboriginal people. But neither is our situation without hope. As is clear from examples in the Kimberley, and in other regions, traditional owners are already acting to build an economic future for themselves and their children. We are determined to control this future, and so ensure that our culture and our connection to the land remains strong as we improve our economic condition.

We need the support of the new Federal Government, and we need all Australians to walk side by side with us to tackle these challenges.

Wayne Bergmann is executive director of the Kimberley Land Council.

Source: The Age

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