ABORIGINAL PEOPLE

BY MANZOOR H. MEMON*

INTRODUCTION

Aboriginal people and Torres Strait Islanders today make up just over 1.5 per cent of the country's population. Australian Aborigines, in common with most indigenous peoples, have strong links to the land and the past. The land is a factor in every action, whether economic, religious, artistic, or legal; in daily life the past is always an important consideration. Aboriginal people have been present in Australia for thousands of years. A lack of definitive archaeological evidence means that accounts vary, but some estimate that Aborigines have been in the country since the Dreaming, or Dreamtime, as far back as 60,000 years ago.

GENESIS OF CONFLICT :

Advent of European settlers:
 European ships chiefly began sailing into southern Australian waters in the 18th century. These left human cargoes behind and, unlike earlier visitors, had an immediate impact on the Aborigines, who suffered interference with their economy and lifestyle as the colonists sought and secured for themselves good sources of water, sheltered positions, and access to fish—all of which were also vital to Aboriginal people.

Aboriginal Resistance

There were, and are, many instances of resistance, but when this many are seen in such a long list they help to explode the myth that Europeans walked in here and took over without any real resistance. There is strong evidence that there was a long and protracted guerilla war here in Australia using many tactics including destruction of food sources, disruption of lines of supply and communication, spying, negotiating, killing the enemy, stealing of food, not just to deprive their enemy of it, but to provide for their people in times when energy was used for meetings and fighting instead of hunting and gathering, stealing and learning to use our weapons, humiliating and demoralizing the enemy, not cooperating with Europeans, and being generally disruptive.

Timeline of Aboriginal resistance, 1790-1997

Important Players of the Conflict

G roups working in these areas include the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission, the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation, several Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander political parties. Australian Government, United Nations and now USA also involves in the conflict.

Barriers (Hindrances in the way of peace and reconciliation) In the 1930s a protest movement began that continues today. It is now widely recognized that Aboriginal people suffered prejudice and mistreatment by white society, and measures of their social well being.

I n 1967 a referendum gave the Australian Commonwealth government power to legislate for the first time for Aboriginal people, and signaled the beginning of action and organization at a national level. Problematic, however, is the considerable diversity in strategies to achieve the aims of the Aborigines, such as how to ensure their identity is retained, their land rights pursued, or the economic and social disadvantages of Aboriginal people in general improved.

Since the election of the Liberal-National coalition government in 1996 there has been renewed debate about the Native Title legislation and about Aboriginal rights in general. A claim by the Wik people to land rights, has resulted in a major political campaign. This would at least require huge compensation payments. By March 1997 they had been unable to find any grounds for consensus. The situation deteriorated after the Australian government changed the laws on aboriginal land rights in 1998, and by March 1999 the situation was being investigated by the United Nations. Aboriginal groups claimed to the UN's INTERVISION to End Racial Discrimination, located in Geneva, that the Australian government was discriminating against them and in breach of a UN convention, while the government denied the allegation, saying it was attempting to balance the conflicting interests of Aboriginal groups and other landowners.

Personal commentary  on the conflict

Now almost everyone acknowledge the hardcore fact that the land on which Australian are living belong to aborigines. What has done in the past can only be rectified by proper reconciliation by both sides.

Reconciliation between Australia's Indigenous peoples and all other Australians is about building bridges. It is about giving everybody a fair go. It is about building on the strengths of common ground. I believe that reconciliation will be achieved when Australians, in all diversity, commit to make reconciliation a living reality in aborigine communities, workplaces and organizations. Although many wrongs and injustices suffered by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in the past continue today, flowing from their dispossession and dispersal from traditional lands.  But still constructive steps along the road to reconciliation are needed. There have been many achievements by communities, sectors, organizations and individuals.  While honoring these achievements, still recognize that much remains to be done towards the goal of true reconciliation. The main effort should be focused on ways to bring the nation together. I still believe that Australians believe reconciliation would be advanced by documents of reconciliation. Reconciliation is now on the national agenda.

          There are many paths to reconciliation.  Things remain to be done - the "unfinished business" of reconciliation. Dealing with this unfinished business requires goodwill, continuing dialogue and a shared vision for future. They must have the courage to talk about difficult issues, such as Aboriginal deaths in custody and the stolen generations.  In the spirit of reconciliation, the Council presents this Australian Declaration Towards Reconciliation. At the end would like to sum up my conclusion with an statement of a Brisbane based Aboriginal educator 'Lilla Watson' 

"If you have come here to help me, you are wasting your time.....But if you have come because your liberation is bound up with mine, then let us work together "

Student, M.A (Final) Department of International Relations, University of Karachi.