Some members of this list may have seen the article concerning anthropology
in last Saturday's Sydney Morning herald, or obtained a copy of it over the
net.
This is a truly outrageous article.
People "outside" the discipline of anthropology may not know that the
"hero" of the article, Ron Brunton was so "tired of politicisation of
Aboriginal affairs" (as the article tries to suggest) , that he when he
left teaching he took up a job as research officer with the Victorian
Branch of the Liberal Party!
He moved from there to the Institute of Public Affairs where he was a paid
employee until 1994. Most people would regard this as a "right wing think
tank". Brunton prefers to say that the "Institute of Public Affairs is
committed to a free market, a free market philosophy in a classical liberal
sense." (from Yorta Yorta transcript 13/8/1997)
After 1994 he worked for the Tasman Institite, another right wind think tank.
Both of these organisations are directly funded by Western Mining Company
and other mining bodies.
In the course of the Yorta Yorta hearing, while giving evidence for various
opponents of the claim, Brunton accepted that he had never done any real
fieldwork with Aboriginal people.
The image conveyed by the article, of Brunton as an "independent
whistleblower" shunned by the anthropological profession is simply
nonsense. Brunton's background lies in heavily committed work as a
publicist for the view on Aboriginal affairs favoured by mining companies
and other related bodies.
Other aspects of the article are also grossly inaccurate. I'm trying to
find time to pen a reply to it.
Cheers
Rod
Rod Hagen
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Hurstbridge, Victoria, Australia
WWW http://www.netspace.net.au/~rodhagen
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