The Sydney Morning Herald
Date: 23/08/2000
Letters:
Vanishing bush medicine shows folly of land clearing
Aboriginal women for thousands of years calmed their babies and toddlers
with safe plant-based ceremonies, for example: smoke from
mulga, cypress pine, sandalwood or peppermint, depending on region.
Forced dispersion from the land and vegetation, to allow
pastoralism, ended access to the once abundant mulga which became
Australia's most valued tree for stock fodder. Mulga numbers are
now in serious decline, adding to land degradation in its natural
habitat.
Before colonisation, mulga provided Aboriginal people with a nutritious
food supply through prolific seeds, honeypot ants, gum and
mulga apples. Smoke and ash were used as tranquillisers and
pain-killers. Depression, low self-esteem and suicide were unknown.
Instead of tolerating, thereby encouraging, the abuse of alcohol, petrol
and glue, we non-indigenous people should be respectfully asking
Aboriginal elders to teach us a more rewarding lore of this land, such
as increasing ceremonies for Australia's disappearing natural
vegetation.
Irene Cunningham,
Woonona.
What a wonderful example of Noel Pearson's "destructive progressives" is
C.A. Lawrence (Letters, August 21). To compare a mother
adding an extra dose of cough medicine to get a baby to sleep to a
mother tying a petrol soaked cloth around a baby's neck for the same
purpose is bordering on moronic.
Then, of course, she turns around and blames white society as though
that finishes the topic because it's all our fault anyway, and really,
it's terribly politically incorrect to talk about any Aboriginal
failings such as these.
How about addressing the issue and focusing on how to solve the problem?
Any form of petrol sniffing is extremely destructive and
society must do its utmost to prevent it from happening. That means
facing reality and hopefully coming up with a solution.
But no, Lawrence would rather downplay it and apportion blame elsewhere.
Meanwhile, Aboriginal children are losing any chance of a
decent life and future.
I really thought after Pearson's speech people like Lawrence would
finally keep quiet. But penetrating the cloud of self-righteousness is
not easy.
Mark O'Brien,
Balgowlah.
Yes, let's get Aborigines off welfare (Letters, August 21). But surely
Aborigines are only on welfare benefits while awaiting the
Government to forward the rent (vastly in arrears) from all of us for
use of land in this country.
With a modest tax of 0.5 per cent on personal income, and say 1 per cent
of turnover for all companies, there would be no need for any
welfare payments to Aboriginal people.
The arrears and accrued interest from the British government up until
1901 should cover their infrastructure needs.
The balance when paid should enable them to live comfortably and provide
employment opportunities for jobless non-Aborigines in
repairing damage done to this country.
Governments are notoriously slow payers, but I'm sure the Aborigines
will be pleased to credit them with the welfare payments when the
rent arrives.
Hurry up, John, pay up and apologise, too.
David Lyons,
Hallidays Point.
It's not the Prime Minister who should be saying sorry but the hordes of
do-gooders who cultivated the victim/cargo cult mentality
among Aborigines.
Peter Sinclair,
Killara.
Bless you, Noel Pearson (Herald, August 17).
At last indigenous Australians are being offered dignity and hope.
For other indigenous leaders, the choice is clear; either pitch in and
help Noel, or lighten the load by getting off the bus.
It's no longer going your way.
John V. Cameron,
Burrameer.
Wear red, yellow and black proudly
The thought of a government body dictating what an Australian (or
international) citizen can, or cannot, carry or wear is an outrage and a
slap in the face for freedom of speech and expression.
The carrying of an Aboriginal flag, to the best of my knowledge, does
not contravene any laws. By making such a statement, I believe
Australia has once again shown the world how we view our indigenous
people, with disrespect and a lack of caring.
Is this the message we want to send to the world? What will it be next?
No media articles about Aboriginal affairs? No Aboriginal faces within
200 kilometres of the Games? No brown-coloured clothing
because it may clash with the upholstery?
Jackie Stenford,
Red Hill (Vic).
My official "spectator garb" for SOCOG's Olympics will comprise clothing
in red, yellow and black.
The colours don't suit my complexion, but sit better with my conscience.
Spectators can't display the Aboriginal flag, indeed!
Rae Lawler,
Summerland Point.
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