Hi to all in the group and thanks for your postings. Just have a couple of
thoughts to put up and see if they get any response. Interested in how
people feel about this.
I have spent the last ten years working in australia on community
development and justice and equity projects and am wondering if we, as a
nation are not headed in the wrong direction on Reconciliation. I was with
a Tiwi lady last week who asked if I really expected her to be reconciled
with the "mainstream" culture in Australia. I have to admit that this set
me back a little. After a few minutes thinking about my and my families
history at the hands of "white" australia i agreed with her that it would
be foolish. A bit like going to bed with a known rapist and hoping that
they will change because we are nice!
Should not our efforts be instead based on reforming white society instead.
I am not refering, here, to trying to reform the racist and brutal areas of
politics, but of going behind that to the root causes of our racism. I
believe that in a very real sense the brutality of what has happened to
anglo-celts and other forced migrants including european POW's has left a
deep scar on our psyche.
The divorce from "our home lands" has in many ways crippled us spiritually.
And our Kurri, Murri and TI Friends are right to say that it is the land
that nurtures us.
Should we, as people who believe in a just society, be working towards
reconciling, white australia to its own lack of spirituality. My belief is
that we as a group should ?perhaps? focus on developing an indigenous
"white" spirituality. While this may sound crazy i am 8th generation
Australian and while i, personally, feel a deep connection with the land, i
dont feel that it would be appropriate to apropriate Indigenous spirituality.
I put this forward because i am no longer sure of my position on
"Reconciliation," at least as it stands now.
Peter F (possum) McGrath
Po Box 7136 East Brisbane
QLD 4169
E-mail [EMAIL PROTECTED]
http://www.tals.qut.edu.au/staff/peter/index.htm
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