 Indigenous Justice |
Issue 144 |
Make Indigenous Poverty History
By Graeme Mundine
Graeme Mundine is the Executive Secretary of the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Ecumenical Commission of the National Council of Churches in Australia (NATSIEC).
As the oldest civilisation in the world Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples have rich and varied cultures, and yet here in our own country, we experience shocking disadvantage. Now with the world's leaders turning their attention to alleviating poverty through the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), we also have an opportunity to end Indigenous poverty here in Australia , but it will take some effort and we all must work together.
I want to tell you two stories that help us understand why we must act to end Indigenous disadvantage. The first is from Luke 19:1-10.
Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through it. A man was there named Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was rich. He was trying to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was short in stature. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree to see him, because he was going to pass that way. When Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, "Zacchaeus, hurry and come down; for I must stay at your house today." So he hurried down and was happy to welcome him. All who saw it began to grumble and said, "He has gone to be the guest of one who is a sinner." Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, "Look, half of my possessions, Lord, I will give to the poor; and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will pay back four times as much." Then Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because he too is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek out and to save the lost."
The obvious lesson in this story is that we must learn to share our wealth with others, but for me the story also answers a question that many people ask me - "what can we, non-Indigenous people, do to help Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples?"
Well, you can sit in a tree, like Zacchaeus, and observe us, study us, write reports about us and make judgments about us, or you can come down from the tree and walk along side of us. Walk with us and understand our lives, our culture and our many riches. It's not easy to walk in the dust with disadvantaged people but we can look to the story of Brolga, Jabiru and Emu for inspiration.
One day Emu was standing high on a hill. It was a warm sunny day and she was happy being in her beautiful spot where she could see all around. Out of the corner of her eye she saw a dark spot deep in the valley below her. She didn't know what it was, so she looked closer and closer until she realised it was a dust storm. It was such a calm day it didn't make sense so Emu went closer to investigate. As she came closer she realised that the dust was being kicked up by her cousins Brolga and Jabiru who were thumping each other so hard with their digging sticks they were both bleeding.
Emu was shocked and thought, I must do something, so she stood on the edge of the dust storm and yelled out to her cousins "STOP"! Brolga and Jabiru paused momentarily, but soon started hitting each other again. Emu didn't know what to do; she had tried to stop them, but they hadn't listened. There was only one thing left to do. So Emu ran into the fray and stood between Brolga and Jabiru and clunk, she was hit across the back. To this day you can see the lump on Emu's back where her cousins hit her when she went to stop them fighting. And to this day you can see the marks on Brolga and Jabiru from the blood they drew while they hit each other.
Like Emu, we may see something wrong and like Emu we may be frightened to get involved, to put ourselves in the firing line. But like Emu we have a responsibility to each other to get involved, not to stand on the sidelines, but to jump into the fray and fight injustice where we see it. We may get hurt; we may get knocked down; but shouting stop from a distance will not bring an end to injustice anywhere.
What will you do today to make Indigenous Poverty History?
NATSIEC has jumped into the fray and started a campaign to Make Indigenous Poverty History . Details about resources, upcoming events and how you can get involved are all available at our website at www.ncca.org.au/natsiec/miph
RELIGION
At the centre of Jesus' teaching and therefore Christianity is love. Jesus gives us the well-known Good Samaritan story to illustrate what exactly he means when he speaks of love. Go to www.micahchallenge.org.au/resource/4484Micah
ReflectionsCombined.pdf to read the reflection on love as revealed in this story (first two columns).
1) For each of the statements, outline what our response to the disadvantage of Indigenous Australians would be if we responded with Christian love:
- For Jesus, love stops
- For Jesus, love risks
- For Jesus, love acts
- For Jesus, love is generous
- For Jesus, love follows through
Work through these in groups and report back to the whole class.
2) Compare the previous reflection with a quote from Mother Theresa of Calcutta :
"I know you think you should make a trip to Calcutta , but I strongly advise you to save your airfare and spend it on the poor in your own country. It's easy to love people far away. It's not always easy to love those who live right next to us." Mother Theresa
Discuss whether you agree with this quote. How does this fit into the Good Samaritan story?
3) The National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Ecumenical Commission (NATSIEC) of the National Council of Churches in Australia has prepared materials which link the Millennium Development Goals to issues of poverty among our Indigenous sisters and brothers. There are 8 prayer sheets with suggested reflections, scriptural passages, stories and facts about Indigenous disadvantage. The 8 prayer sheets parallel the 8 Millennium Development Goals. These can be accessed at: www.ncca.org.au/natsiec/indigenous_
poverty/resources/prayer_resources
a) Split the class into eight groups and give each group a prayer sheet. The focus questions will be:
- What is the statistical indicator of disadvantage for Indigenous Australians?
- How are we to respond as followers of Jesus?
- What are some things that are already in place?
- Share a prayer from the prayer sheet.
- Share a reflection or story from the prayer sheet.
- Put yourself in the place of an Indigenous person. How may they think and feel in the face of the particular challenges they face as outlined on the prayer sheet.
b) There is also a Novena prayer leaflet which includes prayers of petition at www.ncca.org.au/__data/page/1838/MIPH_
Novena_leaflet.pdf This also focuses on the 8 Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
c) Consider the following quote:
"Social justice is what faces you in the morning. It is awakening in a house with an adequate water supply, cooking facilities and sanitation. It is the ability to nourish your children and send them to a school where their education not only equips them for employment but also reinforces their knowledge and appreciation of their cultural inheritance. It is the prospect of genuine employment and good health: a life of choice and opportunity free from discrimination." Mick Dodson, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commission Report, 1993.
Considering what you know about the living conditions and circumstances of Indigenous people, how close are Indigenous people from achieving social justice? Go to the HREOC (Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission) website for some factual data as a way of assessing this: www.humanrights.gov.au/racial_
discrimination/face_facts/atsi.html#q4
4. a) September 24 is Social Justice Sunday. As this day approaches it may be appropriate to reflect on the meaning of social justice and how it relates to the central teachings of Jesus. Students could brainstorm ideas of what social justice means and how a more just Australia might look like. Go to: www.socialjustice.catholic
.org.au/SJS2006LiturgyNotes_final.doc and www.ncca.org.au/__data/page/107/Worship_
and_Reflection_Resources_for_SJ_Sunday.pdf for more worship and reflection ideas for Social Justice Sunday.
b) This year's Social Justice Sunday statement is entitled: The Heart of our Country: Dignity and justice for our indigenous sisters and brothers. A summary can be accessed at www.socialjustice.catholic.org.au/CONTENT/fronts/
Summary%20SJSS%2015Aug06.pdf This statement calls for an increased commitment to working towards justice for Indigenous Australians and commemorates Pope John Paul II's visit to Alice Springs some 20 years ago.
To read John Paul II's statement at Alice Springs visit:
www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/speeches/
1986/november/documents/hf_jp-ii_spe_19861129_
aborigeni-alice-springs-australia_en.html
For further discussion about the impact of Pope John Paul II's statement at Alice Springs see:
www.ncca.org.au/natsiec/theology/light_of_
australia/rights_and_reconciliation
5. Discuss the similarities and differences between the sacrament of Reconciliation and the idea of reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.
Prayer for Reconciliation
In the midst of conflict and division,
We know it is you
Who turns our minds to thoughts of peace.
Your spirit changes our hearts:
Enemies begin to speak to one another,
Those who were estranged join hands in friendship,
And nations seek the way of peace together.
Let your spirit be at work in us.
Give us understanding and put an end to strife,
Fill us with mercy and overcome our denial,
Grant us wisdom and teach us to learn
From the people of the land.
Call us to justice.
(From the Australian Catholic Social Justice Council Prayer Card)
6. Go to www.dreamtime.net.au/creation/index.cfm to read and listen to a creation story as told by an Indigenous storyteller.
SOSE/HSIE
1. Go to www.ncca.org.au/natsiec/indigenous_
poverty/resources/education_kit to access the Educational kit to accompany the Make Indigenous Poverty History campaign. Each of the Millennium Development Goals is matched to an appropriate goal for the improvement of the lives and life chances of our Indigenous people. There are worksheets on each of the eight goals.
2. Go to www.abc.net.au/usmob/ to play an interactive game featuring young people from Arrente country in central Australia . It features real life adventures and issues faced by Indigenous people. It is a way of getting to know what life might be like for a young Arrente person and the problems they face. Teacher information and fact sheets are provided.
3. Go to www.schools.nsw.edu.au/media/downloads/
schoolsaborigin/abor_exer_map.pdf to complete the activity on Aboriginal language groups in NSW.
4. Go to indigenousaustralia.frogandtoad.com.
au/index.html for an Indigenous perspective on their own culture.
5. Go to www.dreamtime.net.au/kids/
factsheets.cfm to access fact sheets on aspects of Indigenous life, history and culture.
6. For a unit on Indigenous human rights in Australia with a historical perspective including source documents go to: www.curriculum.edu.au/ddunits/units/
ms2fq4acts.htm
7. Listen online to this program on the campaign for wage justice for Aboriginal people focused especially around the Wave Hill station walk off which occurred 40 years ago: www.abc.net.au/rn/hindsight/features
/walkoff.htm
8. For a timeline of "OF LITTLE - and not so little - KNOWN FACTS" about the first peoples visit www.austlii.edu.au/au/special/rsjproject/rsjlibrary/
car/Timeline.html This timeline goes up until 1997. Complete your own research to update this timeline to the present.
SOSE/HSIE/MATHS
1. Go to www.hollows.org/upload/3382.pdf and look at the graphs.
a) Name each type of graph on this information sheet.
b) What information is contained in each of the graphs?
c) What conclusion about the state of Indigenous health can you make from each of the graphs?
d) Does the graph compare different groups?
e) Are Indigenous Australians in better or worse health than the comparison group?
FOOD TECHNOLOGY
1. Research bush tucker and food preparation techniques at indigenousaustralia.frogandtoad.com.au/
bushtucker.html
SCIENCE
1. Go to www.questacon.edu.au/html/aboriginal_
astronomy.html for information regarding Aboriginal astronomy.
ENGLISH
1. Primary lesson plan: www.innovated.gov.au/Innovated/html/i012.
asp?LPID=335 focus on dreaming stories.
2. Go to www.dreamtime.net.au/dreaming/storylist.htm to read listen and watch the telling of traditional dreaming stories.
3. For a dreaming story of the Blue Mountains area of NSW go to www.ozbird.com/oz/OzCulture/images/aboriginal
/gundungurra/default.htm
4. Go to www.dreamtime.net.au/why/text.htm to find out why stories are important to Indigenous culture. Are stories as important in other cultures? Students to discuss from their own experience.
5. Go to www.abc.net.au/message/links.htm for more ideas and links. Also refer to past issues of OzSpirit at www.ozspirit.info/archives.html#rec
Go to www.socialjustice.catholic.org.au/ to order the ACSJC's Social Justice Statement entitled The Heart of our Country. A summary can be accessed at www.socialjustice.catholic.org.au/CONTENT/fronts/
Summary%20SJSS%2015Aug06.pdf This statement calls for an increased commitment to working towards justice for Indigenous Australians and commemorates Pope John Paul II's visit to Alice Springs some 20 years ago.
To read John Paul II's address at Alice Springs visit:
For further discussion about the impact of Pope John Paul II's address at Alice Springs visit:
www.ncca.org.au/natsiec/theology/light_of_australia
/rights_and_reconciliation
Act for Social Justice on Social Justice Sunday. Organise a letter writing activity for your community. Act for change by using the information available and becoming informed. Then contact your local Member of Parliament, Federal and State, relevant ministers and senators.
In your letters express your concern at the continuing disadvantage experienced by our Indigenous brothers and sisters. Ask the government to commit to the goals as outlined at www.ncca.org.au/__data/page/1825/Aust_MDGs
_summary.doc
Go to www.ncca.org.au/natsiec/indigenous_
poverty?p=1826 for more ideas.
For an overview of the Make Indigenous Poverty History campaign visit: www.ncca.org.au/natsiec/indigenous_poverty/
MIPH_overview
Create and sign a poverty pole. Details on how to do this are available at: www.ncca.org.au/natsiec/indigenous_
poverty?p=2480
Wear a black MIPH wristband and tell people about the MIPH campaign. These can be ordered at: www.ncca.org.au/natsiec/indigenous
_poverty/merchandise
Get together with a group of friends every week and learn about and discuss each MDG. Use the NATSIEC worksheets as your guide and to help your discussion. These are available on the CD-ROM or visit: www.ncca.org.au/natsiec/indigenous_poverty/
resources/education_kit
Reconciliation Australia is the body established to provide a continuing national focus for reconciliation following the end of the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation in December 2000. For more information: www.reconciliationaustralia.org
Australians for Native Title and Reconciliation is an independent, national network of mainly non-Indigenous organisations and individuals working in support of justice for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in Australia . It coordinates a major community education and awareness campaign on native title and reconciliation. Central to ANTaR's activities is the Sea of Hands . Over 300,000 Australians have put their signatures on a hand in the Sea of Hands and helped in its installation in locations around Australia . For more information: www.antar.org.au
The Micah Challenge has been working to mobilise Christians to accept the challenge of making the Millennium Development Goals a reality. They have organised a series of activities and events to highlight the issue of poverty in our world. For further information on how to get involved go towww.micahchallenge.org.au/
For thought provoking articles go to www.eurekastreet.com.au/article.aspx?aeid=1568 and to www.onlineopinion.com.au/view.asp?article=4829