How do you all think we can stamp out Lateral Violence and replace it with Lateral Love in our Families and Communities?
Comments appreciated!
How do you all think we can stamp out Lateral Violence and replace it with Lateral Love in our Families and Communities?
Comments appreciated!
How many of us have experienced people we know or love behaving badly towards us recently?
Frequent manifestations of lateral violence include:
• nonverbal innuendo (raising eyebrows, face-making),
• bullying,
• verbal affront (overt/covert, snide remarks, lack of openness, abrupt responses, gossiping),
• shaming,
• undermining activities (turning away, not being available, social exclusion),
• withholding information,
• sabotage (deliberately setting up a negative situation),
• infighting (bickering, family feuds),
• scapegoating,
• backstabbing (complaining to peers and not confronting the individual),
• failure to respect privacy,
• broken confidences,
• organisational conflict,
• physical violence.
The Lateral Violence we are talking about is far from being the ‘fuzzy buzz word’ that many people choose to used to dismiss this destructive behaviour.
We must acknowledge our actions and behaviours to be able to work towards healing our souls to create positive opportunities for our future generations.
Spirit of Uluru
ABORIGINAL & ISLANDER FILMMAKERS NETWORKING SESSION
Tuesday April 9th 2013 2:00pm – 5:00pm
South Australian Film Corporation (SAFC)
Adelaide Studios – Green Room
226 Fullarton Road, Glenside
South Australia, 5065
Attention Community Members, Story Tellers, Film Makers and Writers!
The South Australian Film Corporation (SAFC) will be hosting an information gathering and networking session for Aboriginal and Islander (including the Torres Straits) interested and emerging filmmakers.
Come along and hear about the opportunities on offer presented by representatives from the following organisations:
- Screen Australia
– Media Resource Centre (MRC)
– NITV
An excellent opportunity to hear how funding bodies operate and how YOU can work towards profitable opportunities to enable the sharing of our voices and visions get out to a wider audience. Our Stories Our Way!
Don’t miss out, RSVP Now!
Email alexiswest@live.com Or Sharon.Cleary@safilm.com.au to secure you place.
GETTING TO KNOW THE TALENT IN OUR OWN BACK YARD
Alexis West Aboriginal, Kanak, Caucasian woman, creator, performer, voice over talent, choreographer, director, artist, writer and collaborator.
Working with No Strings Attached Theatre of Disability creating and performing innovative pieces such as KNOWING HOME with Disabled Indigenous Performers. Creating the documentary behind the scenes of KNOWING HOME.
BLACK WHEELS, shortlisted for 2012 Edward Albee Inscription Scholarship.
First prize for poetry competition ‘Open Your Mind’ published in ‘Mind Frames’ 2011.
Short film JUMP AND BOUNCE debuted imagineNative film festival Toronto 2011.
Writing documentary THE KINGS SEAL and feature film BLACK HACK guidance by Stephen Cleary and Christopher Vogler. Late, great performers, writers, activists mentored Alexis. Commissioned with artist Marijana Tadic for major public artwork sculpture.
ALEXIS WEST - 0413 544 160
Creative Consultant, Collaborator, Writer, Director, Performer
YOU’RE DREAMING
ABN: 84 579 702 920
KNOWING HOME Removed, displaced and disoriented, 12 disabled Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander performers reconnect to country and kin via a multi-media performance journey mapped with unexpected humour, tenacity and grace.
BLACK WHEELS is in early development. Draft One deals with a group of characters dealing with difficult situations, power struggles and shifts of status. Protagonist Billy has to cope with his new life in a wheel chair after a promising career as a football player ended tragically. Once a carer for his brother now Billy must be cared by him. Billy also must deal with a hidden secret whilst attempting reconcile his family. Alexis West (c)
USEFUL LINKS for Story Tellers, Film Makers and Writers
SA Film Corporation http://www.filmsa.org.au
Media Resource Centre http://www.mrc.org.au
Screen Australia http://www.screenaustralia.gov.au
NITV www.nitv.org.au
Rejecting Confirmation of Aboriginality for our young people – How many suicides have occurred due to this type of lateral violence? How many more must we endure before this shameful practice ceases?
Spirit of Uluru
What is Self Determination? and what does it really mean for an individual or organisation when they claim to support ‘self determination’?
Spirit of Uluru
After all the huff and puff about Aboriginal and Islander (including the Torres Strait) peoples being on track with closing the gap and all those organisations providing honest services in accordance with Community Control I am SORRY but this is not the case, self-determination principles are being even more corrupted and turned on its head.
Come on people, we must not continue to stand aside and let non-Aboriginal people hold down the jobs and positions that are rightfully the responsibility of Aboriginal and Islander (including the Torres Strait) peoples.
We have all worked so hard to have programs set up for our people to be ABORIGINAL CONTROLLED, DIRECTED, MANAGED and TRANSPARENT for our Communities to be able to hold OWNERSHIP AND TRUE SELF-DETERMINATION.
We are being destabilised by the competitive non-Aboriginal so called ‘professionals’ who seem to be in competition with each other to see who can be the only one who knows what the Aboriginal Nation wants and needs for our future. They buy off some of the weaker communities and individuals who do not know a single thing about the history of all the struggles, blood, sweat and tears that flowed in order that we could attempt to get what we needed in OUR OWN COUNTRY!
We want organisations to stop being arrogant and start coming back to community and get it RIGHT!
I am not the only person around Australia who is irate at the state of misconduct within the ‘Aboriginal Industry’.
This view is my own, it is not necessarily endorsed by any other organisation although I invite them to comment. They may not comment unless everyone challenges them as to their position.
Remember it is your right to challenge, your right to question and your right to Self-Determination!
Brian Butler
Co-Founder & Director
Lateral Love Australia
Good luck to all those people who continue to receive awards and praises from governments at all levels, some year after year are put on national TV.
What I want know is why aren’t the HARD WORKING volunteers in the community given more respect by even getting a mention about their work? Foster parents and carers of our people who are in need, those people who continue to bring food to families and continue to offer their advocacy every time it is required.
Never do we hear them say I am here only because I have been working in the community looking out for the struggling families.
I feel so angry and disappointed about self gratifying attention seekers and I want to see government stop paying grants to those people who are pure exploiters of Aboriginal money that should go to the genuine workers in the communities.
If you agree with me then please get out your pen and paper and write to government and let them know what is going on, in your street, your community, your state, your country.
Together WE CAN stop the exploiters who are just rip off merchants.
This is what we have got to do if we are truthful about wanting SELF-DETERMINATION!
Unity through Lateral Love & Spirit of Care for all Humankind,
A culturally safe and secure environment is one where people feel safe and draw strength in their identity, culture and community.
What makes you feel Culturally Safe in your place of work?
Spirit of Uluru
CULTURAL SENSITIVITY WARNING – Aboriginal and Islander (including the Torres Straits) viewers are advised that this post may contain images and names of people who have passed away.
Blak Nite film festival gives indigenous artists their due
By Annabel Ross
Feb. 8, 2013, 3am
WRONG Side of the Road is one of 20 films screening at the fifth annual Blak Nite Cinema festival this year, celebrating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander film, dance, music, theatre and art. The 1981 low-budget feature captures a day-in-the-life look at two Aboriginal bands, No Fixed Address and Us Mob, and the racism they encounter on the road. Blak Nite ambassador Aaron Pedersen says the screening of the film is all the more poignant in light of a recent incident where a taxi driver refused indigenous musician Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu a fare at St Kilda’s Palais Theatre.
“People fear the unknown, and I think Blak Nite Cinema is a night where people can come and learn a little bit about themselves and learn a bit more about indigenous culture and realise that the fearmongering comes from really not knowing anything about us,” he says.
The free festival, hosted at ACMI from Friday to Sunday, includes a documentary on the making of Ruby Hunter and Archie Roach’s song book, Butcher Paper, Texta, Cardboard and Chalk, introduced by the couple’s son, Amos Roach; Buried Country, a documentary exploring the little-known story of Aboriginal country music; and a screening of hit film The Sapphires, followed by a conversation between Pedersen and writer Tony Briggs.
Pedersen will host talks with a number of the filmmakers, curators and musicians over the weekend. “For me, the conversation is really important, because at the end of the day, the artists have been responding like it’s a re-emergence of their film and a ‘rediscussion’ – they have a chance to talk about it whereas they never had a chance before,” he says. “I think it’s a great idea to showcase films that had been made years ago – because, let’s face it, they would never have had a chance to hit the mainstream.”
http://www.baysidebulletin.com.au/story/1287486/blak-nite-film-festival-gives-indigenous-artists-their-due/#
http://www.yasstribune.com.au/story/1287486/blak-nite-film-festival-gives-indigenous-artists-their-due/?cs=36
http://www.theage.com.au/entertainment/movies/blak-nite-film-festival-gives-indigenous-artists-their-due-20130207-2e19u.html
thatsmelbourne.com.au
Blak Nite Cinema
White BLACKatcha
Blak Nite Cinema showcases the incredible talent and diversity of Indigenous Australian art through film; exploring visual arts, hip hop, country music, dance and theatre.
Acclaimed actor Aaron Pedersen will also host intimate conversations with some of Australia’s most respected Indigenous filmmakers, musicians, curators and actors.
All sessions free > tickets available on the day from the Tickets & Information Desk
Friday 8 February 2013
8pm - No Fixed Address on Tour (Unclassified 18+, John Tatoulis, 1990, 52 mins) + In Conversation with Bart Willoughby
9.45pm – Wrong Side of the Road (M, Ned Lander, 1983, 80 mins)
Saturday 9 February 2013
10.15am – 7 Colours (M, John Michael Rogowski, Australia, 1990, 28 mins)
11am – Blood Brothers: From Little Things, Big Things Grow (M, Trevor Graham, 1993, 55 mins)
12.15pm – Bran Nue Dae (PG, Tom Zubrychi, 1991, 55 mins) + Bollywood Dreaming (G, Cornel Ozies, 2011, 7 mins)
1.50pm – Alick Tipoti: Zugub, the Mask, the Spirits and the Stars (PG, Andrea & Peter Hylands, 2012, 66 mins)
3.15pm – Buried Country (M, Andy Nehl, 2000, 75 mins) + In Conversation with Auriel Andrew
5.30pm – Butcher Paper, Texta, Blackboard and Chalk (Unclassified 18+, Lew Griffiths, 2010, 20 mins) + Intro by Amos Roach
6.15pm – B.L.A.C.K. (M, Grant Saunders, 2005, 26 mins) + White BLACKatcha (Unclassified 18+, Grant Saunders, 2005, 26 mins) + In Conversation with Director Grant Saunders
7.45pm – Tudawali (M, Steve Jodrell, 1987, 97 mins) + Who’s paintin’dis Wandjina (G, Taryne Laffar, 2007, 8 mins)
Sunday 10 February 2013
3.15pm – The Sapphires (PG, Wayne Blair, 2012, 103 mins) + In Conversation with Tony Briggs
5.45pm – Art + Soul Episode 1: Home and Away (PG, Warwick Thornton, 2010, 55 mins)
6.45pm – Art + Soul Episode 2: Dreams and Nightmares (PG, Warwick Thornton, 2010, 56 mins) + In Conversation with Hetti Perkins
8.30pm – Ken Thaiday Senior: The Sea, the Feather and the Dance Machine (PG, Andrea and Peter Hylands, 2011, 71 mins) + Yolngu Guya Djamamirr (PG, Frank Djirrimbilpilwuy, 2008, 6 mins) + Wadumbah (Unclassified 18+, James Webb, 2011, 7 mins)
Presented by the City of Melbourne
Aaron Pedersen talks Blak Nite Cinema
Posted on 7 February, 2013 by The Team
Aaron Pedersen
Actor and performer Aaron Pedersen – star of TV shows Jack Irish and City Homicide – will be in the Melbourne for Blak Nite Cinema, moderating conversations with the likes of Bart Willoughby as part of free screenings at ACMI over the weekend.
We had a chat to Aaron this week to get his take on Melbourne, the Indigenous arts scene and Blak Nite Cinema.
1. This is the fifth year of Blak Nite Cinema. Can you tell us about your involvement with the event over the years and what it’s meant to you?
I’ve been an ambassador and MC for Blak Nite Cinema for as long as it’s been running. It’s been a great opportunity to help showcase and also highlight Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander filmmaking and storytelling and to have people engage with these stories. It’s also given previously marginalised films a chance to be more mainstream and be shared with the broader Melbourne community. But perhaps more than anything, Blak Nite Cinema’s a great social event – it’s become a gathering place, like a gathering around the campfire.
2. The Sapphires is headlining the programming. What do you think of its six AACTA Awards (including best film) and what this means for the Australian film industry?
What’s changing is that people have more of an opportunity to tell their stories. The film industry is growing and in 10 years from now it’ll be different again, but what I’m noticing is that films are being shared more broadly with the community. I think Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander stories need to be told and I think things are going in the right direction. I hope that this has given the industry more confidence to not only make more films, but to make them in abundance.
3. The programming this year focuses very much on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art, exploring a range of genres. What do you hope Blak Nite cinema-goers will get from this focus on a broader range of art?
This event gives people an opportunity to see something different or something they’ve never had a chance to consider before. They’ll learn about some history – understanding the past helps us build a better future.
4. There’s been some great art in our laneways, like Reko Rennie’s Neon Natives, which uses neon lights to outline Australian animals and expresses the Indigenous connection to land and its history. Do you have a favourite Aboriginal artist and can you tell us about their work?
I’m not sure I have a favourite artist – I just love art in general and how it tells stories. Art is a great way to communicate and educate on such a respectful level. Its magic is that it can change people without them even knowing. Internally, it shifts people’s thoughts and affects their spirit.
5. What are your favourite things about Melbourne?
Oh, you know, the footy! Not really. I love Melbourne because it’s got a strong cosmopolitan feel to it and geographically it’s got a great feel. Melbourne is art. That’s what I love about it. It’s just one big arts space.
6. And your vision for the future of Indigenous arts in Melbourne?
Well, Indigenous art is alive and well here, but in Australia more generally I’d just like to see the Indigenous arts gain momentum and be given more mainstream exposure. I’d also like to see the Indigenous Arts Festival become something that happens every year.
7. Is there anything else you’d like us to know about Blak Nite Cinema?
Yeah – rock up. And get in early. Very early.
Blak Nite Cinema is on from Friday 8 February until Sunday 10 February. Tickets are available from the ACMI ticket desk on the day of screening. Find out about all the films being screened.
This entry was posted in Events, films, Indigenous Australians, People and tagged aaron pedersen, aboriginal and torres strait islander, ACMI, australian cinema, blak nite cinema, indigenous arts. Bookmark the permalink.
http://blog.thatsmelbourne.com.au/2013/02/07/aaron-pedersen-talks-blak-nite-cinema/
Who would have said, YES Prime Minister I will take your offer if you abolish the Northern Territory Intervention?
Spirit of Uluru
Can I have hands up from all our people who know the answers to the following questions?
Who is your member for Local Government?
Who is your member for State Government?
Who is your member for Federal Government?
This year, of all years, we need to know these Individuals in order for each and every one of us to write and demand that they subscribe to “ZERO TOLERANCE TO LATERAL VIOLENCE AND RACISM”.
Are your pens out?
Will enough be done by our collective followers now that we are committed to respect, love, healing, self-determination, cultural safety, honesty and care for the worlds’ children to make a change this year?
If the answer to our situation throughout our communities nationwide is self-determination, then why isn’t every Aboriginal and Islander (including the Torres Straits) peoples teaching every single one of our children about self-determination and what this means in regards to healing our broken families and communities and how this is necessary to build a stronger next generation?
Spirit of Uluru
How will the Australian Government bring on the Referendum to change the Constitution when the colonisation orders by the British have not been cancelled?
The order for the colonisation of Australia was the same as the colonisation of all other countries around the world.
The first principal of colonisation is the conquering of the inhabitants, usurp and destroy the culture of the people of the land and kill off any semblance of resistance from the Aboriginal peoples.

The Official Opening of the Aboriginal Cultural Showcase is an opportunity to start the week off with a bang and give visitors a taste of the week to come, as well as an opportunity to recognise and thank the generous sponsors that make the Showcase possible from year to year. In 2013 the Showcase Opening Event will include a Smoking Ceremony by Aboriginal music legend and community Elder,
Roger Knox, and a Welcome to Country by Aunty Pearl Trindall. Performances by some favourite big names will kick off the week with Roger Knox, Johnny Huckle and Warren H Williams performing alongside emerging new talent and Tamworth local Loren-Jade Ryan, and Tamworth’s own Gomeroi Dancers, who are a firm favourite with visitors to the Festival year after year.
The Official Opening is a fun celebration and taste of the entertainment in the week to come, and a great way to get your first taste of the Aboriginal musicians and upcoming talent on display at the Tamworth Country Music Festival.
12:00-2:00pm Monday 21 January 2013 Powerstation Park (Cnr Darling and Peel Sts)
Join us in 2013…
Monday 21st January to Saturday 26th January 2013 as part of the Tamworth Country Music Festival
The sixth Aboriginal Cultural Showcase will include a week-long program of Aboriginal music and culture and be held during the Tamworth Country Music Festival. The Annual Cultural Showcase provides unique opportunities for exposure and performance development to Aboriginal musicians with musicians will be able to perform on a number of stages. The schedule at the main venue will include free master classes, workshops and Showcases, and will feature ticketed evening shows as the week heads into the big Festival weekend. The week will finish with a flourish at the Showcase Finale which exposes the talent of the best performers of the week alongside some of Australia’s most iconic Aboriginal musicians in Tamworth’s premiere venue, the Capitol Theatre.
Performers can hone their skills in a series of free master classes held at the beginning of the week and then show their stuff during the Walk-Up Showcases. Showcase walk-up slots are available to anyone of any level of talent and provide the opportunity to perform on stage with a professional backing band.
…and get yourself noticed!
Attend Discover some of the best new Aboriginal artists from around Australia
Perform Got some talent? Talk to us about performing in the Showcases, busking down Peel Street or playing on one of many stages throughout the Festival.
Sell Aboriginal artists, crafts-people and musicians are invited to exhibit and sell their wares
Website: www.culturalshowcase.info
LATERAL LOVE AUSTRALIA DIALOGUE WITH BRIAN & NICOLA BUTLER – Part 1 (21 August 2012)

Lateral Love Australia is a movement devoted to bringing Lateral Violence, particularly for Aboriginal & Islander peoples of Australia, into the public arena.
We aim to share information about the true history of Australia, highlighting the deliberate impacts of colonisation, and the damage made to the human spirit regardless of race, due to the manifestations of unchecked Lateral Violence. In doing so we hope to connect and share with many other colonised First Nations peoples around the world and share their histories, stories and successes to encourage a world view, enabling a universal healing.
We are Brian Butler and Nicola Butler, the individuals behind the ‘Lateral Love & Spirit of Care for all Humankind Campaign’ and ‘The Decade of Lateral Love Around the World 2012 – 2022’.
This campaign is a product of the culmination of our life works, William Brian Butler spanning over 60 years and Nicola Butler spanning 25 years. Lateral Love Australia provides an ongoing, living, breathing environment for positive discussions, development of resources and suggestions for change that will have the potential for a lasting impact to the Social Inclusion, and the Spiritual, Social and Emotional Wellbeing for all Aboriginal and Islander peoples in this country, and indeed all of Humanity right around the world.
The primary focus of the ‘Decade of Lateral Love Around the World’ is to bring about equality for all of humanity through Caring and Sharing which are 2 of the key principles to Aboriginal and Islander culture here in Australia. To achieve this in our country, we must unpack all of the manifestations of Lateral Violence that have come about due to the impacts of colonisation. This means acknowledging and addressing all of the transgenerational and intergenerational traumas that have been passed down and impinged upon each generation since contact in 1788.
The movement is based on the healing power of love as opposed to focusing solely on the difficult issues that are Lateral Violence. We are also talking specifically about the types of violence and contemporary negativities that have a direct root in colonisation processes and the divide and conquer rule of thought. We do not attempt to go into traditional lore that governed Aboriginal and Islander cultures before colonisation, nor do we believe that there was no need for justice or that violence did not exist before the white man arrived.
From the beginning of this Campaign on the 23rd January 2012 we initially tried to explain all of the complexities of Lateral Violence as it relates to colonisation and found that because of the severe negative connotations it was a lot harder for people to come on board and start to address the issues of Lateral Violence in our families and communities.
Late one night we were talking on the telephone at 2am in the morning, something we do quite often, just toing and froing about what could be done to change the situation, and we decided then, that what we needed to do was to approach things from another angle, so we came up with the idea of focusing on Lateral Love and since then have continued to receive encouraging support and positive feedback along with a firm calling throughout the Nation to address Lateral Violence right across the country. People are talking and wanting to know about Lateral Violence and the ways in which we can all turn things around by creating Lateral Love for our families, communities and children for the future.
Our website www.lateralloveaustralia.com is a blogging site that we are using to get as much information out about Lateral Love and Lateral Violence as we can. We are also using the website to highlight the many positive programs and services that already exist around Australia, many of which operate from the primary focus of Lateral Love. We hope to create a network whereby people who are looking for positive services to improve their social and emotional wellbeing, can find resources in their local or intrastate area or at least access the information they need through our website. We encourage everyone to get on to the website and have a look around. If individuals know of programs and services in their areas that should be on our site, then please contact us, we welcome all recommendations either through our email address which is lateralloveaustralia@bigpond.com or both Brian and Nicola are always available and up for a yarn.
We set up the Lateral Love Australia email network where people can sign on and have direct email access to both of us. We are getting email responses daily for all kinds of reasons, questions to clarify if certain behaviours would be classed as Lateral Violence or Lateral Love, distraught individuals seeking legal advice for all kinds of things including children that continue to be removed by the departments to things like parents and grandparents worrying about their young people dealing with depression and mental illness and trying to stave off the potential for suicide within their families.
One of the really important aspects we feel differentiates Lateral Love Australia from many other organisations is that we are focused on being an independent entity. We are structuring ourselves around business models whilst maintaining an Aboriginal Terms of Reference (ATR) perspective. We do not want to come under the control of Government in regards to funding so in a sense we are trying to be a fully self-determining organisation.
Whilst initially this movement came about because of the dire situations surrounding our immediate families regarding youth suicide and Lateral Violence and the serious need for healing within our communities, what we have found through this journey over the past six months is this; we are dealing with an issue that is relevant for all people regardless of race; these behaviours and this deliberate undermining of culture is not present only within Aboriginal and Islander culture, we are finding that the issues are relevant right around the world. People all over the globe have been contacting us and concurring with our sentiments, stating that the issues and topics we talk about at Lateral Love Australia and via our Facebook Group and Pages are relevant for them in their parts of the world too. Currently we have had over 40,000 views from 124 countries, and on the 23rd December 2012 we had our busiest day to date with 1,596 views in one day although we average 200 views per day and counting.
One of main questions people ask us is what exactly is Lateral Love? And, of course the ever complex, what then is Lateral Violence? Really when you get to the bottom of it, Lateral Love is about caring for self, caring for family, love for spirit, land and country, love for our fellow human beings and love most importantly for our children. So how this translates into the doing is bout each and every one of us developing a sense of respect and making sure that we give our children the knowledge about our respective cultures and teach them about how important it is to care for one and other. One of the easiest things we can do to contribute to the Lateral Love movement is to genuinely listen to the people around us, especially the people that count, our family and loved ones are all too often on the blunt end of our moods and treatment, we must boost them up, not cut them down, and practice encouragement at every opportunity. Each and every soul needs to strive to become all that they can possibly be. Let them know that everything they aspire to be is in their reach and in doing so can maximize their full potential. For too many this sense of aspiration needs to be nurtured back to a place where it is actually acceptable to succeed or want things that are good, positive and loving in our lives.
Our Definition of Lateral Violence comes from the Elders Wisdoms of Aunty Cheri Yavu-Kama-Harathunian: Lateral violence is the power and control used by a dominating authority to disconnect and decimate a peoples or persons nationhood birthrights, to their spiritual and cultural heritage, self and cultural identity and ‘sense of being’, by means of colonisation processes that institutionalise systems of violent intimidation, manipulation and deception politically, religiously, legitimately , governmentally and socially. Yavu-Kama-Harathunian 2010-2012.
There are many definitions describing Lateral Violence and this in itself can be problematic. Even for ourselves we see a couple of different views depending on the context so we will share them both.
1. Historical Context
- contributing to intergenerational and transgenerational trauma
Lateral Violence in its overarching all-encompassing form is in the negative ethos that has been created through colonisation. When we look at the seven or more generations since colonisation we see the first wave of destruction with the slaughter of our men and boys at the hands of colonizers right across our land.
In the second wave we saw women left to fend for themselves and the children without the important presence of our men to maintain their roles within the community. Throughout this time many women and young girls were physically assaulted and sexually abused by the colonizers, the police officers, missionaries, station owners and many different people who came to this land.
This abuse paved the way for a new destruction bought about by the race of ‘half caste’ children as they were called at the time producing the third wave of colonisation and this is where we had the Government in all its wisdom believing that the removal of children of mixed blood from their Aboriginal mothers was going to ensure a smooth and trouble free assimilation, a deliberate ethnic cleansing (no language, no culture) to transition their potential disaster into mainstream white society, and so the Assimilation Policy kicked in.
Children were rounded up and deposited into detention camps, Missions right across the country with blood family members and siblings split up, separated with say one being deposited in Mallala in South Australia and another sent to Cootamundra in New South Wales for example. This physical distance was deliberate in the hope that they would never reunite in the belief that this total disconnection from family, culture, land and language would make for easier assimilation into white mainstream society and thus creating an easier race to contain.
Once you remove a generation from love, care and nurturing of family and community, we then see a generation with the scars of torture, trauma, isolation, exclusion, love and the deprivation and all things Aboriginal, growing into adults and bringing children of their own into this world, not having the knowledge of love and nurturing needed to ‘raise’ the next generation.
2. Contemporary Context
- Manifestations of the ‘Historical Context’, creating the current, all too identifiable bullying and violence bandied about under the guise of true ‘Aboriginal Culture’
What this means in effect, is that the current surviving generations we see now, are behaving in a way which not only feels like the historical oppression of the past stemming from transgenerational trauma, but also has new contemporary elements entwined with learned behaviours creating intergenerational trauma. This learned behaviour, this oppression we perpetuate onto our siblings, relatives and community leaves us behaving in a way that a) now comes completely naturally, and b) is widely accepted as a part of the norm for Aboriginal and Islander peoples in this country, and c) is broadcast around the world through media which enforces a stereotype into an International perspective of who we are and what we believe.
Many generations surviving today find themselves acting in a certain way or having views and opinions about certain things and we may not necessarily know why or how these attitudes or beliefs have come to be. One thing we do know is that the emotions and feelings attached to these beliefs are very strong and most times sensitive and raw when dragged into the limelight, and they are very real for each and every one of us.
We both remember the 70’s and 80’s, there was always the threat of welfare coming to take kids away and Nicola personally remembers grandparents and parents along with other elders in the community using this threat to control a wayward child’s behaviour. This form of control or manipulation might not feel like violence because it is just words but verbal statements such as ‘If you don’t cut that out I’m gonna flog you’ or ‘come here and I’ll give you something to cry about’ and the dreaded, ‘I’ll ring welfare myself and they will come and take you away if you don’t stop that’ or ‘Do you want me to ring welfare?’ this type of behaviour is just another form of Lateral Violence and one we are sure will resonate with many, I know we have both repeated some a few times ourselves out of pure desperation or exhaustion.
So what we actually see now in 2012 is what constitutes a working reality of Lateral Violence and the detrimental impact it has had on Aboriginal and Islander culture in this country. It is about the ‘manifestations’ of Lateral Violence. Now, the manifestations of Lateral Violence described in Contemporary Context # 2, comes from the overarching negative ethos that we talked about firstly in Historical Context # 1. This was where we have had our ancestors behaving in a certain way, by force, in an attempt to survive. Now in 2012, we have our children maintaining much of this behaviour which has unwittingly been handed down via transgenerational and intergenerational trauma, through behaviours and interactions. Our children are behaving in certain ways, without having the background, historical context or knowledge around how and why these behaviours were necessary though-out history and more importantly how they have come to enact, possess, display and exercise the same behaviours, patterns and reactions.
So, what we need to do is understand and explain the true painful reality of our history to our children. We see our Elders passing away at an alarming rate, having not been able to tell their stories because there is still so much pain, many of our old people are taking this pain with them to their graves because we are yet to come to a point where we have a culturally safe respectful place in this world equipped with the necessary support mechanisms to help in the sharing of these devastating traumas, historical truths that must be released to enable the healing that must occur if we hope to allow our children to move forward free of our survivalist past.
If we as adults and the remaining elders of our culture, do not make the shift in consciousness right now, and expose ourselves to the raw nerves, the brunt of this pain and suffering, then this ‘Lateral Violence’ is going to continue to the next generation and the next generation and this vicious cycle is going to continue to be the self-perpetuating genocide of our children.
To follow we want to share with you the speech that was said to have been delivered by Willie Lynch on the bank of the James River in the colony of Virginia in 1712. It is claimed that Lynch was a British slave owner in the West Indies who was invited to the colony of Virginia in 1712 to teach his methods to slave owners there. The principles explained herein are similar to the principles adopted by colonizers right around the world, and regardless of the authenticity of this letter, the divide and rule tactics contained within it are most definitely deliberate, the tactics work, and unfortunately, are evident here in Australia still today. The difference, we feel, is that the strategies employed in this letter are more closely linked to current contemporary divisions and concerns but nevertheless, the Australian strategy is that of a silent stealthy killer, undetectably twisted and entwined into policies which form the basis of an insidious, undermining, divide and rule society, which can get away with racism and denigrating human spirit so well to the point where we are not able to identify when we, the oppressed, have become the oppressors, perpetrating Lateral Violence onto our own.
Outing this historical, negative, strategically rooted behaviour is one of the aims of the ‘Decade of Lateral Love’, we must be honest and truthful when we look in the mirror to uncover the realities of our sordid history, and then openly share the truth with all First Nations cultures so that we are all able to make decisions about our future in an informed way. Once we know the truth, our lives can be made through our own design (self-determination based on Aboriginal Terms of Reference), until such a time, whereby we can confidently say that ALL people know and understand where and how their morals, attitudes and beliefs have come about, we remain operating under a guise, a lie, a smoke screen brought about by the forced genocide of our cultures which is like a slow spreading gas that we cannot hear or see that eats away at our souls, disintegrating Aboriginal culture until it is no more.
Please be aware that the articles quoted below are in their original language and format and contain language that is not acceptable and may be extremely offensive to some readers.
So now to the infamous Willie Lynch Letter from 1712:
“Greetings,
Gentlemen. I greet you here on the bank of the James River in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and twelve. First, I shall thank you, the gentlemen of the Colony of Virginia, for bringing me here. I am here to help you solve some of your problems with slaves. Your invitation reached me on my modest plantation in the West Indies, where I have experimented with some of the newest, and still the oldest, methods for control of slaves. Ancient Rome would envy us if my program is implemented. As our boat sailed south on the James River, named for our illustrious King, whose version of the Bible we cherish, I saw enough to know that your problem is not unique. While Rome used cords of wood as crosses for standing human bodies along its highways in great numbers, you are here using the tree and the rope on occasions. I caught the whiff of a dead slave hanging from a tree, a couple miles back. You are not only losing valuable stock by hangings, you are having uprisings, slaves are running away, your crops are sometimes left in the fields too long for maximum profit, you suffer occasional fires, your animals are killed. Gentlemen, you know what your problems are; I do not need to elaborate. I am not here to enumerate your problems, I am here to introduce you to a method of solving them. In my bag here, I HAVE A FULL PROOF METHOD FOR CONTROLLING YOUR BLACK SLAVES. I guarantee every one of you that, if installed correctly, IT WILL CONTROL THE SLAVES FOR AT LEAST 300 HUNDREDS YEARS. My method is simple. Any member of your family or your overseer can use it. I HAVE OUTLINED A NUMBER OF DIFFERENCES AMONG THE SLAVES; AND I TAKE THESE DIFFERENCES AND MAKE THEM BIGGER. I USE FEAR, DISTRUST AND ENVY FOR CONTROL PURPOSES. These methods have worked on my modest plantation in the West Indies and it will work throughout the South. Take this simple little list of differences and think about them. On top of my list is “AGE,” but it’s there only because it starts with an “a.” The second is “COLOR” or shade. There is INTELLIGENCE, SIZE, SEX, SIZES OF PLANTATIONS, STATUS on plantations, ATTITUDE of owners, whether the slaves live in the valley, on a hill, East, West, North, South, have fine hair, course hair, or is tall or short. Now that you have a list of differences, I shall give you an outline of action, but before that, I shall assure you that DISTRUST IS STRONGER THAN TRUST AND ENVY STRONGER THAN ADULATION, RESPECT OR ADMIRATION. The Black slaves after receiving this indoctrination shall carry on and will become self-refueling and self-generating for HUNDREDS of years, maybe THOUSANDS. Don’t forget, you must pitch the OLD black male vs. the YOUNG black male, and the YOUNG black male against the OLD black male. You must use the DARK skin slaves vs. the LIGHT skin slaves, and the LIGHT skin slaves vs. the DARK skin slaves. You must use the FEMALE vs. the MALE, and the MALE vs. the FEMALE. You must also have white servants and overseers [who] distrust all Blacks. But it is NECESSARY THAT YOUR SLAVES TRUST AND DEPEND ON US. THEY MUST LOVE, RESPECT AND TRUST ONLY US. Gentlemen, these kits are your keys to control. Use them. Have your wives and children use them, never miss an opportunity. IF USED INTENSELY FOR ONE YEAR, THE SLAVES THEMSELVES WILL REMAIN PERPETUALLY DISTRUSTFUL. Thank you gentlemen.”
LET’S MAKE A SLAVE
It was the interest and business of slave holders to study human nature, and the slave nature in particular, with a view to practical results. I and many of them attained astonishing proficiency in this direction. They had to deal not with earth, wood and stone, but with men and, by every regard, they had for their own safety and prosperity they needed to know the material on which they were to work, conscious of the injustice and wrong they were every hour perpetuating and knowing what they themselves would do. Were they the victims of such wrongs? They were constantly looking for the first signs of the dreaded retribution. They watched therefore with skilled and practiced eyes, and learned to read with great accuracy, the state of mind and heart of the slave, through his sable face. Unusual sobriety, apparent abstractions, sullenness and indifference indeed, any mood out of the common was afforded ground for suspicion and inquiry. Frederick Douglas LET’S MAKE A SLAVE is a study of the scientific process of man-breaking and slave-making. It describes the rationale and results of the Anglo Saxons’ ideas and methods of insuring the master/slave relationship. LET’S MAKE A SLAVE “The Original and Development of a Social Being Called ‘The Negro.’” Let us make a slave. What do we need? First of all, we need a black nigger man, a pregnant nigger woman and her baby nigger boy. Second, we will use the same basic principle that we use in breaking a horse, combined with some more sustaining factors. What we do with horses is that we break them from one form of life to another; that is, we reduce them from their natural state in nature. Whereas nature provides them with the natural capacity to take care of their offspring, we break that natural string of independence from them and thereby create a dependency status, so that we may be able to get from them useful production for our business and pleasure.
…”A Must-Read For Any Truth Seeking Reader..”
CARDINAL PRINCIPLES FOR MAKING A NEGRO
For fear that our future generations may not understand the principles of breaking both of the beast together, the nigger and the horse. We understand that short range planning economics results in periodic economic chaos; so that to avoid turmoil in the economy, it requires us to have breadth and depth in long range comprehensive planning, articulating both skill sharp perceptions. We lay down the following principles for long range comprehensive economic planning. Both horse and niggers [are] no good to the economy in the wild or natural state. Both must be BROKEN and TIED together for orderly production. For orderly future, special and particular attention must be paid to the FEMALE and the YOUNGEST offspring. Both must be CROSSBRED to produce a variety and division of labor. Both must be taught to respond to a peculiar new LANGUAGE. Psychological and physical instruction of CONTAINMENT must be created for both. We hold the six cardinal principles as truth to be self-evident, based upon following the discourse concerning the economics of breaking and tying the horse and the nigger together, all inclusive of the six principles laid down above. NOTE: Neither principle alone will suffice for good economics. All principles must be employed for orderly good of the nation. Accordingly, both a wild horse and a wild or natur[al] nigger is dangerous even if captured, for they will have the tendency to seek their customary freedom and, in doing so, might kill you in your sleep. You cannot rest. They sleep while you are awake, and are awake while you are asleep. They are DANGEROUS near the family house and it requires too much labor to watch them away from the house. Above all, you cannot get them to work in this natural state. Hence, both the horse and the nigger must be broken; that is breaking them from one form of mental life to another. KEEP THE BODY, TAKE THE MIND! In other words, break the will to resist. Now the breaking process is the same for both the horse and the nigger, only slightly varying in degrees. But, as we said before, there is an art in long range economic planning. YOU MUST KEEP YOUR EYE AND THOUGHTS ON THE FEMALE and the OFFSPRING of the horse and the nigger. A brief discourse in offspring development will shed light on the key to sound economic principles. Pay little attention to the generation of original breaking, but CONCENTRATE ON FUTURE GENERATION. Therefore, if you break the FEMALE mother, she will BREAK the offspring in its early years of development; and when the offspring is old enough to work, she will deliver it up to you, for her normal female protective tendencies will have been lost in the original breaking process. For example, take the case of the wild stud horse, a female horse and an already infant horse and compare the breaking process with two captured nigger males in their natural state, a pregnant nigger woman with her infant offspring. Take the stud horse, break him for limited containment. Completely break the female horse until she becomes very gentle, whereas you or anybody can ride her in her comfort. Breed the mare and the stud until you have the desired offspring. Then, you can turn the stud to freedom until you need him again. Train the female horse whereby she will eat out of your hand, and she will in turn train the infant horse to eat out of your hand, also. When it comes to breaking the uncivilized nigger, use the same process, but vary the degree and step up the pressure, so as to do a complete reversal of the mind. Take the meanest and most restless nigger, strip him of his clothes in front of the remaining male niggers, the female, and the nigger infant, tar and feather him, tie each leg to a different horse faced in opposite directions, set him afire and beat both horses to pull him apart in front of the remaining niggers. The next step is to take a bullwhip and beat the remaining nigger males to the point of death, in front of the female and the infant. Don’t kill him, but PUT THE FEAR OF GOD IN HIM, for he can be useful for future breeding.
THE BREAKING PROCESS OF THE AFRICAN WOMAN
Take the female and run a series of tests on her to see if she will submit to your desires willingly. Test her in every way, because she is the most important factor for good economics. If she shows any sign of resistance in submitting completely to your will, do not hesitate to use the bullwhip on her to extract that last bit of [b----] out of her. Take care not to kill her, for in doing so, you spoil good economics. When in complete submission, she will train her offsprings in the early years to submit to labor when they become of age. Understanding is the best thing. Therefore, we shall go deeper into this area of the subject matter concerning what we have produced here in this breaking process of the female nigger. We have reversed the relationship; in her natural uncivilized state, she would have a strong dependency on the uncivilized nigger male, and she would have a limited protective tendency toward her independent male offspring and would raise male offsprings to be dependent like her. Nature had provided for this type of balance. We reversed nature by burning and pulling a civilized nigger apart and bullwhipping the other to the point of death, all in her presence. By her being left alone, unprotected, with the MALE IMAGE DESTROYED, the ordeal caused her to move from her psychologically dependent state to a frozen, independent state. In this frozen, psychological state of independence, she will raise her MALE and female offspring in reversed roles. For FEAR of the young male’s life, she will psychologically train him to be MENTALLY WEAK and DEPENDENT, but PHYSICALLY STRONG. Because she has become psychologically independent, she will train her FEMALE offsprings to be psychologically independent. What have you got? You’ve got the nigger WOMAN OUT FRONT AND THE nigger MAN BEHIND AND SCARED. This is a perfect situation of sound sleep and economics. Before the breaking process, we had to be alertly on guard at all times. Now, we can sleep soundly, for out of frozen fear his woman stands guard for us. He cannot get past her early slave-molding process. He is a good tool, now ready to be tied to the horse at a tender age. By the time a nigger boy reaches the age of sixteen, he is soundly broken in and ready for a long life of sound and efficient work and the reproduction of a unit of good labor force. Continually through the breaking of uncivilized savage niggers, by throwing the nigger female savage into a frozen psychological state of independence, by killing the protective male image, and by creating a submissive dependent mind of the nigger male slave, we have created an orbiting cycle that turns on its own axis forever, unless a phenomenon occurs and re-shifts the position of the male and female slaves. We show what we mean by example. Take the case of the two economic slave units and examine them close.
THE NEGRO MARRIAGE
We breed two nigger males with two nigger females. Then, we take the nigger male away from them and keep them moving and working. Say one nigger female bears a nigger female and the other bears a nigger male; both nigger females—being without influence of the nigger male image, frozen with a independent psychology—will raise their offspring into reverse positions. The one with the female offspring will teach her to be like herself, independent and negotiable (we negotiate with her, through her, by her, negotiates her at will). The one with the nigger male offspring, she being frozen subconscious fear for his life, will raise him to be mentally dependent and weak, but physically strong; in other words, body over mind. Now, in a few years when these two offsprings become fertile for early reproduction, we will mate and breed them and continue the cycle. That is good, sound and long range comprehensive planning.
WARNING: POSSIBLE INTERLOPING NEGATIVES
Earlier, we talked about the non-economic good of the horse and the nigger in their wild or natural state; we talked out the principle of breaking and tying them together for orderly production. Furthermore, we talked about paying particular attention to the female savage and her offspring for orderly future planning, then more recently we stated that, by reversing the positions of the male and female savages, we created an orbiting cycle that turns on its own axis forever unless a phenomenon occurred and reshifts positions of the male and female savages. Our experts warned us about the possibility of this phenomenon occurring, for they say that the mind has a strong drive to correct and re-correct itself over a period of time if it can touch some substantial original historical base; and they advised us that the best way to deal with the phenomenon is to shave off the brute’s mental history and create a multiplicity of phenomena of illusions, so that each illusion will twirl in its own orbit, something similar to floating balls in a vacuum. This creation of multiplicity of phenomena of illusions entails the principle of crossbreeding the nigger and the horse as we stated above, the purpose of which is to create a diversified division of labor; thereby creating different levels of labor and different values of illusion at each connecting level of labor. The results of which is the severance of the points of original beginnings for each sphere illusion. Since we feel that the subject matter may get more complicated as we proceed in laying down our economic plan concerning the purpose, reason and effect of crossbreeding horses and niggers, we shall lay down the following definition terms for future generations. Orbiting cycle means a thing turning in a given path. Axis means upon which or around which a body turns. Phenomenon means something beyond ordinary conception and inspires awe and wonder. Multiplicity means a great number. Means a globe. Crossbreeding a horse means taking a horse and breeding it with an ass and you get a dumb, backward, ass long-headed mule that is not reproductive nor productive by itself. Crossbreeding niggers mean taking so many drops of good white blood and putting them into as many nigger women as possible, varying the drops by the various tone that you want, and then letting them breed with each other until another circle of color appears as you desire. What this means is this: Put the niggers and the horse in a breeding pot, mix some asses and some good white blood and what do you get? You got a multiplicity of colors of ass backward, unusual niggers, running, tied to backward ass long-headed mules, the one productive of itself, the other sterile. (The one constant, the other dying, we keep the nigger constant for we may replace the mules for another tool) both mule and nigger tied to each other, neither knowing where the other came from and neither productive for itself, nor without each other.
CONTROLLED LANGUAGE
Crossbreeding completed, for further severance from their original beginning, WE MUST COMPLETELY ANNIHILATE THE MOTHER TONGUE of both the new nigger and the new mule, and institute a new language that involves the new life’s work of both. You know language is a peculiar institution. It leads to the heart of a people. The more a foreigner knows about the language of another country the more he is able to move through all levels of that society. Therefore, if the foreigner is an enemy of the country, to the extent that he knows the body of the language, to that extent is the country vulnerable to attack or invasion of a foreign culture. For example, if you take a slave, if you teach him all about your language, he will know all your secrets, and he is then no more a slave, for you can’t fool him any longer, and BEING A FOOL IS ONE OF THE BASIC INGREDIENTS OF ANY INCIDENTS TO THE MAINTENANCE OF THE SLAVERY SYSTEM. For example, if you told a slave that he must perform in getting out “our crops” and he knows the language well, he would know that “our crops” didn’t mean “our crops” and the slavery system would break down, for he would relate on the basis of what “our crops” really meant. So you have to be careful in setting up the new language; for the slaves would soon be in your house, talking to you as “man to man” and that is death to our economic system. In addition, the definitions of words or terms are only a minute part of the process. Values are created and transported by communication through the body of the language. A total society has many interconnected value systems. All the values in the society have bridges of language to connect them for orderly working in the society. But for these language bridges, these many value systems would sharply clash and cause internal strife or civil war, the degree of the conflict being determined by the magnitude of the issues or relative opposing strength in whatever form. For example, if you put a slave in a hog pen and train him to live there and incorporate in him to value it as a way of life completely, the biggest problem you would have out of him is that he would worry you about provisions to keep the hog pen clean, or the same hog pen and make a slip and incorporate something in his language whereby he comes to value a house more than he does his hog pen, you got a problem. He will soon be in your house. Additional Note: “Henty Berry, speaking in the Virginia House of Delegates in 1832, described the situation as it existed in many parts of the South at this time: “We have, as far as possible, closed every avenue by which light may enter their (the slaves) minds. If we could extinguish the capacity to see the light, our work would be complete; they would then be on a level with the beasts of the field and we should be safe. I am not certain that we would not do it, if we could find out the process and that on the plea of necessity.” From Brown America, The story of a New Race by Edwin R. Embree. 1931 The Viking Press.
Willie Lynch Letter: The Making of a Slave – http://www.finalcall.com/artman/publish/Perspectives_1/Willie_Lynch_letter_The_Making_of_a_Slave.shtml
Related Links:
Frederick Douglass Narrative: Life as a slave in America (Virginia.edu) – http://utc.iath.virginia.edu/abolitn/dougnarrhp.html
Historical Document: The 1865 Mississippi Black Code (GMU.edu) – http://chnm.gmu.edu/courses/122/recon/code.html
Neo-slavery in the American South (FCN, 07-27-2010) – http://www.finalcall.com/artman/publish/National_News_2/article_7151.shtml
The Cotton Pickin’ Truth: Still on the Plantation (FCN, 07-13-2010) – http://www.finalcall.com/artman/publish/National_News_2/article_7125.shtml
The Disappearing Black Community: How We Can Get It Back, The Movement for Reparations and the Need to Repair our People – http://www.finalcall.com/artman/publish/Minister_Louis_Farrakhan_9/article_7746.shtml
Reading the Willie Lynch letter and subsequent articles, in the conceptualising an understanding of Lateral Violence gives us a clearer picture of the colonisation mentality and enables the reader to easily see the way in which we, as a colonised peoples, have come to accept certain contemporary behaviours and attitudes, without question, without having the strength and conviction to go up against the status quo, to challenge our rights when we feel, deep down in our stomach, that things are not right and something really should be challenged.
The most damaging thing about all this is that not only do we have others to fear, strangers to our culture and ways of being, but we must also fear ourselves, our own people who become defensive and threatened when we talk about these topics, and with all due respect it is because we have all been victims, perpetrators or instigators of Lateral Violence and Racism at some point in our lives and trust is something precious and sometimes very hard to find or regain. In this day and age we see all the hurt, pain, trauma, drama and confusion as a normal part of our dysfunctional existence and that sounds just like what the colonizer ordered now doesn’t it?
We believe we have a unique opportunity right now in 2012 to bring these issues to the fore and attempt to uncover the many layers of wounds, start our own healing, and attempt to halt Lateral Violence dead in its tracks, here at home in Australia, and arm in arm with our brothers and sisters throughout the world on an international scale.
By doing this we are immediately improving the future for our children, our grandchildren and every generation to walk in our forefathers footsteps. We invite you all to walk with us on this monumental spiritual journey!
Yours in Unity through Lateral Love & Spirit of Care for all Humankind,
Brian Butler & Nicola Butler
Co-Founders & Directors at Lateral Love Australia www.lateralloveaustralia.com
Email Us at lateralloveaustralia@bigpond.com
Ben Vereen
A special message from our International Ambassador the wonderfully inspiring Mr Ben Vereen as posted on the 1st July 2012 – “This is so needed in this time, in this space, in this world now. Yes do join up for Love is in need of your love today to make change in all things unlike itself. One by one they will come for they will hear, they will see, they will rejoice to know love lives within them as it has lived within us all waiting to be awakened again . This is the Decade of the call to action for love to free us all from violence. Join up now for the world is in need of lateral love in our homes in our communities, in our hearts … spread the word, [and] spread the LOVE …” Ben Vereen 2012
“The Decade of Lateral Love 2012 – 2022″ – “Lateral Love & Spirit of Care for All Humankind”
“We acknowledge the Aboriginal and Islander peoples of Australia as the Traditional Owners and Custodians of this country, and their intrinsic connection to Land, Waterways, Islands and Communities. In this Journey we strive for Cultural Knowledge to be shared with all Australians to provide the platform for equality of Rights for all Humankind. We do this by sharing knowledge, listening, empowering people, creating confidence, self-esteem and the genuine possibilities for a brighter future for our children, our grand-children and all future generations that walk in our fore father’s footsteps.”
“We subscribe to Zero Tolerance to Lateral Violence”
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article the personal views of the authors and the authors alone.
Is this the year that we can expect to see our children experience a reduction from abuse and deprivation and be given the love and care that is needed to grow and carry on the culture of Aboriginal and Islander (including the Torres Straits) peoples?
Why are so many people not getting housing when they have been on the waiting list for years?
And why are Housing Authorities selling Aboriginal houses when they are repairable like the one on Old Port Road?
Spirit of Uluru
Are we this year going to give more respect to our Elders, instead of what I have seen travelling from Community to Community?
Some of our Elders have been refused a service from Organisations, when these Organisations have been provided funds from Government to provide a service for ALL of our peoples.
The cruel aspect of this sad scenario is this; it was the Elders, whom years ago, were the ones who marched and fought for these services to be established in the first place and now the Johnny come lately people are denying them!
Spirit of Uluru
