Our Musical Dispatch for today was first published 4 October 2010. It illustrates facets of the white ‘management’ of a small Central Australian Indigenous – Walpri – Community Can you see how much has changed?
Buenos dias Amigos, ¿Que tal?
Today’s quote comes from Indigenous academic Marcia Langton’s 2008 essay ‘Trapped in the Aboriginal reality show’ in which she paraphrases French social theorist Jean Baudrillard’s 2004 essay ‘War Porn’ :
“The crisis in Aboriginal society is now a public spectacle, played out in a vast ‘reality show’ through the media, parliaments, public service and the Aboriginal world. This obscene and pornographic spectacle…..”
Watch it all fall apart… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ACuv1eMTSb4
On 12th.October 1492, Rodrigo de Triana in the crow’s-nest of the ship ‘ la Pinta’ shouted “¡Tierra a la vista!” (Land in sight).
The consequences of this landfall were a disaster for the indigenous people of this newly “discovered” continent.
One day short of 518 years later, a meeting will be held in Yuendumu.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-fECUAJ5H5M
On 11th.October 2010 at Yuendumu School the Yuendumu Local Counter Disaster Planning Committee will meet.
AGENDA
3. Minutes of previous meeting held on 17TH August 2006.
4. Business Arising a) YUENDUMU CD PLAN REVIEW
The A/Executive Officer to advise the committee that the Yuendumu Counter Disaster Plan is in the process of being updated and reviewed. A current threat and risk assessment for the Yuendumu Counter Disaster Plan is to be implemented, with any new hazards/threats to be identified by the committee members.
The A/Executive Officer to advise the Committee the monitoring and reviewing process of Counter Disaster Planning and will ask that all agencies review their roles and responsibilities in relation to the new threat assessments and report back with any required changes that they may have.
Invitations to attend came from:
Area Manager – Alice Springs
Southern Division-Northern Territory Emergency Service-Keeping People Safe
Working in partnership to improve community ability to deal with natural disasters and emergencies.
To my knowledge invitations were emailed to 14 recipients:
- 5 Alice Springs people (290Km from here)
- 2 pastoralists (30Km NW and 120Km W from here respectively)
- 1 employee of Newmont (gold mine 300Km northwest of here)
- 1 Nyirrpi SSM (Shire Services Manager) (150Km from here)
And (from) Yuendumu:
- SSM
- GBM (Government Business Manager)
- School principal
- Police OIC
- Clinic Manager
Not one Warlpiri amongst them. Also several people that couldn’t possibly be on the committee as their titles/functions didn’t exist when the previous meeting was held prior to the Intervention and Council “amalgamation”.
Yet another manifestation of the parallel universes that have been imposed on or have evolved on remote communities. The “them and us” in extremis.
What type of disaster will they talk about? Global Warming and Rising Sea Levels? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwZ-JFXe6nc
Meteorites, mud-slides, tsunamis, hurricanes? Aircraft disasters? Chemical spills? Nuclear explosions? Floods? Riots? Great Balls of Fire? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4bB5xL577r4
Or will they talk about the social disasters of invasion, intervention, incarceration, dispossession, disrespect, displacement, diaspora and disempowerment?
Once again friends of mine have sent me a book: ‘Culture Crisis’ (Anthropology and Politics in Aboriginal Australia). In a chapter written by Gillian Cowlishaw there is a sub-heading “The Mirror or the Gun”. The gun as metaphor for the Intervention http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E7zUj6mmp24
Un abrazo pa’ todos
Franklin
P.S. Linda musica de mi niñez http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w9g9jvZ4yJ0 …Si a mi gusta que suenen…