Dobre-outre tovaricci,
Many years ago Yuendumu used to have a Housing Association, this was at the height of the policy of Self Determination. YHA had three or four kardiya- a plumber, a bricklayer a carpenter and a tinker and a tailor and a candlestick maker. Each kardiya had two or three Warlpiri offsiders. None of these offsiders had certificates nor wore hi vis vests, but they could fix a tap or lay a brick and mix concrete. The Housing team made slow steady progress and had a lot of laughs whilst doing so. I believe that with the possible exception of the School, YHA was the first Yuendumu organization (that is what we called them- nowadays they have evolved into ‘agencies’ and even ‘service delivery agencies’ and ‘job providers’) to have Warlpiri workers entitled to long service leave.
One year during the annual school holidays, to overcome boredom, the activity of choice with some children was to vandalize the school. The Housing Association sprung into action. They secured all the classrooms and placed a person to guard the premises at night. When school resumed, YHA presented the Department of Education with a modest bill. D. of E. refused to pay on the grounds than no Purchase Order had been raised.
I won’t elaborate on what happened during the next school holidays. Suffice it to say I first read about what happened, years before, in a little book titled ‘El flautista de Hamelin’
So here then another flautista- Jethro Tull’s Ian Anderson:
Thick as a Brick…. (and your wise men don’t know what it’s like to be…)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BV-ASc0qkrM
When the 2007 Northern Territory Emergency Response (‘The Intervention’) was foisted on an already debilitated stigmatized society (kick a man while he’s down), this included the proclamation of ‘Prescribed Areas’. The Yuendumu Land Trust area had such a prescribed area carved out of it. The Federal Government introduced a multi-billion dollar housing initiative, which required it to obtain long term leases over existing and proposed housing sites. In Yuendumu negotiations started with a $4M carrot ($2M for Traditional Owners, and $2M for ‘the Community’). The community was split, those wanting to take the money and those who considered land inalienable. When negotiations stalled, the bribe was replaced with a different tack. $18M had been set aside for demolishment or refurbishment of existing houses and a modest number of new houses. The expenditure was conditional on the community agreeing to long term leases “If we are not granted secure tenure we will not build any new houses nor will we carry out repairs and maintenance on existing houses” was the non-negotiable offer.
At this point Japangardi made a brilliant suggestion- “Why can’t the $18M be used to re-establish our own Housing Association?”
You all know what a lead balloon is.
My favourite episode of the ‘Yes Minister’ television series is the one dealing with the Hospital with no patients. The most efficient Hospital in all of Britain, soon to be awarded the Florence Nightingale Award as the most hygienic hospital in the Greater London area. Sir Humphrey’s apoplectic response to the suggestion of using the vacant hospital to accommodate refugees is priceless. Apoplectic wasn’t the response of the bureaucrat sent to Yuendumu to coerce us to accede to long term leases to Japangardi’s suggestion to re-establish a Yuendumu Housing Association. NT bureaucrats have honed stonewalling to an art form. Don’t ask me no questions and I’ll tell you no lies.
Lynyrd Skynyrd – Don’t Ask Me No Questions – 4/27/1975 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EKbkArYyics
In Stephen Jay Gould’s book ‘Hen’s Teeth and Horse’s Toes’ there is a chapter ‘Phyletic Size Decrease in Hershey Bars’ In it he concludes that in twenty years time there will be “…that ultimate wonder of wonders, the weightless bar, will be introduced in December 1998. It will cost forty-seven and a half cents” Using similar Darwinian Evolutionary thinking (Stephen Jay Gould considered himself primarily a Palaeontologist) I’ve come to a similar conclusion about remote Aboriginal communities . In twenty years time we may well witness that (not so wondrous) remote Aboriginal community without Aborigines. Dare I suggest it could be used to accommodate (climate change) refugees?
And now the latest from the “Close the Gap’ mob- from a news report:
“Special envoy on Indigenous affairs Tony Abbott has told the ABC he is open to the idea of allowing police officers into schools in remote communities as part of a push to improve attendance and engagement.” A truly intellectual giant is he the suppository of all wisdom. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oep_DPDy6xw
In the article TA claims he is being made very welcome as he tours remote schools pushing the withholding of welfare benefits from those whose children do not attend.
….you’ve got a lot of nerve to say you are my friend… (Bob Dylan’s Positively 4th Street)
Johnny Rivers- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_1-SsnebFk
Why not go the full hog? Why not erect prisons on school yards?
…..The policeman said to me, son
They won’t build no schools anymore
All they’ll build will be prison, prison….
Lucky Dube… Prisoner https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U1bjgVGuSQo
Some years ago our granddaughter emerged from Yuendumu School proudly bearing a certificate “Best attendance” From memory she reached 80% attendance beating all other students at the school.
Her mother had welfare entitlements withheld because her daughter failed to meet the minimum attendance requirements (90%?)
Maggie’s farm- Bob Dylan:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rl0C4Zkpv1M
…he hands you a nickel then he hands you a dime,
He asks you with a grin, if you’re having a good time…
Then he fines you every time you slam the door….
Doz-vitanya,
Frank