“Our Generation” Melbourne launch: A call to fight a racist system

The launch of the documentary “Our Generation” in Melbourne on the 22nd of October felt like a powerful and historic moment for the over five hundred people who attended. The movie explains how the Aboriginal people of the Northern Territory are facing a new wave of assimilationist policies that threaten their survival. The film examines the deeply racist Northern Territory Emergency Response (NT Intervention) and its affects largely through focussing on its impact on the Yolungu people of Arnhem land. The vast majority of the film consists of the passionate, sad and angry voices of Aboriginal people directly affected by these racist laws. The movie is a challenge to both white and black Australia to work together to fight for justice for Aboriginal people, as one of the speakers in the film says solidarity with Aboriginal people is not enough – its time to take action!
Related: Our Generation Website -- National Day of Action against the Intervention Rally -- Melbourne Anti-Intervention Collective

The evening began with a welcome and some traditional dancing from Wurundjeri Elder Bill Nicholson and the Jindi Worobak Dance Troupe. Bill Nicholson spoke to the crowd about the effect of colonisation on the Wurundjeri but how they had survived and were growing stronger again in their culture. Shane Howard from “Goanna” fame also performed before and after the film.

The film itself was very powerful. In just 73 minutes it manages to confront audiences with the truth of how racist government policies continue to devastate Aboriginal people today, and it is a deeply painful and sobering story. The 2007 Federal Intervention including the compulsory acquisition of Aboriginal land, the removal of the permit system, the loss of control of local governance, the invasion of communities by the army and police, the humiliation of the Basics card is condemned by the Aboriginal people affected. These policies combined with the prohibition of teaching Aboriginal languages in NT schools and the decision to coerce Aboriginal people off their homelands and concentrate them in 20 “community hubs” are revealed to be deeply disempowering and a virtual complete return to the assimilationist policies that so devasted Aboriginal people throughout the 20th century.

The policy of starving Homelands of funds perhaps is the most revealing piece of evidence that the 2007 Federal Intervention into Indigenous Affairs was never motivated as claimed by the desire to protect Aboriginal children from abuse. A study published in the Medical Journal of Australia in Healthy Country: Healthy People found significantly better health outcomes for Aboriginal people in the NT living on their traditional homelands who were actively involved in “caring for country”.

The second most damning piece of evidence that the policies of the Federal Government are not motivated to protect Aboriginal people is how few houses have actually been built in Aboriginal communities since the Intervention was launched in 2007. Most of the houses that have been built have been for white professionals and bureaucrats working in the communities not for the communities themselves. Given that over crowding has been identified time and time again as a source of health and social dysfunction in Aboriginal communities, this result is deeply revealing. The “Big Lie” of the Intervention is also undermined by the fact since 2007, and despite a massive investigation, very few cases of child abuse have actually been prosecuted.

The real motivation of the Intervention and other assimiliationist policies is to wind back the gains made under the 1976 Racial Discrimination act and remove Aboriginal people in the NT off their traditional lands so that they can exploited more easily by mining companies. A similar move can be seen in WA where the Barrett Government is in the process of compulsorily acquiring Aboriginal land against the wishes of traditional owners to build a massive gas plant. Since 1788 Aboriginal people and their culture have not been allowed to stand in the way of the capitalist exploitation of this country and if they resist they are shot, imprisoned or coerced into submission and nothing has changed. The film makes a case that unless we resolve the issue of sovereignty and make a treaty with the First Australians, the cycle of poverty and injustice will continue. The movie also makes it clear that the change to an ALP government has done nothing to improve the situation for Indigenous people in this country and the hope of the Apology in 2008 has rapidly disappeared with the grim realisation the ALP is just as determined to do the bidding of the mining companies that dominate politics in this country.

After the film Reverend Dr Djiniyini Gondarra OAM who appears in the documentary was given a standing ovation from the crowd before launching a powerful speech condemning the Intervention in this country and calling for action to be taken to remove “the disease” of racism. As he rightfully pointed out if the rights of Aboriginal citizens can be removed so easily, it means that under the current Australian constitution our democracy is deeply flawed and all of our rights are under threat.

A panel including Reverend Dr Djiniyini Gondarra, the film makers Damien Curtis and Sinem Saban, Jeff McMullen and Shane Howard then took questions from the floor. For over an hour people asked how we might move forward to fight the injustices highlighted in the film. People were encouraged to purchase the movie from the Our Generation Website and show it to people in their community, even if it was only to their family and friends. People were also encouraged to attend the National Day of Action against the Intervention Rally on October 29th in Melbourne and join the campaign in other ways. Reverend Dr Djiniyini Gondarra also spoke to directly to Indigenous members of the audience and said it was time for Aboriginal people to overcome the “divide and rule” policies of the Government and unite to demand justice.

Other Links"
Sydney Launch of Our Generation

Interview with film makers on Get Up site