The ramblings of that girl called Ebs

Posts tagged australia

Indigenous Economic Development: Transitioning From Deficit Thinking

Dope publication by my mate Matt Heffernan who is currently in NYC at the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues

Quality of life for Australians 2nd only to Norway, but for Aboriginal peoples 122nd

And in the words of Biggie - If you don’t know, now you know…..

Andrew Bolt <3's Adam Giles

If you weren’t hearing alarm bells before now they should be deafening you now!

Election race

Pictured above is Neville Bonner - Australia’s first Indigenous parliamentarian.

Earlier this year, Olympian and Order of Australia medal recipient Nova Peris stood at a press conference as the Prime Minister announced her endorsement for the Senate in the Northern Territory in 2013.

A nervous and shy Nova approached the podium and thanked the Prime Minister for her endorsement as she, a proud Australian and a proud Aboriginal woman, was honoured and thankful for the opportunity.

If elected, Nova could be Australia’s first female Indigenous federal parliamentarian.

Whilst her Aboriginality is a significant part of her identity as person, I can’t help but think that in the lead up to the election, it will be the only thing people will focus on.

On the weekend a dear friend of mine Billy Gordon was announced as the Labor candidate for the federal seat of Leichhardt.

If he manages to win over the hearts of an incredibly diverse constituency, Billy will have his name etched into the history books as another Indigenous political trailblazer.

Whilst his decision was one that has brought me a huge amount of pride and excitement, I hope his electorate and all electorates that have Indigenous candidates running, can look past ethnicity and see the individuals for all they are.

The wake of Nova’s announcement has had me questioning the way that aspiring Indigenous politicians are viewed by the mainstream media.

If Billy was not an Aboriginal man I’m sure his announcement would be small ripple in the daily press.

The newspapers of the Far North would be talking about this gutsy, young man who is willing to take on the Honorable Warren Entsch, a Liberal MP who has been elected a number of times by his constituency. If something big happened in his electorate, he might have even made national press.

However, Billy is an Aboriginal man and will undoubtedly be mentioned between now and September 14.

The sad truth for all aspiring Indigenous parliamentarians is that they will be spending the lead up to the election fighting to prove themselves as people who can and will represent all of their electorate, not just the Indigenous voters.

Why is it so hard to think that an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person could understand the struggles of a non-Indigenous Australian?

As Indigenous Australians we often talk about having to walk in two worlds. We are never divorced from our cultural roots and identity, but we often have to leave a large part that at home as we traipse off to work.

We’ve worked hard to understand non-Indigenous Australia whilst still maintaining the vestiges of our histories and traditions. We know your language, we watch your television shows and we read your newspapers.

But do non-Indigenous parliamentarians do the same?

With the exception of a few parliamentarians like Victor Dominello, New South Wales Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, and Marie Bashir, the Governor of New South Wales, who I joyously see at pretty much every Indigenous event I attend, it doesn’t appear that non-Indigenous parliamentarians have to work as hard to show their commitment and dedication to Indigenous voters.

Is it because we make up only 2.5% of the population or is it just another double standard?

I hope that in the months leading up to the election that the media and the voters see Indigenous candidates as more than just a black faces. Yes they are representatives of our race, our history and our culture but they are also people who can represent the wider community.

13th Feb 2013

Week 6 - Contribution

This post has been drafted as part of the Deadly Bloggers challenge - 52 posts in 52 weeks. For more information please see deadlybloggers.blogspot.com

I would’ve been in my teens when I first heard this track. Contribution on Jurassic 5’s album Quality Control. J5 still maintain a place in my heart as one of my fav rap collectives and I’m still asking myself the question that the chorus poses:

What is your contribution to life?

According to some people, my mother included, my contribution so far has been positive but as much as I can take (very) quiet pride in some of my successes, I am more proud of the successes that others made. Others that I may have had a role in supporting once upon a time.

This year a dear friend of mine, role model, legend and absolutely one in a million person Shane Phillips was recognised as the 2013 Australia Day Local Hero of the Year.

While he hates being centre-stage (and certainly engaged in many an argument with me about his attendance at the State and Federal ceremonies), he, like every single day of his life, put aside his own feelings and stood strong for the community of Redfern, the young people and the work he does.

As I hovered over my computer on the evening of 25 January 2013, I saw an awkward photo of this man, smiling with a face that said “how the eff did I get here, shaking the hand of the Prime Minister?!?!”. I was proud. I was proud that he was finally recognised on the national stage as the hero that he is and proud that I have had a chance to support this amazing person and the work he has done.

He now has the opportunity to draw attention the great work that he is doing, that his community is doing, that Indigenous Australians are doing and that is what makes him the happiest.

For me, I am just happy to have had a walk-in role in the story of his amazing work and achievements (and hope to all Gods that he never reads this lol).