The Australian Left and the Aborigines

[Absolut]

Ive read a book or two about the general situation the native inhabitants of Australia found themselves in, and Ive gotten hold of the documentary First Australians, which Ive found pretty good so far, they actually showed it in the plane between Australia and Sweden. However, I would also like some information (links, books, movies, you name it) on the relationship between the left (preferably the radical left, both communist/socialist parties and the union movement) and the aborigines. Did anyone try to organise them? Did any organisations now allow them? If Im not mistaken, the IWW was the first, and for a long time, the only, union which accepted black people in it. Was the role of the IWW in Australia the same as their US counterparts?

Also, not directly related to this topic, am I correct in saying that Australia granted the Maori of Aotearoa the right to vote around 1900 because they wanted to show the new zealanders that the Maoris wouldnt get hurt if they were to form a union? I can partly understand that view, but it implies that the white new zealanders actually gave a crap about the Maoris.

Thanks in advance!

[Kléber]

The WSWS does a lot of ongoing exposure (http://www.google.com.au/search?q=aboriginal+site:www.wsws.org&hl=en&client=firefox-a&hs=PQp&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&prmd=inv&start=0&sa=N) of issues affecting indigenous Australians. The Socialist Equality Party is fighting the continuing state martial law intervention (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_Territory_National_Emergency_Response) targeted against Aboriginal peoples.

http://www.youtube.com/user/SEPAustralia

http://www.wsws.org/articles/1999/apr1999/obit-a07.shtml

http://www.wsws.org/articles/2008/aug2008/ss-nt1/ss-nt1.html

http://www.wsws.org/articles/2008/jul2008/ss-nt2/ss-nt2.html

http://www.wsws.org/articles/2008/jun2008/nt1-j21.shtml

http://www.wsws.org/articles/2005/mar2005/pal1-m01.shtml

[Absolut]

Thanks a lot, the links seem really interesting, Im going to check through them more thoroughly tomorrow.

[Hiero]

It is a bit wierd to say "Did anyone try to organise them?" Indigenous people are not passive beings.

Indigenous people in Australia had thier own movement/s that centred around citizenship (It was only in 1967 that Indigenous people could vote and be included in the census), land rights, autonomy and anti police brutality. And alot of these issues continue through Land Councils, Indigenous rights groups, law groups etc. Not neccassarily Parties or Unions.

hink the question we are asking how did mainstream left wing parties interact with the Indigenous people. The Communist Party of Australia were the first to have a position that could be considered pro-Indigenous, which in it's early days had links to the IWW. And then there have been recent stuff by various parties and unions who hold positions in regards to land rights, civil rights, stolen wages (many indiginous people up to later last centuary were not paid wages, usually on farms). I think the Socialist Alliance have a few indigenous activist and non-indigenous activist working in predominant indigenous areas like Darwin and Redfern in Sydney.

[chebol]

Hiero wrote:

I think the Socialist Alliance have a few indigenous activist and non-indigenous activist working in predominant indigenous areas like Darwin and Redfern in Sydney.

That's true, and we also have important indigenous activists in Perth, Brisbane and Melbourne (including a number of key candidates in the upcoming federal elections (http://www.socialist-alliance.org/page.php?page=944)), but as you said, it's not a question of the left organising a passive indigenous "other". The left and indigenous struggles in Australia have been feeding off and supporting each other for decades.

Also, a number of left unions, such as the CFMEU, NTEU, NSW Teachers' Federation and the CPA-influenced MUA still do a lot of work supporting the indigenous struggle alongside the existing left parties and organisations.

The walk off at Wadeye needed the support of the Communist Party and left unions to survive, but at the same time that activity gave the CPA a new life. Eddie Mabo earned his stripes working with the CPA dominated waterside workers. The list could go on.

There are still plenty of independent left-wing indigenous activists, like Gary Foley, who put most white activists to shame.

If you want a good insight into the historical relationship between the indigenous struggle and the left, this recent book is pretty much the best you're going to get: http://www.resistancebooks.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=809

I might also add, that for all the SEP produces "exposés" of this that and the other, they actually do abso-fucking-lutely nothing on the ground, except making up insults to throw at other left groups, who actually do things. So to say the SEP is "fighting" anything is tantamount to ridiculous.

On a more current note, check out the Ampilatwatja walkoff against the Intervention here (http://www.greenleft.org.au/node/42385) and here (http://interventionwalkoff.wordpress.com/)(as supported by several socialist groups and left unions) and keep your eye out for info on the solidarity busrides up there later this year.

[Crvena-Zastava]

From what I have seen, the Aboriginal populace of Australia live in absolutely abysmal conditions in a country of whom the government does not care for. When I was helping some family members with their cleaning business a few years back, I had the opportunity to see where the majority of the Aboriginals in Canberra live.

It was appalling, the houses were little more than minuscule shacks that didn't even have working electricity or water. The Aboriginals there were basically all without jobs, and they were forced to steal for a living. The Rudd Government did make an apology to the Aboriginals for all the crimes the European settlers committed a few hundred years ago, but those were just empty words. The Aboriginals are no better off now than they were under the Howard government, and it is only getting worse because there isn't enough support to help the Aboriginals.

It is disgraceful.

[Absolut]

If you want a good insight into the historical relationship between the indigenous struggle and the left, this recent book is pretty much the best you're going to get: http://www.resistancebooks.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=809

Awesome, exactly what I was looking for! Thanks a lot.


It is a bit wierd to say "Did anyone try to organise them?" Indigenous people are not passive beings.

I didnt mean it that way, sorry for any confusion.

One thing that struck me and became very obvious when I was in Brisbane a few days, was the job segregation, jobs like shop clerks or cleaners were exclusively had by either aboriginals or immigrants from Asia (India/S. Korea from what I was told). I think I saw one white man working in the ticket booth at the train station, but other than that, nothing. Is this pattern the same for all Australia?

[Kléber]

I might also add, that for all the SEP produces "exposés" of this that and the other, they actually do abso-fucking-lutely nothing on the ground, except making up insults to throw at other left groups, who actually do things.
Way to sling a sectarian turd. Coming from a defender of a group that combines the worst elements of Stalinist apologism, dead-end focus on electoral runs, and infantile ultra-leftist attacks on anyone who takes theory seriously, I'd say the SEP can take that as a compliment.

[chebol]

ˆˆqed...

[JacobVardy]

One thing that struck me and became very obvious when I was in Brisbane a few days, was the job segregation, jobs like shop clerks or cleaners were exclusively had by either aboriginals or immigrants from Asia (India/S. Korea from what I was told). I think I saw one white man working in the ticket booth at the train station, but other than that, nothing. Is this pattern the same for all Australia?

It depends where you go, but yes a lot of low wage jobs are done by recent immigrants and international students. That's why the bourgeois and their parties support high immigration. Its also why we have a really racist refugee policy - so the big parties can cater to the racist fringe and pretend they are tough on immigration. Unfortunately many of those industries are covered by conservative unions. The SDA is really shite, although the LHMEU has been doing some good work organising casuals and contractors in the cleaning industry.

[93'perfuck]

You need to understand how incredibly right-wing and racist this country really is. The politics just amaze me.

[MrCharizma]

You need to understand how incredibly right-wing and racist this country really is. The politics just amaze me.

The racism in this country is truly beyond me, the fact that at least 70-80% of people that I talk to, are in some way condescending to other races. And I don't even want to get into the politics. (that shit just makes me rage)

[JacobVardy]

I think you are listening to the bourgeoise media too much. The Australian working class is not all that racist. Its only anecdotal, but... last week i was at the Parramatta (mostly working class neighbourhood) interchange at 10pm (working class time, everyone's a shift worker). An older white guy pushed a young black man on to the road and started kicking him, yelling about black ****s and looking at him the wrong way. Almost instantly about 20 of us, of about 40 at the station, jumped up to stop this. A majority chased the white guy off while a minority remained to make sure the black guy was OK. Nobody saw it as unusual that half of a working class group would instantly, physically, attack what they saw as racist violence.