The name is absent

180

12.34 The white community and the Law

Just as the tribal people have accommodated to the white man’s
law, so they expect white people employed by them to accommodate
to their Law.

Teachers employed must sign a contract agreeing not to bring,
alcohol to community property, an agreement that is scrupulously
observed .

While being infinitely tolerant with regard to unwitting transgressions
of protocol through ignorance, there are areas which the Aboriginal people
believe to be sufficiently important to exact compliance. One is
in the use of alcohol. The people noted that

...there have been several deaths at Jigalong
recently. Snowy, Jacob and Crow are very
worried about this because they believe
that it is grog that is causing the deaths.
They say that if those people had come to
Strelley they could have been kept away from
grog and the killings would not have happened.

’’Grog is the way that whitemen have ruined our
people”, Snowy said, "and we should keep away
from it’(Mikurrunya, 2.9.79:4).

The Law is, of course, silent about alcohol which was unknown

before the coming of the whiteman.

However, the cohesion of the group is a matter for the Law.
Hence embargos on alcohol are easily legitimated to support the
symbolic universe of the Mob. The Law provides a frame of reference
giving cohesion to the group. This cohesion is further strengthened
by the conscious cultivation of autonomy, which in turn, is
characterised by political independence.

Taped interview, personal observation.

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