207
... supposed to be helping but only made matters
worse by taking young people from their parents
and then they came back drunk as well (Mikurrunya,
28.11.79).
13.S Theorizing about the protection of the autonomy of the group
For the 'Mob,, autonomy is not a reified notion, as democracy
is for the west. If the people are not self-determining they are
lost as a group, for their whole way of life is seen by them as structurally
alternative. The preservation of autonomy implies a resistance
to those wishing to impose their world view on the marrngu.
There is strong theorizing about the Government’s attempts to
assimilate the marrngu into white society, about the personnel of
the Government offering promises not fulfilled. The doubts of the
people about the Aboriginal Development Commission incorporate their
doubts about all government committees:
The Aboriginal Development Commission is the new
thing. Senator Chaney says it is going to help
the blackfellow. The Government is always saying
that it helps the blackfellow but we never see
it. We only hear the words.
First there was the Native Welfare and the Protector,
The Protector was the one who put a chain around
our necks.
Native Welfare was the one that stole our land
and gave it to the missions.
Native Welfare stole our children from us and
made them crazy,
We have the Consultative Committee and the Bush
Meeting. We have the Heritage Act and the Museum.
They say they are helping the blackfellow. All
they do is rubbish the blackfellow and destroy
his religion.
We have the N.A.C. . They reckon they are the
big bosses. IVhat job do they do? They are not
the boss for the blackfellow. They tell us we
are going to have a treaty. We say 4Vho makes
that treaty? You already work for the Government.
How can you make a treaty with him? ’ Now we have
the A.D.C.2. We∙ye seen the picture of those people.
They don’t look very different to us (Snowy Judmai
and Jack Kurila, Mikurrunya, 3.10.80).
ɪ National Aboriginal Commission.
»
Aboriginal Development Commission.