298
Pt. Augusta differs in that there is one recognised spokesperson for
* *
Aboriginal groups, namely, the Chairman of the Panel comprising all Aborigina:
organisations. There is thus a focus for group cohesion. At
Pt. Augusta, as well as the spokesperson, leaders in different,
areas in the community are recognised by the Aboriginal people and
respected both by them and by white people. The same names of
leaders were offered by both the white community and the Aboriginal
community during the research project, showing great unanimity in
the recognition of leaders.
The greater cohesion of Pt. Augusta thus makes possible the
recognition of leaders acceptable to both worlds, a further
indication of the validity of the parallel nature of the model
proposed by this group.
18.33 Autonomy
Do you see why self-determination that isn’t really
real is so much ratshit? (Gilbert, 1973:178J.
If there is to be a regeneration of blacks it must
come through self-determination3 however hesitant
the first steps (Gilbert,' 1973:162).
What for you want ’self-determination’? Vhat for3
when you can’t even feed or control or even wash your
kids properly? The way you are3 self-determination
would only be a licence to bugger yourselves up some
more (Grandfather Koori, in Gilbert, 1977:302).
For most Aboriginal people interviewed in Adelaide and Pt.
Augusta, self-determination was not 'really real’, since the
The personal history of the spokesperson at the time of the
study was an extraordinary one. She had been taken from her family,
brought up as white, to return, married to a white man, to Pt. Augusta.
She underwent a crisis of identity, and, with great support from
her husband, opted for an Aboriginal identity. She later found
that her mother, a full-blood Aboriginal woman was still alive, living
at the Davenport reserve. Having determined to serve her people, the
spokesperson suffered greatly from an initial rejection by Aborigines.
She persevered until her personal commitment and dedication was
recognised.