Rosalie Kunoth-Monks 'not welcome' in her community

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p2234-Kunoth-Monks-petition
 
p2234-Kunoth-Monks-MBy ERWIN CHLANDA
 
Rosalie Kunoth-Monks, adored by national TV audiences, is apparently no longer welcome in her own community of Utopia.
 
A petition (excerpt pictured above) signed by about sixty people, describing themselves as traditional owners, says she and two relatives are “no longer welcome on our homelands”.
 
They refer to “recent events” at the “Arlparra Homeland (Monday 30th April)”.
 
Ms Kunoth-Monks, when offered right of reply by the Alice Springs News Online, declined to comment.
 
The petition says: “For many years we have expressed our concerns and these concerns are not being respected by the Kunoth-Monks family. Under no circumstances has any one person been nominated to speak for or represent us the Traditional Owners of this area.”
 
Ms Kunoth-Monks, famed for playing Jedda in the historic movie, appeared prominently in the so-called documentary Utopia by John Pilger, representing a one-eyed account of the community.
 
Ms Kunoth Monks spoke at last week’s rally in Alice Springs, protesting the possible de-funding of outstations in Western Australia. Her message – lambasting Australia for what she considers to be neglect of Aboriginal people – was similar to her performance at the ABC’s Q&A in October 2011 (pictured flanked by NT Chief Minister Paul Henderson and moderator Tony Jones).
 
 

27 COMMENTS

  1. It’s about time this happened. Load of rubbish the Pilger show. It did not even show Utopia. It showed other areas but NOT UTOPIA.

  2. Pack your bags, Rosie. Enough of your crap about being “Stolen Generation”. You like all of them were cared for and educated. For what good?
    To carry on like you are a poor old blackfella living tough in the bush.
    Be real. You and your mob have been living the life of Riley to the detriment of your Countrymen. Move to Canberra and be done with.

  3. @ Dave of Alice, well said. Enough is enough. If it were not for the white man taking in some of these stolen generation, would they be alive today and be well educated?

  4. @ Davo and Bill: What a bunch of uneducated dribble. So Aboriginal people should be happy that enforced assimilation policy deliberately implemented to disengage Aboriginal Australians?
    The Stolen Generations / Assimilationist policies provided no educational, employment or health and wellbeing outcomes, and also deliberately segregated those of Full Descent throughout Australia on mission stations and settlements with the hope that eventually they would cease to exist.
    This just shows how stupid your comments really are. Here’s a tip, go do some research on Indigenous policy and its history (or lack thereof – Federal Government only started implementing policy post 1967 Referendum).
    Why not also grab one of the many thousand Psych journals that represent decades of research into inter-generational trauma and its effects on descendants of those who suffered as a result of World Wars, Extermination, Assimilation and yes, those who suffered as a result of Stolen Generation policy here in Australia.
    Unfortunately, it isn’t even Davo’s and Bill’s fault they are so ignorant, it’s that our educational systems in Australia are so immature and primitive (Bill, Davo – Google search Social Darwinism) that kids are never taught the true realities of the devastating impacts of invasion, colonisation and inept policy implementation that is the history of this country.
    @ Erwin, come on – we know you have a comments policy here. This requires more stringent monitoring as these kind of racist, ignorant comments are offensive and disrespectful.

  5. @ Joel: You will find nothing in our comments policy that restricts reasonable freedom of speech. This is the most frequent advice we email to correspondence whose contribution we reject: “We greatly appreciate comments! 
    “However, our rules are that if you are attacking a person or an organisation, or draw into doubt the propriety of their actions, then you need to provide, for publication, your full name and town / city of residence, plus a phone number for verification purposes. 
    “Playing the ball rather than the person advances the conversation and better helps to further explore issues. 
    “We will not publish your email address nor your phone number. Please let me know.”

  6. Re: Joel Posted May 12, 2015 at 7:40 pm
    Joel states incorrectly the: “Federal Government only started implementing policy post 1967 Referendum.”
    Soon after Federation on 1 January 1911, control of the Northern Territory was transferred from South Australia to the Commonwealth.
    Since then Commonwealth implemented racist and apartheid policy upon the NT, so well before and after the 1967 Constitutional Referenda.
    In the 1967 Referenda was acknowledged Australians overwhelmingly voted with their aim being to extinguish, to eliminate, to outlaw, all racial discrimination between Australians, particularly racist legislation and racist treatment by governments.
    Yet the Commonwealth remains committed to defending its racism, defending its apartheid approach to legislation and policy, including their ongoing segregation of Australian families, presenting the old excuse “we are here to help you…”
    Such Commonwealth “assistance” remains the problem, not the solutions.

  7. @ Joel, I agree to disagree.
    I fully support what Bill and Davo said.
    I have spoken to two indigenous people today, one from Arnhem Land and the other from Alice Springs.
    The one from Alice Springs said it was the best years of my life, and the one from Arnhem Land said we were very lucky as we got food, clothing and shelter.
    We need to stop hiding behind culture and racism and self pity. We all have our own cultures, but we are not all crying self pity.
    If you want to narrow the gap, people have to work and adapt. We need to take a leaf out of Adam Giles’ book. What he has done for the NT is outstanding.
    He is not crying on everyone shoulder that life owes him a living, he is out there doing it. This man could end up in Canberra. Others can too, with a bit of effort.

  8. @ Fred the Philistine I agree to disagree with you!
    Out of a majority of people from the stolen generation you have spoken to just TWO people?
    I think before making judgements in regards to that, you really do need to speak to more people so you are able to gather more information.
    Fred, have you seen the movie Rabbit Proof Fence? I also think it’s shocking that you would defend Bill and Davo as what they said is ignorant, offensive and disrespectful.
    I fully support Joel as he is making very valid points and is explaining the true realities that have happened.
    Yet everyone isn’t commenting on this, they are making comments like, “He is not crying on everyone shoulder that life owes him a living” etc.
    Not all people behave like this and if they do, they most likely have mental illness or are traumatized.
    Where is your compassion and understanding?

  9. Poor old Fred. Pal, for your survey to have any credibility you would need to interview the other (approximately) 20 – 30,000 Aboriginal people that were removed between 1909 and 1969, when records were actually kept.
    Let’s not kid ourselves and think it didn’t happen prior to or post those dates, either…
    Here’s some reality for you ignorant souls that outline the real motivations behind the Stolen Generation:
    In the 1930s, the Northern Territory Protector of Natives, Dr. Cecil Cook, perceived the continuing rise in numbers of “half-caste” children as a problem. His proposed solution was: “Generally by the fifth and invariably by the sixth generation, all native characteristics of the Australian Aborigine are eradicated. The problem of our half-castes will quickly be eliminated by the complete disappearance of the black race, and the swift submergence of their progeny in the white.”
    Similarly, the Chief Protector of Aborigines in Western Australia, A. O. Neville, wrote in an article for The West Australian in 1930: “Eliminate in future the full-blood and the white and one common blend will remain. Eliminate the full blood and permit the white admixture and eventually the race will become white.”
    Fred, Davo and Bill insinuating that the outcome of the Stolen Generations should be the emergence of the “Happy little Half-Castes” is pure lunacy.
    The reality was that the policy of the time was aimed at eradicating Aboriginal people of full blood (so they would eventually die out on remote / under-resourced missions) and that people of mixed decent would eventually become white and forget about their cultural identity and languages. Unlucky for people of your ilk, it didn’t happen and we still exist today. Time to grab a book, fellas.

  10. @ Joel: Stop wallowing in self pity and move on. What you’re talking about is history. IF you don’t start moving on, the foreigners coming into this country, coming here to make their home, will walk all over you.

  11. @ Fred the Philistine: Joel didn’t say anything about wallowing in self pity. It may be history but why forget about it?
    Anzac day is celebrated every year, weddings anniversaries, birthdays, etc. The motto for Anzac day is Lest We Forget, if you are trying to tell everyone to not worry about history, then you might as well stop celebrating important events in your life because obviously, it’s history and not important.
    Fred, you are being selective in what events you wish to remember in history. One more thing Fred, why would “foreigners” be walking all over Joel? He is standing up for the rights of people; I can guarantee you that nobody is walking all over him.

  12. I re-read the original story to try to get a picture of why this series of comments has developed they way it has.
    It looks to me Joel and Alexis have jumped on Bill’s and Davo’s comments suggesting that everyone who was stolen benefited.
    Had Bill and Davo commented, more reasonably, that some people benefited and some suffered from removal, Joel and Alexis would have little to respond to.
    I’m of the view that some who were not removed suffered just as much, possibly more, as some of those who were.
    But nobody wants to pay much attention to them in any discussion about stolen generation matters.
    Oh, that’s right, they weren’t stolen so we can just assume they remained happy little halfcastes.

  13. We better just leave this as is, the politics involved are too great. If we could write what people really think, it would be unpublishable.

  14. The politics involved is not so great, while the racism involved remains a product of politicians.
    Australians require equality of opportunity, not equality of results.
    Rights and opportunities measured or qualified by racist color codes satisfy only those gaming our political process … with no respect for the intention of our voters.

  15. “Time to move on. What we’re talking about is history. If we don’t start moving on, the foreigners coming into this country, coming here to make their home, will walk all over us.”
    This is the what I try to alert my fellow indigenous to.

  16. Arthur Bell Re Posted May 27, 2015 at 12:07 pm
    For many to move on means forget what happened, until it happens again … then complain again until decide forget it …
    Resolving problems requires the issues be worked through towards a solution, which also takes time.
    Agree with your web-link comment:
    “Australia’s first federal anti-discrimination law, the Racial Discrimination Act 1975 (Cth), aims to ensure that Australians of all backgrounds are treated equally and have the same opportunities.”
    I’m sure the law does NOT protect: “people across Australia from discrimination on the grounds of race, colour, descent, national or ethnic origin, and immigration status. ”
    Agree the “… Special Measures Provisions within The Racial Discrimination Act actually entrenches Discrimination !! ”
    I disagree that without these “Special Measures” legislation we would NOT have those services you referred to.
    Each of all the services you listed exist, remain possible without “Special Measures” games.
    The needy remain without needing racial tags.
    IMHO “Special Measures” promotes racial tag games to ensure those needy are distracted into fighting each other over scraps, rather than obtaining real solutions.
    Real solutions, require real effort, and opportunity.

  17. Thanks Paul, it looks like I’ll have to go through all that stuff on my site again to see what you are referring to! But that’s alright, as I try to do it whenever my health allows, and as time goes by, anyway.
    To re-edit and sometimes to moderate my published or stated view, over a number of years.
    “For many to move on means forget what happened, until it happens again … then complain again until decide forget it”.
    A couple of things here, as I see it, in the future of multiculturalism governance, the above options will simply, not be available. It will not be a continuing saga a la “days of our lives”.
    Like what happened 227 years ago, there will be major disruptions of the way of life in this Country. And the only people that have a historical or any moral obligation to the descendants of the original inhabitants, as has already been pointed out, will no longer dominate or be in charge.

  18. If the science is correct, there were no original inhabitants, we all came from Africa.

  19. Paul Parker (Posted May 30, 2015 at 10:37 pm): If Australia’s original inhabitants’ ancestors came from Africa, how would that negate the fact of them being the original inhabitants of Australia?

  20. @ Bob Durnan
    Bob, I wouldn’t expect an intelligent reply from our mate Paul. Unfortunately he seems to be the only one who believes in what he’s writing. I haven’t bothered to continue replying to Paul, Arthur, Bill or Davo because there doesn’t seem to be any point in trying to educate the ignorant, nor portray them as being uneducated as they have done a fantastic job doing that themselves.
    @ Alexis, thank you! It’s always refreshing to see a person with knowledge, respect and empathy in our community – there are a growing number by the day.
    A final word to Fred, though. I ain’t worried about the influx of immigration to this country or the threat of anyone walking all over me or my people, in fact I welcome diversity.
    I’m more worried about the old guard of paternalistic, ignorant, racist and uneducated conservatives whoSE treatment of Indigenous Australians over the last two centuries has been abhorrent – a legacy you and your buddies on this thread clearly support.

  21. So Joel, anyone who disagrees with you is ignorant? I love your empty rhetoric of “enforced assimilation policy deliberately implemented to disengage Aboriginal Australians”.

  22. The story is about a woman who has been kicked off the members’ group of Urapuntja Council, signed and delivered by owners of Alparra. She has been awarded accolade after accolade. For what?

  23. Shame on all the ignorant persons who suppose to have views disrespecting elders and persons with character and morals that are able to articulate and not be suppressed.
    In a democratic civilised culturally inclusive nation there is no room for such manipulations.
    The measure of humanity in kindness and dignity is epitomised by the icon that Rosalie is.
    With deepest respect I encourage people to actually become more learned on social injustices and the true essence of multi-culturalism in Australia and really stop the frivolous engagement in personal attacks on those that have much to teach and are part of this country’s living history.
    God bless the faithful and those who truly believe in the values that make our country a leading force in true human rights.

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