Continuing Colonialism

It is a miracle that Aboriginal people survive. The colonial agenda never ends. It is bad enough that the Federal Government suspended the Race Discrimination Act to put in place what is commonly called the ‘intervention’ in the Northern Territory, or that this present Government ignores all the signs that things are worse for most people in regard to health and income security and care of children than they were before.

Then we had so-called consultation that rushed around communities with far too little time to hear what people said, that interpreted what people said in ways that supported a pre-established position, and now produces another report – Stronger Futures – that does not represent the real issues. At least that is the response of a group of Aboriginal leaders headed by Rev Dr Djiniyi Gondarra and Rosalie Kunoth-Monks have said.

And now we have another attempt to undermine Aboriginal language and culture.

If people are to survive culturally they need to learn their language and see their culture valued. One way this happens is through Indigenous community television networks which facilitate local language productions for communities.

There are now plans to change the arrangements regarding direct-to-home satellite delivery of digital TV. At present the Remote Indigenous Broadcasting Services have free-to-air access for three Indigenous television services (which can include local generated content), as well as four mainstream TV services. This gives people a reasonable balance of local and wider TV programs, language and culture.

However the current plans for digital TV mean that there will be 16 channels of mainstream, monolingual, monocultural English language TV; an onslaught of Western English language images and content. And no Indigenous services. Language, cultural pride, and the motivation to participate culturally will be further undermined. Big business wins at the expense of local communities. An ideology of freedom of choice wins over any proper concern for genuine choice and the value of what is local.