  this evening past I skipped class (i'm bad to the core) and instead went to a Public Forum on the Future of Indigenous Affairs. the forum was organised by one of my lecturers, and was an attempt to generate a dialogue within the Indigenous community of Sydney regarding how to respond to the disbanding of ATSIC, and what subsequent action needs to be taken. the invitation stated: "Political machinations around the disestablishment of ATSIC by the Howard Government has caused alarm and concern for many in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community. The Government’s intention to mainstream services to Indigenous communities, versus the Labor Party ’s outline of an alternative region-based model of service provision, leaves the future of many Indigenous programs, services and funded organisations in a state of crisis. Drawing on a range of views of Indigenous community leaders,this forum will address issues currently impacting Indigenous Affairs and scope possibilities and strategies to help shape the future of Indigenous Affairs at the national level. " the impressive board of speakers included Professor Larissa Berehndt, Director of the Jumbunna Indigenous House of Learning at UTS; Geoff Scott, CEO, ATSIS; Marcia Ella-Duncan, Chair, ATSIC (Sydney); and Rob Welsh,Chair,Metropolitan Local Aboriginal Land Council. the audience was an ecclectic mix of students, koori journalists and activists, Indigenous professionals, and UTS professors. i feel the need to blog about it because i am concerned about the danger of this highly pertinent issue falling into the abyss of political avoidance and media disinterest.
this is a highly contentious issue, which has created a divide between politicians and also Indigenous community members. indeed, ATSIC had its failings, but it also did a lot of good in its service provision and litigation projects. ATSIC has become a political scapegoat. i agree with the consensus among tonight's speakers that it is all too easy for politicians and society to lay shallow blame on ATSIC for the federal and state governments' failings in the bygone era of Reconciliation.
and so the question begs asking: with the dissolution of ATSIC, and the federal government's preferred strategy of "mainstreaming" Indigenous Affairs, how are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples to continue to address the current disadvantages and barriers that confront them at every level of society? And certainly, as questioned by Marcia Ella-Duncan: "Who will provide a national Indigenous voice?
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