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AA
No. 2143:
Strait Betts.
P.O.BOX
50 PERTH
PERTH, THURSDAY, JULY 19, 1979
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Photo
Mt)
5981388.
Price: 30 Cents
A 'renaissance' in Aboriginal
communities
ADELAIDE: A cultural renaissance is taking place among Aboriginal communities in parts of the Northern Territory, Aboriginal Fr Pot Dodson said recently. It was happening as "These out -stations have "Some have felt the local communities reclaimed their been places where there's people were unable to have traditional land, he said. been a renaissance of abo- a responsible approach to Fr. Dodson, a Mission- riginality among a group the future of their own peoary of the Sacred Heart, is who came into Port Keats ple or in determining the the first Aboriginal Austra- during the 1930's and 40's." structure of government of lian to be ordained a priest. Asked why tribal elders their community," he said. He said that the home- were taking control of this "They point to examples An entire Vietnamese family, parents and land or out -station move- now, Fr. Dodson explained of social unrest, vandalism their five children, were baptised at the first ment in the NT offered that groupings according to and the like. Vietnamese lituigy'in WA celebrated last great promise for Aborigin- the design of missionaries Sunday at St Thomas' Church. Visiting cut across an ancient idenals-particularly as he knew "Whenever there's been Jesuit chaplain Father THU is pictured bapit best at Port Keats Mis- tity with a particular area some unrest in the comor piece of land. tising one of the PHAN children watched by sion. munity at Port Keats, the Fr. Dodson is adviser to "In this mission station, symbol that has been at- the godparents, John and Meida SEWARD. the Aboriginal community these people were reduced tacked has been a house or (See Pages 3 and 5) at Port Keats. to living under what I'd a vehicle. BISHOPS SPEAK OUT It is a community of see as the illusion that they P5 "It's been something that more than 1000 people were all the same," he said. didn't have any natural made up of four main triroots in the life of the bal groups. INDIVIDUALITY "It was thought that be- people but came from outELDERS' WISHES side. cause they were baptised, "These groups come from then their individuality had different geographical areas to be subordinated to some STRONG LEADERS to the mission," Fr. Dodgeneral Christian identity. son said. "This was impossible, EMERGE "From these groups and that suppression, volun"These things have somethere's been a fairly large tarily or otherwise, at Port movement of people back Keats has come to a head. how become a symbol of oppression and of a fair to their own country. "The people are no long- degree of powerlessness. "The tribes' elders want er prepared to deny their to reinforce their authority. own particular identity and "But the reclaiming of "They want their young their own particular spirit." land has brought to the people to be educated in very strong Often it was thought fore some their own particular lan- that the Aboriginal people leaders. guage and customs, learn were incapable of assuming "These men were always about their own country responsibility for the misSaint John of God Hospital, Kalgoorlie, will and the dreamings of that sion and its life, Fr. Dod- there and were capable of the kind of leadership they 'ose its Commonwealth certificate of approval place. son said. are now giving to their an October 31 and the Sisters will end 82 years groups. of nursing service to the Goldfields.
-
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"That was denied simply The future of the buildShe said that the Combecause of the adherence .ngs and the four acre -site monwealth Department of by Government add mission on Marittina St, is under dis- Health had advised that the people to a structure o: zussion; part of the facili- way was open to register operations that was deemec ties may be offered to the the present hospital as a by them the best thing for State Department of Health nursing home. Aboriginal people. -Ind part may be taken over The Sisters had decided by the Archdiocese of against this step because the Perth for !parish use. Little Sisters of the Poor MISTAKES, BUT . . . "By changing that struc. Aboriginal people have emerged who can make decisions on what they want. Sure,
Archbikilatip. Goody and already conducted a home Sister MOiha Forde, pro- for the aged in Kalgoorlie vincial snaggior, held dis- add- another similar institucussions 1411PICalgoorlie last tion would only duplicate their work, Sister Martha week.
said.
The withdrawal of ComAlso, the Sisters of Saint monwealth support comes John of God lacked the perunder the .terms of the Nasonnel and resources that tional Health Act and is the would be needed to convert result of a steady decline over the years in the num- the hospital into a nursing home. "They're not the sort of ber of acute medical and "If we had twenty Sismistakes made by someone surgical cases being handled ters to staff the hospital, as you've given a job to de_ at the hospital. in the old days, it might be and they haven't been able Sister Martha said that a different question, but toto do it." currently the hospital was day we just do not have almost completely devoted th,. numbers," Sister Martha By MICHAEL KELL\ to caring for elderly pa- said. in "The Southern Cross.' tients, (St Jais's story, P2) "Obviously there arc mistakes being made. "But they're mistakes by Aborigines about what they have tried to work out.
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