Aboriginals still face ‘issues of the past’

By Melissa Donchi
TO BE an Aboriginal person is to be marginalised in some way, a new report into the Aboriginal community in Healesville has revealed.
While the recent spotlight has been on the crisis in Aboriginal communities in northern Australia, the report suggests the problems could be much closer to home.
Troubles Shared, Troubles Halved was written by former Healesville resident and University of Melbourne student Daniel Shuurman as part of his parliamentary internship with Evelyn MP Christine Fyffe.
It covers issues as diverse as health, housing, employment and even racism.
“I think it just highlights the fact that while some things have changed there really needs to be more continuity and support for Aboriginal people,” Ms Fyffe said.
“This report provides an insight into the full extent of these problems and provides optimism of a better future if a sincere bipartisan approach is taken.”
Ngurungaeta (headman) Wurundjeri, Murrindindi says many of the problems Aboriginals face today are a direct result of how they were treated in the past.
“Aboriginals today have difficulty with reading or writing and it’s passed down through generation to generation,” Murrindindi said. “They’ve been kicked and pushed around for so many years.”
Murrindindi said a lack of opportunity and inadequate funding has only worked to exacerbate the problem.
“We need more funding for education so we can employ some male elders to teach Aboriginal children their culture and give them motivation,” Murrindindi said.
“We also need more transport options so the young people are not so isolated.”
Ms Fyffe said the report provided a non-political insight into the current situation and difficulties faced by the local indigenous community.
“There are real ways in which the community could benefit from localised projects run by respected individuals,” Ms Fyffe said.
“So long as they are given a program sufficiently funded for enough time so that positive results can come to fruition.”