Greensy Grumblings

NAIDOC week is upon us again, how quickly time flies.

NAIDOC week stands for National Aboriginal and Islander Day of Commemoration.
Yes I know it says 'day' but it was expanded to cover the whole week.

A couple of sites for you to check out:
www.naidoc.org.au
www.ncca.org.au/natsiec/miph (make indigenous poverty history website)

As we come again to this important day on the Christian calendar (the founder of NAIDOC week was an ordained Churches of Christ minister from Melbourne), I am reminded yet again of how little I know about Indigenous Australians.

I can name a handful of Aboriginal nations (including my local one).
I can point out some famous Aboriginals.
I can tell you a couple of things about Aboriginal culture.

But on the whole, I could tell you more about the Japanese, Germans, Americans and Indians than I could tell you about the Indigenous people of my own country.

What does that say about how we as a country have treated our indigenous people.
And that isn't even talking about living conditions, health and education outcomes, government policy or the little problems of native title, reconciliation and the fact that my forefathers took their forefathers land.

So my challenge for this NAIDOC week, and I put this to all those people who read my blog (all 2 of you, HI MUM!), is to find out at least 5 new things about our indigenous brothers and sisters this week.

What would Jesus do?