as small as a world and as large as alone

1:01am June 17, 2014

black-australia:

In this video, Iggy Azalea is interviewed by The Citizens of Sway in the Morning. She talks about how Aboriginal peoples are treated and I have got to say that I am blown away by her ignorance. 

When asked by the interviewer how Aboriginal peoples are treated - she goes to explain that Aboriginal peoples believe that they shouldn’t live in a “confined space”, so they destroy the houses the government has built for them to then sleep under the stars because “that’s how they live” (mind you, housing projects are a rare occurrence and are hardly ever delivered). If she did her research instead of relying completely on what she thinks she knows, she would’ve discovered the real reasons behind poor housing in Indigenous communities. Her comments erase any kind of urban identity that Indigenous peoples have. I’m a little grossed out by the interviewer’s use of outdated and offensive terminology, too

In Walter Kerinauia’s words, from this article which talks about the failure of Indigenous housing in the Northern Territory: “All I want to see is a new house,” Kerinauia says. “I would be happy and proud. People here want proper houses to live in. They don’t want overcrowding. If the young people get a new house, they won’t do anything like suicide any more. When they know they are getting a house, they’re going to be really proud, and they’ll look after it. I don’t want to live in this old house any more.” This is a clear indication that proper housing is wanted and desperately needed, but the government is not aiding in this issue. 

There are many reasons as to why there is poor housing in remote Indigenous communities… 

• Severe overcrowding where diseases then spread fast as a result. The average number of people living in houses on Palm Island (one of Australia’s biggest Aboriginal communities) is 17 people
• Aboriginal peoples are semi-nomadic, so it just doesn’t for those who are connected strongly to their culture to live in a house for the rest of their life. 
• Domestic violence, drugs and alcohol plays a big part 
• Empty promises and  by the government (the housing is never built, even after months of discussions and planning)
• Fractured families and lack of vital life skills as a result of the Stolen Generations
• The aftermath of the Northern Territory Intervention 
• Many Aboriginal peoples have a cultural obligation to take care of and take in anyone who isn’t sleeping in a house. This is then used against them in conjunction with overcrowding to justify the eviction of tenants. The whole cycle then repeats itself WITHOUT the implication of proper housing
• Materials from the houses are sometimes burnt in an attempt to be warm in the cooler months as the structures are so old that the facilities simply don’t work
• The houses are falling apart due to neglect and their old age
• Builders failing Aboriginal housing. They don’t do their job correctly either because they are under-qualified, use solutions that don’t work according to the climate in different areas or because they’re just lazy and they don’t care

I will not accept statements saying we’re feral/uncivilized/stuck in the old ways and that we need to try harder or integrate with white society. Our problems are the white man and the government’s doing, not our doing. Because of this, we have been deprived of equality and a fair go in many areas in the past. We still are today, so let’s start talking about real solutions.

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