8 May 2012

Acronym proliferation as ACTATSIEB elections meet NAIDOC week.

| johnboy
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NAIDOC week is a week to celebrate the National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee.

Yes, indigenous affairs has come to the pass where we have a week to honour a committee set up to observe a day.

The right-on indigenous Labor Minister Chris Bourke has today announced that the ACT Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elected Body is going to have its next elections during NAIDOC week 2014.

We hope that once the tide of warm fuzzies subsides some good outcomes for the indigenous community will result.

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johnboy said :

deadtree media is very fond of empty gesture politics.

*double facepalm*

NAIDOC week is not empty gesture politics. Nor is it new – it’s been around for decades. Every government department and every government in Australia promotes and participates in it. That it is named (in your mind at least) in a way that doesn’t convey its significance to you doesn’t change the fact that it is both a big deal and a venerable one.

I will return to a single facepalm stance if your “empty gesture politics” line was about the ACT ATSIEB – I doubt there will be ACTATSIEB Weeks celebrated in every city and town of this country in 50 years time.

The participation of “Every government department and every government in Australia” for decades isn’t much of a repudiation.

*sigh* it is a sad day indeed when a news site, that prides itself on being ahead of the dead tree media, says of NAIDOC week, “Yes indigenous affairs has come to the pass where we have a week to honour a committee set up to observe a day”.

I was going to write a dissertation on the origins of NAIDOC and its importance in the struggle for Indigenous rights but will have to satisfy myself with *facepalm*

deadtree media is very fond of empty gesture politics.

pink little birdie3:05 pm 08 May 12

bitzermaloney said :

Since when was the Torres Strait Island in the ACT?

Surely it could be ACTAEB?

If they were to be truely PC, then it would be ACTIEB (ACT Indigenous Elected Body)

Most Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who live here are from other areas and had parents or themselves move here for the public service so Canberra has both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. (also it’s Islands there is more than one Island in the Torres Strait)

Indigenous is on it’s way out it’s going back to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people abbriviated as AaTSI

bitzermaloney2:36 pm 08 May 12

Since when was the Torres Strait Island in the ACT?

Surely it could be ACTAEB?

If they were to be truely PC, then it would be ACTIEB (ACT Indigenous Elected Body)

pink little birdie2:12 pm 08 May 12

sounds like a successful committee…

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