http://www.crikey.com.au/2008/10/20/nt-intervention-victims-of-avoidable-tragedies/ now with extra source Sun, 22 Nov 2009 08:49:16 +1100 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 http://www.crikey.com.au/2008/10/20/nt-intervention-victims-of-avoidable-tragedies/#comment-3387 Jenny McFarland Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000 #comment-3387 The NTER has indeed created chaos in remote communities. The value of having Aboriginal people who are prepared to be cultural brokers for Police and other outsiders cannot be underestimated. However, this role is a stressful one, as too close a relationship with Police (or bureau professionals and politicians with their own organisational axes to grind) will lead to mistrust of the broker from family and community. The risk is that they will be perceived as being "colonised" by Police and others - Police in particular have a long and inglorious history of brutal and repressive relationships with Aboriginal people. Many of the Police in remote communities are not there for long enough to even begin to gain the trust of the locals - 3 to 6 months for some of the Federal Police. <br /> The NTER has indeed created chaos in remote communities. The value of having Aboriginal people who are prepared to be cultural brokers for Police and other outsiders cannot be underestimated. However, this role is a stressful one, as too close a relationship with Police (or bureau professionals and politicians with their own organisational axes to grind) will lead to mistrust of the broker from family and community. The risk is that they will be perceived as being “colonised” by Police and others - Police in particular have a long and inglorious history of brutal and repressive relationships with Aboriginal people. Many of the Police in remote communities are not there for long enough to even begin to gain the trust of the locals - 3 to 6 months for some of the Federal Police.

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