Creating Aborigines in our own image

A recent article published in the Australian entitled “Black and white lies” written by William J. Lines represents an emerging new attitude by some non-Aboriginal environmentalists about this continents history, in particularly the traditional role of Aboriginal people as managers and custodians of land.

Lines claims that notions of Aboriginal ecological sustainability are myths generated by non-Aboriginal environmentalists.

Here is Lines' article, an excerpt from his book published in the Australian (national newspaper)
"Black and White Lies"

He says “Conservationists trapped in wishful thinking about the wisdom of the elders and disdainful of dissent cannot see the truth: there are no models, no templates for living sustainably on this continent or on this planet. We're on our own and must make our own way.” and “The myth of the ecological Aborigine elevated Aborigines to positions of moral and spiritual superiority and disparaged people of non-Aboriginal background. They would never belong in Australia. Their ancestry rendered them incapable of acquiring a sense of connection.”

here is my response
Creating Aborigines on out own image

"It will only be through transcending colonial notions of ecological "preservation" to indigenous notions of active "engagement" with the environment that Australia as a whole can begin to deal with our current ecological disasters."

here is a response written by Andrew Bartlett
A response to "Black and White Lies"

Bartlett says "It is bad enough that some neoconservative ideologues want to deny all
unpleasant aspects of the recent history of white Australia towards
Aboriginal people, but now they also appear to be wanting to white-out
the history of Indigenous people from before colonisation as well."