Working as an Indigenous rights activist in an organisation like ANTaR can be very rewarding and inspiring, particularly during times like the parliamentary apology in February 2008, or the COAG commitment to fund Indigenous health in November 2008.

However, sometimes our work can also make us weary, particularly when we think about the large amount of work still to be done to achieve social justice for Indigenous Australians. The worst reminder of this struggle is reading ignorant tirades that are often sent to ANTaR or posted in public forums (i.e. websites like the ABC or Fairfax). These rants serve as a reminder that 10% of Australians are actively racist.

Speak up to stop racism in Australia

Help us eradicate racism in Australia by speaking up when you hear or read a racist remark on news sites, Facebook or MySpace, or any other forums or blogs you visit. Staying silent may be interpreted as implied approval of discrimination. Make a commitment to speaking up against racism: sign the pledge.

When you speak up, follow the basic rules on speaking up. It’s important not to start a rant of your own, but stay positive and tell the offender that what they say is unacceptable and ill-informed.

You might also like to be proactive and put a sticker on your profile page or website that declares it is racism-free.

Here’s four lies we’ve read recently about Indigenous people. This is a guide about how you might speak up when you hear or read these again:

Lie 1: Dispel the lie that Indigenous people rely on special handouts

Dispel the lie that Indigenous people rely on special handouts (i.e. calling for no "special" handouts like Abstudy). In fact, many Indigenous Australians need additional government support to ensure they are not further disadvantaged.

We’ve heard: "I'm all for the rights of Indigenous people, so long as they are equal and not special rights."

You could speak up with: " 'Equal' rights do not create equality. You need to consider where people are starting from. Many Indigenous Australians are still very disadvantaged in the area of [education / housing / health / etc.]. As such, they need the kind of additional support designed to give them (and other disadvantaged people) the same level [of education / housing / health / etc.] as the majority of Australians."

Indigenous people are entitled to more government support because they are more disadvantaged than most other Australians. The way they are supported should reflect their level of disadvantage so the quality of their housing, education and health will improve to the level of other Australians. They have been neglected by the government for a long time, so now it's catch-up time!

To understand more, read the article 'Equal' treatment can be inequitable recently published in The Canberra Times.

Lie 2: Dispel the lie that the past should be forgotten

Dispel the lie that the past should be forgotten and we should only look to the future. In fact, past injustices against indigenous Australians should never be forgotten.

We've heard: "Every time the Indigenous people choose to focus on the past, rather then move on, this will only make the problem worse."

You could speak up with: "I disagree – in fact 'moving on' without acknowledgment of the past will make matters worse. It will block the healing process that many Indigenous families and individuals need and prevent us as a nation from understanding and accepting responsibility for past injustices."

"Move on" as quoted above implies that Indigenous people can simply forget about the injustices of the past and focus on a positive future. However, Indigenous people will not heal until past injustices have been acknowledged. Comments like this can further exacerbate their pain.

The recognition of past injustices and atrocities is a crucial pre-requisite to future peace and progress. This principle is now accepted in international law. The key precedent was set by South Africa. Most people would agree that apartheid in South Africa was a terrible and oppressive system of racially-based discrimination. A key way in which South Africa was able to move forward as a nation, was by acknowledging the past. In Australia, despite the fact that Aboriginal people had suffered much discrimination and many atrocities (such as dispossession and removal from their traditional lands, racially-discriminatory treatment, labour exploitation and the forcible removal of children as recently as the 1970s), there has been no equivalent process established to address past suffering.

In addition, it’s important to remember that for 220+ years Indigenous people have endured whitefella government that has often focused on assimilation rather than respect for Indigenous culture. Considering this, some Indigenous people will find it difficult to imagine a future that is respectful of their culture. You can help individuals overcome this by becoming an ally, celebrating Indigenous culture, and speaking up against injustice.

Lie 3: Dispel the lie that Indigenous people will never be satisfied

Dispel the lie that Indigenous people will never be satisfied. In fact, reconciliation is a long-term commitment.

We've heard: "The PM already apologised for something most of us had nothing to do with. When will it all end?"

There are at least two possible responses to this. One response is to clarify that the apology was to the Stolen Generations, not to all Indigenous people. Another is to ask how we could expect that the apology would magically fix 220+ years of injustice.

You could speak up with: "The PM apologised to the Stolen Generations for forced removal of children from their parents, not to the entire Indigenous nations for all the injustices that have been done against them over the past 220+ years. Forced removal of Aboriginal children was still going on during the 1970s so if you're young you may not be implicated in those acts, but your parents or grandparents voted for governments who implemented the policies that removed children from their parents."

You could also speak up with: "I'm surprised you think an apology to the Stolen Generations will instantly fix over 200 years of injustice. The relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australia will take a while to fix before things are reconciled. You could help speed this process up a little by not spreading uninformed comments like these on the internet."

It's also important to clarify that this is a national responsibility and that nations, like companies, have to account for their actions. We read this excellent response to Lie #3 on the internet:

Think of the outcry if the board of James Hardie refused to apologise to asbestos victims because none of the current board members were serving at the time the asbestos mining took place. But James Hardie as an ongoing body was responsible for the workers having asbestos related diseases while they worked for the company.

Similarly, the Government is responsible for their participation in enacting laws and programs which took Aboriginal children from their families, and therefore the same body should apologise.

The relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australia won’t be solved in an afternoon. Many acts of reparation (such as the apology) will be needed to build trust and respect between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.

Think about it in terms of a soured relationship. If you haven’t spoken to a family member for many years due to a past altercation, it is difficult to repair that relationship by simply apologising and hoping everyone will be best mates and forget the past. Usually the way it works is a long process of discussions, listening and trying to understand each other, and further misunderstandings before you are both able to trust and respect each other again. On a larger scale, this is how reconciliation will work between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.

Lie 4: Dispel the lie that all Indigenous people expect hand-outs

Dispel the lie that Indigenous people are all the same in expecting hand-outs. In fact, like non-Indigenous people, Indigenous people are a diverse bunch. Many are highly motivated and achieve many things in life, while others do just enough to get by.

We've heard: "If Indigenous Australians showed a willingness to help themselves instead of playing the blame game then I'm sure the non-Indigenous people would be more receptive to their plight."

You could speak out with: "I don’t share your experience of Indigenous Australians, in fact I have seen many Indigenous Australians speak out for justice in a way that acknowledges the mistakes from both sides. They will be stronger if others join them, so why not get involved?"

Catherine Freeman (Olympic Games gold medalist), Tom Calma (Social Justice Commissioner), Mick Dodson (Australian of the Year 2009), Deborah Mailman (AFI Award-winning actress), and Eddie Mabo (successful activist) are some well-known examples of Indigenous Australians who have shown a willingness to "help themselves". There are many, many more less well-known but equally successful Indigenous Australians who have done great things for themselves, their community, and the nation.

Most people are also not aware that many Indigenous communities organise and manage many of their own services, including health services, substance misuse and community safety and wellbeing programs, community stores, employment programs etc. Many people participate on a purely volunteer basis.

Indigenous communities were also the first to have work-for-the-dole and the rate of work-for-the-dole and related programs remains much higher amongst Indigenous welfare recipients than non-Indigenous recipients.

The fact is that it is rare to hear an Indigenous person "play the blame game", which is quite different from constructive criticism aimed at creating positive social change. In fact, we urge you to speak up in solidarity with Indigenous people when you hear lies like these. When Indigenous people are supported by others their message is more likely to be heard.

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