ABSTRACT

What becomes clear in Gail Kiernan s contribution to our learning is the actual and painful effect of racism directed toward indigenous people. Although Gail’s dream for a place where both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people can meet, share stories, and learn Aboriginal languages and cultures is rich with hope and passion, she described her dream with a guarded optimism. Like Darrell Kipp, Gail is also enraged by the effects of colonialism and racial division on generations of Native people. She acknowledges that in Australia, current governing attitudes are still oppressive toward Aborigines, and that this attitude builds political barriers that make work toward social justice diffi cult. The long-lasting effect of this oppression has enforced the colonial mindset of disempowerment and hopelessness. Many elders, Gail observes, evidence this in their negative reactions to their political activism by Aboriginal individuals and groups. It is because of the long-term effects of the colonial mindset, Gail asserts, that Native leaders must work diligently to create more just social climates and to move Aboriginal people toward sovereign action.