Palm island is one of the worst legacies of indigenous dispossession in Australia. I reviewed Chloe Hooper’s award winning book The Tall Man earlier this year. It is the account of the 2004 death-in-police-custody on Palm Island of Cameron Doomadgee and the trial of Senior Sergeant Christopher Hurley.

The background to this tragic story is very bleak:

• the appalling treatment of indigenous people in Queensland by settlers, government and police;
• the forced relocation of the unwanted and ‘undesirables’ to Palm Island’s virtual prison;
• the continuing consequences of the stolen generations and separated families;
• the culture of apathy and denial within the police, forensic pathologists and the justice system;
• the code of coverup;
• the ‘them and us’ attitudes of some in the Deep North towards their Southern cousins;
• the legacy of Christian missions on indigenous beliefs and values;
• the sorry state of reconciliation in parts of Australia.
  The Tall Man Story Continues

A couple of other recent stories about Palm Island may help with an understanding of the issues many aboriginal and islander communities face today.

The media is awash with articles about the current Australian Federal election called by the new Prime Minister Julia Gillard. Sadly very few concern indigenous policies and programs. Palm Island, however, is getting more than the usual attention from politicians because the local electorate may change hands. Despite lots of promises there is cynicism amongst the locals:

“Because we're out of sight we're forgotten. Then Gillard gets up and says let's have an election and we're bombarded. So the mayor and council and community people like myself take the time to get into their ears and tell them what is best for Palm, but somebody has got to stand up and have some guts and wave the indigenous support flag and say we're going to do it this way for the Aboriginal people of Palm Island.

"And who's got guts? I'm thinking, who am I going to vote for? Will I vote?"
All eyes on island tides

On a more optimistic note, Sydney 2000 Olympic gold medallist Catherine Freeman, is someone trying to make a difference. Palm, her mother’s birthplace, is the initial focus for her Catherine Freeman Foundation. It has several projects including:

• Non Truancy Project
• After School Activity Program
• Education Scholarships
• Educational and Aspiration Tours

Catherine Freeman's new goal is a video presentation about her literacy program for early childhood: 

Another small but inspiring step!