Chapter 83

Sean was in when I got to the Gilbert + Tobin Center. I mentioned that I'd been reading about Land Title and he asked whether I'd spoken to Leon Terrill. I said "no," and he pointed out that Terrill'd been a Ph.D. student of his a few years ago and was now on faculty. He found a printout of Terrill's dissertation and said it had to be returned.

"Of course. Can I talk to you about something else?"

"Sure."

"I've been talking to Craig."

"Yes?"

"He's meeting with me on Friday at the Aboriginal Council in Parramatta."

"Has he gotten you involved in one of his hare-brained schemes?"

"'Hare-brained schemes'?"

"He's got a bunch of ideas concerning greater powers for the Councils through strange readings of various Acts. At one point he tried to get several Bands to file with the UN Human Rights Council as 'minority rights, as applying to ethnic, religious or linguistic minorities and indigenous peoples, are an integral part of international human rights law.' He might be right, but it's not the right way to do things."

"Why not?"

"We're a young country. We need to go slowly where change is involved. Look how shocking the responses to the boat-people are."

"But to the Aborigines, we're the boat people. We only began to come here in 1788 and then declared the place uninhabited. No one seems to mention that what was done in Tasmania was actually genocide. In the real, post-1945 definition. The one in the UN Convention on Genocide."

"But you can't apply that to acts prior to its establishment. Things like the Act of 1976 and the subsequent bills and rulings are real attempts at ameliorating that situation."

"Can't go back? Then why call the 1915 Ottoman-Armenian deaths genocide? Are the Acts ameliorative? What of the thousands of lost children? What of the further taking of real property that was held in fee simple?"

"I've no good answers. I think we're trying to be good guys. But it's not that simple."

"I'm not sure. How many millions were forcibly moved between 1947 and '49 in what was India when it was divided? And again when East Pakistan separated in 1971? And from what I've read, the Dominion of Canada still pushes the First Peoples about. We Europeans have little to be proud of. It might be interesting to see what the UNHRC would say. I note the big oppressors – China, Russia, the States – haven't signed up. They want to pick on the little guys, African and Asian countries, but not be subject to the same rules."

"True. The 'rule of law' is far from universal."

"Yes. As Orwell would have said, 'Some countries are more equal than others'."

"Well, you look through the mss. that've come in and need evaluation; and look at that thesis. We'll talk again next time you're here."

"Right. Thank you for being tolerant."

"S'OK. You needed to vent some steam."

I hadn't gotten an opinion on becoming a lawyer. Or had I? He thought that Craig had a lot of off-beat notions. He felt that slow easing was better than rocking the boat. I guess I did know what he'd suggest: I'd be off to the College of Law in the New Year.

Neither of the submissions proved worthwhile; the dissertation was interesting, but not important to me.

I bought some prawns and vegs on the way home. I'd let Rachel do the culinary work. I was re-reading Upfield's Mr. Jelly's Business (after all, isn't the hangman part of the judiciary?) when she came in.

"Hi! I decided you're right, so I shopped on the way home." I burst out laughing.

"What did I do?"

"We're right out of an O. Henry short story. I shopped, too."

"What did you buy?"

"Prawns and vegs. You?"

"Just vegs and rice. I'll sort through the vegs, clean the shrimp and steam some rice. Some of the vegs'll keep till tomorrow."