Cheron Long is a full-blood Aboriginal, a rarity among those city ‘Aboriginals’ whose abusive voices fill the media. Having grown up in the same suburban social environment, many of them are indistinguishable from the ordinary white Australian. In striking contrast, full-blood Cheron Long grew up in an Aboriginal community in the Northern Territory. Below is her story on her Facebook page, Australian Black Conservative. No further comment is necessary because her story speaks for itself. Think of Cheron when you hear the ‘blak’ white or olive-tinged activists mouthing off during the election campaign about the undemocratic ‘voice in parliament’.
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My name is Cheron Long.
I grew up in a small community called Bulla in the Northern Territory. It is a place that I have very dark feelings for. I am the oldest child out of 6 children. My brother who’s 5 and 4 sisters 7, 10, 11 and my sister Meesha who turns 18 in a couple month time.
Because of the neglect from my family I have been the main carer for my brothers and sisters for a long time now.
I’ve got two children of my own as well. It’s been very hard raising them as well as my brother and sisters but they have no one else to watch over them and keep them safe.
There is alcohol fueled violence in our community every day, too much drunk fighting. It is not a safe or healthy environment for our kids. On any given day you can see and hear women getting assaulted by their partners. You can see kids walking around from house to house looking for food. The kids see the drunken parties, they see and hear the drunks walking around Bulla yelling abuse at people.
We have to live with an ‘Aboriginal rape culture’. Sexual abuse is accepted as normal in too many Aboriginal communities. When I have been interviewed by the media I have been told not to use these words because they demonize Aboriginal men. The media don’t want to hear the truth. But white feminists are allowed to say whatever they want. Why is it that Aboriginal women and children suffer the most but they won’t let us have our own voice when it comes to violence and sexual abuse in this country? Why won’t they let us tell our own story?
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