Indigenous "leaders" should care about the community and not their own agenda

Don't you dare share that news article, or else...

It's important for our community to be able to debate openly and respectfully about any concerns they may have. The idea that the community members should not speak up and voice their concerns in fear of verbal or physical abuse is absolutely absurd.

I've seen a lot in my life but I'm never more than puzzled by some people's ability to abuse power for their own benefit. It is not that these "leaders" are actually powerful, it is just that they're good at manipulating others who are weaker and more vulnerable.

They'll play the bully to the weak and be the victim when needed to push their own agenda.

I've personally heard stories from a CEO of a Local Aboriginal Land Council (LALC) that physical threats after meetings were normal, and one about a board member of another LALC who supposedly defrauded a First Nations (FN) community organisation by tens of thousands (but was never charged) reportedly said that she would burn down the LALC if a potential CEO candidate she didn't like got the job.

Today, I shared an article about a man who allegedly stole $2 million from the Indigenous organisations he was in charge of. I didn't do it because I hated this person (I've never met them before or know them personally), it was just because fraud and people terrorising or ripping off their own community is a growing concern.

But soon after I had shared the article on social media, family members of the person in question contacted me via personal message asking why I would do that, playing the victim card and questioning my motives.

It is hard to say for sure what these family members were trying to do. I can't read their minds, but it could have been that they were trying to intimidate me because they thought it might destroy their reputation.

Nevertheless, I believe that articles on this topic are contributing to the best interests of FN communities, despite the backlash from some individuals/families.

I found it strange that the tone of the messages on LinkedIn and Twitter seemed to blame me for the situation and article. I can't help but feel a sense of responsibility for the article and their negative reactions, even though I didn't write it.

What is potentially more concerning about some people in communities who work on controlling the majority through their "power" is, what if I actually lived in the same community as them? Instead of personal messages, would they be knocking at my door and carrying on about me sharing the article?

It's not a coincidence that violence is prevalent in many communities and as a result, there are high rates of non-disclosure. When people are afraid to speak up about the crime they witness, it sends the message that we don't care about you.

FN communities face a number of challenges from colonisation, but the violence they experience as well as the reluctance to discuss it is something that needs to be addressed. The small minority of people who are terrorising their own communities should be kicked out to fend for themselves....

If you're not contributing positively to your community, then you shouldn't be a part of it.

Anyways, I shared this article because it seemed relevant to the topic of discussion and it is not my intention to hurt or offend anyone.

I'm not trying to push an agenda but instead, share content that I feel is worth sharing. I have also blocked out the names of people who are involved in the private messages for privacy reasons... the point of sharing that article or writing this one is not to name and shame.

I am in a unique position to share these stories and personal experiences because I care deeply about the work we're doing for FN entrepreneurship and decolonising FN economies. Many FN communities are experiencing these problems and want to share this with you more than ever because they need our support.

First Nations Economic Summit - how can we decolonise FN economies?