Again, I want to thank you all for reading my blog. I will keep this one short.
As you may already know, I am currently in Fitzroy Crossing, a remote Aboriginal community in Western Australia. I finished up my semester at the University of Notre Dame Australia- Fremantle about two weeks ago. The semester went by super fast, but it felt like final exams would never end. Instead of heading back to Minnesota (which I miss very much), I decided to stay in Australia a little bit longer. Quite frankly, I want to make the most of my time here.
Fitzroy Crossing has a population of about 1,000 people. It is one of the larger communities in the area. It is about 60% Aboriginal and 40% "white fella (kartiya)". Without a doubt, Fitzroy is very different than Perth and Fremantle, let alone Minnesota. Quite the experience.
In 2007 (I believe) the government implemented alcohol restrictions in Fitzroy Crossing. There are no bottle shops (liquor stores) here, the two bars can only sell full-strength beer at certain times, etc. From what I have heard, such alcohol restrictions have proven beneficial in bettering the community. As a whole, alcoholism continues to be a problem for the Aboriginal population.
Nearly 80% of the Aboriginal population in Fitzroy Crossing is unemployed. I do not know the exact figure, but I do know it is pretty high unfortunately. Every other Thursday is known as "payday." This is when many of the people in Fitzroy Crossing receive their money from the government. First arriving in Fitzroy, I was told about "payday" and the environment during the day and night in Fitzroy. I was told many people are at the local bar, The Crossing Inn, on "payday."
Yesterday was "payday." Some "mates" and I decided to head to The Crossing Inn for a "cultural experience," as they put it. Walking into the bar around seven o'clock at night, we saw about 50 Aboriginal people at the bar having a good time. There were few "kartiya" people. I was not uncomfortable whatsoever. Actually, I loved it.
This is where I was shocked...
Talking with some of my "blackfella mates" (no, that is not a derogatory term here), I was approached by some random Aboriginal guy. Very nice man. We talked for about two or three minutes. It was pretty random how he just came up to me. No worries though.
At the Crossing Inn, there are a few different bars/places to order drinks. There is the bar located in the restaurant. Anyone can drink there. There is a "dodgy/sketchy" bar, where there is a cage between the bar and the general public. Anyone can drink there. And then there is a separate small room area with a little bar. Two pools tables and one juke box. That is all. Nothing special whosoever.
Anyways, the random Aboriginal man, Jason, asked me "Hey can me and you go into that room?" referring to the small room with pool tables. I replied "Um... yeah, sure that's cool I guess." Confused why he wanted me to go with him, I reluctantly walked into the small room with my new "friend." Once in there, he kept reiterating "You are with me. I am with you. Do not leave me." Looking about the small room, I noticed mostly "white fellas" with a few "black fellas." After about 15 minutes in the small bar, I said to Jason "Hey man, I am going to head back with the rest of my friends. You will be alright." I was confused.
Socializing with one of my friends, Jonas (a very neat Aboriginal guy), he asked me "Hey Tony, can you bring me into that bar?" again, referring to the small room with two pools tables and juke box. Not knowing what exactly was going on, I had to talk with the "white fellas" I was with. I had to figure out what was going on. A very sketchy situation.
Talking with Scott, Ewan, and Cobey, three of my "mates," they shed some light on the whole situation. Apparently, to my complete surprise, the small room with pools tables and juke box is known as the "member's bar." From my standards, by no means was that a "member's bar." In order to go to the member's bar, pretty much you have to either have a job, be a white person, or pay a stupid/expensive "member's fee." Quite frankly, since not many of the Aboriginal people have jobs, this "member's bar" is used to discriminate against the Aboriginal people. Absolutely sickening.
There is pretty much no formal rule of the "member's bar." People just know. They know who belongs. They know who does not belong. You don't talk about it. You just know. I was allowed into the bar because I was white. It would be very strange for a "blackfella" to go into the bar.
Once I heard about this and saw this, I was absolutely sickened. Do we not live in the 21st century? Is Australia not a Western Society?
