Unlike you and your 13 month stint I was born in the community lived in the community for 18 years my father lived there for 30, my mother 19, my Aunty 15, my brother 25 with his aboriginal wife, and his 6 children that were all born and raised in Maningrida. 13 Months is barely enough time to understand the surface of human interaction in such a complex place, skin name, bush name, identity, culture, language groups and so much more is fundamentally lost on you and your brief glimpse into this beautiful and unique part of Indigenous Australia.

As for your impression of Reggie and your opinion of his ‘Rights’ to Maningrida, you are correct in saying he is a senior land owner for the community but there are also other senior land owners in the community that are doing good unlike Reggie that spends this time dealing Dope to his own people and flying to Darwin with the profits.

“Millions of community money missing, Aboriginal enterprise thwarted at every turn” – This comment makes my blood boil for the following reasons.
The Jet Aboriginal Educational and Training Center
Maningrida Arts and Culture
The Maningrida Womens Center
The BAC Tucker Run (Supplying food and goods to outstations)
The BAC Mechanics workshop (Which trains and provides employment to aboriginal people)
The Good Food Kitchen (Promoting healthy options to indigenous people)
The Aged Care Facility
The Maningrida Mud Brick Factory
The Maningrida Swimming Pool Project
Maningrida Builders
Maningrida Rangers & Ranger Station

All of the above projects and so many more were developed over the time that David Bond and Ian Munro were at Maningrida. I applaud them for their dedication as do so many indigenous people with whom they shared their lives.

Lucy V Bond
On behalf of all the hard work done by indigenous and non-indigenous people in the 30 Years with David Bond.

[Imported from aidhoss.wordpress.com]