A blanket a year

Abstract

Land rights, perhaps the best known of Aboriginal grievances, is bitterly expressed in 'All they give us now for our land is a blanket once a year'. Yet, as Broom and Jones show in this book, the Aborigines are disadvantaged in every way. No one knows who are Aborigines, how many there are, what jobs they hold, what education they have received. Yet, until this extraordinary ignorance is rectified, there is no basis for planning vital improvements. The authors stress the urgent need for public authorities to gather information on Aboriginal health, housing, employment, and education. Without this information no attempt to overcome the gross inequalities can hope to succeed. A Blanket a Year offers constructive professional help. It is vital reading for politicians, administrators, social workers, educationists, and for all fair-minded Australians.