ENOUGH!

People say, that as an indigenous people, we are naïve and gullible. This isn’t true. On Pitcairn Island we were taught the golden rules of peaceful living: Our laws ensured we respected each another and were fair in our dealings.

To this end, we treat others as we would like to be treated. It has long been touted by the mental profession that we see others through our own eyes. When you have lived in a community, that has survived over 150 years living a certain way, you expect others to have a certain calibre of personality or integrity.

It is not us that are naïve or trusting. It is those around us who are hard, deceitful and conniving that are the ones who are in the wrong.

I’m not saying that we have never lied to one another, or ‘relocated’ something that didn’t belong to us, but the majority of us haven’t made a lifelong career of wrong doing or cheating people out of what is rightfully theirs.

There are those who say we accept all that is being taken from us and all the changes that are being forced upon us because we haven’t had an ‘uprising’. No one has been hurt (unless it’s their feelings), there have been no violent protests, gunshots or fires.

Since our arrival in 1856, we have lived relatively peacefully, minding our own business and doing what was right for our island home. When it was decided to take over Norfolk Island in 2016 (although we all know it happened long before then), politicians and consultants often said how beautiful it is here. WE MADE IT LIKE THAT! We looked after every aspect, from the environment to the people and buildings that are a part of it. Sure, we made mistakes and it wasn’t perfect, but we didn’t focus so much on the money we could make, that we forgot we live on a finite fragile island in the middle of the pacific!

All the hard work of those who went before us is being undone. There is litter everywhere. The rubbish created by a larger population than our island can handle is out of control and visible from any plane that arrives bringing guests and residents. Our infrastructure cannot cope. We are currently pushing s*** uphill when the upgrade that we really need isn’t being attended to. How long do you think we can offload waste into the ocean before our waters no longer remain pristine and bacteria free? Precious water is being sold to people so they can water their lawns or clean their driveways. What happens when those bores reach salt water and we have nothing to call upon for drinking, cooking or bathing?

Where is the big picture thinking?!

On a humanitarian note, some, not all, people move here and do not connect with the community at all. Some are here to die, some to retire and some for time in their holiday home. We have out-of-control youth. It used to be that if your parents didn’t care about what you did to yourself or others, someone else in the community would remind you to behave yourself and make amends. Now we rely on a police force that has limited resources.

So, when you tell me that Norfolk Islanders shouldn’t have a say, that they didn’t have a clue about how to live without the help of others, let me tell you. We spent 160 years making Norfolk Island the most awesome place to visit, to live sustainably, to bring up children and be aware of our fragile environment….and all you have to do is see, really see, the damage that has been incurred over the last eight years.

To expect us to suddenly become violent or savage is like expecting Santa Claus to switch to an electric sleigh instead of using environmentally friendly reindeer. We are angry, we are hurt, and we are devastated that our culture, our heritage and even our indigenous recognition is being eroded by those who refuse to acknowledge who we are, why we are here and where we came from. We have had enough, and although you can’t see us fighting on the streets, you can be assured that we are doing our utmost best in the background, in our own unique way, to help our island and community.

Wi nortsa dun yet!