Indigenous Kava Use

Yirrkala elders in north-east Arnhem Land recently told a federal government scoping party to leave. They said they were sick of answering the same old questions, but never getting any straight answers themselves.

The Indigenous Affairs Minister Mal Brough's response to this was to describe the elders as living in a "fog of substance abuse". He elaborated that the substance in question was Kava. He later apologised, but it was a pretty weak apology - "if people have been offended by that I'm really disappointed if they are and I'm sorry if they are."

He went on to say that kava has "led to children being left without food, without parental supervision, not going to school." Then, "We can't run away from these things and I won't."

"We are not here to offend them, we are here to protect their children and improve lives and that's what we intend to do."

Kava certainly does not cause as many problems as alcohol and illegal drugs. It is cheaper than alcohol, and relaxes the users while allowing them to function normally. It certainly doesn't impede a person's judgement in the way he has suggested. The kava root and ceremony was introduced from Fiji, where it is used to promote goodwill and social cohesion. It is an analgesic, not a narcotic.

Questioning an invasive government presence in your community is not an irrational or drug induced behaviour. It is a valid and natural reaction to very disturbing developments in Australian Aboriginal policy.