Humbug (Aboriginal)
Encyclopedia
Humbug is a term applied to various forms of begging and domestic violence in rural and remote Aboriginal communities in the Northern Territory
, Australia
. The term refers primarily to the practice of demanding money from relatives, often violently. A report in The Australian
described the practice as a regular occurrence, "deeply ingrained in Aboriginal communities".
Humbugging typically takes the form of demands for cash, with wives and the elderly being particular targets. The problem is particularly acute in communities where residents receive money from mining royalties, tourism revenue and artwork sales – prominent victims include artists Emily Kngwarreye
and Albert Namatjira
. Even victim's crime compensation can be humbugged, in some cases by the criminals themselves.
character Ebenezer Scrooge
"Bah! Humbug!"
was designed in part to protect children from the impact of humbugging. Announcing the policy, Prime Minister John Howard
gave an example of the problem from the town of Wadeye
:
The changes, however, raised concerns that humbugging would increase. Central to the government's intervention was a plan to quarantine welfare payments to parents who neglected their children. Old-age pensioners in Aboriginal communities predicted that relatives whose benefits had been cut in this way would demand more money from them.
Northern Territory
The Northern Territory is a federal territory of Australia, occupying much of the centre of the mainland continent, as well as the central northern regions...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. The term refers primarily to the practice of demanding money from relatives, often violently. A report in The Australian
The Australian
The Australian is a broadsheet newspaper published in Australia from Monday to Saturday each week since 14 July 1964. The editor in chief is Chris Mitchell, the editor is Clive Mathieson and the 'editor-at-large' is Paul Kelly....
described the practice as a regular occurrence, "deeply ingrained in Aboriginal communities".
Humbugging typically takes the form of demands for cash, with wives and the elderly being particular targets. The problem is particularly acute in communities where residents receive money from mining royalties, tourism revenue and artwork sales – prominent victims include artists Emily Kngwarreye
Emily Kngwarreye
Emily Kame Kngwarreye was an Australian Aboriginal artist from the Utopia community in the Northern Territory. She is one of the most prominent and successful artists in the history of contemporary Indigenous Australian art.-Life:Born in 1910, Kngwarreye did not take up painting seriously until...
and Albert Namatjira
Albert Namatjira
Albert Namatjira , born Elea Namatjira, was an Australian artist. He was a Western Arrernte man, an Indigenous Australian of the Western MacDonnell Ranges area...
. Even victim's crime compensation can be humbugged, in some cases by the criminals themselves.
Origin
The term, vaguely referencing a person who is "stingy", is likely to have been derived from the quote of the Charles DickensCharles Dickens
Charles John Huffam Dickens was an English novelist, generally considered the greatest of the Victorian period. Dickens enjoyed a wider popularity and fame than had any previous author during his lifetime, and he remains popular, having been responsible for some of English literature's most iconic...
character Ebenezer Scrooge
Ebenezer Scrooge
Ebenezer Scrooge is the principal character in Charles Dickens's 1843 novel, A Christmas Carol. At the beginning of the novel, Scrooge is a cold-hearted, tight-fisted and greedy man, who despises Christmas and all things which give people happiness...
"Bah! Humbug!"
2007 intervention
The Australian Government's 2007 Northern Territory National Emergency ResponseNorthern Territory National Emergency Response
The Northern Territory National Emergency Response was a package of changes to welfare provision, law enforcement, land tenure and other measures, introduced by the Australian federal government under John Howard in 2007 to address claims of rampant child sexual abuse and neglect in Northern...
was designed in part to protect children from the impact of humbugging. Announcing the policy, Prime Minister John Howard
John Howard
John Winston Howard AC, SSI, was the 25th Prime Minister of Australia, from 11 March 1996 to 3 December 2007. He was the second-longest serving Australian Prime Minister after Sir Robert Menzies....
gave an example of the problem from the town of Wadeye
Wadeye, Northern Territory
Wadeye is a town in Australia's Northern Territory.Wadeye was formerly known as Port Keats. The town is remote, situated on the western edge of the Daly River Reserve more than 200 km south west of Darwin, with road access being cut off by flooding during the wet season. Year round access is via...
:
"A responsible carer for her grandchild faces intimidation and threats of violence from intoxicated young men if she does not go to an automated teller and hand over money."
The changes, however, raised concerns that humbugging would increase. Central to the government's intervention was a plan to quarantine welfare payments to parents who neglected their children. Old-age pensioners in Aboriginal communities predicted that relatives whose benefits had been cut in this way would demand more money from them.