Eye witness

Australian prime minister John Howard's refusal to apologise to the indigenous community for injustices caused during more than 200 years of white occupation has triggered demands from academic and student groups for all politicians to support the move for reconciliation. Despite calls by indigenous leaders, community groups and most daily broadsheets, the prime minister will not say "sorry". He has also rejected proposals by the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission for a treaty between black and white Australians and was, predictably, absent from last Sunday's reconciliation march.

Melbourne University historian Janet MacCalman described the march as a defining moment in "the Australian story". But she added that reconciliation had to amount to more than "throwing a lovely party for the 'natives', then sending them back to their humpies on the river bank", as white Australia had been doing for so long.

National Tertiary Education Union president Carolyn Allport said the union was "profoundly disappointed" at Mr Howard's refusal to recognise the importance of the journey of reconciliation. Mr Howard should "wholeheartedly" support a declaration prepared by the National Council for Reconciliation, which was established by a Labor government ten years ago, Dr Allport said.

The Council of Australian Postgraduate Associations said universities would have to change their culture before indigenous students were enrolled in postgraduate studies in at least the same numbers as their proportion in the general population.

Council president Bradley Smith said postgraduate education and research should be about the pursuit of truth and understanding. But he said that this would not be achieved until more indigenous students were undertaking postgraduate work.

"For this to occur, universities will need to change their culture to be inclusive of indigenous students," Mr Smith said. "As well as cultural awareness, more financial support is needed at all levels of education if indigenous people are not to remain under-represented at the postgraduate level."

Geoff Maslen