ABC NEWS ONLINE Monday, May 13, 2002.

A United States specialist visiting Darwin says indigenous people could get better quality health services if they signed a treaty with the Australian Government. Stephen Kunitz, from the University of Rochester, says treaties were introduced between the United States Government and different Indian tribes during the 18th and 19th centuries.

Professor Kunitz says it has helped US indigenous communities improve their access to health services. "A treaty doesn't guarantee anything, but a treaty does when the political climate is right... allow indigenous people to go to court and have some sort of benchmark against which they can request services," he said.

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