at this time, the pintupi still blamed government doctors for the deaths of many of their people who had come in from the desert during the 1960s. these people had died from infection and disease, and holding was trying to avoid this happening again. by early november, serious concerns about the survival of the family were being raised. the secretary of the department of aboriginal affairs, charles perkins, strongly criticised the kiwirrkurra leaders for violating the family's civil rights. he said that if they did not get the proper medical care, all nine of them would die within two months.