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Colonization for aboriginal people
Effects of colonisation on indigenous people in australia
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After 10 long years Torres Strait Islander Eddie ‘Koiki’ Mabo has lead indigenous Australians to a victory over the Queensland government. This win this case is a historical moment, as of yesterday, the indigenous Australians have been recognised as the owners of Murray Island. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders are known to have resided in Australia, 40,000 to 60,000 years before the British arrived in 1788. When the British took over they decided to take all the land for themselves even though the indigenous Australians were here first. This court case recognises indigenous Australians unique connection to the land and acknowledges that they have the rights to the land.
Charles Perkins, born in Alice Springs 1936, was a controversial leader within the Aboriginal community. Perkins was known both for this willingness to fight for what he believed in, and his determination, although this confidence brought him into conflict with community leaders and the government. Perkins was involved in the ‘Freedom Ride’ travelling through rural New South Wales in the early 60’s. This ride was a significant contribution highlighting the predicament the Aboriginals faced. Being Aboriginal himself, this ride demonstrated that Aboriginal people could stand up for themselves.
Australian History has been notably marked with themes of conflict among; culture, race and nation since the beginning of time. Similar to many other culturally diverse countries, Australia has slowly become two distinctly different races, disjointedly connected to create ‘one culture’ (Ward, R. 2017). Along this journey, there have been various significant political figures contributing to the recognition and progression of Indigenous issues within Australia. Namely one of the most determined and instrumental political warriors within the local and national Indigenous political domain is Rob Riley.
The narrator describes how the Indigenous Australians in the area were forced to leave their land, saying, "The black people are gone, and so are the dingoes" (Ottley, 2007, p. 5). This quote highlights the displacement of Indigenous Australians by white settlers, as well as the impact of their absence on the environment. Moreover, the artwork in the text portrays the Indigenous Australians as dark and shadowy, emphasizing their marginalization and exclusion from mainstream society. Together, these examples demonstrate how power imbalances are present not only between humans, but also between humans and animals, and between different racial groups. The text serves as a commentary on the
Boyd’s affiliation with his Indigenous heritage evokes an attempt to redeem history. Boyd challenges the opposition between the history of Australian colonisation, the law of Terra Nullius, and the discarded and overlooked culture and history of the Indigenous populations. Furthermore, questioning the definition of history and the distorted collective memory and documentation. Boyd brings to attention that the record of Australia’s origin is corrupted and romanticised by the early European settlers that is sustained to be nurtured in modern society. Boyd practices the concept of an Indigenous resistance to address the forgotten perspective on the subjective circumstances of the
The award winning novel, The White Earth, thoughtfully written by Andrew McGahan and published in 2004, explores the early history of Australia. This novel effectively gives a silent voice to the Aborigines who were mistreated after they were separated from their land. Shockingly, the
The Howard government’s policy of “practical reconciliation” has been a failure on two substantial levels which resulted in failing to benefit Indigenous Aboriginals. First the policy ignores the significance of “symbolic reconciliation” which provides justice to Indigenous people. Second, the policy, although set out to improve the socio economic disadvantage experienced by Indigenous Australians, did not actually succeed. The election of John Howard’s government in 1996 marked the beginning of a discursive shift away from the view of social justice which has been a target pursued by the Council of Aboriginal Reconciliation and supported by the previous Labor government. The new Howard government refused to accept the approach of previous
Numerous aboriginal people of all ages have experience either individual or systemic racism from fellow Australians. Racism was particular common in the 20th century as many white Australians did not see Indigenous people as deserving citizens of society. Despite their efforts to be respected members of society, Aborigines were regarded as being inferior to white Australians. This led to many facing frequent harassment and being tricked into complying with the views of idealistic members of society. Boori Pryor strengthens this point by using two pivotal quotes.
In her book which centres on the community in and around Charters Towers, Queensland Babbidge cites many newspaper articles from the colonies of New South Wales and Queensland which incite violence towards Aboriginal people. Not only were there sanctioned massacres on groups of Aboriginal people who were deemed to be hindering the progress of the colonies but shooting Aboriginal people on site was considered appropriate (2010). These violent acts are representative of many abhorrent acts which occurred across Australia for
Future Australians will decide our fate as we strive for reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people. The 2011 novel Crow Country by Kate Constable narrates the tale of teenage Sadie Hazzard, who moves to the tiny rural hamlet of Boort. In the novel “Crow Country”, characters seek justice for past wrongs and make peace with Australian history. From her words to her actions to her thoughts, Sadie conveys the image of a spirit who values justice and responsibility. Sadie accepts the Indigenous spirit of Crow in the same manner that she embraces Walter and David, two other Indigenous people when they first meet.
“’Can You Be BLACK and Look at This’: Reading the Rodney King Video(s)” by Elizabeth Alexander is a powerful analysis into the deep rooted sense of community felt by people who identify as Black, with specific regards to the videotaped police beating of Rodney King; and also examines the deep rooted White stereotypes surrounding people of color in America, more notably in the judicial system. This essay details the unity and solidarity seen in the times, not only surrounding the Rodney King videos, but also surrounding other notable stories about Black violence, such as the murder of Emmett Till, and the stories of Fredrick Douglass, to name a few. It describes in detail the horrible acts committed on Black bodies, and references numerous movements
The ‘The Australian Dream’ has been an aspirational symbol in Australian society for many years. For as much power it holds, it holds controversy as although it serves as a representation of the freedom and pride of being Australian, it also exemplifies the negatives of Australian history, specifically towards indigenous Australians. Stan Grant’s ‘Racism and the Australian Dream’ speech expresses how despite the many promises of ‘The Australian Dream’ he faced generational discrimination as a result of his indigenousness. Racheal Perkins’ ‘Stand up’ episode of TV show ‘RedFern Now’ explores similar ideologies through the Australian National Anthem, illustrating how it acts as a symbol of rejoice yet fails to acknowledge the extensive indigenous
Due to the actions promoted by racism against aboriginals from the year 1910- 1970 many Indigenous Australians have grown into adults still carrying the scars of the past. Some will never come to know their birth parents or who they truly are. They will grow old with the remembrance of a past full of torture and abuse that they will carry till the day they die. They grew up with the idea that their heritage should be rejected since it is the ‘inferior’ way of life.
It cannot be denied that our indigenous population has suffered severely since the colonisation of Australia. While the movement towards reconciliation is undoubtedly gaining widespread support, unfortunately many misconceptions are still prevalent and the future of many indigenous Australians is still uncertain. Disadvantage is still experienced by an unacceptable number of the population. Statistically, indigenous people have poorer health, opportunities for education, life expectancy, employment options and the majority live in the remote areas of Australia. As well as this
As the government overlooks the aboriginals and local residents, this documentary is created in order to shed light to the
