1. Australian Indigenous Culture Flashcards
1
Q
TERRA NULLIUS
A
- means ‘land of no-one’ in Latin
- From 1788, the British espoused Australia to be a colony of settlement, not of conquest. Indigenous peoples’ lands were taken over by British colonists on the premise that the land belonged to no-one.
2
Q
Prior to the arrival of the British …
A
… there were between 600 and 700 Aboriginal tribal groups and 250 Aboriginal languages spoken throughout the land.
3
Q
Why was colonial takeover seen as appropriate by the British?
A
- based on the assumption that British culture was superior to all others, and that Europeans could define the world on their terms
- the new government and its colonists thought the Indigenous people should speak English, obey British laws and live a British way of life
4
Q
What was the result of colonial takeover?
A
- many cultural traditions and languages have been lost forever
- many tribal groups had to live together on missions and reserves and were forbidden to practice their cultures or speak their languages
5
Q
Explain the significance of Eddie Mabo.
A
- 1992
- first case of Indigenous Australians being recognized as the original owners of tracts of land by the High Court of Australia
- Eddie Mabo if the Meriam people took the Queensland Government to court because it refused to grant his people ownership of Mer Island in the Torres Strait
- the High Court granted the Meriam people the right to native title of the land
6
Q
DISPOSSESSION
A
the process through which colonial power lays claim to ownership of territory
(this effectively involves dismissing Indigenous peoples’ rights to ownership of their traditional lands)
7
Q
CULTURE
A
- refers to an entire way of life of a group or society
- including learned ideas, values and knowledge shared by members of a collective
- eg. AIC
8
Q
MATERIAL CULTURE
A
- refers to all the physical objects, artifacts, resources and spaces of a society, which are passed onto subsequent generations
- (eg. the Aboriginal Flag)
9
Q
NON-MATERIAL CULTURE
A
- refers to the non-physical creations and ideas of a society, such as knowledge, values, beliefs, languages, symbols and social norms, which are transmitted across generations
- eg. the meanings associated with the Aboriginal Flag
10
Q
STOLEN GENERATION
A
- refers to Australian Indigenous peoples who were removed from their family as children and adopted into non-Indigenous families
- 1909
- plans were to put in place to train these children in institutions as laborers and domestic servants - essentially slave labour for the wealthy
- also refers to the descendants of those forcibly removed who, as a result, have been denied culture and language, community connections and links with traditional lands
- between 1900s and 1960s
- refers to the forced removal of Indigenous children from their homes
- they were put into missions or foster care and many lost touch with families and ancestry as a result
11
Q
VALUES
A
- abstract ideas about what a society believe to be good, right, desirable and beautiful
- eg. with Australian society, a ‘fair go’
12
Q
For many Australian Indigenous People, where were values derived from?
A
The Dreaming tells the journey of the actions of ancestral beings who created the natural world. The Dreaming is connected to a period of sacred, eternal time in Australia when ancestral spirits created all people, animals and plants that were to live in the country and laid down the laws, customs and codes of conduct their lives were to follow.
13
Q
SYMBOLS
A
- anything that acquires a particular meaning that is recognized by the people sharing a culture
- eg. a sculpture
14
Q
What is a symbol related to the Aboriginal Indigenous Culture?
A
- Harold Thomas created the Indigenous flag, which was a symbol of unity and national identity for Aboriginal people
- in 1995, the Australian Government proclaimed the flag to be an official ‘Flag of Australia’
The symbolic meaning of the flag colors, as stated by Thomas are:
- black - the Aboriginal people of Australia
- red - the red earth, and the spiritual relation to the land
- yellow - the sun, the giver of life and protector
15
Q
LANGUAGE
A
- refers to a socially-constructed set of symbols, used as the main method of communication within a culture
- eg. the English language
16
Q
Why is language particularly important to Indigenous people?
A
- important in understanding Indigenous Australian heritage, as much of their history is an oral history
17
Q
How many Australian Indigenous languages were there estimated to be in the 1700s?
A
- it is estimated that there were over 250 Indigenous Australian languages in the 1700s
18
Q
How many Victorian Indigenous languages exist today?
A
- approximately 38 Indigenous languages are within Victoria today, as many are now extinct
19
Q
NORMS
A
- the shared rules which exist in every culture that act as a guide for a wide range of behaviour
- eg. to wear clothing in public
20
Q
What are the three categories of social norms?
A
- folkways
- mores
- laws
21
Q
FOLKWAYS
A
- refers to the everyday activities within a culture which have become established and are socially sanctioned
- eg. maintaining eye contact with people you are having a conversation with
22
Q
Amongst many Indigenous Australian cultural groups, what governs much of everyday behaviour (folkways)?
A
- kinship (family expectations)
- kinship obligations concern meeting the obligations of one’s clan (immediate family) and are specified by Aboriginal lore (sometimes known as the ‘Dreaming’)
23
Q
MORES
A
- refers to social norms that are viewed as central and significant to the functioning of society
- eg. respect for private property
24
Q
Explain the term ‘sacred site’.
A
- sacred sites are an essential part of many Indigenous peoples’ beliefs
- some Indigenous Australians believe that their ancestral spirits still guard these areas
- they feel that they protect them and have the power to harm any person that disturbs, destroys or disrespects them
- it is not acceptable to visit some sacred sites
25
LAWS
- refers to norms established and enforced by the political authority within a culture
- eg.
26
LORES
- refers to the customs and stories that most traditional Indigenous Australians learned from the Dreamtime
- Indigenous lore was passed across generations through songs, stories and dance
- it provided rules for all areas of traditional life including how to interact with the land, kinship and community
27
SOCIOLOGICAL IMAGINATION
| page 15
- a term coined by (Charles Wright) Mills to describe the sociological approach to analyzing issues (1959)
- we think sociologically when we make a link between personal troubles and public issues
- eg. unemployment
- to view societies issues as someone from the outside would (without bias)
28
What are the four factors to consider when applying the Sociological Imagination?
- historical
- cultural
- critical
- structural
29
* HISTORICAL
How have past events influenced the present?
| eg. policies, Stolen Generation
30
* CULTURAL
What influence of traditional, cultural values and particular belief systems have on our behaviour and social interaction?
In what ways has cultural change occurred?
What subcultures exist?
How does our own cultural background influence our sociological gaze?
(eg. ceremonies, religions, norms, values, languages, parenting skills, identity, sense of self)
31
* STRUCTURAL
How do various forms of social organization and social institutions affect our lives?
How do these vary over time and between countries and regions?
(eg. Aboriginal Protection Board, government, media)
32
* CRITICAL
Why are the things the way they are?
How could they be otherwise?
Who benefits and who is disadvantaged by the status quo?
What 'alternative futures' are possible?
How do sociological insights relate to our own life experiences?
(eg. What can our 2015 Government do to break the cycle of damage created by the Stolen Generarion? Will the Australian Government move forward in recognizing Australian Indigenous people as the first peoples in the Constitution?)
33
ETHNOCENTRISM
- the practice of judging another culture by the standards of one's own culture
- eg. judging Queensland Indigenous people as inhumane and cruel for killing sea turtles
- images on Australian Tourism Board campaign
34
The view that an individual's culture is superior to that of other cultural groups often leads to ...
a prejudicial attitude among individuals and cultural groups that their particular language, customs, traditions and lifestyle are better.
35
Ethnocentrism exists in all people and all societies as it is ...
impossible to completely view your own culture objectively.
It is believed that a certain degree of ethnocentrism is necessary for people to be emotionally attached to their way of life.
36
CULTURAL RELATIVISM
- the practice of judging a culture by its own standards
- eg. understanding that the killing of sea turtles by Queensland Indigenous people is cultural and traditional
- sea turtles in Queensland; 'First Contact'; 8MMM, Black Comedy, First Contact
37
The variety between cultural practices both within and across cultures suggests that ...
there is no single 'best' cultural pattern.
38
REPRESENTATION
refers to the creation in any medium of aspects of social 'reality', such as people, places, objects, events, cultural identities and other intangible concepts
39
Historical representations of Australian Indigenous culture were ...
influenced by the ethnocentric views of British colonists.
40
NOBLE SAVAGE
| historical representation
- refers to an idealized concept of uncivilized man who symbolizes the innate goodness of one not exposed to the corrupting influences of civilization
- were admired for their courage and freedom, living simole, contented lives
41
'GREAT CHAIN OF BEING'
| historical representation
- refers to a hierarchical order ranking all living beings
- Europeans were placed highest of the human races and Indigenous Australians lowest, nearest the animals
- pseudoscience of phrenology: very influential; claimed that the shape and bumps on a person's head approximated personality, abilities and size of the brain within; it was assessed that Indigenous Australians were both a morally and intellectually inferior homogenous race
42
NATURAL SELECTION
| historical representation
- refers to a process proposed by Charles Darwin (1809 - 1882) used to explain the evolution of the natural world which had been applied by Herbert Spencer (1820 - 1903) to human societies in the context of 'survival of the fittest'
- this scientific racism was also used to 'prove' that Indigenous Australians were biologically and culturally inferior to the British colonisers
- it was believed that they were a race that was doomed to extinction
43
From the late 19th century some Australian Indigenous cultural symbols in the form of art gradually gained acceptance, but ...
it was primarily understood through the category of 'primitive' art.
44
COLONISATION
when a nation takes and maintains power over a territory that is outside its boundaries, based on a belief of superiority over those being colonized
45
Contemporary ethnocentrism includes:
- the exclusion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples from representations such as print and television advertising
- stereotypical portrayals of Australian Indigenous people in tourism and advertising reflecting the 'noble savage'
- the ongoing myth in film and television that most Indigenous Australians live in remote and regional parts of Australia
- the over-reporting in news and current affairs programs of Indigenous Australians as victims and perpetrators of violence, and/or paternalistic reporting of social disadvantage
46
* Culturally relative representations of Indigenous culture:
Education and awareness programs, and Australian curriculum, now ...
recognizes the need for all Australian children to 'understand and acknowledge the value of Indigenous cultures and possess the knowledge, skills and understanding to contribute to, and benefit from, reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians'
47
* Culturally relative representations of Indigenous culture:
Political activism includes:
- Albert Namatjira's social movement for full citizenship rights in the 1950s
- the Freedom Rides in 1965
- the Australian Human Rights Commission calling for the Australian Constitution to be amended in order to recognize Australia's first peoples
48
* Culturally relative representations of Indigenous culture:
Opportunities for the expression of Indigenous culture:
includes Indigenous-run theatre companies, websites, education programs and consultancies, businesses and galleries, books, journal articles and magazines, films, songs, poetry, television and online discussion forums
49
* Culturally relative representations of Indigenous culture:
Protocols and sanctions/legislation:
- Commonwealth - Racial Discrimination Act (1975)
- Commonwealth - Racial Hatred Act (1995), Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission Act (1986)
- Victoria - Racial and Religious Tolerance Act (2001)
- Equal Opportunity Act (1995)
50
Building awareness and perception of Australian Indigenous culture includes:
- healing
- challenging stereotypes
- survival and strengthening of Australian Indigenous culture
51
CULTURAL SUPPRESSION
- involves the domination of one culture over another by deliberate policy or by economic or technological superiority
- eg. Assimilation Policy
52
The arrival of British colonists saw ...
considerable resistance from Australian Indigenous people.
53
What led to the assumption that Australian Indigenous people needed to be protected?
(P & S)
- the British belief that they were an inferior race
| - seen as primitive, savage and incompetent
54
In what year did the British Government first implement new ways to solve the 'Aboriginal problem'?
(P & S)
1837
55
How did the British Government attempt to solve the 'Aboriginal problem'?
(P & S)
through policies which involved the separation of Australian Indigenous people into church-run missions and government reserves
56
How did the British Government justify solving the 'Aboriginal problem'?
(P & S)
by the belief that Indigenous people were a dying race and would not survive alone in non-Indigenous society
57
What was the aim of protectionist policies?
| P & S
to 'smooth the pillow' of these people who were predicted by social Darwinism to be dying out
58
* In 1837 the South Australian Government appointed a Protector of Aborigines whose duties included ...
(P & S)
to 'diligently endeavor to instruct the natives in reading, writing, building houses, making clothes, cultivating the ground and all other ordinary acts of civilization'.
59
* What was formed in 1886?
| P & S
the Victorian Aborigines Protection Board
60
In 1886 the Victorian Aborigines Protection Board was formed. What was its aim, as described from parliamentary report?
(P & S)
- 'to civilize, Christianize and above all train' Aborigines on stations established for the purpose
- 'to remove as many children as possible from their bad environment and parental influence to training homes and thence to situations with white families'
61
Between 1869 and 1911 most Australian states introduced laws to confine Australian Indigenous people ...
(P & S)
to certain areas where they would be under non-Indigenous supervision.
Missions conducted by church groups then followed. Although a little different in focus, the missions operated in a similar way to the reserves. In both, Australian Indigenous people were strictly controlled; the non-Indigenous management monitored their movement and lifestyles.
62
MISSIONS
were established in the 1800s to house, protect and 'Christianize' local Australian Indigenous peoples
63
What did the control exercised by missions include?
| P & S
banning traditional activities, telling Australian Indigenous people where to live, work and whom they could marry
64
What did specific regulations under the Aboriginal Acts in the name of protection state?
(P & S)
- 'in return for food, shelter and some education, the residents had to obey the manager, submit to the house inspections and they were liable to have their children taken away and apprenticed to Europeans as cheap labour'
- it was at this time that the Aborigines Protection Board was given the power to take children, especially those of mixed heritage, from their families to be trained to non-Indigenous ways
65
How did Australian Indigenous people respond to the suppression caused by the Protection and Segregation Policies?
(P & S)
- many remained outside of the reserves and missions, choosing instead to work in the pastoral industry
- others lived on the edges of townships and tried to maintain their ancestral ways
66
How did Australian Indigenous people living within reserves and missions respond to the Protection and Segregation Policies?
(P & S)
- despite new modes of dress, housing, economic patterns and religious beliefs, many Australian Indigenous people did not abandon their traditional values
- specifically, 'they still practiced kinship ties and obligations, feared the effect of sorcery, practiced certain rituals (especially relating to personal hygiene and funerals), hunted and collected bush food in their leisure time, and maintained a deep attachment to the land and its governing stories'
67
How did women respond to the Protection and Segregation Policies?
(P & S)
- resisting colonization by working at their own pace
- escaping or running away from work
- attempting to make contact with their families, who they were forbidden to contact
- not marrying non-Indigenous men
- learning and maintaining their languages and customs
- retaining their family contacts
68
How could the overall impact on many Australian Indigenous people during the era of the Protection and Segregation Policies be described?
(P & S)
as one of either 'despair' or 'defiance'
69
What were the 'five essential elements' that the Aboriginal resistance in southern Australia rooted in?
(P & S)
- cultural maintenance
- a sense of injustice
- the acting out of a sometimes negative oppositional culture
- the rebuilding of a positive Aboriginal identity
- an Aboriginal political movement
70
PROTECTION AND SEGREGATION
policies that resulted in the separation of Australian Indigenous people into missions and reserves based on a belief that Indigenous people were a dying race and would not survive alone in non-Indigenous society
71
In 1939 the Cummeragunja Walk-off occurred. Explain.
| P & S
- the first ever mass strike of Australian Indigenous people
- over 150 people left the Cummeragunja Station in protest at their cruel treatment and exploitation by management
- they crossed the border from New South Wales into Victoria in breach of the rules of the New South Wales Protection Board
- established a farm with the aim of communal self-sufficienty; quickly shaped most of the land into a thriving farm, producing wheat, wool and dairy products
- conditions radically deteriorated, all funds from the farm went to the board, inadequate and unhealthy rations were given, tuberculosis and whooping cough affected residents, blankets had to be shared
72
What were the dates of the Protection and Segregation Policies?
(P & S)
1837 - 1950
73
What led to the creation of the Assimilation Policy?
| A
In the period prior to the Second World War it became clear to the government that Australian Indigenous people were not a 'dying race'. In response to, and being aware of an increasing migrant population, the government decided to change its policy to one of 'assimilation'.
74
ASSIMILATION
- A former Australian Government policy, which said the Indigenous peoples 'not of full blood' should be absorbed into the wider population.
- The aim of the policy was to make the 'Aboriginal problem' disappear so that Indigenous Australians would lose their cultural identity.
(also applied to migrants)
75
How did the Federal Minister for Territories describe the Assimilation Policy to the parliament?
(A)
'all persons of Aboriginal blood or mixed blood in Australia will live like white Australians do'
76
What did the Assimilation Policy state?
| A
that all Aboriginal peoples 'shall attain the same manner of living as other Australians, enjoying the same rights and privileges, accepting the same responsibilities, observing. The same customs and being influenced by the same beliefs, hopes, loyalties as other Australians'
77
What was the purpose of the Assimilation Policy?
| A
- for Australian Indigenous people to reject their culture and heritage
- they were expected to adopt British customs and beliefs
78
What did the Assimilation Policy mean for Australian Indigenous people?
(A)
- they were able to obtain some rights and freedoms they had previously been denied on the condition that they live according to British cultural expectations
- were forced to move from the reserves, which were now considered their homes, and resulted in demoralization
79
What was the main problem associated with the fundamental idea of the Assimilation Policy?
(A)
it did not recognize Australian Indigenous culture or acknowledge that Indigenous Australians had lived in Australia long before colonization
80
What were the dates of the Assimilation Policy?
| A
1950 - 1965
81
INTEGRATION
- a short-lived policy implemented in 1965
- the policy was based on the premise that Australian Indigenous people had their own culture, languages, customs and tradition that needed to be 'westernized'
82
* Some Australian Indigenous protest groups argued that Integration was a more suitable policy as it ...
(I)
allowed for individuals to choose the extent to which they wished to join broader society, while at the same time being able to practice their own culture and beliefs.
83
* Others argued that while the Integration policy was an improvement on Assimilation ...
(I)
it contained some elements of 'assimilation in disguise'.
84
Why was it that people believed the Integration Policy to be Assimilation in disguise?
(I)
ultimately, it was expected that future generations would assimilate into non-Indigenous society, letting go of their beliefs and customs
85
RECONCILIATION
- recognizing injustice and making changes in a society to redress human rights violations and to restore harmony and justice
- refers to 'coming together'
86
As an Australian Government policy, what does Reconciliation aim to achieve?
justice, recognition and healing
87
What is the purpose of Reconciliation?
- to help all Australians to move forward with a better understanding of the past and how the past affects the lives of Indigenous peoples today
88
What does Reconciliation recognize and acknowledge?
- recognition that Indigenous peoples were the first Australians
- acknowledges how the past impacts of their culture and lives today
89
SYMBOLIC RECONCILIATION
- a focus on achieving equality in terms of having full rights to citizenship of a nation, and access to the same opportunities, and recognizing historical injustice and Indigenous rights
- eg. the formal 'sorry' in 2008 to the Stolen Generations; education non-Indigenous Australians about Indigenous history
90
PRACTICAL RECONCILIATION
- involves a focus on providing services to address the inequalities that exist in a society
- eg. providing funding for the 'Close the Gap' program
91
* The 1991 report from the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody identified that Indigenous disadvantage is a product of a history of dispossession.
What did this create?
What did the report recommend?
- this had created a cycle of poverty, poor health and social disadvantage amongst many Australian Indigenous communities
- the report recommended that all political leaders and parties acknowledge the need for the reconciliation between the Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities in order to address Indigenous injustice
92
* The 1991 report from the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody persuaded the Government to later establish?
- the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation
- it was the vision of the Council to create a 'united Australian, which respects this land of ours; values of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander heritage, and provides justice and equality for all'
93
What did the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation establish?
Reconciliation Australia - a non-government organization foundation to continue a national focus for reconciliation
94
When was the Redfern Park speech made? Who delivered it?
- 10 December 1992
| - former Prime Minister Paul Keating
95
What did the Redfern Park speech acknowledge?
the injustices committed against Australian Indigenous people and declared support for the reconciliation process
96
What did Paul Keating speak about in his Redfern Park speech?
the injustices of the past, including the removal of children, loss of life and land, and the lack of compassion toward Australian Indigenous people due to our 'failure to imagine these things being done to us'
97
When was the Northern Territory Invention implemented? By who?
On 21 June 2007, the Australian Government led by former Prime Minister John Howard announced the implementation of the Northern Territory Emergency Response (NTER).
98
Why was the Northern Territory Emergency Response implemented?
- in response to the findings of the 'Little Children are Sacred report', commissioned by the Northern Territory Government
- in order to address the report's concern of the sexual abuse and potential neglect of children
99
What were some of the policies included in the Northern Territory Emergency Response?
- income management
- child health checks
- a ban on alcohol and pornography
- quarantining 50% of welfare payments to ensure payments were spent on food
- ending the permit system to enter Indigenous community land
100
What were some of the concerns associated with the Intervention?
- the response was considered 'heavy handed' as the majority of innocent and caring parents were treated in the same way as negligent and criminal parents
- it was seen as discriminatory as it only applied to Indigenous Australians
- Indigenous leaders thought it was authoritarian ('parternalistic')
- there was a failure to consult with the Indigenous Australian communities
- the basic citizenship and human rights of Indigenous Australians were denied due to the suspension of the 'Racial Discrimination Act 1975' in order to implement the Intervention
- victimizes Indigenous people
- 'racist sort of attitude'
101
* There has been some support for Intervention measures from Indigenous leaders, such as plans to improve health, safety and wellbeing of communities.
In 2011, for example, despite receiving some cortisol, Central Australian Indigenous leader Bess Price told ABC television that:
'I am for the Intervention because I've seen progress. I've seen women who now have voices. They can speak for themselves and they are standing up for their rights. Children are being fed and young people more or less know how to manage their lives.'
102
* In May 2011, former Prime Minister Julia Gillard released a report into the current situation regarding the Intervention. What did it call for?
consultation with Australian Indigenous communities about how to move forward, with particular focus on 'kids being in school, dealing with alcohol and people getting a job' after the Intervention officially ended in 2012
103
What is the title of the Australian 'Report of the National Inquiry into the Separation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children from Their Families'?
The Bringing them Home Report
104
What was done to commemorate the 'stolen children' and help move towards reconciliation for all Australians?
a National Sorry Day was held on 26 May 1998, the anniversary of the tabling in Federal Parliament of The Bringing them Home Report
105
What occurred on the 13 February 2008?
the then-Prime Minister Kevin Rudd delivered a national apology to the Stolen Generations on behalf of the Federal Parliament
106
What did the United Nations adopt on 14 September 2007?
the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
107
Why is the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples significant?
- Indigenous peoples, including Australian Indigenous people, were involved in creating it
- Australia was one of the four counties to vote against it, however, on 3 April 2009, the Australian Government reverepsed its position and gave formal support to the Declaration
108
* The Declaration is an important achievement in the protection of Indigenous peoples' rights from an international perspective because ...
it is built on existing international human rights and informs how these rights apply to Indigenous peoples
109
* One of the main themes in the Declaration is the importance of changing the relationships between Indigenous peoples, the broader community and government. The Declaration provides guidance on how this can be achieved.
The specific rights include:
- the right of Indigenous peoples to enjoy all human rights
- life, integrity and security
- cultural, spiritual and linguistic identity
- education, information and labour rights
- participatory, development and other economic and social rights
- land, territories and resource rights
- Indigenous institutions
- the principle of free, prior and informed consent
110
What are the main goals of the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
- self-determination (eg. political agenda)
- basic human rights
- protection from discrimation
- education and work
111
What does Article Two (Discrimination) in the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples include?
- Indigenous peoples and individuals are free and equal to all other peoples and individuals
- Indigenous peoples have the right to be free from any kind of discrimination
112
What does Article Three (Self Determination) in the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples include?
- Indigenous peoples have the right to self-determination
- by virtue of that right they freely determine their political status and freely pursue their economic, social and cultural development
113
AWARENESS
- knowing, recognizing or acknowledging something (that has happened)
- it leads or furthering our understanding of something
114
PERCEPTION
how something is interpreted, how we feel about it, one's perspective of something
115
* Several organizations were formed and were active throughout the 1920s, 30s and 40s: the Australian Aborigines Progress Association, the Australian Aborigines League and the Aborigines Progressive Association. What were these organizations fighting for?
- abolition of the Aborigines Protection Board
- national citizenship for Aboriginals
- full equality with other citizens
- a representative in the Commonwealth Parliament (some)
116
* What occurred on 26 January 1938?
- 'A Day of Mourning and Protest'
- it was declared to be a protest of 150 years of callous treatment and seizure of the land
- was designed to stand in contrast to the Australia Day celebrations held by the European population on the same day
- the founding meeting of the Aborigines Protection Assocation
- about 1000 Aboriginal men and women attended
117
What occurred in 1965?
- 'Freedom Rides' in which students and Aboriginals protested against discrimination in certain New South Wales towns
- students from the University of Sydney formed a group called the Student Action for Aboriginals, led by Charles Perkins (the first Aboriginal to graduate tertiary education) among others, and traveled into New South Wales country towns on what some of them considered a fact-finding mission
- the students protested, picketed and faced violence, raising issues of Indigenous rights
- they commonly stood protesting for hours at segregated areas such as pools, park and pubs, which raised a mixed reception in the country towns
118
What argument would the Police and authorities use to remove the children during the Stolen Generation?
- use the argument of 'neglect' at their own discretion
- this power was more often than not abused as children were needed to fill institutions and satisfy the growing number of white foster and adoptive parents
119
* How did authorities remove children during the Stolen Generations?
- police would unexpectedly raid a mission or reserve school and take children without their parents knowing
- they would be 'abducted' when their parents were not around
- parents were tricked into bringing their children into town, thinking they were going to be enrolled into the local school or given extra rations
- parents were told that it was on,y temporary and that they could visit their children regularly, only to find later that they would never see them again
120
How did parents prevent their children being taken during the Stolen Generations?
- hiding them for the welfare
- blackening their skin with charcoal from the fire so they would look darker and therefore not suitable for adoption or fostering
121
* On an individual level, how has the trauma and forced assimilation during the Stolen Generations effected Indigenous people?
- damage to self-esteem
- poor health
- impaired parenting skills
- difficulty with personal relationships
- feelings of insecurity and worthlessness
- depression
- suicide
- delinquency and violence (imprisonment)
- substance abuse
- problems with trust and intimacy
- denied the opportunity to learn about their culture and heritage
- grew up not knowing who they were and where they were from
- felt they did not belong to a particular cultural group
- premature death due to mental illness, mental breakdowns, alcohol and drug abuse and poor nutrition patterns
- ice epidemic
causes a cycle of damage through generations
122
* Explain self-determination.
- introduced by the Whitlam Government (1970s)
- states repealed anti-aboriginal laws, government stopped trying to destroy aboriginal culture, the stolen generation came to an end
- Government funding was made available to support Aboriginal communities whilst becoming independent
Self-determination encompassed three key aspects:
- Aboriginals should receive the same rights and freedoms as non-aboriginals
- they should be allowed to choose how they want to live
- they should be allowed to have a say in the policies that affect them (eg. citizenship, right to vote)
123
* What is paternalism?
| P & S
- the practice of acting like a father, treating someone like a child, making decisions for them without allowing them responsibilities
- Aboriginals were treated legally as minors
124
* Explain the idea of 'Dog Tags'/ Citizenship Certificates (WA)/ Exemption Certificates (NSW, QLD).
- From the 1940s State Governments decided to give citizenship rights to some Aboriginal people under certain conditions.
- They had to promise to give up their traditional ways, to keep them away from other Aboriginal people, to live a European lifestyle and to keep out of trouble.
- Certificates were then issued which allowed them to vote, to go into hotels, allowed their children to go to school and removed them from restrictions of State protection laws.
- Legally these certificates meant that people who had them were no longer Aboriginal.
- These certificates could be suspended or cancelled by a Magistrate, and there was no right of appeal.
- Many Aboriginal people resented these certificates and called them 'dog licenses' or 'dog tags'.
- Of the 14,000 Aboriginal people eligible in NSW, only 1,500 chose to apply.
125
When did the Referendum for Australian Indigenous rights take place?
1967
126
Quote from the Redfern Park Speech.
'We committed the murders. We took the children from their mothers. We practiced discrimination and exclusion. It was our ignorance and our prejudice.'
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What are some advantages of the Northern Territory Emergency Response?
- extra police reduced violence and fear
- new attitudes created towards attitudes in communities
- school attendance improved
- food on tables for vulnerable families
- safe houses
- additional child protection services, diversionary activities for youth
- school breakfast and lunch programs
- more teachers and classes
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* Why is the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples so important?
Through the Declaration Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People are given the freedom to choose how they want to live and are encouraged to do so and supported fully by the Australian and international communities. To teach their traditional ways and to keep their culture strong, to choose to gain an education in mainstream society and live accordingly.
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Why was the Referendum significant?
- placed Indigenous Australians on the census
| - did not give citizenship or the right to vote as these already existed
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What was the purpose of a Basics Card?
- welfare quarantining system
- a percentage of Indigenous people's welfare payments are restricted to the purchase of food and other essential items, which are purchased using these special cards
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Example of a historical ethnocentric representation of Australian Indigenous people:
Joseph Lycett's paintings created during the time of the 1800s. For example, 'Working the Land' illustrated Australian Indigenous people as primitive 'noble savages' and reinforced notions of cultural inferiority.
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Example of a historical culturally relative representation of Australian Indigenous people:
Indigenous artwork in possum skin cloaks, like the one in the Koorie Heritage Trust and the other in the Melbourne Museum
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Example of a contemporary ethnocentric representation of Australian Indigenous people:
- Australian Tourism Board's 'Come Walkabout' campaign in 2008
- reinforced notions of the 'noble savage'
- coincided deliberately with the film Australia
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Example of a contemporary culturally relative representation of Australian Indigenous people:
- First Contact, Black Comedy, 8MMM
| - portrayed Australian Indigenous people as diverse, urban, modern and was their point of view
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Implications of cultural relativism for Australian Indigenous people:
- empowering
- creates a sense of healing
- helps continue their cultures
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Implications of cultural relativism for non-Indigenous Australians:
- promotes Australian Indigenous culture
- creates broader knowledge (awareness)
- creates understanding and empathy (perception)
- no longer view Australian Indigenous people as victims, comedy hells to break tensions and allows difficult and confronting conversations to occur
