ASTI Rights & Freedoms Flashcards
What is the background of ATSI struggles?
Different Aboriginal nations around the country before European settlers
They were moved off their lands
Aboriginals weren’t considered people and enslaved
They were expected to adopt “white ways” resulting in the loss of their cultural practices
What is protectionism?
Aboriginal population declined after white settlers invaded
In an attempt to “protect them” a specifically appointed board (the Aboriginal Protection Board) made the decision to segregate them from white society and remove them from traditional lands to parcels of land.
There they were forced them to adopt “white ways” and controlled by the authorities in both reserves (government run) and missions (church run).
How did the stolen generation occur?
From 1915, the NSW Aborigines protection act allowed the removal of children from their families to be trained for work and live with white families to make the transition into white society smoother
What is Assimilation?
After 1917, the half blooded Aboriginals in reserves and missions were forced to merge with the culture of white people.
Removing children from their families was also a part of it because it was believed to be easier to assimilate with a white family because they were more likely to interbreed and “breed out the black”.
What is self determination?
In 1972, the self determination policy meant Aboriginals gained greater freedom which looked like the ability to make their own decisions about matters affecting their own lives.
This was possible because the government loosened their control and they were free to express themselves culturally and spiritually.
What is reconciliation?
Since 1991, there have been many attempts to address and rectify the hurt and damage of past government policies.
Reconciliation is about strengthening the relationships between ATSI peoples and non-Indigenous peoples, by respecting them and their heritage for the benefit of all Australians.
What was the day of mourning?
On the 26th of January 1938 Australia was celebrating the 150th anniversary of the first fleet’s arrival and their “progress”
The Australian Aboriginal League and the Aborigines Protection Association protested for the first time the celebrations
They demonstrated the misery and degradation ATSI people had felt for 150 years
What was the 1967 Referendum?
The referendum asked the public whether or not they endorsed the repeal of sections 51 and 127 in the Constitution.
Section 51 restricted the government from passing any special legislation to protect Aboriginal people from discrimination.
Section 127 deliberately excluded Aboriginal people from the census
Over 90% of the population was in favour of the changes representing a huge shift in the way Australians thought about and treated Indigenous peoples.
What were Charles Perkins’ freedom rides?
Inspired by the US Freedom Riders of 1961, Perkins organised a freedom ride bus tour with 30 of his colleagues at the University of Sydney to rural towns in NSW in 1965.
It aimed to collect data on the living conditions of rural Aboriginal communities.
The students protested and demonstrated against racial segregation and discrimination taking place in public areas
They were met with violence but they drew attention to segregation and racism in Australia
How did Eddie Mabo fight for land rights?
Mabo and Meriam people launched a case against the Queensland Government in 1982 challenging the Australian legal system from two perspectives:
The assumption was that Australia was “terra nullius” and how existing land rights that may have existed were abolished with the arrival of British settlers
What was the sorry speech?
On 13 February 2008 Prime Minister Kevin Rudd made a formal apology to ATSI peoples, particularly to the Stolen Generations whose lives had been blighted by past government policies of forced child removal and assimilation.
What was the 1962 Referendum
It gave ATSI people a vote in Federal elections
