australia Flashcards
assimilation
process of becoming similar to something
minority adopts behaviour of majority
colonisation
process of settling and establishing control over indigenous people of an area
eugenics
pseudo/social science that promotes that idea that you can breed “good” genes and “bad” it
pseudo science
scientific claims that do not confer any predictive power
miscegenation
inbreeding of people considered to be of different racial types
race mixing
race
social construct that classifies people from where they’re from, heritage and physical characteristics
social constructs
an idea created and accepted by society
kinship
connection/relation
crown land
land under control of royal kingdom
penal
prisoners punishment
wards of the state
under control of government
reserves
areas of land designated for indigenous ppl to live
zenith
peak,pinnacle
progeny
offspring,children
who are the indigenous australians
aboriginal and torres strait people
when did the indigenous australians arrive
migrated from africa 50 000 yrs ago
what was the population of the indigenous people in the 16th century
75 000 members
over 500 groups connected by culture and community lifestyle
where were the indigenous people staying
south and east australia, coastal regions, Murray River Valley
what did the Aboriginal lifestyle include
lived community based lives
total kinship with natural environment
killing for food and building shelter steeped in ritual and spirituality and carried out in perfect balance with surroundings
believe land was given to them by Baiami- is their sacred duty to protect land and animals they affiliate with
when did the colonial period of Australia begin
1788
how was Australia colonised
british gov. declared regions of land crown land
Australia became penal colony
convicts w minor crimes transported to Australia, used as labourers to build and create new british colony
how did the Indigenous Australians feel about the arrival of the British
what were their reactions
felt bewildered, fearful,worried and puzzled
thought europeans were ghosts (white skin) or evil (white skin) spirits
some tried to find place for them in their kinship system and treated them as spirits of dead and offered food
what did the british begin to do which gave off the impression that they were not visitors, but here to stay
began clearing land and fencing off properties which cut of access to waterholes, hunting grounds and fishing, and without permission of elders
how did the Indigenous people see the british
strangers that didn’t speak language, didnt obey rules, didnt respect rituals and sacred places
what resulted in the reduced pop. of Indigenous people in the mid 1800s
how did they have to survive
violence,disease and dispossession
survival came at expense of heritage, culture, family, language and independence
exchange for protection
why was the protection policy implemented
colonial authorities felt “obliged” to protect Indigenous people since the population had dwindled since the arrival of the British
what conditions did the Indigenous people face under the policy of “protection”
made wards of state and subjected to policies that controlled where they could love, who they could marry, where they could work
what are government reserves
tracts of land designated for Indigenous people to live on
originally intended to protect indigenous people from colonial violence
facilitated for control over lives of indigenous
how were christian missions used to further control over the Indigenous people
used as agencies government responsibilities for Aboriginal people could be delegated to
what responsibilities were christian missionaries delegated
distribution of government rations
provision of medical aid and education
why did Indigenous people no longer live where they did
forcibly removed from their lands and made to live on reserves (driven out into inhospitable foothills, unable to perform ceremonies, destroyed livelihoods
what were the government reserves like
highly institutionalised, opp. of indigenous lifestyle, strictly controlled, promoted group identity
what was the aim of the forced removal into government reserves
what was the result
aim- civilise Indigenous people and eradicate Indigenous culture
result- robbed of culture and language of community, had no legal claim to land
what had the government achieved by 1911
every mainland state and territory had introduced protection policies that subjected Indigenous people to near-total control of government and denied them basic human rights such as freedom of movement and labour, custody of children, control over personal property
what happened if you were not confined to the reserve
treated as wild animal
Aboriginal people subject to hunting parties (killed for sport or poisoned)
justified with pseudo science
what effects of colonialism resulted in some 80% of the Aboriginal community dying
wars, massacres, diseases (smallpox and influenza brought by british, sickness from damp dirty clothes they slept in)
what is meant by the Aborigine Problem
in beginning of 20th century, thought that Aboriginal people would die out
became clear that they were not going to disappear
racial suicide
white australian birth rate low
white australians feared failure of couples to produce large families would lead to racial suicide
worried fit(white) outnumbered by unfit (non-white)
Aboriginal men have more than 1 wife-large families
feared white race would be wiped out
racial decay
without gov. intervention, would be decline in ‘desirable, successful and worthy’ in Australia, leading to racial decay- unfit having large numbers of children (inferior, can’t progress)
segregation of unfit, sterilisation, prohibition of worthy and unworthy marrying would eliminate unfit from society
what was the approach of the assimilation policy
full blood Indigenous people should be allowed to die out through ‘natural’ elimination and mixed - race Indigenous people encouraged to assimilate into white community
what did the assimilation policy presume
why was this contradictory
Indigenous people could enjoy same standard of living if they adapted European customs and beliefs and were absorbed into white society
expects indigenous people to take responsibility for becoming same as white ppl but never gave them the same rights or opportunities to do so
why did the assimilation policy focus on kids
easy to indoctrinate
adaptable to white society
what were the years 1910-1970
Stolen generations
children taken from parents to be assimilated into white society
who allowed children to be removed
chief protector of Aboriginals in western australia A.O Neville
what happened to Indigenous children in government custody
how did Neville believe this process would work
received european education, trained in domestic and stock work , would return to settlements between jobs
lead to acceptance by non-indigenous and own loss of indigenous identity
why were mixed race Indigenous children particularly vulnerable to removal
easier to assimilate due to lighter skin
why did some Indigenous people have to leave reserves
why was it hard leaving life on the resrves
land reclaimed by gov. for housing and mining
life on reserve oppresive, more difficult to find work in cities/towns due to racism in wider society
indigenous people refused access to community venues and services
why did indigenous policies fail to improve indigenous lives
rather than being assimilated, forced to live in poverty on fringes of town
what did assimilation do to Indigenous people
undermined Indigenous identity
justified dispossession of Indigenous people and removal of children
treated indigenous people as substandard
caused cultural extinction
how were those taken as children affected
psychologically, physically and sexually abused in state care leading to lifelong trauma
felt ashamed of culture, disconnect, inability to pass on heritage
rejected from whites and Indigenous people
never knew who or where theyd been taken from
living institutions were highly controlled: harshly punished, cold, hungry, no affection
received low level of education- expected to work as labourers and servants — lifelong economic implications and unable to assist kids with education
for parents/relatives of taken
never recovered from grief of losing child
some couldn’t go on living, others turned to alcohol to cope
siblings and family separated
ho did people try to resist the assimilation policies
parents hide children residents refused to follow rules refused to pay rent vandalised mission property Australian Aboriginals Progress Association 1927 Fred Maynard n Tom Lacey
