Dispossession of Aboriginal Spiritualities (TW distressing content) Flashcards
Syllabus - Discuss the continuing effects of dispossession in relation to : - Separation from land - Separation from Kinship Groups - Stolen Generations
What was Dispossession
The loss of access of Aboriginal peoples to traditional lands (therefore ll aspects of spiritual + cultural life)
What were the effects of being separated from land
without access to land, people lost contact with ancient dreamings which formed all aspects of life
- loss of language, culture and history + sense of identity
Effect on Kinship
- separation from land meant families were separated
- loss of oral tradition (handing on rights + responsibilities)
What was the stolen Generation
- Aboriginal children were forcibly removed from families
- Children were either placed in government/church runned institutions or adopted/fostered into white families
- children were forbidden from speaking their language or practicing ceremonies
What were some policies placed in this time frame?
- The protection policy
- The assimilation policy (1930’s)
- the reserve system
What was the protection policy?
A policy to “protect” indigenous people
although it allowed white authorities to control every aspect of aboriginal life
What was the effect of the protection policy on Aboriginal People
- Deprivation of independence, culture, spiritual world
What was the Assimilation policy
- Children removed from families without parental consent and placed into white families
- ensure aboriginal people married white people (remove aboriginal blood line - this was when the term half-cast was introduced)
What was the effect of these policies?
- effects were dependent of where they were placed
- children placed into institutions were starved, and often either physically or sexually abused.
- a lot of children were alienated in white communities.
- affected country + kinship
What was found in the bringing them home report? (1997)
- between 1 in 3 children were removed from families
children removed were more likely to: - suffer low self esteem, depression, mental illness
- more vulnerable to physical, emotional or sexual abuse
- unable to retain links to land
- unlikely to be bale to establish right to native title