The Indigenous Culture in Australia - Case Study Example

Indigenous Culture in Australia has been Systematically Broken down since White Settlement Roll No: Teacher: 16th November 2008 University Table of Contents Table of Contents 2 What is Indigenous Culture? 3 European misunderstanding of Aboriginal life 4 Government 5 The Black Line 5 Separation 6 Assimilation 7 Language 8 Lore 8 Dreaming 9 Reconciliation 10 Sorry Day 10 Land Rights 11 Conclusion 12 Indigenous culture in Australia has been systematically broken down since white settlement Introduction Indigenous culture in Australia has been systematically broken down since white settlement. This claim is a reality as because of European settlers, the Indigenous people of Australia suffered to a great extent. Their culture suffered, the people suffered and a whole generation of Aboriginal people is stolen. The language, lore and dreaming, every aspect of Indigenous culture got affected because of White intrusion in the land. They suffered separation from their children, their culture was assimilated and destructed and their lore was disregarded. Europeans left a deep scar on the lives and culture of Indigenous people of Australia (Broome 1994). Government of Australia is taking some measures for reconciliation of indigenous people with non-indigenous people. What is Indigenous Culture? The Indigenous cultures of Australia are the oldest living cultures in the world. Archaeological investigations in the northwest of Australia suggest that Indigenous people may have occupied Australia for at least 60,000 years (Bridge & Watson, 1999, p 443) Bridge, G., & Watson, S. (1999) The Blackwell City Reader. Sydney: Blackwell Publishing.). They have owned, and lived on the land for generations and feel connected to the land. Indigenous people’s sense of belonging is derived from an ontology relationship to country derived from the Dreaming (Ahmed, p 32) Ahmed, S. () Uprootings/Regroundings. Berg Publishers). During the dreaming, their ancestors created land and life, and in particular, tracks to the land. In addition, they created a social conduct, through rules of good and bad behavior. Today, Indigenous communities keep their culture alive by passing their knowledge, arts, rituals and performances from one generation to another speaking and teaching languages protecting cultural property and sacred and significant sites and objects. Indigenous people fought for the restoration of their culture and for their existence as a whole nation (Berndt 1978). European misunderstanding of Aboriginal life Unfortunately, this culture has been broken down systematically since white settlement in 1788. The complexity and richness of Aboriginal cultures was poorly understood by the majority of early colonists. This was the case in many other countries at the time. The colonization of Australia was established through white Settlement on Australian land which was occupied by Aboriginals. Aboriginals were regarded as brutes and all their cultural values were termed as valueless and extraneous (Broome 1994). The desire to establish settler colonies depended apon the will of erasure or, when this failed, systematic containment of the Indigenous peoples (Bridge & Watson, 1999, p 543) Bridge, G., & Watson, S. (1999) The Blackwell City Reader. Sydney: Blackwell Publishing. Erasure, or terra nullius, meaning a territory belonging to no-one, was used to justify the colonization of Australia. Terra nullius is related to the legal acceptance of occupation as an original means of peacefully acquiring a territory. However, in 1992, The High Court rejected terra nullius and recognized Indigenous native title, one hundred and ten years after white settlement. How it has been broken down Government Consequently, during one hundred and ten years, the Aboriginal culture was broken down through white Settlement. Firstly, Government legislation and policies worked against the interests of Aboriginal people but greatly benefited the pastoralists who were rapidly spreading across Australia, setting up farms and sheep stations, often with the labor of Indigenous men and women. This lack of understanding of Aboriginal ways of life and how they used the land resulted in many clashes between settlers and Aboriginal people, particularly over land and access to land, which for Aboriginal people meant food and spiritual well-being. The cruel attitudes of white settlers towards the Aboriginals and their government deprived the Aboriginals with their due rights (Meggitt 1965). The Black Line Another example of the systematic breakdown of Aboriginal culture was in Tasmania in 1803, where Lieutenant Governor Arthur began his campaign to capture and incarcerate the remaining Tasmanian Aborigines, whom he estimated to number about 500. The white settlers had no reason to capture and imprison people from Aboriginal culture but they considered the Aboriginals as genetically criminals (Haebich 2000). There was a ‘black’ line’ formed from one side to the other of Tasmania, and the men worked from North to south, forcing the Aborigines into the Tasman Peninsula where they would be captured. At the time, there was few Aboriginals captured, however, the incident shook the Aboriginal population the accepted to be removed from Flinders Island settlement. This is the direct result that there are few aboriginal people in Tasmania, and preserved cultural sites. Separation Separation of children from Aboriginal families is such a reality that is very harsh. This separation was an output of the white settlement in Australia. Due to separation of children from their families, the children were unable to know about their culture and tradition and in other words, it can be said that the children being separated belonged to a different culture because of their unawareness about their own cultural values. This separation strategy because of white settlement destructed the culture of aboriginal group as there were a reduced number of descendants and successors of the old Aboriginal culture or no successors at all (Stanner 1979). The children of indigenous people did not get any allowance to speak their own language and to practice their own culture. Their correspondence with their parents was also restricted to a large extent. The children were separated from their parents, which was also against human rights. Due to the fact that the children were not able to know and be in their culture along with their parents and they were not able to attend the ceremonies, they lost the cultural values of being a part of Aboriginal (Edwards 1998). Assimilation In 1937 during a national conference, assimilation policy was adopted in all states. This policy was designed to assimilate Indigenous people of mixed decent. The aim was to accustom Aboriginals to European culture, to become civilized and Christian. Through assimilation, it was expected that people from Aboriginal origin will adopt the culture and heritage of the major number of people, which is a clear depiction that assimilation was to injure Aboriginal culture and was not there for the continuity of Aboriginal customs (Haebich 2000). With the arrival of White settlers in Australia, they try to impose their own culture on the aboriginals. Assimilation policy adopted by the white settlers also attacked the Aboriginal culture by stealing the children of Aboriginals from them and their culture. The customs and traditions exercised by the people of Aboriginal origin were restricted to be exercised, the Aboriginals were not allowed to name their children according to their culture, and they were forced to adopt the values of White settlers (Edwards 1998). Consequences Language At the time of invasion there were over 700 different Aboriginal languages and dialects spoken in Australia. Now there are less that 250 still in use. One of the major practices of colonists was to stop Aboriginal people speaking their own languages, which interrupted the passing of language from one generation to another. Today, many of Australias Indigenous languages are no longer spoken as first language. The European settlers affected the Aboriginals by their usage of only one language, due to which, the culture of indigenous people of Australia in terms of language was adversely affected (Haebich 2000). The children that were snatched from their parents were not allowed to speak their own language due to which, the language of Aboriginals suffered negatively. The children were made to learn and speak English only due to which, they forget their own languages. This was a harsh blow on Aborigine culture. Colonizers of Australia spoiled the cultural languages of Aboriginals and equipped them with their own language, English (Edwards 1998). Lore The lore of Indigenous people of Australia is regarded as an essential part of the culture of Aboriginals. It is very significant for the community as a whole. Lore can be defined as a set of factual information or tales related to a specific topic or issue (Berndt 1988). The folklore came through the parents and elders of family and is regarded as the law for Aboriginal people. As far as the white settlers were concerned, they thought that Aboriginals are groups of people that are unlegislated and act like brutes (Haebich 2000). The Aboriginals were considered genetically criminal minded and thieves. Lore also helped the Aboriginals to know about various facts of life and existence. European settlers considered the lore of Aboriginals as nothing important and by forcing their children to remain in their custody; they took away the right of Aboriginals to facilitate their children with their lore. Due to colonization of Australia, the lore of Aboriginals was affected negatively as Europeans were interested to let the Aboriginals know and learn their law and their values related to their culture (Reynolds 2001). Dreaming Dreaming can be considered as an image of Aboriginal culture. Dreaming stories that were told to the children and people of Aboriginal culture are considered to be very effectual in the lives of Aboriginals. Dreaming is linked with supernatural world and spirits. Aboriginals gave different names to the dreaming stories and called the spirits as familial people that existed no more (Berndt 1978). Aboriginals usually associated human beings with other living beings such as dragon-man, serpent-woman and a lot more. Through dreaming, it was considered that human beings are connected to another world. White settlers considered this dreaming of Aboriginals as superstition and tried to eradicate it as some false believes. By taking away the children of Aboriginals, European settlers also destructed the dreaming custom of Aboriginals as, the ancestors were not able to transfer their culture to their youngsters (Stanner 1979). Reconciliation Government of Australia is trying to reconcile with the Aboriginals because of the injustice that has been done to them in the past. The government is allocating them their lands and is also trying to make sure that the cultural values and customs of Aboriginals are retained. There has been development of policies for reconciliation between indigenous people and non-indigenous people. The land that non-indigenous people have and was previously owned by indigenous people is creating some problems as the present owners are not interested in handing over the land to Aboriginals. There are many reconciliation strategies adopted by the government of Australia (Yallop 1982). Sorry Day Sorry Day is a day when people of Australia and the government reveal their feelings and emotions towards the cruelty done to the indigenous people. On this day, people make sure that they give messages of their being sorry for the hardships that the Aboriginal people have gone through in the past. The Sorry Day was instituted when a report was published in 1997 about the taking away of Aboriginal children or in fact the stealing of Aboriginal children (Reynolds 2001). The reason for the institution of this day is to condemn the wrongs that have been exercised in terms of cruelty towards the Aboriginal people of Australia. This day is celebrated to acknowledge the fact that a whole generation was stolen away from their parents. In 2005, the Sorry Day was called National Day of Healing because there were some measures taken for the resolution of the problems faced by Aboriginals; however the name Sorry Day was retained as National Sorry Day Committee wanted it to be continued (Haebich 2000). Sorry Day is a yearly event and on this day, there are many presentations, speeches and marches in terms of regret that is felt by people regarding the wrongs done to the indigenous people. The fact is emphasized that there has been no regret from the European settlers in this issue. The Europeans were the reason for taking away the rights of indigenous people and for stealing the children of the nation, but they have not participated in the Sorry Day (Haebich 2000). Land Rights With the reconciliation strategies adopted by the government to reconcile with the Aboriginals, there are measures taken to give some land rights to Aboriginals. Australians show interest towards the solution of problems of Aboriginals but they think that land that is purchased by them cannot be returned to Aboriginals because they have consumed money and effort on the attainment of it. It has been informed that Aborigines can ask for possession of seventy nine percent of the land of Australia (Reynolds 2001). There are many land councils established for Aborigines which collect the taxes of Australian lands used for farming and mining purposes and these taxes are given to Aboriginal people. The tax rate for land is 7.5 percent. The taxes are allocated to members of the councils that are Aboriginals. In addition, the councils keep the right to dispose of the land or to hold the working on it (Yallop 1982). Conclusion It is quite clear that indigenous people or Aboriginals are wronged as a whole generation is unable to retain its culture on the basis of its being snatched away from the parents of that nation or generation. Government of Australia is taking many steps in order to reconcile with the aboriginals by giving them lands rights and culture restoration program allowance. However, the deep injury that is given to the indigenous people of Australia can never be healed. Works cited Berndt, CH and Berndt, RM. The Aboriginal Australians: The First Pioneers. Carlton: Pitman Publishing Pty Ltd, 1978. Berndt, RM and Berndt, CH. The World of the First Australians. Canberra: Aboriginal Studies Press, 1988. Broome, R. Aboriginal Australians. Second Edition, Allen and Unwin, St Leonards, 1994. Edwards, B. ‘Living the Dreaming’ in C Bourke et al (eds). Aboriginal Australia Second Edition. St Lucia, Queensland: University of Queensland Press, 1998. A Glass into Another World: A Glimpse of the Culture of the Ngaanyatjarra People Alice Springs, Northern Territory: Institute for Aboriginal Development, 1990. Haebich, A. Broken Circles. Australia: Fremantle Arts Centre Press, 2000. Meggitt, MJ. Desert People: A Study of the Walbiri Aborigines of Central Australia. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1965. Reynolds, H. An Indelible Stain. London: Viking Press, 2001. Stanner, WEH. ‘The Dreaming’ in White Man Got No Dreaming: Essays 1938 – 1973. Canberra: Australian National University, 1979. Yallop, C. Australian Aboriginal Languages. Thetford, Norfolk: TheThetford Press Limited, 1982. Read More