Reconciliation
“A united Australia which respects this land of ours, values Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander heritage, and provides justice and equity for all.”
Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation
Reconciliation is a long and complex path that we Australians must take to make right the great wrongs that have followed from the Anglo invasion of Australia and the attempted removal of their culture (or even genocide) in the last two centuries.
There is such a litany of wrongs, even within many people’s living memory, I cannot understand how the Aboriginals can forgive us. What about compensation? What about justice?
We occupy the most habitable places in Australia, not coincidentally the same places that the Aboriginals lived in great numbers before the invasion. At least half of the Aboriginal population died of European diseases within the first years of the colonisation. Many more were murdered or massacred or enslaved.
The road is long and there is a long way to go.
We have that Aussie notion of a ‘fair go for all’, mentioned by the National Reconciliation Convention. What are the areas we need to work on to actually give Aboriginal people and their culture a fair go?
1) Landrights – understanding that being Aboriginal involves an intimate connection to the land.
2) Culture – acknowledging the importance of Aboriginal culture as part of our heritage.
3) Real history – owning the realities of the invasion, and throwing out the ‘winners’ whitewash that we have been brought up with.
4) Dealing with disadvantage – real assistance to deal with the end products of the last two centuries of colonialism. This is the practical end of giving a fair go.
5) Autonomy – communities and families need to be included in the decisions and processes that affect their lives, they need to be included and employed at all levels of government including education.
6) Formal recognition – place the Aboriginals in pride of place in our constitution as the original owners of the land, and formally apologise for wrongs done including the stolen generations.
7) Compensation – where to start?
The political moves to make amends have been long in the development, starting with the referendum giving Aboriginals the vote, moving through landrights, and the stolen generation. The recent formal apology to the stolen generation is a major step forwards, but there is still much to do. The effort is well worth while and will lead to a richer and stronger society that is more harmonious and whole – a truly excellent goal!
Aboriginal Studies: a national priority
“…is about social justice for all Australians – equity, human rights a fair go and mutual respect for our fellow Australians” (Craven R, 1999 p 14)
To get social justice we need practical changes, but also changes in what we know – education is a key to this and all Australian education should include real and alive information that acknowledges and values Aboriginal culture. This has been a national priority for 20 years.
What should be included in this education? A balanced history of the invasion, acknowledgement of the subtlety and sophistication of indigenous culture and society, promotes respect and diversity, includes an understanding of languages, arts, spirituality, political and environmental issues.
This study should not be limited to an isolated society and culture unit within the curriculum, but should be integrated across all of the curriculum. I have noticed that some modern text books contain significant reference to indigenous culture and practices – is this a good start?
In fact Indigenous Studies IS Australian Studies… There should be no distinction – we all need to know our ‘roots’, and these include not only the European imports, but equally that of the original human inhabitants of Australia.
Understanding leads to respect. This is the key.
Living Cultures
Despite the immense changes caused by the invasion and subsequent deaths and enslavement, there is still a vibrant Aboriginal culture that has contributed many leading athletes, artists, poets, writers, singers and politicians to enrich our shared life in Australia.
Many languages and much lore is threatened through the dispersal and upheaval, but councils of elders are being reformed, sacred ceremonies are being passed on, and languages are being taught to the new generation.
“Aboriginal and Islander people have maintained their world view, their respect for their land and sea, and their complex social systems with their reciprocal kinship obligations and rights”
Craven R, 1999, p28
It is a celebration of Survival!
“Programs to bring Indigenous arts and culture into schools play a large part in achieving the twin aims of Indigenous Education — appropriate education for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students; and educating all students about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australia. They play a main role in achieving the goals of Reconciliation“
Craven R, 1999, p41(emphasis mine)
Misconceptions, stereotypes and racism: time for a change
Myths and stereotypes are fodder for vilification and the use of ‘us and them’ thinking – it is a language of paranoia and intolerance and the worst kind of conservatism.
The Pauline Hanson lead right wing backlash in recent times demonstrated that our society is not as far from such distastefulness as we would hope. At best we can hope that the perpetrators persisted because they themselves were insecure and threatened by other pressures and changes in society.
Racists have a habit of focusing on humanities minor differences and ignoring our majority of similarities. The end result is intolerance, hatred and stupid segregation and double standards that make the society morally sick. Taken to extreme it leads to massacres, removal of children and ultimately genocide.
What a blot on Australia’s history that we have in the past done all of these things.
One of the benefits of a whole Aboriginal/Australian studies is that it refutes the mis-information and replaces it with a balanced an fair depiction of the culture, spirituality and achievements of the original inhabitants.
“Racism is ignorance born of fear”
Oodgeroo Noonuccal (in Craven R, 1999, p47)
Unfortunately myths have a habit of hanging on well past their use by date. They can be subtly incorporated into the workings of institutions and language. It is important to dismantle each myth again and again until they are ultimately laid to rest.
How can I combat racism through my teaching?
Make sure to include all references to Aboriginal history when talking about Australian history – ie teaching the whole truth about our history. Include present events in current societies. Ensure that the present situations are illuminated with the context of historical events – ‘those who don’t know history are condemned to repeat it’. Give students experiences from ‘the shore’ – ie concrete narratives from the Aboriginal perspective that students can relate to. Develop a knowledge of the local local Indigenous culture – in my case the Bunjelung Nation in the Northern Rivers region of NSW. Incorporate an indigenous perspective across the different subjects that I teach. The whole school approach means that I should work with colleagues to promote cultural diversity.
Aboriginal Education: a history
Education until recently has been an instrument of conformity. One size fits all and all shall be the same.
The use of methods and content developed for middle class English, American or Australian students across the board was considered acceptable until recently.
Now we recognise many different learning styles and intelligences. Students are understood to construct their own view of reality in conjunction with their peers, family and community. Real education is diverse and personal and depends on good relationships and challenging problems.
How ridiculous to expect indigenous students to learn using the cookie stamp methods and content that did not even work that well for middle class Anglo students!
Early on indigenous children were not included in schools at all. The missionary endeavor attempted to help out, but was really intent on assimilation. Some believed that the Aboriginals would die out if they were kept separate from the rest of society. ‘Reserve’ schools were created by the state to enable schooling of Aboriginals separate to the Anglo students. Even in the 1940s with NSW finally allowing Aboriginal students to attend public schools the intent was still only to assimilate them. In 1965 the policy of assimilation was replaced with the policy of integration – this was a step forward – a blending of cultures with some valuing of Aboriginal culture for the first time. With the referendum to make Aboriginals citizens in 1967 mission schools started to be taken over by the state. At the same time the immigration to Australia of many cultural groups following the second world war started Australia down the path towards multi-culturalism. The dominance of Anglo culture was being transformed. Finally in the 1980s real changes were being implemented to include Aboriginal studies in the curriculum for all students. Ongoing issues include health (eg Otitis Media) , absenteeism/retention, literacy levels, and appropriate resourcing and support for schools and students. Teacher education was and still is critical for the success of this venture.
There are many promising signs of hope, but we still need to keep working for real transformation. I am reassured that the end result is a win-win situation – all students will be better off in a rich and diverse culturally enlightened society and school environment.
REFERENCE
Craven, Rhonda (1999) Teaching Aboriginal Studies, Allen & Unwin, Crows Nest, Australia
