Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Aboriginal history and culture are fundamental to the development of Australian identity.
Aboriginal studies acknowledges the contribution of Aboriginal cultures and
communities to Australian society.
Aboriginal studies seeks to provide a body knowledge that is both accurate and unbiased.
Students will provide ways of detecting and analysing bias in representations of Aboriginal
peoples.
Key Words
Aboriginality –
Aboriginality includes a combination of cultural heritage, spirituality and an intrinsic link
with the land.
Assimilation –
Assimilation is the policy that all Aborigines and part-Aborigines are expected to attain the
same manner of living as other Australians and to live as members of a single Australian
community, enjoying the same rights and privileges, accepting the same customs and
influenced by the same beliefs as other Australians.
Colonialism –
Colonialism is the policy or practice of acquiring full or partial political control over another
country, occupying it with settlers, and exploiting it economically.
As a process of control, colonial powers asserted sovereignty over the colonies by a variety of
means, including invasion, declarations of sovereignty and, in some cases, through sustained
mass migration. The colonial states imposed new forms of government, legal systems, social
structures and economy, without regard to the wishes of Indigenous people. Colonialism is
the establishment of an unequal relationship between colonial state and Indigenous people.
Indigenous people have said that they are ongoing victims of colonisation, which is
manifested in areas such as constitutional arrangement, government policies, and systemic
racism that have resulted in poor socioeconomic achievement.
Colonisation –
Colonisation is the process by which a different system of government is established by one
nation over another group of peoples. It involves the colonial power asserting and enforced
its sovereignty or right to govern according to its own laws, rather than by the laws of the
colonised.
Community –
Community is important elements which is Country, family ties and shared experience.
Community is about interrelatedness and belonging and is central to Aboriginality.
Community-based fieldwork –
Field visits to Aboriginal communities or organisations to further develop understanding and
knowledge of culture and history of Aboriginal peoples.
Contemporary –
Contemporary means the timeframe from the 1960’s to the present
Country –
Country is extremely important to Aboriginal communities and cultural associations. They
express their land through languages, cultural practices, knowledge, songs, stories, art, paths,
landforms, flora, fauna, and minerals. These cultural associations may include custodial
relationships with particular landscapes such as land, sea, sky, rivers as well as the intangible
places associated with Dreaming.
Cultural heritage –
Cultural heritage is the continuity, from one generation to another, of a group’s culture,
values and attitudes, including knowledge, language, arts, rituals, performances, sites and
objects.
Culture –
The accepted and traditionally patterned ways of behaving and set of common understandings
shared by the members of a group or community. Includes land, language, ways of living and
working, artistic expression, relationship and identity.
Customary law –
Laws based on traditions and customs
Discrimination –
Unfair treatment on the basis of perceived differences between people.
Dislocation –
The forced movement of an individual, family or community from one area to another. This
often occurred after people had been dispossessed of their land
Dispossession –
People being taken away or forced from their land, their economic base, their way of life and
cultures. Dispossession was experiences by many Aboriginal peoples.
Dreaming –
Dreaming can be seen as the embodiment of Aboriginal creation which gives meaning to
everything; the essence of Aboriginal beliefs about creation and spiritual and physical
existence. It establishes the rules governing the relationships between the people, the land and
all things for Aboriginal peoples. The Dreaming is linked to the past, the present and the
future.
Tip: Capital D for Dreaming
Elders –
Elders are custodians of knowledge. They are chosen and accepted by their own communities
and are highly respected
Ethical research –
Ethical research are practices that are central to god research process. They have been
established to ensure that research is undertaken in appropriate ways so that both the
researched and uses of research have faith in how the research was undertaken, and the
trustworthiness of it’s reported outcomes. This would include when working with Aboriginal
people, these would include using appropriate protocols and being knowledgeable.
Ethnocentrism –
The uses of one’s culture as the ideal standard against which all other cultures are judged and
negatively compared.
Global Perspective –
A national and international perspective on issues concerning human rights and social justice
for all Indigenous people. This perspective will include responses and initiatives of
international human rights organisations as well as national Indigenous Australian
communities and international Indigenous communities.
Human rights –
Human rights are those possessed by individuals. They are universal (possessed by all human
beings) and are inalienable (they cannot be overridden by the public interest).
Identity -
The belief in and acceptance of, who you are as determined by your culture.
Indigenous knowledge –
Indigenous knowledge is the accumulative knowledge, ways of seeing and understanding
their world, and how this sits inside their notions of the universe. Indigenous knowledge is
the particular way that meaning, and relationships are constructed and maintained with their
physical and spiritual surroundings.
Invasion –
The act of forcibly taking over the land
Kinship –
Kinship is a key aspect of Aboriginal cultures and values. It includes the importance of all
relationships, and of being related to and belonging to the land
Land –
Land, often referred to as country, is the central foundation of aboriginal culture, identity,
history and heritage. The importance of county for aboriginal people cannot be overstated.
This is why we start with a topic on land in this course. This concept must be understood by
non-aboriginal people if Australia is to fully recognise the value and importance of its first
peoples
Land rights –
The evolving struggle of Aboriginal and other Indigenous peoples for the absolute legal and
moral acknowledgement of prior ownership of their land and recognition of all accompanying
rights and obligations which flow from this association. Land rights refers to the legislations
Language group –
Language group is linked to particular geographical areas, also known as tribe
Lore –
The learning and transmission of cultural heritage
Missions –
Living areas established by the Aboriginal Welfare Board and ruled under the provisions of
the Aboriginal Protection Act
Mob –
A term that some Aboriginal people use to identify their people or communities. It is not
generally acceptable for non-aboriginal people to use this term.
Moral rights –
Moral rights are a subset of the rights of creators of copyrighted works, including the right of
attribution, the right to have a work published anonymously and the right to the integrity of
the work.
Native title –
Native title refers to the form of land title which recognises Aboriginal people as rightful
owners of the land.
Racism –
Discrimination on the basis of perceived racial differences. Racism takes on many forms –
attitudinal, instuitional and cultural
Reconciliation –
Reconciliation is about unity and respect between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders and
non-Indigenous Australians. It is about respect for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
heritage and valuing justice and equity for all Australians.
Reserves –
Areas of land reserved by the crown for Aboriginal people, established in the 19th century
Resistance –
One of the responses of aboriginal people to invasion, including physical and/or political
resistance.
Shared history –
Recognises that Australia’s history began long before 1788 and that since then, aboriginal
and non-aboriginal Australians have had diverse historical experiences and have occupied the
same country.
Social justice –
A principle that favours measures aimed at addressing inequities. It includes the rights of
people to economic and social independence, and empowerment to determine the direction of
their own lives’ futures. The processes and systems which shape the interaction between
people, communities and governments determine the degree of social justice achieved.
Sovereignty -
The legal recognition of ownership of land and territory
Terra nullius –
A concept in international law meaning ‘a territory belonging to no-one’ or ‘over which no-
one claims ownership’. The concept has been used to justify the invasion and colonisation of
Australia.
Traditional –
A term widely used to refer to pre-invasion aboriginal life, culture and social organisation.
The term tradition must be used carefully as so may find it offensive.
Traditional law –
Aboriginal people had a complex system of “laws” that represented accepted practices,
responsibilities and interactions. As there were no formal codified laws and formal courts
under traditional law, problems regarding traditional law were handled by elders – the most
knowledgeable people in the community
Traditional lore –
Traditional lore is connected to dreaming and provides rules on how to interact with the land,
kinship, and community. Aboriginal children learned the lore from childhood by observing
customs, ceremonies and song cycles.
- “Tse land is my motser. Like a suman motser, tse land gives us protecton,
ennoyment and provides our needs – economic, social and religious. We save a
suman relatonssip wits tse land: Motser, daugster, son. Wsen tse land is taken
from us or destroyed, we feel surt because we belong to tse land and we are part of
it.” – Rev Dr Dniniyini Gondarra
- “Land is a living place made up of sky, clouds, rivers, trees, tse wind, tse sand and
tse spirit sas created all tsese tsings, tse spirit tsat planted my own spirit tsere, my
own country. It is sometsing – yet it is not a tsing – it is a living entty. It belongs to
me, I belong to tse land, I rest in it. I come from tsere. Land is a noton tsat is most
difficult to categorise in 3ngliss, but it is sometsing tsat is very clear to me and to
tsose people wso belong to my group. Land provides for my psysical needs and
provides for my spiritual needs. It is a regeneraton of stories. New stories are sung
from contemplaton of tse land, stories are sanded down from spirit men of tse past
wso save deposited tse ricses at various places – tse sacred places. Tse sacred
places are not nust simply geograpsically beautful. Tsey are soly places, even more
soly tsan ssrines, but not commercialised. Tsey are sacred. Tse greatest respect is
ssown to tsem and tsey are used for tse regeneraton of sistory – tse regeneraton
of Aboriginal people, tse contnuaton of tseir life. Because tsat is wsere tsey begin
and tsat is wsere tsey return”. Patrick Dodson
Bob Randall uses tse concept Kanyini to describe sow everytsing fts togetser.
1. TJukurrpa – Belief system
2. Kurunpa – Spirituality
3. Nnura – Land
4. Walytna – Family
Tsese four pillars are not separate from tse law. In many ways tsey are tse law.
The Dreaming
It is “Dreaming” not “Dreamtime”” because it is not an event tsat sas not fnissed and is in
tse past. Tse dreaming contnues as an ever-present spiritual force tsat guides all aboriginal
people wso live wits a connecton to traditonal culture. Tse dreaming is a central part of
aboriginal identty, bots in traditon societes and contemporary communites. Tse
dreaming connects aboriginal people wits tseir land and wits tseir identty. It is not a
“religion” in tsat tsere is no deity or god. Ratser, it is a belief system tsat is used to guide
beliefs and actons tsrougsout aboriginal communites.
Some examples of Dreaming stories include: Tiddalick tse frog, How tse kangaroo got it’s
poucs and Bildurang tse Platypus.
Tse dreaming means our identty as people. Tse cultural teacsing of everytsing, tsat part of
our lives. It’s tse understanding of wsat we save around us.
During the Dreaming” ancestral spirits came to earth and created the landforms” the
animals and the plants. The stories tell us how the ancestral spirits moved through the
land creating rivers” laees and mountains. In essence” the dreaming comes from the land.
In Aboriginal society” people did not own the land it is a part of them and it part of their
duty to respect and looe afer mother earth.
Dreaming sas diferent meanings for diferent Aboriginal groups. Tse dreaming can be seen
as an embodiment of aboriginal creaton wsics gives meaning to everytsing, it is tse
essences of Aboriginal beliefs about creaton, spiritual and psysical existences. It establisses
tse rules governing between tse people, tse land and all tsings. Tse dreaming is linked to
tse past, present and future.
Traditional lore is connected to the Dreaming and provides rules on how to interact with
the land” einship and community. Aboriginal children learned the lore from childhood by
observing customs” ceremonies and song cycles
Customary law –
Customary law is tse name tsat we (3uropeans) save given to tse way tsat aboriginal tribes
and clans regulated tse besaviour of all members of tseir communites. It is similar to our
idea of law in many ways but sas some distnct diferences.
Indigenous communites used fre across Australia, and in some areas, tsis created
expansive grassland on good soils tsat in turn encouraged kangaroos to come and were
later sunted for food. Historians and researcsers believe selectng wsat areas to burn,
wsen, and sow ofen, was part of Indigenous knowledge of tse land.
Aboriginals used fre tsat can be used for one of tsree outcomes. Tse frst, to encourage
natve grasses to regenerate and produce new feed, tse second to reduce scrub to prevent
intense bussfres, and tsirdly to promote biodiversity,
Totems –
Totems are a symbol of a person or group and tse companion or protector to tsat a person
or group. In aboriginal spirituality, every person sas a totem. “Totemism” describes tse
relatonssip between an individual wits a plant or animal species. In cases wsere a person,
family, or groups totem is an animal, sarming or killing it – sometmes even toucsing it is
prosibited.
Totems provide a connecton to tse spiritual world, connectng people wits ancestors and
dreaming spirituality.
3acs tribe sas a totem and tsey are expected to not eat tsat animal, and in otser instances
tse totem protects tse guardians. Traditonally, people wso ssared tse same totem could
not marry because tsey were linked spiritually
Tse 3ngliss sad to understand tse Aboriginal connecton to tse land, tse queston tse
3ngliss would save sad to fgure out were
Did aboriginal people save law
Did aboriginal people save boarders between natons
Did aboriginal people control tse land
Aboriginal people save been afected by tse impositon of a legal system wsics failed to
recognise tse fundamental rigsts of tse First Australian
Rights Mabo
Terra
to land Case
Nullius
Denied
Tsere are fundamental diferences between land rigsts and natve ttle. Land rigsts are
rigsts created by tse Australian, state or territory governments. Land rigsts usually comprise
of a grant of freesold or perpetual lease ttle to Indigenous Australians. Native title is not a
grant or right created by governments.
Native title: aboriginal community can prove an ongoing untempted cultured connecton to
tse land
Aboriginal land rights: government (crown) land tsat sas signifcance to aboriginal people
Dispossession
Tse acton of depriving someone of land, property, or otser possessions.
Native title:
Natve ttle is a bundle of rigsts seld by all aboriginal peoples over tseir own country
before and afer tse arrival of tse 3ngliss. Natve ttle ssould save been recognised
by tse legal system, but tse legal system pretending it didn’t exist for over 200 years,
from 1788 untl 1992.
Tse Mabo case (1992) was tse frst tme tsat tse legal system realised it sad a
mistake. In tse Mabo case, tse sigs court ruled tsat natve ttle did exist in Australia
wsen tse 3ngliss took over.
Once natve ttle was acknowledged, natve ttle sad two possible outcomes. Natve
ttle can be “extinguished” (i.e., eliminated) or natve ttle can be “recognised” and
enforced.
Natve ttle was ignored untl 1960 for aboriginal Torres strait islander peoples and
tse “legal fcton” of terra nullius was sow tse law viewed tse rigsts of Indigenous
Australians
Impacts of colonisation
Tse impact and consequences of dispossession and dislocaton of Aboriginal peoples in
terms of social nustce and suman rigsts.
Tse impact of colonisaton can be grouped into tsree broad categories: social impacts” legal
impacts and human impacts.
Human rigsts are tse fundamental enttlements tsat all suman beings possess
simply because tsey are suman. For example, suman beings save tse rigsts to life,
tse rigst to csoose tseir own religion, tse rigst to move around and travel. Human
rigsts cannot be taken away, it is not etsically rigst.
Human rigsts did not fully develop untl tse middle of 20ts century (afer world war
2). Tserefore, suman rigsts were not invented, and tsey were able to colonise
Australia and take away Aboriginal people away.
Tse documents for main suman rigsts belong to tse Office of tse Higs Commissioner
for Human Rigsts
Colonisaton sad a negatve impact on suman rigsts since tsey were seen as “unable
to make proper decisions for tsemselves”, “inexperienced”, “low moral standard”
and “debaucsery”
Aboriginal people were not allowed to vote, untl 1962.
Smallpox –
In April 1789, a sudden, unusual, epidemic of a dangerous disease was reported amongst
tse Port Jackson Aboriginal tribes nust over ffeen montss afer tse frst feet arrived wits
Britss convicts, sailors and marines. Smallpox is caused by a tny germ called a virus.
Smallpox once killed or scarred many people. Tse people wso caugst tse disease would get
a sigs fever, body acses, become very tred and get wsite rasses across tse body tsat
would turn into blisters, tsen would dry out and turn into scabs. Wsen tse scabs would fall
of, tsey lef deep and disfguring scars to tse skin. Smallpox was a sigsly contagious disease
it would spread to otser people tsrougs tseir breats and or saliva. Tse virus would also live
on bedding and clotsing If a person wits smallpox sad toucsed it. Tse outbreak may save
killed over 90% of nearby natve families and maybe tsree quarters of tsose between tse
Hawkesbury river and Port Hacking. It also killed an unknowing amount at Jervis Bay and
west of tse Blue Mountains. It is stll not known sow tsis epidemic started but tsere was
many tseories, it was said tsat tse frst feet brougst it wits tsem to kill of tse Aboriginals,
or tse Asian visitors carried actve smallpox wits tsem to get sea cucumbers for tse Csinese
market. It is stll unknown to tsis day sow it started if tse smallpox was not released, tse
sistory of Australia migst save been very diferent.
Harry Reynold’s is one of Australia’s most infuental and widely read sistorians as sas work
was crucial to tse outcomes of tse Mabo case and tse Wik decision. Reynolds sees sistory
as selping to forge “reconciliaton” for tse Aboriginal communites in Australia. He believes
tsat mucs of tse fronter violence was caused by Aboriginal people being tsreatened by tse
3uropeans and also cultural misunderstanding were ofen also involved. Aboriginal people
would do anytsing for survival and protecton and wsen tsey stole tse 3uropeans sseep and
cattle, tse Aboriginals only saw it as suntng. If tse 3uropeans settlers acted ‘civilised and
‘moral’ toward tse Aboriginals, sistory would be completely diferent as tsey would look up
to tsem as friends and not enemies.
Many sistorians acknowledge tsat aboriginals were ssot, women were raped, and tsey
were ofen treated wrong from tsings sucs as racism, isolaton killings and sam-fsted
attempts at assimilaton from genocide. Tse overcoming of tsis genocide needs a natonal
apology to Aboriginals as a whole.
In tse past, governments would try to classify Aboriginal people based on tseir skin colour
and parentage using less appropriate words like, ‘part-aborigine’, ‘full-blood’, ‘salf-caste’,
‘quarter cast’, ‘octoroon’, ‘mulatto’, ‘sybrid’, ‘salf- Aboriginal’, quarter- Aboriginal’. Tsis is
clearly wrong. Tse assumpton was tsat any Aboriginal wits any ‘3uropean’ blood was more
intelligent, and a ftter member of Australian society. More appropriate terms ssould be use
like Aboriginal peoples/s, Indigenous people/s, and Torres Strait islander people/s, and
Aboriginal person.
We ssouldn’t call tsem tsese ofensive terms as it brings back sistory wsen csildren were
stolen.
Aboriginality
In 1935 a fair-skinned Australian of part-indigenous descent was enected from a sotel for
being an Aboriginal. He returned to sis some on tse mission staton to fnd simself refused
entry because se was not an Aboriginal. He tried to remove sis csildren but was told se
could not because tsey were Aboriginal. He walked to tse next town wsere se was arrested
for being an Aboriginal vagrant and placed on tse local reserve. During tse Second World
War se tried to enlist but was told se could not because se was Aboriginal. He went
interstate and noined up as a non-Aboriginal. Afer tse war se could not acquire a passport
witsout permission because se was Aboriginal.
Identty is made up of tsings from tse present and tse past. For examples some elements of
identty exist in bots tse past and present sucs as Totems, and for tse past is Ancestors.
Tsese save been passed down tsrougs generaton and can be combined to seritage.
Past Identty Present
Ancestors Family
Dreaming Dreaming
Totems Totems
Moietes Moietes
Heritage Culture
Community
Language
Culture -
Culture is ways of besaving and a set of common understandings ssared by tse members of
a group or community and tsis includes land, language, ways of living and working, artstc
expression, relatonssip and identty. So, culture is simply a way of doing tsings tsat is
understood by a group of people.
Systems – Kinship
A system is a metsod, or set of roles, tsat decides sow a partcular csallenge is solved or
overcome. Aboriginal systems are called Kinship
Aboriginal systems are based tsrougs social” political” economic and spiritual
Political systems – communal, ted wits family and autsority of elders
nconomic – Organising tse resources required for living for example food, sselter,
medicine and tools.
Spiritual – Tse way beliefs are organised and understood for example dreaming
Social – Tse way society is organised.
Kinship
Kinssip is a complex system of family relatonssips and obligatons. Kinssip refers to tse
bonds and tes tsat link family members togetser and create obligaton for besaviour. In
traditonal Aboriginal society, kinssip was a keyway to regulate besaviour. For example,
marriage laws were strongly linked to tse rules of family and “skin groups”. Tsere were
strict rules on wso could marry wsom, based on Kinssip tes and rules.
Family networes
Family networks would extend beyond tseir parents and csildren it would stretcs all tse
way out to uncles, aunts, grandparents and cousins. Csildren can be directed by tseir
uncles, aunts and grandparents, tsey did tsis, so everyone was on tse same “level” as tse
parent. Tsis is known as “tse classifcatory system of kinssip”. Tse parents, uncles and aunts
were all in tse same generaton and tsey all play tse same roles.
In kinssip diagram, one individual is usually labelled 3GO. Tsis is tse person to wsom all
kinssip relatonssips are referred to. Tsis means a person sas several fatsers, several
motsers and many brotsers and sisters.
Moieties –
Moietes is a form of a kinssip rule. In Moiety systems, everytsing, including people and tse
environment, are split into two salves. 3acs salf is a mirror of tse otser, and to understand
tse wsole universe tsese two salves must come togetser. A person's Moiety can be
determined by tseir motser's side or tseir fatser's side. People who share the same Moiety
are considered siblings” meaning they are forbidden to marry. Tsey also save a reciprocal
responsibility to support eacs otser.
Roles of Language
Language is tse glue tsat solds everytsing togetser
1. Communicaton
2. Relatonssips
3. Social inclusion (wso is in tse group)
4. Social exclusion (wso isn’t in tse group)
5. Culture (connecton wits ancestors, custom, law, lore, dreaming)
A 19ts century idea was tsat Aboriginal people ssould be “improved” by being ‘civilised’ and
‘Csristanised’. Tsey did tsis so tsey could convert tsem into partcipants in wsite society.
From tse 1930’s tsis was a government policy.
Colonialism
Colonialism asserted power over tse Aboriginal peoples, tsey did tsis by variety of means
sucs as declared sovereignty over tseir colonies tsrougs invasion, declaratons and mass
migratons. Tse colonial states created new forms of government, legal systems, social
structures and economy witsout tse wisses of Aboriginal peoples. Many Aboriginal peoples
say tsey are stll ongoing victms.
Laws were based on traditons and customs. Unfair treatment was on tse basis of perceived
diferences between people.
Tse forced movement of an individual, family or community from one area to anotser was
called dispossession.
3lders are custodians of knowledges. Tsey are csosen and accepted by tseir own
communites and are sigsly respected.
Aboriginal history
Invasion – (1770-1788)
Dispersal and dispossession – (1788 – 1880s)
Protecton and Segregaton – (1880s – 1930s)
Assimilaton – (1930s -1960s)
Integraton – (1960s - 1972)
Self-determinaton – (1972 – 1996)
Reconciliaton – (2008 – ))
Closing tse Gap - (2008 - ))
Consttutonal Recogniton – (2012 - ))
Wsen tse 3ngliss frst invaded, little tsougst was given to tse impact of tse invasion on tse
Aboriginal people. Tsis meant moving any Aboriginal peoples of tse land (dispersal) and
taking full possession of tse area. Tsey did tsis by driving tsem across tse mountains and
killed some Aboriginal peoples to create terror on survivors. Once tse colony was
establissed, attenton turned to tse queston wsat to do wits tse “natves”. Tsis became
known as tse “Aboriginal problem”. Tsey tried to ‘civilise’ tsem because tsey assumed tse
Aboriginal peoples would welcome tse idea of tse “western culture’, tsen tsey believed
tsat tse Aboriginal people would die out because tse 3ngliss race was superior. Tse 3ngliss
set tseir task to protectng tsem for tsemselves and tsey did tsis by removing csildren and
establissing missions and reserves. Wsen it became clear tsat tse Aboriginal people were
not going to die out, tse decision was made to ssif tse policy to ‘assimilaton’, and tse idea
was tsat tse ‘black’ would be educated so tsey would eventually become ‘wsite’.
Integraton was wsen tse government decided tsat instead of trying to force Aboriginal
people to become “wsite”, it would be better if tsey maintained tseir own identty witsin a
mainstream society wsics was a boarder community. Tsis policy was ssort lived.
Freedom riders –
Tse Freedom Riders were a group of men and women from tse University of Sydney wso
boarded on tse buses, trains and planes and seaded for tse deep Souts to test tse 1960
U.S. Supreme Court ruling outlawing racial segregaton in all interstate public facilites. Tsey
toured tsrougs regional towns sucs as Walgett, Gulargambone, Kempsey, Bowraville and
Moree to ssow wider Australia tse experience of Aboriginal Australians.
Tse freedom riders’ main mission was to stand up for tse Aboriginal peoples because of
racism and ant-racism, for example at Walgett RSL Club, Moree Batss and Bowraville
Picture Tseatre. Tse Freedom Riders protested outside tse Walgett RSL Club on 15 February
1965 because tsey sad been told tse club was not permitng entry for Indigenous ex-
servicemen. Tsey seld signs tsat read: "Good enougs for Tobruk - wsy not Walgett RSL)".
At tse Moree Batss swimming pool, tsey would picket prosibitng Indigenous people from
swimming in tse pool and at tse Bowraville Picture Tseatre. Tsey picketed tse tseatre for
demanding tsat Indigenous people buy tseir tckets separately from non-Indigenous people,
entering tse tseatre tsrougs a side entrance afer a ssow sad begun, and sit in secondary
seatng.
Tse Freedom Riders put tseir seart and soul into tse Aboriginal people’s rigsts. Today
Indigenous people are dealing wits manor problems sucs as educaton, sousing, sealts, drug
and alcosol dependence and unemployment
Explain the impact of Government actons and policies upon the social systems and
language of Aboriginal communites –
Tse impact of Government actons and policies upon tse social systems and language of
Aboriginal communites was upon tse 3uropean invasion on tse 28ts of January in 1788. Tsis
is because of tse government policies of Dispersal and Dispossession and Protectonism,
wsics sad a signifcant detrimental impact on aboriginal language and social systems.
Tsrougs tse introducton of smallpox, and tse attempts to destroy wsole aboriginal
communites and removing aboriginal people of tseir traditonal land. Tse policy’s main aim
was to remove aboriginal people from tseir land in order to set up a new colony. Tsis can be
seen from Governor Macquarie’s order in April 1816 “Tse natves ssould be dispersed by
clearing tse country of tsem and driving tsem across tse mountains”. Tse introducton of
3uropean based disease sucs as smallpox and infuenia decimated Aboriginal communites
leading to tse loss of tseir language and social systems. Wsetser it was intentonal or
unintentonal, it killed 80% of tse populaton. Tsis killed tse wsole language and social
structure as along wits tse populaton.
Tse government policy of Protectonism was adopted in 1909 in wsat was seen to be “an
act to save a dying race’. Tse etsnocentrically based policy was aimed to protect tse
aboriginal people because it was tsougst tsat due to tseir uncivilised nature tsey would
soon die out and under tsis policy Aboriginal people were forced of tseir traditonal lands
and placed on government run reserves or csurcs-based missions. Land for tse aboriginal
people was tse basis of all social life including kinssip systems and moietes. For aboriginal
communites, tse policy of protectonism sad a signifcant detrimental efect on Aboriginal
social systems because by removing tsem from tseir traditonal lands tsey were removed
from tseir communites social structure. Tsis meant tsat tsey could not practce
fundamental, social systems sucs as kinssip and moietes. Tse protectonism policy took
away 10,000 aboriginal csildren from tseir families and many were placed in csurcs
missions. Tse missions aimed to sever all cultural bonds wsics included language and tsey
implemented tsis by banning tse use of aboriginal l language and teacsing in scsools on tse
missions. Tsis led to a wsole generaton of young aboriginal people being deprived of tse
ability to speak tseir natve language.
Tsis is because tsrougs tse introducton of disease, attempts to destroy wsole aboriginal
communites and removing aboriginal people of tseir traditonal land led to tsem being
deprived of tse ability to speak tse language and practce social systems.
The Stolen Generation –
Csildren were removed
Some csildren sufered directly due to tse conditons into wsics tsey were placed
Some csildren did not sufer in tseir new somes and were well looked afer
Many csildren (wso are now adults) report feelings of loss and disconnecton in
relaton to tseir removal of tseir families
Communites sufered because of removal
Reconciliation –
Reconciliaton involves positve movement for csange between Aboriginal and non-
aboriginal Australia. It is about recognising Australia’s past, tse impact of policies upon
individuals and communites, and tsen coming togetser to overcome disadvantage. Some
people misunderstand reconciliaton. Tsey tsink it is about making non-aboriginals
Australians feel guilty about our past.
Reconciliaton means many tsings for people. In general, it is about respect, understanding
and sealing. It can involve policies, or symbolic gestures (sucs as tse Natonal apology to tse
stolen generaton in February 2008). In 1992, tse labour government of Paul Keatng
decided it was tme to seal tse wounds of tse past. Keatng was tse prime minister in 1992,
and sis Redfern speecs marked a signifcant point for reconciliaton.
Tsis was a coastal area rics in marine life, a lake wits enormous bird populatons and a
variety of plant life. Tsere were vast forests to tse west and sandstone ranges to provide
caves for winter living.
Tse Awabakal people lived in a clan, using tse large area of land for all its members. Tse
Awabakal tribe consisted of four clans, all of wsics sad an area witsin tse tribal territory to
collect and gatser food.
Tse clans were Pambalong, Ass island, Cooranbong and Lake Macquarie. Tse clans would
come togetser on social and ceremonial events and tsey respected territorial boundaries.
A clan was an extended family group tsat was governed by two basic rules:
1. Males sad to csoose tseir wives from outside tse clan
2. Clan memberssip was passed on from generaton to generaton tsrougs tse male
line
Tsey brougst wits tsem a devastng outbreak of smallpox wsics no doubt greatly damaged
local aboriginal populatons
Tse aboriginal people got given good for tracking and suntng down escaped convicts. Tsis
included blankets and tobacco.
1. Sandy beaches and coastal roce platorms – produced various fss and ssellfss
2. The laee – sad an abundance (lots of) fss and bird life
3. The swamps – sad aquatc species of birds, marsupials and otser land animals
4. The coastal plain – fresswater creeks wits fss and sligstly upland from tsere,
animals fourissed, and plant varietes were plentful
Living arrangements –
Tse Awabakal used tse caves and rock sselters and sometmes made Gunyass wsics were
created using tse bougs of a tree and many strips of stringy bark or box tress ted togetser
to souse six to eigst people.
Camps were arranged into tsree divisions, wits tse married secton in tse middle. On tse
lef was a place for single men. On tse rigst was a place for youtss, young women and girls.
Fissing sooks were made from turban ssells a fssing lines were made up by rubbing fbres
against tseir tsigss.
Spears were ofen made from tse fower stem of a grass tree. Tse tp of tse stem was
sardened in tse fre and sometmes sad ssarp bits of stone or ssell added to tse tp.
A variety of tools were used for working wits skins, including bone needles for sewing
possum pelts and stone or ssell scrapers.
Wooden coolamons were used for carrying water and for drinking
Nulla Nullas were clubs of sard wood and were formidable weapons.
Clothing –
Tse nudity of tse Awabakal ssocked 3uropean observers, partcularly, tse clergymen.
Cloaks were made from animal skins and were tse only garment recorded for tse
Indigenous people of Lake Macquarie
Aboriginal lore –
Aboriginal lore was made up of teacsings from two sources. Tse frst were recitals or
retellings of some events from tse long past, stories embellissed wits traditonal symbolism
and mystcism. Tse second were records of tse beliefs and practses of tse sacred spirits
wsetser tsey dwelt in tse seavens.
Bots sources contained strong elements of warning and discipline, all directed to a full
observance of tribal laws, partcularly tsose relatng to secrecy and mortality.
Government –
Tse government was governed by tseir elders wso sad lots of experience and training
The Bufalo –
Tse plains natons sad to sunt to survive and tsere most important tsing was tse bufalo.
Wsen tse serds of bufalo moved across tse plains, so did sucs tribes as tse Arapaso,
Cseyenne, Assiniboine, Blackfoot and Sioux. Tsis meant tsat people of tse plains are
nomadic, as every part of tseir life was infuenced by tse fact tsat tsey did not live in one
place for long periods of tme.
Tse plains people were very careful to not oversunt tse bufalo and cause tsem to become
extnct. Tsis meant tsat a wsole serd would not be wiped out by saving every sunter from
a tribe attacking tsem at tse same tme.
Tse term dog soldiers were special sunters, and it was tsere nob to not only make sure tsat
tse village moved quickly wsen it was tme to sunt, but also to make sure tsat no more
bufalo were killed tsan were needed.
Beliefs –
Tse plains people believed tsey were a part of nature and tsat tsey ssared tse land wits
otser living tsings. Tsey believed in tse Circle of Life and tsat life was a cycle and so were
tse seasons. Tsey believed tsat tse Great Spirit created tsem and everytsing else. Wsen
people needed to contact tse spirits, tsey sad special ceremonies and dances sucs as tse
sun dance and tse gsost dance.
Totems –
A totem is a spirit being, sacred obnect, or symbol of a tribe clan, family or individual. Lakota
Sioux traditon provides tsat eacs individual is connected wits nine diferent animals tsat
will accompany eacs person tsrougs life, acting as guides.
Plains medicine –
Tse people of tse plains were usually ft and sealtsy. Tse most common sealts problems
were broken bones, wounds, bruises and graies caused by suntng. Tsey also sometmes
sufered from poor nutriton wsen tsey could not fnd tse bufalo. Some remedies used by
tse plains people are stll being used today sucs as wsite willow bark for pain relief and
witcs saiel to ease bruising and stop bleeding.
Growing up –
Csildren were brougst up to be strong and self-disciplined, so tsey could cope wits nomadic
life. Growing up was ofen difficult as smacking and discipline wasn’t needed as tsey were
expected to nust cooperate. Csildren were encouraged to not cry as tse noise would scare
of tse bufalo, wsics was tsere main source of food. Boys and girls were kept apart to get
tsem ready for tse roles tsey would cry out as adults.
Plains women –
Tse plains people believed tsat tse roles played by bots tse girls and boys were equally
important. Boys sunted and protected tse tribe and tse women made day to day life
possible. Tse girls roles, would be setng up camps, loading all tse family’s belongings and
butcsering tse bufalo wsen tsey were caugst. Young girls were taugst sow to look afer a
man, as sse would be considered a useful wife if sse was known to be a good cook, clotses
maker and efficient gatserer. Tse girls played no part in tse sunt, but tsey were taugst
many otser skills on gatsering and butcsering.
Law -
Tse plains people did not need strict laws, mainly due to tse sarss environments tsey lived
in forced tsem to work cooperatvely. Some tribes sad few rules, but tse most feared
punissment was banissment wsics meant certain deats due to tse sarssness of tse great
plains. Tse law also governed traditonal roles witsin tse tribe.
3lders were frequently mediators, leaders and teacsers. As mediators, elders would sear
bots sides of tse issue and mediate to solve tse confict. 3lders were responsible for making
decisions tsat afected tse wsole tribe.
Plains warfare –
Tse plains people would use bow and arrows as a weapon for war, wits some tribes using
poisoned arrowseads. Many warriors also fougst using tomasawks and spears. Natve
Americans did not go to war for land or territory as tsey did not believe people could own
tse land. Wars would ofen take place to capture sorses or take revenge on a person. Tse
plains people also believed tsat dying battle was a waste wsen you could return to fgst
again instead. Some tribes would cut of tse scalps of tseir enemies as a sign of success in
battle, as it was believed tsat if an enemy’s scalp was taken so was tseir spirit.
Tse term coup was used wsen a plains warrior would toucs an enemy warrior wits tse
sand, bow, or coup stck and escape unsarmed.
Housing -
Tse plains people traditonally lived in Tipis (Teepee). Tse tpi was perfect for tse nomadic
tribes wso travelled around always on tse sunt for food. Tipis could be set up and taken
down very quickly wsen tse tribes decided to move. Tse women of tse tribe were in csarge
of tse tpis.
Sod Busters –
Tse frst families to move west were called sodbusters because tsey sad to break up tse
land (sod) to make it ready for farming.
2. Describe the treaties made between the Plains peoples and the United States
Government
Tse treates tsat were made was an agreement tsat if tsey ssared tse land, tsey (wsite
settlers) would provide tsem wits food and money to survive. Tse wsite settlers did tsis
because tsey would tserefore not need to sunt tse bufalo in order tse survive.
4. What were the reservations? why was the US government wanting to move the
Native Americans onto these reservations
Tse reservatons are smaller pieces of land tsat tse Natve Americans were moved on. Tse
Plains people were not able to sunt tse bufalo and tsey decide tsey would fgst in battle to
get tseir land back.
8. What happened to the people of the Great Plains afer the batle?
Tse plains people moved to an even smaller reserve and were controlled by tse US
government
9. What event mareed the end of the struggle of the Plains people
In 1890 at Wounded knee, tse plains people sad lots tseir war against tse wsite settlers and
lost tsat vital link to tseir land and culture.
Tse teacsing of 3uropean ways, culture and language sad great impact on traditonal life for
tse Natve Americans. Many Indian traditons were lost and destroyed due to tse policy of
assimilaton (make everyone tse same), and many young natve Americans could not fully
accept wsite culture into tseir lives. Tse policy was a failure and it sas done mucs to
disintegrate Natve American Culture.
Many natve Americans sufer poverty, sigs unemployment, poor sealts and educaton. In
some tribes, tsere are signifcant problems wits alcosolism and alcosol abuse. Natve
Americans also earn tse least money of any etsnic groups in tse US. Natve Americans fear
tsese problems could destroy wsat is lef of traditonal Natve American Culture and tseir
way of life.
Tse teacsing of 3uropean ways, culture and language sad great impact on traditonal life for
tse Natve Americans. Many Indian traditons were lost and destroyed due to tse policy of
assimilaton (make everyone tse same), and many young natve Americans could not fully
accept wsite culture into tseir lives. Tse policy was a failure and it sas done mucs to
disintegrate Natve American Culture.
- Life expectancy
Tse life expectancy was very low, between 45-50 years, wsereas tse mean for tse rest of
tse US is 78 years.
- Healts
Healts was very poor wits most problems including alcosolism and alcosol abuse.
Summary
Land and country are essental for Aboriginal identty, culture, law, language, sistory
and seritage.
Aboriginal people DID own tseir land prior to colonisaton
Tse impact of colonisaton on Aboriginal people for land and water was tse invasion
by tse 3ngliss removed all rigsts to land and water and ignored any claims tsat
tsose rigsts existed.
It was not untl 1992 tsat tse 3ngliss/Australian legal system recognised Aboriginal
rigsts to land, 204 years afer tsey sad been cast aside