Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures

To begin with, a look at the History section of the Australian Curriculum documentation would be helpful.

"The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander priority provides opportunities for all learners to deepen their knowledge of Australia by engaging with the world’s oldest continuous living cultures.

The Australian Curriculum: history values Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures. It celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories as part of the shared history belonging to all Australians.

Students will examine historical perspectives from an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander viewpoint. They will learn about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples prior to colonisation by the British, the ensuing contact and its impacts."(ACARA) 

Before colonisation a map of Australia would have been drawn by the Aboriginal people as depicted in the image below which is a striking work by innovative Kiwirrkura artist Yukultji Napangati of the Papunya Tula school of artists. Yukultji's works capture the travels of ancestral women in the country surrounding where the Kiwirrkura community now stands.

  from www.papunyatula.com.au  

However this is not the type of map we as white Australian's would recognise. The map below showing the territorial divides of Indigenous Australia within the outline of Australia that we are used to seeing is unrecognisable  to most.  I have included a link to an Interactive map of Aboriginal Tribe colonies which can be used to show students the names of the tribal colonies in more detail when combined with the printed map below.

Territorial Divide of Indigenous Australia

If our education of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures began with these images rather than the Matthew Flinder's map of Australia the correct recognition could be given to the oldest continuous living culture in the world today.  'White' Australians were invaders, not the first settlers of the land.  Before settlement by the English and for some time following, the Aboriginals treated the British as friends, or interacted solely with themselves as shown in the image below of a group of Natives fishing and playing happily.  It was the British who wanted to control, dominate and in the case of Tasmania, remove the Aboriginals completely.  The Aboriginal Land Act 1995 (Tas)  acknowledges the dispossession of Tasmania's Indigenous people and attempts to reinstate some of their lost rights.

Natives of New Holland fishing and playing

Students should be exposed to the facts about settlement of the British and recognise the negative impacts on the original owners of the land.  The image below shows how much of the Aboriginal land the 'white Australian's' have taken over by force and the impacts felt.

In conclusion, this thought is left: "If someone else was here first we need to recognise their rightful ownership of the land, not just in words but in deeds." Students need to be presented with a balanced account of history in order to allow them to foster positive and accurate attitudes towards the Indigenous people and their society.

References

Australian Curriculum documentation: Retrieved from: http//www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/History/Cross Curricular Priorities. 

melbourne.indymedia.org, (2008) Map of Aboriginal Tribe Colonies:  Retrieved from: http//mappery.com/Australia-Aboriginal-Tribes-Map

Napangati, Y. (n.d.). Travels of ancestral women in the country surrounding where the Kiwirrkura community now stands. Retrieved from: www.papunyatula.com.au. 

Oldest continuous living culture in the world: http//www.australiangeographic.com.au/journal/Aboriginal-Australians-the-oldest-culture-on-earth.htm

Images / Video

melbourne.indymedia.org, (2008) Map of Aboriginal Tribe Colonies:  Retrieved from: http//mappery.com/Australia-Aboriginal-Tribes-Map

Natives of New Holland fishing and playing: 

Napangati, Y. (n.d.). Travels of ancestral women in the country surrounding where the Kiwirrkura community now stands. Retrieved from: www.papunyatula.com.au. 

Hyperlinks

Interactive Aboriginal Tribe Colonies: http://www.abc.net.au/indigenous/map/

Image of Aboriginal artwork: www.papunyatula.com.au. 

Aboriginal Land Act 1995, Retrieved from: http://www.atns.net.au/agreement.asp?EntityID=896
Oldest living culture in the world.: http://www.australiangeographic.com.au/journal/Aboriginal-Australians-the-oldest-culture-on-Earth.htm

Sustainability

Sustainability

Telstra advertisement: We are Australian

[avail http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZuKpJv0PlSE ]

The above youtube video has a great selection of landscapes around Australia, oceans, beaches, mountains, desserts, valleys and cities.  It also has footage of the weather conditions such as storms, and views of Australia up close, and also from out in space.  The song shows Australia in all its glory this is the Australia that needs to be passed on to the future generations, so they can feel the same pride in Australia that "we" the current generations feel.

In the Australian Curriculum Sustainability is detailed in part as:

" History, students develop understanding, for example, of the changes in environments over time, the role played by individuals and communities in protecting environments, the emergence of farming and settled communities, the development of the Industrial Revolution and the growth of population, the overuse of natural resources and the rise of environmental movements." (ACARA)

I found two pictures of  Sandy Beach, Hobart one taken in the 1830, the other taken recently.  In both shots the general outline of the land is the same, however the development that has occurred since 1830 is very evident in the recent photo, showing a cityscape in the foreground of the bay with tall buildings and a great deal of housing clearly visible.  The 1830 photo shows rolling green hills with very little if any development at all.  

Photograph A: from Nutgrove Beach, Sandy Bay

View of Hobart, 1830

In the two comparative photo's students can see the larger landscape features remain, and the development that has occurred over time has been necessary for the progression of the city of Hobart in order to keep up with population demands, and the advancement of technology.  With this in mind it is important to recognise the amount of green undeveloped land that remains, enabling the current generation to explore the environment in its natural state as could be done back in 1830.  This is a great example of environmental sustainability.

There are 17 Australian properties on the World Heritage List.  These are areas described as those requiring protection in order to preserve them for future generations to witness and enjoy.  Within Australia there are also heritage list properties that are protected in order to preserve them for future generations. Students can be shown the standout features of architecture since settlement, also the unique features of Australia that remain today and why they should be cared for in order to protect them for all future generations to enjoy creating a sustainable future for all.

References:

Australian Curriculum Retrieved from: http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/History/Cross-Curriculum-Priorities

environmental sustainability: http://australia.gov.au/topics/environment-and-natural-resources/environmental-sustainability
Australian Govnerment, (2008). Retrieved from: http://www.dfat.gov.au/facts/env_glance.html

Images / Video:

Telstra advertisement: We are Australian [avail http://whc.unesco.org/en/list ]

Photograph A: from Nutgrove Beach, Sandy Bay

view of Hobart, 1830

Hyperlinks:

Australian Curriculum Sustainability: http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/History/Cross-Curriculum-Priorities
environmental sustainability: http://australia.gov.au/topics/environment-and-natural-resources/environmental-sustainability
world heritage listed properties: http://whc.unesco.org/en/list
Australian Heritage List: http://www.environment.gov.au/heritage/places/world/index.html

  

Asia and Australia's Engagement with Asia

Asia and Australia's Engagement with Asia

ACARA History Curriculum describes Asia and Australia's engagement with Asia as:

"History, the priority of Asia and Australia’s engagement with Asia provides rich and engaging content and contexts for developing students’ historical knowledge, understanding and skills. In this learning area, students recognise the dynamic nature of socio-political relationships within the region over time, and the role that individuals, governments and other organisations play in shaping relationships between peoples and countries. They develop an appreciation of the history of Australia-Asia engagement and how this influences contemporary relationships within Australian society and relationships between Australia and the countries of Asia."

Australian immigration has a strong history with China, yet it has been fraught with controversy dating back as early as 1855 when the Chinese Immigration Act was passed. This included making a law that the master of a ship had to pay a poll tax of 10 pounds for every Chinese immigrant on the ship.  This was followed by the Immigration Restriction Act in 1901 which was written after major race riot at Lambing Flat in 1860–61 riots (Museum of Australian Democracy, n.d.)

From http://www.nicholsoncartoons.com.au/cartoon_169.html
[retrieved 18 Aug, 2010]

This cartoon from Nicholson cartoons depicting Pauline Hanson driving a bulldozer towards a house built on a foundation of immigrants with the caption, "I like the house but I don't like the foundations" sums up rather clearly the fact that Australia's economic growth would not be possible without immigration.  The British   have always been the desired appearance.  The Chinese not having a similar appearance to the British has always sparked controversy beginning soon after settlement, as seen in the 'patriotic' anti-Chinese ballads, encouraged by parents to revile  like parody of Rule Britannia: 'Rule Britannia! Britannia rule the waves! / No more Chinamen will enter New South Wales'. Stoning Chinamen was also encouraged.

The 1970s and 1980s saw the introduction of the policy of multiculturalism which urged four guiding principles: 

"1. All members of Australian society must have equal opportunity to realise their full potential and must have equal access to programs and services;

2. Every person should be able to maintain his or her culture without prejudice or disadvantage and should be encouraged to understand and embrace other cultures;

3. While special services and programs remained necessary to ensure equality of services for migrants, their needs should, in general, be met by programs and services available to the whole community; and

4. Services and programs should be designed and operated in full consultation with migrants and self-help should be encouraged as much as possible to help them to become self-reliant quickly." (Henry, H. and Kurzak, K.,2012)

This was to replace the white Australia policy that had been in place since settlement.  It was to show Australia as an accepting country that is made up of a melting pot of cultures and backgrounds.  The next major shift occurred after the 1980s John Howard raised concerns over the dual loyalties and the persistence and beliefs deemed incompatible with Australian values.  John Howard preferred:

"an Australian society that respects our cultural diversity and acknowledges that we are drawn from many parts of the world, but requires of all of us a loyalty to Australia at all times and to her institutions and her values and her traditions which transcends loyalty to any other set of values anywhere in the world" Quoted in J Jupp, 'Immigration and National Identity'in G Stokes, The Politics of Identity in Australia, p. 135.

This shift occurred in response to the increasing arrivals of Vietnamese refugees after Australia withdrew from the war in the mid 1970s.  However, this shift was not mirrored in the Australian society. The arrivals re-ignited old fears and prejudices that had existed towards Asian immigration in the 19th century.  These were continued by Pauline Hanson in the 1990s as shown in the above cartoon image, and also as shown in the idea that it's our Australia and our home, highlighted in this quote: “…if I can invite whom I want into my home, then I should have the right to have a say in who comes into my country.” – Pauline Hanson (House of Representatives speech, September 1996).  The fear refugees or boat people create in the Australian people remains today fueled by the manipulated data shown by the Australian Government as shown in the image below.   

‘Boat People arriving from Vietnam’, available at

"http://www.naa.gov.au/Images/11403409-650_tcm2-9538.jpg 

retrieved 18 Aug, 2010][retrieved 18 Aug, 2010]

All these images are valuable in outlining issues of soco-Political relationships as outlined in the ACARA History Curriculum.  The images reinforce the negative stereotype of boat people, who come to Australia to take our jobs, get free money from our Government raising our taxes.  The Asian refugees are depicted in the images the media presents, not the European refugees who look similar to the British, which is still today the preferred appearance for Australian's.  Hopefully one day everyone will be treated with respect and love and made to feel welcome as we would wish to be if we were in their positions.  The below film shows some interesting images on the subject:

Video made for a competition run by JRS (Jesuit Refugee Service) in Australia

by M Sherlock, D, Stuntz and J Morgan uploaded Sept 10th 2011

A final thought, "I wonder if the fear the 'Asian invasion' instills in the white Australian's is anything like the fear we created in the Aboriginal people when we arrived and took their land from them."  Food for thought.

References

• ACARA
• Hanson, P. (1996). House of Representatives speech, Retrieved from: http://paulinehanson.com.au/.
• Henry, H. and Kurzak, K. (2012).  A Multicultural Australia. TheAustralianCollaboratation. Retrieved from: http://www.australiancollaboration.com.au/pdf/FactSheets/Multicultural-Australia-FactSheet.pdf.
• J Jupp, 'Immigration and National Identity'in G Stokes, The Politics of Identity in Australia.
• Museum of Australian Democracy, (n.d.). Australia's Story. Retrieved from: http://foundingdocs.gov.au/item-did-82.html. 

Images / Video

• ‘Boat People arriving from Vietnam’: "http://www.naa.gov.au/Images/11403409-650_tcm2-9538.jpg 
• Pauline Hanson driving a bulldozer towards a group of migrants:  http://www.nicholsoncartoons.com.au/cartoon_169.html 
• Video made for a competition run by JRS (Jesuit Refugee Service) in Australia by M Sherlock, D, Stuntz and J Morgan uploaded Sept 10th 2011 Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HgL784AGx4A

Hyperlinks

Asia and Australia's engagement with Asia: http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/History/Cross-Curriculum-PrioritiesChinese Immigration Act: http://foundingdocs.gov.au/item-did-82.html 

Immigration Restriction Act: http://foundingdocs.gov.au/item-did-16.html
Pauline Hanson: http://paulinehanson.com.au/