What can we do to stop this from occurring now and in the future ?
Aboriginal Description / History :
https://australianstogether.org.au/discover/the-wound/who-are-indigenous-australians/
Indigenous Australians more specifically referred to as Aboriginal/ Torres Strait Islanders are natives to Australia. There are many different languages, cultures and beliefs within Indigenous Australians. Many of the cultures have adapted to colonisation while some are continuing to be revived or reclaimed. Hence there is a diverse group of Indigenous Australians, within these diversities they do feel a strong connection to the land.
However Indiegnous Australians have been “Othered” in their own nation which has caused significantly negative impacts.
History:
Since the First Fleet arrived in Australia Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders have been heavily discriminated against, this attitude is still prevalent in Australia today. This timeline will provide examples of how this has happened throughout Australian history.
https://humanrights.gov.au/our-work/education/track-history-timeline-stolen-generations
- Examples / Timeline:
- 1788 First Fleet arrives clashes between Aboriginal people and the settlers
- 1869 The Aborigines Protection Act (Vic) establishes an Aborigines Protection Board in Victoria to manage the interests of Aborigines. The Governor can order the removal of any child from their family to a reformatory or industrial school.
- The Aboriginal Protection and Restriction of the Sale of Opium Act (Qld) allows the Chief Protector to remove local Aboriginal people onto and between reserves and hold children in dormitories. Until 1965 the Director of Native Welfare was the legal guardian of all ‘aboriginal’ children whether their parents were living or not.
- 1901 constitution states that Aboriginals will not be included in the census
- 1915 Aborigines Protection Amending Act gave power to the Aboriginal Protection Board to separate Indigenous children from their families without having to establish in court that they were neglected.
STEREOTYPING :
A stereotype is a preconceived idea that attributes certain characteristics towards a social glass or group of people preconceptions of these groups can either be negative or positive (Jackson, Jane 2019). In terms of Indigenous Australians they typically get stereotyped in a negative manner.
- Some examples of Stereotypes include
- Live in the outback
- Alcoholics
- Have an easy life
- Lazy
- Waste their lives
These stereotypes are particularly harmful as it groups all Indigenous Australians in a negative manner which is untrue. These stereotypes cause Aboriginals to feel like outcasts in their own country as many people will stereotype them and not accept them as valuable members of society.
A major stereotype of being an Indigenous Australian is that they all live in the outback and those living in the city are “Fake”, this stereotype is inaccurate as a large portion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders live in cities and they still celebrate their culture and have a strong connection to the land. This stereotype can greatly affect Indigenous Australians as they already have issues surrounding their identity due to dispossession of land and family.
There have been many cases Indigenous Australians being stereotyped, a key example of this was spoken about by Linda Burney (Aboriginal MP, 2016). She reflects on particular stereotypes she experienced as a young girl at school. Being told her ancestors were “the closest thing to stone-age men”. These stereotypes are very harmful to Indigenous Australians, it undermines their rich culture and history. Through describing them as unadvanced and not living in the modern world.
Jackson, Jane. Introducing Language and Intercultural Communication, Taylor & Francis Group, 2019. ProQuest Ebook Central, http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/uow/detail.action?docID=5915752.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/324062155_Binary_discourses_and_%27othering%27_Indigenous_Australians
Discrimination :
Discrimiation is a form of behaviour used as a result of prejudice attitudes, it involves the prejudicial or unequal treatment of individuals based on their membership of being in a particular group or category (Jackson, 2019). Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders have faced a significant amount of discrimination in Australia, this behaviour stems from the negative preconceptions and stereotypes Australians think of Aboriginals.
There are a variety of circumstances where Indigenous Australians have been discriminated against, a significant example is when a returning soldier was refused service.
In 1952 “Desmond Parfitt ” attempted to order sandwiches in West Australia, hiring this time he was wearing a uniform and service badge (Hunter, 2019). He was refused service, this treatment caused him to feel like an outcast in his own country.
As he has served his country in the military, risking his life but is unable to even buy a sandwich.
Though the same examples of discrimination may be less or not prevelant currently in Australia treatment of Aboriginals still steems from negative stereotypes which are still evident today.
This particular case demonstrates how many Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders have significantly made a positive impact in Australia though are treated as outcasts due to preconceived ideas about their culture and them as individuals.
https://www.awm.gov.au/articles/blog/desmond-parfit
Jackson, Jane. Introducing Language and Intercultural Communication, Taylor & Francis Group, 2019. ProQuest Ebook Central, http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/uow/detail.action?docID=5915752.
Why has this occurred ?
Stereotyping and discrimination have occured to a great extent in Australia towards Aboriginals though these attitudes and behaviours happen for a variety of different reasons.
This includes :
- Lack of understanding and respect
Many Australians do not understand or are not aware of Aboriginal history and culture. As they do not understand this they will prejudge many Aboriginals
Examples of this include individuals not knowing to a great extent of what really happened during the stolen generation and the British invading Australia.
- 2. Historical Injustice
- Within Australia Aboriginals have been dispossessed and marginalised
- In Australian history Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders have been impacted in both social and economic ways
- No treaty has ever been put into effect in Australia which would have allowed the government and Indigenous Australians to have a mutual agreement
- 3. Institutional Injustice
- There has been a series of institutions put into place by the Australian government that has been unfair towards Indigenous Australians this was especially evident during the stolen generation
- Past policies continue to have an effect on Indigenous Australians
In combination these reasons have caused many Australians to justify both stereotyping and discriminating against Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders. It is important that these barriers / forms of injustice do not continue to occur in Australia. Otherwise the othering of Aboriginals will be a constant cycle and they will continue to suffer from it both physically and emotionally
https://australianstogether.org.au/discover/the-wound/somethings-not-right/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbEiWnbmu5w
STATISTICS :
- Being paid less
- 20% of Aboriginal people live in poverty
- Previous research has found that Indigenous incomes “for almost every demographic, geographic, education and employment combination” are lower than for non-Indigenous Australians. The exception is incomes for Indigenous women with a university degree.
- 10% of the Indiegneous population received no income
ttps://www.news.com.au/national/the-truth-about-how-aboriginal-people-are-treated-in-australia/news-story/b6f63cbe1c7db3209141de328ba47795
WHAT CAN BE DONE ?
Many Australians and specifically the government have continued to question what can be done about the circumstances Aboriginals face on a daily basis as there is a great inequity.
Though policies have been put into place for Aboriginals to face less hardships and have the same quality of life as many Australians such as
The 1967 Referendum
Mabo court case
The bridge walks in 2000
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd’s apology to the stolen generations in 2008
Though Indigenous Australians still continue to be paid less and are more likely to live in poverty as these acts do little to transform or change Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders lives.
Examples of policies or changes to stop othering of Aboriginals and for them to receive equality include:
- Bureaucratic priorities being replaced by Indigenous policies this will enable them to initiate programs that will be effective
Reflecting local knowledge and concerns, the Australian government is constantly discussing how to treat Indigenous land and any legislations that should be passed. However by Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders making decisions in regards to their land they are able to make informed decisions as they understand the needs of their community - Indigenous Australians reviewing programs put into place an example of this could be “Close the gap”, as they understand what initiatives work and which ones they find ineffective, this will enable equality to be achieved
- More significant integration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander History within the education system of both primary and high schools. As many Australians are unaware of Indigenous culture and history this causes a lack of understanding. and respect. Through educating children from a young age many preconceptions and stereotypes will be proven wrong and prevent them from discriminating against Indigenous Australians.
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