Indigenous Australia

1. Indigenous Australia A History of Race Relations from the First Fleet to Mabo Gabriella T. Espák, IEAS UD, 2014

2. Overview • Sources • Perceptions • Events and Political Solutions • Landrights • Reconciliation

3. Eddie Mabo of Mer island in the Torres Strait spent a decade seeking official recognition of his people’s ownership of Mer and on 3 June 1992, the High Court of Australia agreed, rejecting the doctrine that Australia was terra nullius (land belonging to no-one) at the time of European settlement. http://www.indigenous.gov.au/eddie-mabo-the-man-behind-mabo-day/ Hello Class, I have loved working on the First Fleet. I have learn’t somuch from when they left and who was the captain and who led the First Fleet. I think that it is important for kids to know about the First Fleet because it’s the start of our Australian history. The thing I found most interesting was that we could of been Spanish or French if there were no convicts. From Sabastian http://classprice.edublogs.org/2012/08/01/the-first-fleet/

4. Sources • Source criticism: author, text, filters, age, background • Culturalrelativism: “thisdoctrineholdsthatallculturalsystems must be approached (and assessed) asiftheyareequallygood and valid, whensituatedwithintheirhistoricalandenvironmentalcontext” (Fleras)

5. The Last of His Tribe Henry Kendall WeAreGoing OodgerooNoonuccal He crouches, and buries his face on his knees, And hides in the dark of his hair; For he cannot look up to the storm-smitten trees, Or think of the loneliness there – Of the loss and the loneliness there. The wallaroos grope through the tufts of the grass, And turn to their coverts for fear; But he sits in the ashes and lets them pass Where the boomerangs sleep with the spear – With the nullah, the sling and the spear. Uloola, behold him! The thunder that breaks On the tops of the rocks with the rain, And the wind which drives up with the salt of the lakes, Have made him a hunter again – A hunter and fisher again. For his eyes have been full with a smouldering thought; But he dreams of the hunts of yore, And of foes that he sought, and of fights that he fought With those who will battle no more – Who will go to the battle no more. It is well that the water which tumbles and fills, Goes moaning and moaning along; For an echo rolls out from the sides of the hills, And he starts at a wonderful song – At the sound of a wonderful song. And he sees, through the rents of the scattering fogs, The corroboree warlike and grim, And the lubra who sat by the fire on the logs, To watch, like a mourner, for him – Like a mother and mourner for him. Will he go in his sleep from these desolate lands, Like a chief, to the rest of his race, With the honey-voiced woman who beckons and stands, And gleams like a dream in his face – Like a marvellous dream in his face? (1864) TheycameintothelittletownA semi-nakedbandsubdued and silentAllthatremained of theirtribe. Theycame here totheplace of their old bora groundWherenowthemanywhitemenhurryaboutlikeants. Notice of theestateagentreads: 'Rubbish May Be Tipped Here'. Nowithalfcoversthetraces of the old bora ring. 'Weareasstrangers here now, butthewhitetribearethestrangers. Webelong here, weare of the old ways. Wearethecorroboree and the bora ground, Wearethe old ceremonies, thelaws of theelders. Wearethewondertales of Dream Time, thetriballegends told. Wearethepast, thehunts and thelaughinggames, thewanderingcampfires. Wearethelightening bolt over Gaphembah Hill Quick and terrible, AndtheThundererafterhim, thatloudfellow. Wearethequietdaybreakpalingthedarklagoon. Wearetheshadow-ghostscreeping back asthecampfiresburnlow. Wearenature and thepast, allthe old waysGonenow and scattered. The scrubsaregone, thehunting and thelaughter. The eagle is gone, the emu and thekangarooaregonefromthisplace. The bora ring is gone. The corroboree is gone. And wearegoing.' (1964)

6. Perceptions • Cultureshock • conceptual differences, “primitive” • William Dampier 1688, “the miserablest people in the world” • James Cook 1770, noble savage, “far more happier than we Europeans” • cultural luggage: fertile and valuable land (terra australis incognita), social hierarchy, private property, Christianity, peaceful natives, • Joseph Banks 1779: “there would be little probability of any opposition from the natives” • Christian superiority: “Be fruitful and multiply and replenish the Earth” (Gen.I. 1:28), the agricultural explanation, terra nullius, the Great Chain of Beings, Social Darwinism • new historiography, new Aboriginality, “the Great Australian Silence” (W.E.H. Stanner)“itunderminesthetheory of peacefulsettlementaswellasthenotionsof British justice, humanitarianism and egalitarianismwhichwerecentraltotheAustraliannationhoodandidentityconstructedbytheearlierhistory.” (BainAttwood)

7. Kid, what’s up for homework? • “Well, we can do it about anything, I thought I might do it on the white invasion!” Fr Frank Brennan SJ’s nine-year-old niece in a 1997 video Talking Native Title & Reconciliation: Aboriginal and White Australians Speak Out.

8. Events: war or peace • spirits returned from the dead, aggressors • Colonial Office: colonial subjects, instructions to Gov. Phillip:“You are to endeavour by every possible means to open an intercourse with the natives, and to conciliate their affections, enjoining all our subjects to live in amity and kindness with them.”

9. “Why Massa Gubernor”, said Black Jack. “You Proclamation all gammon, “How blackfellow read him, eh? He no learn him read book” Read that then”, said the Governor, pointing to a Picture. http://nla.gov.au/nla.pic-vn3417430

10. War? • no treaty, Batman’s Treaty 1835 • pastoral leases • frontier violence, punitive expeditions, Black War in Tasmania, Myall Creek massacre • Native Mounted Police

11. Peace? • Protectorates, reserves, missions, paternalism, protection, assimilation • trackers, station hands, domestic servants, fringe-dwellers • 1967 Referendum - welfare, social problems • Constitution Alteration Act 1967 • Commonwealth Racial Discrimination Act 1975

12. In 1967 the Referendum to repeal section 127 and change section 51(xxvi) of the Australian Constitution was carried with 90.77% support, thereby for the first time Aborigines became constitutionally equal, undifferentiated citizens. The changes voted for in the 1967 Referendum were passed in the Constitution Alteration Act 1967. The texts deleted from sections 51(xxvi) and 127 are printed here in italics: • CHAPTER I. THE PARLIAMENT PART V. – POWERS OF THE PARLIAMENT Legislative powers of the Parliament • 51. The Parliament shall, subject to this Constitution, have power to make laws for the peace, order and good government of the Commonwealth with respect to:– [. . .] • (xxvi.) The people of any race, other than the aboriginal race in any State, for whom it is deemed necessary to make special laws: [. . .] • CHAPTER VII. MISCELLANEOUS. [. . .] • 127. In reckoning the numbers of the people of the commonwealth, or of a State or other part of the Commonwealth, aboriginal natives shall not be counted.

13. Investigating the past • Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody • Stolen Generations: Bringing Them Home Report, genocide

14. Landrights • self-determination • Land Rights Movement, Tent Embassy in Canberra 1972, Charles Perkins • Barunga Statement, Survival Day

15. The Barunga Statement • We, theindigenousowners and occupiers of Australia, callontheAustralianGovernment and peopletorecogniseourrights: • • Toself-determination and self-management, includingthefreedomtopursueourowneconomic, social, religiousandculturaldevelopment; • • Topermanentcontrol and enjoyment of ourancestrallands • • Tocompensationfortheloss of useofourlands, therehavingbeen no extinction of originaltitle; • • Toprotection of and control of accesstooursacredsites, sacredobjects, artefacts, designs, knowledge and works of art; • • Tothereturn of theremainsofourancestorsforburialinaccordancewithourtraditions; • • Torespectfor and promotion of ourAboriginalidentity, includingthecultural, linguistic, religious and historicalaspects, andincludingthe right to be educatedinourownlanguages and inourowncultureandhistory; • • Inaccordancewiththeuniversaldeclaration of human rights, theinternationalcovenanton civil and politicalrights, andtheinternationalconventionontheelimination of allformsofracialdiscrimination, rightsto life, liberty, security of person, food, clothing, housing, medicalcare, education and employmentopportunities, necessarysocialservicesandotherbasicrights.

16. WecallontheCommonwealthtopasslawsproviding: • • a nationalelectedAboriginal and IslanderOrganisationtooverseeAboriginalandIslanderaffairs; • • a nationalsystem of landrights; • • a police and judicialsystemwhichrecognisesourcustomarylawsandfreesusfromdiscriminationandanyactivitywhichmaythreatenouridentityorsecurity, interfereswithourfreedom of expressionorassociation, orotherwisepreventsourfullenjoyment and exercise of universallyrecognised human rights and fundamentalfreedoms. • WecallontheAustralianGovernmenttosupportAboriginesinthedevelopment of an internationaldeclaration of principlesforIndigenousrights, leadingto an internationalcovenant. • And wecallontheCommonwealthParliamenttonegotiatewithus a Treatyrecognisingour prior ownership, continuedoccupation and sovereigntyandaffirmingour human rights and freedom.

17. http://www.yothuyindi.com/images/Bangarra-painting.jpg

18. http://www.theage.com.au/ffximage/2006/01/20/wbABORIGINAL_wideweb__470x312,0.jpghttp://www.theage.com.au/ffximage/2006/01/20/wbABORIGINAL_wideweb__470x312,0.jpg

19. Noonkenbah My mother's breast that nourished me with legends and with songs gives out milk as black as I so from her heart it comes. Now in their trucks the whiteman comes to squeeze my mother dry. They take our laws. They take our lives. and now they take her too ... The earth heaves. The skies' rain falls down. The old men sing their songs but my mother weeps rich black tears. • Archie Weller

20. Reconciliation • Reconciliation • Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation (CAR) • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC) • Mabo v. Queensland (1992) • Commonwealth Native Title Act (1993)

21. Where today? • reverse discrimination • Tourism industry (Art and sustainable economy) • Sport: the Sydney Olympic Games, footy • SBS, ABC; film (Yolngu Boy, Radiance, Rabbit-Proof Fence), music • Literature, identity issues: voice and representation (Who is Aboriginal? Who has the right to speak?)

22. Readings Schaffer, Kay and Sidonie Smith, “Introduction,” in Indigenous Australian Voices. Ed. Jennifer Sabbioni et al. (New Jersey: Rutgers, 1998) Stokes,Geoffrey, “Citizenship and Aboriginality: Two Conceptions of Identity in Aboriginal Political Thought,” in The Politics of Identity in Australia. Ed. Geoffrey Stokes (Cambridge: CUP, 1997), 158-71.

23. Race and ethnic relations • Social paternalism: White Australia Policy (1900’-60’) • Anti-discrimination & integration (1960’-70’) • Reconciliation & multiculturalism (1980’- ) • Republicanism (2000)

24. Multicultural Australia Developing a National Identity to be continued in another ppt