Aboriginals no more?
Rhiann Marie - Round the World
Stewart Graham
Thu 27 Jan 2011 04:45
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As we have sailed round the world it has been clear
to us as we moved slowly and progressively from place to place, spending time in
each, observing and interacting with all the various people as we have gone
along that basically the peoples of the world that we have met are the same the
world over in many ways.
People are genearlly honest and like to be happy -
there is universal joy in smiling and laughing, people are generally kind and
everyones' first concern is for the health of their family and
themselves.
As we have sailed from place to place we have also
noticed that people - their culture, their looks, their language are all
slightly different too. Architecture or more commonly house building methods and
materials are slightly different when moving from one place to another.
Boat building styles are different to some extent from island to island. Diet
and cuisine also changes as we move ever westwards. Peoples physical stature,
facial structure and colouring are generally a slow progressive changing picture
when you go from one place to another. Language however is
sometimes dramatically different in some places where it was developed over
a period of time when particular peoples, having been of the same
origin, had developed societies where they were in clonflict with
neighbours or due to topography etc did not intermingle with other societies who
were also developing languages. Other slightly more distinct differences from
place to place often seemed to have been driven by the climate, the available
food source, the prevailing sea state, the fauna and foliage as well as the
topography and other reasons.
So for the most part and as I have described
before, people and their culture have been like many hues of the same colour, as
if one had spilt a bucket of not fully mixed paint, representing the people of
the world, across the blank tapestry of the world we have travelled. In
some places the paint is a little darker, in others a little lighter but in all
the base colour is the same though getting progressively darker as we near
the bottom of the "tin" from whence it was "spilled". For the record we felt
certain that we could see hints of Africa in several ways almost as far as Fiji
but quite strongly in Vanuatu.
Much of this slow progressive migration
and I realise I am generalising, in more modern times, say the last three
or four centuries was between relatively near neighbours who had
culturally many things in common with each other. This allowed assimilation of
one to the other or if you like homogonisation of the two groups having
many things in common.
Often before this time the migration was in the
form of an invading force who murdered drove out, suppressed or eradicated
the people they invaded.
Just occasionally also, however you get an area
where for whatever reason, generally political or religious, people have grown
a huge population from their less numerous decendants, who it seems had
migrated there in the first place, and developed a different culture in
greater isolation than others.
Some areas and peoples far apart from each other
"developed" very differently, with for whatever reason (perhaps subject of
another long winded piece?), Europe developing an advanced society, heading
out across the world with their new found technology in shipbuilding, and
plundering the "larders" of the peoples of the world they sailed to.
Of course they also enslaved many of the other people whose land they
plundered harnessing for many years the output of their labour. It may be that
this differential in development of people and their technology is no more than
500 years which in the scheme of things is a hairs breadth of difference.
However when the development of one people crossed a certain technological
threshold eg building of large sea-going ships and the development of artillery
and firearms, followed by the industrial revolution, they were very quick
to aggressively assert their "superiority" on the people whose land they chose
to sail to. They were also able if they chose to, and they often did, to
oppress, suppress and in fact eliminate the people whose land they
invaded.
Then you get the situation that is the subject of
this blog. Where one people having developed (at one end of the colour spectrum
of my metaphorical paint tin) an advanced society, decide to sail to the
other side of the world (to confront people at the other end of the
"development" spectrum), short circuiting the millenia old process of slow
progression and migration of people and their assimilation to their new
neighbours.
This is in essence what happened when Captain Cook
sailed to and "claimed" (they were bloody unbelievable these people - or were
they not only carrying out
what seemed like legitimate expansionist
activities similar to the corporate world of today but with the rules of the
time?) - "claimed" Australia. The follow on from that and the colonising of
Australia initially with convicts then wholesale colonisation with settlers is
really what I am writing about. The heavy stuffy above is just a light
introduction!
When the, lets call them Ballanda (Ballanda is a
corruption of the word Hollander which the Aborigines had some knowledge of from
the Dutch settled in West Timor - remember the Portuguese were in East
Timor) settled into the Aboriginal land that is now called Australia, the
difference in physical stature, skin colour, facial structure, language,
culture, beliefs, laws - almost every thing you can imagine - was completely at
the other end of the spectrum of development or at the other end of the hues in
my metaphorical paint tin. For some reason the Dutch and Portuguese,
although they almost certainly travelled to Australia long before captain Cook,
were happy with their lot of spices and sandalwood in the "Dutch" East Indies
and in fact had limited trading with Aboriginal people but did not seek to
inhabit their land. It probably seemed inhospitable to them and they felt they
already had the prime cut of what was going. This land was initially percieved
only fit for convicts perhaps?
Of course the same thing happened all over Africa,
New Zealand, North America to name but a few out at the extreme end of the
differential between colonist/invader and indigenous people. However here,
though I am just writing about the Aboriginal people the same or similar
consequences occured in other areas. To a lesser extent studying the
situation in Australia gives some insight also into the destruction of the
culture of the Highland Gael over several hundred years
also.
The differences between the aboriginals and
the invading Ballanda were so extreme that the Aboriginies in some areas thought
the Ballanda must be from outer space! Some of them rode horses which to
some Aboriginies looked like some strange creature with four legs and two arms.
They had guns. All of this led many Aboriginals to believe they were
supernatural people. The Aboriginals had in their isolation never seen
anything like this - they were mystified at these aliens, they had no concept
that creatures - like these could exist. Such was the cultural and developmental
chasm between the two peoples.
The Ballanda considered by the rule of the time,
this new land to be theirs. The Aboriginies could not conceive how anyone could
own the land. The land in fact owned them. The land was here long before they
were born and would be here long after they would be gone so how could it be
owned?
The colonists had great tracts of land "given" to
them under the Ballanda laws. Nobody consulted the Aboriginies. Nobody evem told
them their lands were being given away. They wandered the lands in a nomadic way
living off the land, mostly hunting and gathering. Anything found on their
territorial lands they considered fair game. There were some incidences where
Ballanda settlers (many of whom were of very dubious character remember)
had left materials or equipment on "their" land and when the Aboriginals found
such material they considered it theirs as it was on their land. This was their
law. It was against the Ballanda Law. Some shot some Aboriginals for "theft".
This caused the Aboriginals to group and decide they should retaliate against
these alien, lawless murderous invaders.
This led to a series of conflicts in which the
retaliations grew ever larger. They culminated in a series of "wars" between
various groups. Of course while the native people fought many courageos battles
and had some memorable victories there was only ever going to be one
outcome because of the superior technology and firepower of the
Ballanda.
Eventually the Aboriginals shrank away from the
tragic conflicts into restricted lands that had not been claimed by
Ballanda. This happened in a relatively short time of the order of less than 100
years, much more quickly in some areas. This meant that the Aboriginals
could not live from the land as had and did not have freedom to move around
according to the best season to be in the best place to have food and all the
available resources. All too commonly of course the Ballanda had taken the best
land.
The Aboriginal circle of seasonal life had been
broken and they could not do anything about it. The Ballanda people in many
instances simply shot to kill any Aboriginal people they came across on their
land. Inevitably some deals were done with some "tribes" or individual
Aboriginals to help the Ballanda control and erradicate other tribal groups
from "their" land.
Many Aboriginal people died. Their society and way
of life which depended on freedom to move around the land was shattered. The
time frame was too quick for them to adapt. They were defeated by aliens, with
lawless ways, ruthlessly implemented with superior and murderous
firepower. They shrunk in number and shrunk back to the least desirable
parts of the land wher they could barely survive.
Throughout the early part of the twentieth century
churches inevitably saw this new land also as new untapped recruiting territory
established religous missions in many remote parts of the country. In many
cases they did what they could to help people, in other cases they used the
bullwhip to enforce compliance. The missions by and large however as outposts of
Christian humanity helped sustain some small communties and schools and market
gardens etc were created as well as places of worship. Those Aboriginals moving
to the missions had by now lost the ability to live of the land that was left
and started to develop some skills in agriculture and trades to keep the mission
going. Some learnt to build houses, some grew crops and there were also some
learning mechanical skills. Alcohol was forbidden on the missions.
While this life at the missions worked in some
limited way by humanely, for the most part, allowing the Aboriginals time to
learn and adapt to the alien ways of the Ballanda people who were clearly here
to stay, it could only reach out to a relatively small number of Aboriginal
people. The authorities reached out into the communities and in some cases
forced children away from their parents to come and live at the missions to
start to indoctrinate the next generation in the "civilised" ways of the white
people. This was a cruel and brutal policy. While it was not quite ethnic
cleansing it was an attempt, probably in ignorance well intentioned, to
ethnically manipulate Aboriginals to the Ballanda way of living. YOu can
see that the thinking may have been to get the young ones and educate them to
our way of life and in a generation or two - bingo problem solved.
The Ballanda government by this time felt guilty as
to the plight of the Aboriginal people not only from their policy or
removing some children but in general from having taken their lands from them.
So then another well intentioned policy to try to create large tracts of land
for which the Aboriginies could have certain rights over. Not too many mind.
There could be minerals under some of that land.... The Aboriginals were then
ceremoniosly presented with "their land" and asked to live on it. There now -
concience eased over past wrongs eh!
What could the Aboriginal people do? They wanted
their land back, they hankered back after the old ways of life. Ways they
faintly remebered but in fact were not able to return to. Neither their land nor
their skills were suitable any longer to live the old ways but they had the land
they wanted didn't they? The Government and modern Australian society could
feel they had eased their concience for their forefathers stealing the land and
destroying a culture couldn't they?
By now the Aboriginal people were completely cut
off from their roots. They didn't know which way to turn, their culture was
destroyed, they could not live of the land. They could not adapt to the Ballanda
way of life the chasm of misunderstanding at every level was huge. Governemnet
policy was made from on high but nobody really understood the people. The
mistrust of the Ballanda, the memory, the tragic legends about the Ballanda
shooting their people like rabbits all haunted them. They were lost. They had
already lost. It was too late perhaps.
Where other peoples had migrated there was a
process of assimilation where the things they had in common could be
developed and homogonisation, or adapting to the others ways as
neccessary could happen over a long period of time. What seems to have happened
in the case of the Aboriginies of Australia is the cultural and societal
development was so enormous in the first place that there was no mutual
understanding at all and as the Aboriginies were forced to close in on
themselves the gap grew wider. Government policy then seems to
have exacerbated the problem in many ways, though they could perhaps
understandibly feel "it wasn't us that did it but look what we have done to make
ammends".
Giving "back" the land was not good enough so now
building houses for the people who could not live on the land any longer and of
course building schools would improve the situation right? At first aboriginal
community councils were set up. This was alien to Aboriginal culture and the
wider community in many areas did not respect these Ballanda set up and probably
controlled committes. Aboriginal culture had in the past taken the lead
from its elders. This was all now even more confusing. The people at a deep
level were debased from their roots, their culture, their laws, their way of
living. They were made to feel less of a person, less of a people because
they could not understand these Ballanda ways, they could not adapt fast enough.
They could not understand the language. They were embarrassed at appearing
stupid so often complied with whatvere the clever, successful
Ballanda people suggested. Across Australia the Aboriginal people
speak many different languages, many speak many indigenous languages. But very
few Ballanda people understand any of their languages. There is no one Language
the government could use to communicate with them.
The housebuilding on their own lands started being
built by themeselves but the policy was not well implemented. They were not
industrious people and housbuilding would have to fit in with the other
remaining aspects of their culture - so progress was slow. The job was taken off
the community councils and the government sent in contractors to build houses
rapidly in exasperation losing a fantastic opportunity to really understand
and with patience, help at least in this one aspect of modern life to teach
some skills that could even begin to equip Aboriginal people for
modern Australian life. The houses and schools were built but the
opportunity was lost.
Aboriginie people were now very confused and had
just been moved even further away from their cultural routes, the education was
completely inadequate, many would not even send their children to the ballanda
schools. The product of many of these schools is people who are barely much
better off than when they went there in the first place.
Now the final straw to break them completely.
Welfare on a grand scale. The government decided as the conditions that
Aboriginals were now living in were so poor and that such a debt was owed to
them by such a rich country that they should send them all welfare cheques. Any
last sense of pride or incentive to anything for ones self or ones family
was destroyed with this policy. The widespread and wholesale sense of
hopelessness and uselessness, lack of self respect or any incentive whatsoever
to do anything constructive has been removed from these people now. (Please
don't think this is my view - it is the conclusion drawn from an author who only
has the desire to help the Aboriginals by helping the government to help
them and who has lived with the Aboriginals of the Northern Territories for a
generation. It is however backed up by my first hand observation of the current
situation). People are given houses, which for the most part they do not respect
or keep well. They get their welfare cheques regularly and in many
cases blow the whole thing on booze and junk. Deep in the outback we have seen
several communities where there are a large number of houses almost all with
broken windows or doors. Regularly with a wrecked car to the front or side. The
community will typically have a store and a petrol station and one or
two fast food outlets. Obesity, diabetes, other related health
problems, alcoholism, solvent or petrol sniffing, kava abuse, domestic violence,
child abuse all combine to creat a life expectancy in some regions as low
as 42. It is pitiful to see the consequences of a broken people.
The tourist image of Aborigines does not exist for
real. Where there are tourist attractions on Aboriginal land they
operate on the basis of the government leasing the facility from them on a long
term basis. They promote the mythical legends and ways of life of a people lost.
A people past. At no facility at all did we see one indigenous person
working at "their" own attraction.
Some cite a simple inability of a Government,
perhaps any Government to really understand, at grass roots
level, the problems of the Aboriginal people and that easing the collective
concience was leading policy. What to do now?
Of course I don't know and all of my views are of
course formulated from a relatively limited insight into the situation and its
history. I have not applied the time line as this will give rise to inaccuarcies
for my limited knowledge and I have tried to keep things general rather than
specific as one cannot expect a complete history and solution in one short or
even long blog.
Howver I would venture to suggest tragically that
for those Aboriginies who are now not able to adapt to and operate, with as
a foundation and keeping in context, a complete recognition and pride in their
history and culture, to the modern way of Austarilian life the future is bleak
and that they will become a lost people. Such is the level of destruction
of their society by us upping and sailing from twelve thousand miles away and
transplanting our alien ways to the midst of their society. The damage was done
when Cook set foot in Australia and England then started shipping convicts out
there.
In fairness to some extent, Governments have tried,
though failed to something about the problem of Ballanda making.
Government can probably only at a micro policy
level provide very high calibre eduaction almost at a one to one level with
educators who truly understand the nature and the history of the problems they
are now dealing with. These educators need to understand the indigenous culture
and the language of the people they are attempting to teach. It is desperately
sad.
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