AOS 1Australian Indigenous Culture

PLAN

Excursion update Review holiday homework Intro activities booklet

Key terms to know:

Culture Material Non Material Sociological imagination – Ellis model Ethnocentrism Cultural relativism Protection Assimilation Segregation integration

Intro - Activities

intro to course\intro lesson -STEEREOTYPES ABOUT INDIGENOUS AUSTRALIANS.docx

intro to course\intro lesson- What is Australian Indigenous culture.docx

intro to course\intro lesson-Aboriginal Australia Information Deficit Syndrome.docx

Background: Australian Indigenous Culture

Australian Indigenous cultures – oldest living in the world

Indigenous people believed to have been in Australia for at least 50 000 years (ABS, 2011)

Indigenous people come from a range of diverse Aboriginal nations many with their own languages and traditions

Who’s who?

Torres Strait Islander people come from the islands of the Torres Strait between the tip of Cape York in Queensland and Papua New Guinea

Indigenous people come from mainland Australia, Tasmania and surrounding offshore islands

Today both of the above live in a variety of settings – most live in urban areas, while some live on the fringes of towns and cities or within remote communities in rural Australia.

An Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander is a person:

Of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent

Who identifies as an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander and

Is accepted as such by the community in which he/she lives.

- Pg 21

Background History

From 1788 – British wanted Australia to be a colony of settlement

Indigenous peoples lands we taken over on the premise that the land belonged to no one “terra nullius” (means land of no one in latin)

Colonial take over was based on the assumption that British culture was superior to all others

Many Indigenous people were killed or driven from their traditional lands by the European colonists

Problems …

Lives were lost from diseases that Aboriginal people had no resistance to such as small pox, influenza and measles

The new government thought Indigenous people should speak English, obey British Law and live a British way of life

Many tribal groups had to live together on missions and reserves and were forbidden to practise their cultures and speak their languages

As a result many cultural traditions and languages have been lost forever

1992 – Indigenous Australians recognised as the traditional owners of tracts of land by the High Court Of Australia

Eddie Mabo see pg 7 Today Australian Indigenous people

continue to keep their cultural heritage alive by passing their knowledge, arts, rituals and performances from one generation to another

Activities

Face the facts – update facts sheets Watch the beginning of the First

Australians SBS documentary Create a detailed timeline of

Australian history

Many nations, one peopleintro to indigenous culture

http://www.abc.net.au/schoolstv/nations/

Australian Indigenous Culture- Koorie

Bunjil the EagleKulin NationWilliam Barak (1824-1903)

http://www.yarrahealing.catholic.edu.au/stories-voices/index.cfm?loadref=79

Read Text: p. 5-7.

Koorie

Material culture

Physical objects, artefacts, resources and spaces of a society which are passed onto subsequent generations

Arts Crafts Clothing Homes Schools Technology Tools cities

Non material culture

Non physical creations and ideas of a society

Knowledge, beliefs, languages, symbols and social norms which are transmitted across generations

When analysing non material culture sociologists refer to several processes that a society uses to shape or control its members these are

Values, symbols, languages and norms

Values – abstract ideas about what is good and right - Broad guidelines for acceptable behaviour- Key values in Australian culture include;

democracy, freedom of speech and a ‘fair go’- For AIP values were derived from the

‘Dreaming’ Symbols

- Anything that acquires a particular meaning that is recognised by the people sharing a culture e.g., a word, sound, graffiti, sculpture and flag

Values and symbols

Indigenous Non-Material Culture: Values

Bunjil

Indigenous Non-Material Culture

Symbols

Symbols

Language - Ability to communicate thorough spoken

or written word is a unique and important feature of human cultural groups

- Australian Indigenous – oral history- Indigenous languages of Victoria • Kulin Languages – Western and Eastern

Kulin • Gulidjan or Colac language• Gunditjmara/Warrnambool langauge (se

pg 11)

Languages

Social norms- Shared rules that exist in every

culture that act as a guide for a wide range of behaviour

- See difference between norms and mores (more-rayz) pg 12 -13

Social norms

Indigenous cultural heritage article

dot 1 - meaning of culture\Indigenous culture article.docx

Short film – the land is your mother

http://www.acmi.net.au/dst_land_is_mother.htm

Culture – material vs non material

Complete material vs non material culture sheet.doc

dot 1 - meaning of culture\Material Vs non material culture summary activity.docx

Mills and Ellis

The Australian Sociologist, Evan Willis has developed a useful framework to assist in the process of sociological analysis.Willis drew on the work of Mills (1959) and Giddens (1986)

* Create a table that explains Gidden's, Mills and Ellis’s theory of the sociological imagination

Sociological imagination

TASK: Analysis of the stolen generation using Willis model using diagram on pg 17 and links on pg 18

Complete activity 3.02 pg 17

Article on stolen generation

dot 2 - sociological imagination ethnocentrism and cultural relativism\Sorry Day and the Stolen Generations.docx - sociological imagination analysis.docx

'

Stolen generation analysisFactor Explanation

Historical Indigenous Australians have a feeling of immense resentment toward white Australia for the breaking up of their families.- Distrust toward Australian government - Loss of culture- Displacement of families- Lack of education regarding parenting

Cultural factors - White people believed their culture and ways to be superior – blinded by ethnocentrism and the idea that “this is for the better” “Victorian board for PROTECTION of Aboriginals”

- Took children away to educate under western society –

- resulted in confusion of cultures- Culture of ‘Missionaries’ – role of church to

ingrain Christianity into Indigenous children - White culture superior to Indigenous culture

(culture of savagery and not significant)- Culture change occurred through Rudd saying

‘sorry’

Structural factors

Church and missionaries as social institutions had a significant impact on shaping children2005 - The organisation 'Stolen Generations Victoria' is set up as a result of the 2003 report of the Stolen Generations taskforce. 

Factor Explanation

Structural factors

Church and missionaries as social institutions had a significant impact on shaping children2005 - The organisation 'Stolen Generations Victoria' is set up as a result of the 2003 report of the Stolen Generations taskforce. 

Critical factors

Sociological

analysis

Historical

Cultural

Critical

Structural

What is a representation?

The creation in any medium of aspects of ‘reality’ such as people, places, objects, events, cultural identities and other intangible concepts

Can be historical or modern Can be presented in many forms –

oral speech or writing, still or moving picture

See analysis table

Ethnocentrism

W.G. Summer Belief that an individuals culture is

superior to that of other cultural groups

Leads to a prejudice attitude Exists in all people in all societies

Ethnocentric representations of Indigenous culture - HISTORICAL

Historical representations of AIC influenced by ethnocentric views of British colonists

Indigenous people seen as ‘noble savages’ Seen as the lowest form of human kind on the ‘Great

Chain of Being’ – Europeans were placed highest and Indigenous Australians lowest nearest to animals

Natural selection/evolution of natural world – scientific racism Indigenous Australians biologically and culturally inferior to British colonisers

Race doomed to extinction Indigenous cultural symbols in art gradually gained

acceptance but understood through the category of primitive art

Contemporary ethnocentrism

Exclusion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples from representations such as print and television advertising

Stereotypical portrayals of Australian Indigenous people in tourism advertising reflecting the ‘noble savage’

The ongoing myth in film and TV that most Indigenous Australians live in remote and regional pars of Australia

The over-reporting in news and current affairs programs of Indigenous Australians as victims and perpetrators of violence and/or paternalistic (authoritarian) reporting of social disadvantage

Complete Activity 3.06 pg 24 and write a detailed summary of what is on the web addresses on pg 25

Cultural Relativism

Practice of judging a society by its own standards

Encourages sociologists to refrain from passing judgement on unfamiliar cultural practices

Necessitates a tolerance and respect for cultural practices that may seem strange or unusual to the observer

Requires people to avoid being biased when evaluating ‘other’ customs, practices and behaviours

Culturally relative representations of Indigenous culture

Education and awareness programs – Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) repsonsiblke for national curriculum from kinder – 12 (developed in consultation with Indigenous consultation bodies)

recognise need for all Australian children to understand Indigenous culture (

Political activism - Albert Namatjira’s social movement

for full citizenship rights in the 1950’s

- Freedom Ride 1965- Australian Human Rights

Commission calling for Australian Constitution to be amended to recognise Australia’s first peoples

Protocols and Sanctions- Commonwealth – Racial Discrimination Act

(1975)- Racial Hatred Act (1995)- Human Rights and Equal Opportunity

Commission Act (1986)- Victoria Racial and religious Tolerance Act

(2001)- Equal Opportunity Act (1995)- See pg 26 bottom websites and take note of

why they are culturally relative representations

Complete the following activities

dot 3 - range of historical and contemporary reprsentqations\Media ANALYSIS of issues in jan 2012 holidays and background knowledge sheets.docx

dot 3 - range of historical and contemporary reprsentqations\lesson 1 - Understanding Representations 2012.docx

Media Activity

See representation booklet Tent embassy Australia Day Cartoon analysis

Annotated folio task – see pg. 53 of study design

Film and Indigenous representations

dot 3 - range of historical and contemporary reprsentqations\Indigenous film representations.docx

Watch below – written by Fay June ball – song about white Koories

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7uMP7ryYhM

Watch BBQ area

Film and television titles written and directed by an Indigenous person. http://aso.gov.au/titles/indigenous/wr

itten-directed/

Australian Indigenous culture for building awareness and perception of that culture

Healing Challenging stereotypes Strengthening Indigenous

culturedot - implications of different ways of representing\actiivty on implications of representing.docx

Read pg 28 “British Museum to hand back Indigenous remains”

How might the return of the remains potentially lead to

- Healing- Challenging stereotypes- Survival of Australian Indigenous

culture?

Watch first Australians Ep 3

The historical suppression of Australian Indigenous culture through protection, segregation, assimilation and integration policies

And Australian Indigenous responses to this suppression

Historical suppression of AIC

From colonisation – Australian Indigenous people subject to formal government policies AIMED TO SUPPRESS THEIR CULTURE

Culture suppression occurs when a culture is overpowered and dominated – coinciding with the promotion of another culture

First example of attempted cultural suppression was the frontier wars between British colonists and Australian Indigenous people

Wars commenced in 1788 and reports of violent interaction continued as late as the 1930’s

Arrival of British colonists saw considerable resistance from Australian Indigenous people

Protection and segregation

1800’s British colonists saw Australian people as primitive and savage race

The Indigenous Australian customs and lifestyles they observed were very different to their own

British believed Australian Indigenous people were an inferior race – led to assumption they need to be protected

Protection and Segregation Policies

Definition: Policies that resulted in the separation of Australian Indigenous people into missions and reserves

1. Terra Nullius: Aboriginal land was acquired by British colonists based on the assertion that the land belonged to no one. (1992: Eddie Mabo Vs Queensland Gov overturned terra nullius)

Protection and Segregation Policies

2. Protection Policies: In the 1800’s through moral conviction or religious faith. Settlers saw it as their duty to help these ‘poor’ indigenous people. A period where aboriginal people were segregated and controlled by protection boards. Paternalism: is the practice of treating a group of

people as children. This paternal attitude led to the assumption that

the AIC were an inferior race. From 1837-1950 the British government had

implemented a “Protection Policy”.

Victoria’s Protection Policy 1839 George Robinson was appointed Chief Protector of Aborigines. 1841: Recorded many atrocities

1860: Victorian Government established a central board for Aborigines. It’s role was to establish reserves and managers to control them.

1886: Victorian Aborigines Protection Board was formed. Its aim was to ‘civilise, Christianise and above all train”.

Aboriginal children were taken from Families who were seen as bad influences (white socialisation).

Protection and Segregation

Between 1869-1911 most states in Australia confined Aboriginal people to certain areas called ‘missions’. This resulted in the beginning of the Stolen Generation

British government implemented new ways to solve the “Aboriginal problem”

through policies which involved the separation of Australian Indigenous people into church run missions and government reserves

- Justified by belief that Indigenous people were a dying race and would not survive alone in non Indigenous society

Recount of mission

http://www.cv.vic.gov.au/stories/missions/6495/the-mission/

dot 4- supression of AIC through policies\MISSION CULTURE.docx

Responses to suppression

Many Australian Indigenous people did not adopt the cultural and religious mores of the British settlers and government

For many living in the missions despite new modes of dress, housing, economic patterns and religious beliefs many Australian Indigenous people did not abandon their traditional values

“they still practised kinship ties and obligations, feared the effect of sorcery (witch craft), practised certain rituals, especially relating to personal hygiene and funerals, hunted and collected bush food in their leisure time and maintained a deep attachment to the land and its governing stories”

Impact of Protection and Segregation

The overall impact on many Australian Indigenous people during the era of the protection and segregation policies could be described as one of either “Despair or Defiance”.

Resistance Groups: Five Key Elements.1. Cultural Maintenance2. A Sense of Injustice3. The Acting out of someone’s negative

oppositional culture4. The Rebuilding of a positive Aboriginal

Identity5. Aboriginal Political Movement led by William

Cooper

William Cooper

Born in Yorta Yorta Territory Established the Australian

Aboriginal League (AAL) 1934. Log onto:http://www.abc.net.au/missionvoices/cummeragunja/mission_history/default.htm

Read the story.dot 4- supression of AIC through policies\Cummeragunja mission and responses to it.docx

Historical suppression of AIC Research policy and responses

assignment on PowerPoint Construct an overview of the historical

suppression of Australian Indigenous culture

dot 4- supression of AIC through policies\lesson 2-historical suppression\Historical suppression - timeline overview.docxdot 4- supression of AIC through policies\lesson 2-historical suppression\Historical suprression - timeline.docx

Go to the below to construct a timeline of significant events

http://www.creativespirits.info/aboriginalculture/history/aboriginal-history-timeline-early-white.html

Assimilation policy

Period prior to Second World War – became clear to the government that Australian Indigenous people were not a ‘dying race’

Government decided to change its policy to one of ‘assimilation’

Assimilation Policies

In 1937, the Commonwealth Government decided that the ATSI peoples ‘not of full blood’ should be absorbed or assimilated into the wider population. The aim was to make the ‘Aboriginal problem’ gradually disappear. Some examples include separate education, town curfews, no social security and the forcible removal of children who were placed in white controlled institutions or foster homes.

PODCAST – Stolen Generation

http://www.connectinghome.org.au/sitebuilder/careers/knowledge/asset/files/37/august_2008_stolen_generation_the_barbara_williams_weton_story_part_1.mp3

http://www.connectinghome.org.au/sitebuilder/careers/knowledge/asset/files/38/august_2008_stolen_generation_the_barbara_williams_weston_story_part_2.mp3

Work regarding stolen generation

dot 4- supression of AIC through policies\Sorry Day and the Stolen Generations.docx - sociological imagination analysis.docx

dot 4- supression of AIC through policies\stolen generation info sheet.docx

dot 4- supression of AIC through policies\Stolen generation man wins compensation.docx

dot 4- supression of AIC through policies\lesson 2-historical suppression\Historical suprression stolen generation timeline.docx

Integration Policy

The policy of integration 1965 was to create a better relationship between the Australian indigenous people and the white people of Australia. Indigenous people, their customs, culture, tradition and language needed to be ‘westernised’.

‘Assimilation in disguise’?

Integration policy

1965 – assimilation was replaced by ‘integration’

Recognised Australian Indigenous culture

Acknowledged that Australian Indigenous people had their own culture, languages, customs and traditions which needed to be ‘westernised’

Some AI protest groups argued that integration was a more suitable policy as it allowed for individuals to choose the extent to which they wished to join broader society while at the same time being able to practice their own culture and beliefs

Others argued that while integration was an improvement on assimilation it contained some elements is assimilation in disguise

It was expected that future generations would assimilate into non- Indigenous society, letting go of their beliefs and customs

dot 4- supression of AIC through policies\graphic organiser - protection segregation assimialtion and integration.docx

DVD

Watch DVD – the right to vote

Constitution Prior to 1967

When the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Australia was drawn up, Aboriginal people had no political power and most of the leaders of the colonial delegations who met to debate the terms of the document considered them to be ‘a dying race’.

Constitution Prior to 1967Consequently, the only two specific references made to Aboriginal people in the Constitution were in a clause 1 of section 51, relating to a power granted to the Commonwealth to enact special laws with regard to racial minorities: 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. and, section 127: In reckoning the numbers of people of the Commonwealth, or of a State or other part of the Commonwealth, aboriginal natives shall not be counted.

The 1967 Referendum

By 1966, most racially discriminatory legislation had been repealed and most Aboriginal people had been granted the legal rights associated with

citizenship. However, when the Federal Council for the Advancement of Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders and its supporters campaigned for a ‘Yes’ vote for the Aboriginal question in the referendum of 27 May 1967, it equated the constitutional changes with the overthrow of discriminatory laws and the winning of rights or citizenship for Aborigines.

The Australian Constitution The Australian Constitution does not

recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

The last few years have seen a growing feeling that the Constitution needs to be brought up to date to reflect the reality of Australia in the 21st century.

It is time for a genuine national conversation on the best option for constitutional recognition that will be supported by the majority but is also meaningful for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

The Australian Government, the Opposition, the Australian Greens and the Independent members of Parliament all support recognising Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians in the Constitution

Towards this end, the Prime Minister has established an Expert Panel to lead a national conversation on constitutional recognition.

The Constitution which underpins our federal laws and institutions can only be changed by the people.

This site provides you with information that will help you to be part of this once-in-a-generation opportunity to help shape the future of Australia.

There is also a webpage set up by the Expert Panel where you can find virtually all the information you need  - go towww.youmeunity.org.au

Constitutional change

http://www.youmeunity.org.au/ - video

http://www.youmeunity.org.au/uploads/custom/de55df59ff23d2ebcf0f.pdf - full text of constitution

Write a paragraph explaining the historical suppression of Australian Indigenous culture through protection, segregation, assimilation and integration policies. Explain Indigenous responses to this suppression using material you have studied this year

Incl info off Right to vote DVD

Complete Activity 3.08 pg 33

Explain - Protection- Segregation- Assimilation- Integration

- Complete table of suppression and response

AFL HOMEWORK TASK

Explore the initiatives in place by the Australian Football League (AFL) regarding Australian Indigenous players as a way of building awareness and perception of Indigenous culture

Public awareness and perception of Australian Indigenous Culture

There have been a number of national and international factors that have supported/limited the public awareness and perception of Australian Indigenous culture

What do you think these may be?

Reconciliation The Redfern Park Speech Northern Territory Intervention The Apology United Nations Declaration on the

Rights of Indigenous Peoples

Create a table like the belowReconciliation

Redfern park speech

Northern Territory Intervention

The Apology

United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous people

Take notes in each of the columns from both the textbook and the videos you will see

Reconciliation

Reconciliation – “coming together” As an Australian government policy

it aims to achieve justice, recognition and healing

Purpose – has been to help Australians move forward with a better understanding of the past and how the past affects the lives of Indigenous peoples today

Reconciliation

Involves recognition that Indigenous peoples were the first Australians

Acknowledges how the past impacts their culture and lives today

Involves both SYMBOLIC and PRACTICAL approaches

Symbolic and Practical reconciliation

• Focus on social justice component

• Recognising historical injustice and Indigenous right such as the formal sorry in 2008

• Education programs designed to combat racism and discrimination

Symbolic

• Focus on providing services to address the inequalities that exist in our society

• Providing funding for the “Close the Gap” program

Practical

History of Reconciliation in Australia

dot 5 - national and international factors\Create a power-point slide that includes the national.pptx

Look up the bringing them home report and take notes!

Useful websites

http://www.indigenousrights.net.au/section.asp?sID=11 – National museum Australia

https://fuse.education.vic.gov.au/pages/View.aspx?id=fb556f1b-9e22-42d1-b8f6-a46aa227f897 - FUSE