Essay on Aboriginal Art
In Australia the Indigenous peoples show discrepancies in social inequalities. Through this paper it will attempt to analyze Australian Aboriginal culture, and heritage. Areas of literature, film, art, history and social sciences will be used to address the overall understanding of the interpretations and representations in Australia.
The social inequalities faced by the contemporary indigenous peoples in Australia, are largely a consequence of their colonial and developmental history. Australia was once a part of the British Empire; their constitutional, political and social institutions are representations of this. Australia has developed economies largely dependent on primary production and extractive industries, initially for English, and later world, markets. Within the political and economic framework, indigenous peoples have severely been marginalized and excluded. This exclusion and associated poverty is frequently seen as the downfall of the Aboriginal people (Berndt, and Berndt 1999 p490)
At the time of Europeans arrival, Australian Aborigines were hunter-gathers. Captain Cook description of the Aborigine in 1770 was that of the "noble savage". However others looked upon the hunter gather as "savages", because of prior dealings with Africans, Black skin was synonymous with " primitive and savage" (Broom 2001 P 29). The colonists held two preconceptions of the Aboriginal. The educated minority who tended to romanticize them as "the noble savage as seen in King's 1793 painting " The Aboriginal Family" (Appendix 1), while the uneducated majority considered them just savages (Broom 2001p 30). Regardless of the label or preconception of the Aboriginal they were often seen as ignorant with no culture or society, a misconception leading to misunderstanding and inequality for the Aborigine.
The social inequalities faced by the contemporary indigenous peoples in Australia, are largely a consequence of their colonial and developmental history. Australia was once a part of the British Empire; their constitutional, political and social institutions are representations of this. Australia has developed economies largely dependent on primary production and extractive industries, initially for English, and later world, markets. Within the political and economic framework, indigenous peoples have severely been marginalized and excluded. This exclusion and associated poverty is frequently seen as the downfall of the Aboriginal people (Berndt, and Berndt 1999 p490)
At the time of Europeans arrival, Australian Aborigines were hunter-gathers. Captain Cook description of the Aborigine in 1770 was that of the "noble savage". However others looked upon the hunter gather as "savages", because of prior dealings with Africans, Black skin was synonymous with " primitive and savage" (Broom 2001 P 29). The colonists held two preconceptions of the Aboriginal. The educated minority who tended to romanticize them as "the noble savage as seen in King's 1793 painting " The Aboriginal Family" (Appendix 1), while the uneducated majority considered them just savages (Broom 2001p 30). Regardless of the label or preconception of the Aboriginal they were often seen as ignorant with no culture or society, a misconception leading to misunderstanding and inequality for the Aborigine.
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Aboriginal people welcomed the settlers in accordance with the egalitarianism native lifestyle (Armstrong1994, p60), however relations soon soured, Europeans often took souvenirs, so the Aborigines retaliated by stealing, (Broome 2001 p33, Franklin 1976, p22). The squatting of settlers on traditional land forced the Aboriginal person to take some of the settlers stock, as their source of food and water supplies had been cut of. The farmer nevertheless considered this stealing; not understanding the problems their farms had created, (Broome p30; Franklin 1976, p28), leading to the reciprocal behavior that was the Aboriginal culture.
The British Government bringing about chances in laws, government, and land use proclaimed sovereignty over Australia. Disregarding the original owners of the country, their traditions or lifestyle (Macintyre1999, p34; Rowse, 2000). There were supporters in the missionaries that tried to understand the Aboriginal way of life, and their conflict with the settlers, however their ideas and warnings were ignored (Franklin 1976, p29, 76). Supplies of flour, sugar, tea and tobacco were sometimes given to the Aborigines from sympathetic farmers. However this new diet led to malnutrition, loss of vitality and boredom, which Europeans interpreted as Laziness (Broome 1994 p.54)? Strengthening of the stereotype transpired when missionaries in the 1830's tried to enforce confinement, education and white lifestyle on the Aborigines. Therefore being seen and understood as lazy fickle, deceitful and cunning, although this being used as an appearance of resistance an uncooperativeness strategy by the Aborigines.
Aboriginals turned to alcohol out of boredom and frustration this being mostly supplied by the Europeans. The colonists for sexual relations exchanged alcohol with Aboriginal women, and Aboriginal labor. Therefore the introduction of alcohol caused apathy, poor health. Drunken fights, mangling and killing of each occurred after drinking sessions (Clark 1992, p42), much the same as a cockfight. Drawings (see Appendix 11) at the time of depicted the race as drunken and neglectful thus creating their own poverty and poor health (Macintyre 1999, p46, and 69), introducing a stereotype, which has existed for the last 200 years. The Aboriginal people were conceived to be at the bottom of the human evolutionary ladder, a pretense utilized to justify the eradication of their culture and people, (O, Donoghue, 1999 p19-23).
Around the mid 19th century there was a softening towards Aboriginal people of mixed blood, although those of full blood frequently treated as equivalent to animals. Nevertheless the fact that labor was in short supply the part Aboriginal people were considered suitable for labor, but many households treated them as possessions, raping women and children using cruelty, and even murder (Frankline1976, p67-73 Morris 2002, and p3)
Attitudes altered in the 1800's contributing to all Aborigines perceived as equally low, they were paid a fraction of a white persons wage, and endured degrading cruelty and abuse by employers (Broome1994p 97). The Aboriginal was prohibited from attending many areas that was acceptable to all whites, eg; state schools, churches and public bars this continuing into the 20th Century. The country's white Australia Policy in the early 1900's could restrict colored immigrants, but had to deal with its own black inhabitants (Macintyre 1999,p 144).
Segregating the Aboriginals was adopted " for their own good from intoxicating drink and gross immorality". Nonetheless Aboriginals wishes and lifestyles were never taken into account, as they were considered to ignorant to understand what was best for them. Although this then had the added advantage of enabling settlers to take prime land away from the natives (Broome, 1994, p 83; Eversley, 1996 p34-42) Furthermore discrimination Laws denied Aboriginal citizenship which excluded them from welfare benefits most employment (Macintyre, 199,p143), in spite of the fact that they were the country's original inhabitants. Aboriginals were even dispossessed of their indigeneity by locally born members of the Australian Natives Association (Macintrye 1999, p144), inferring out of sight out of mind.
Assimilation of Aboriginal children to be raised into white families, was considered a way of "saving the doomed race" by some, and a method of legal genocide by others (Broom, 2002,p175; Rowse 2000). These children later became known as the "stolen generation" that were removed from neglectful parents to give them a better life (Macintyre 1999, p222). However it could be argued as whether they did have a better life. Often being used as slave labor, as this was considered the limit of their intelligence also being starved, physically and sexually abused (Franklin 1976, p102).
According to Broome (1994, p.140), in the 1950' Aboriginal Children were allowed to attend schools, they faced prejudice, considered stupid, ridiculed, and discourage for trying to contribute their knowledge. Foley (2000) promotes that they often performed poorly because of conflict between European values taught to them in school, and Aboriginal culture at home. Morris (2002, p 6) acknowledges this with an example that Aboriginals part in helping with European exploration being virtually ignored. Furthermore the European had no understanding of the Aboriginal attachment and rapport with the land.
Even when the Aboriginal did assimilate into white society, they were discriminated against socially and economically, suffering substandard housing, education and denied certain forms of employment (Broome, 1994,p213; Franklin 1976,p263). Racial anguish being felt after such films as "Nice coloured Girls” that used visual metaphors of poverty stricken Aboriginals, out to take what they want, as they are to lazy to work for money, blaming the Aboriginal for their problems. Boyd’s 1953 painting "Shopping Day", is relevant today portraying the dignity of the Aboriginal people trying to assimilate wearing white mans clothes, but still facing ostracization and loneliness in a dry dusty country town.
White supremacists and Traditionalists further insist there never was any discrimination, claiming it is "black armband history" (Macintyre, 1999,p62), However there is too much evidence to the contrary. Aboriginals are essentially excluded from the planning implementation of their health care. Suffering third world diseases such as trachoma and malnutrition as well as modern diseases (Franklin, 1976, p396)
They are the most disadvantaged people in Australia (Foley, 2000p 44-50). Poems like "The Unhappy Race, and The Past by Oodgeroo Noonucall (HX506 reader 2003, p17), describe the Aboriginal plight. Beginning with colonization the Aboriginal people have been misinterpreted, compelled to deny their traditions and assimilate into a foreign culture. However the Aboriginal people are a sensitive, intelligent race and a strong part of Australia.
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