Australia has a genocidal history but we won't learn while it's dominated by white men

[Judi Lynn]

Lowanna Gibson
Sun 24 Feb 2019 19.05 EST Last modified on Sun 24 Feb 2019 22.37 EST

We need to decolonise history and archaeology if we want to know the truth

As a child I loved history. It was the catalyst to my dreams of being a super-cool archaeologist, like Indiana Jones. History is a beautiful thing because we learn about ourselves; why we do and think things in a certain way and hopefully, learn from our mistakes. However, the way in which history is taught is problematic, especially Australia’s Indigenous history. I would go as far to say, the way in which Indigenous history is taught and interpreted has and continues to have a significant impact on the truth.

For centuries the history of Indigenous people has been disproportionately constructed and construed by “white men”; historians, various commentators and politicians. For instance, articles have been published by white males of atrocities committed against first nations people but deny deliberate intention to commit genocide thus concluding genocide did not occur.

Genocide is often denied on the notions of “no intention” (to commit genocide) and no enacted policy. However, the definition of genocide is consistent with what occurred in Australia:

Any of the following acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, as such: killing members of the group; causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group; deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part ; imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group; [and] forcibly transferring children of the group to another group.

More:
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/feb/25/australia-has-a-genocidal-history-but-we-wont-learn-while-its-dominated-by-white-men

[rampartc]

1. many americans think that because every last sioux was not killed

there could not have been genocide. but what is left of their culture? their language? their land?

not to mention the hundreds of tribes that exist only in memory. i don't run into many mohicans.

all with the very flimsiest of legal cover, and pushed by outrageous propaganda.

[DavidDvorkin]

2. Much of the current world is the result of genocide or ethnic cleansing

Of course this doesn't excuse Australia or the US, etc. It does mean that we have to admit to ourselves how much it's a part of human history and human nature.