It's been this way for a long time. Settlers in Australia stripped Aborigines of their land, their pride and everything that goes along with it. In the late part of the 1800's and early part of the 1900's the Aborigines (Australia's "indians") were slaughtered by the hundreds of thousands. Their numbers went from (estimates range between) 1 and 5 million down to mearly 60,000.
This mind-set still exists. A few years ago these statements were made...
...and later defended against accusations of bigotry and racism by none other than John Howard.
The roots of racism by Australians runs long and deep, and their denial of it is strong and steadfast.
| Jim Duffield wrote: |
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Australia is not like the US where treaties, as corrupt as they may have been, were negotiated with indigenous peoples and native title and indigenous nationhood understood and even accepted by some from earliest colonial times. Australian racism is Aboriginalism (Oz anti indigenous ethnocentrism), and therefore self denial. |
This mind-set still exists. A few years ago these statements were made...
| Quote: |
|
Hugh Morgan of Western Mining Corp: "...Mr Morgan told the Victorian Returned Services League conference that Aboriginal culture was doomed because it was inferior to European culture..." - The Courier-Mail, 2.7.93, page 2 Tim Fisher - now Deputy Prime Minister: "'At no stage did Aboriginal civilisation develop substantial buildings, roadways or even a wheeled cart.' Dispossession was bound to happen, he said. 'Those in the guilt industry have to consider that developing cultures and peoples will always overtake relatively stationary cultures'." - The Australian, 22.6.93, page 8 |
...and later defended against accusations of bigotry and racism by none other than John Howard.
The roots of racism by Australians runs long and deep, and their denial of it is strong and steadfast.
