Well, Australia Day Invasion Day is tomorrow and it is time for White Australia to self-flagellate in lieu of celebrating. After all, we have nothing to be proud of, while Aborigines, with their voluminous achievements, rightfully mourn being pulled out of subsistence living.
Our taxpayer-funded churner of poz-propaganda (otherwise known as the ABC) is spruiking a 2020 article called How to raise culturally aware kids, which notes that because no one is born racist it is imperative to brainwash kids from the get-go about Aborigines being nothing but top cobbers.
“No-one is born full of hate,” she says. “So it’s really important for adults to set a great example and show love, kindness and respect to anyone you encounter through your life.”
Funny; if they weren’t born racist then wouldn’t they already love their Indigenous brethren? Oh well.
The article lists 6 ways to instill cultural awareness that are sure to convince kids of Aboriginal nobility. While these methods are fine and dandy, they lack some history and fun-facts that add to the learning process. So, in the spirit of reconciliation, here are my addendums to the article.
Celebrate difference
Kirby says children recognise difference such as skin colour or speech. For grown-ups in their life, the key is to talk about diversity as a positive.
“I say things like we’re all a little bit different,” Kirby says. “We all have a different story, and a different language and interesting ways of being.”
She says it’s also important to explain there is diversity within Indigenous Australia.
“The Aboriginal countries map of Australia is a great place to start to open that conversation that we’re not just one type of people,” Kirby says.
“And it’s important to know that if you speak to one Aboriginal person they don’t speak for all Aboriginal people.”
Our children may also be interested to learn the marked differences in the lives of Tasmanian Aborigines with those on the mainland. While mainlanders constructed canoes and crafted modest stone tools, Keith Windschuttle notes of the Tasmanians:
“Settlers who came across their abandoned campsites found them strewn with the rotting remains of the animals they had eaten, and their faeces deposited close to the fires where they slept. Their most sophisticated possessions were grass ropes to climb trees and woven grass bags. Their entire catalogue of manufactured goods comprised about two dozen articles. They went about completely naked, even in the snow-covered high-lands. The women slung kangaroo skins over their shoulders not for clothing but to carry their babies. For warmth, they smeared themselves with animal fat and huddled around fires at night. Until they acquired British containers, they could not boil water. The colonists were astonished to observe they could not make fire, a skill that even Neanderthal Man had mastered. They carried firebrands and coals with them on their nomadic journeys. If the fires of one family were doused by rain or flood, they had to go in search of others to ask for a light.” (Fabrication of Aboriginal History Vol 1, p 377)
Different tribes would also celebrate their diversity by slaughtering each other, such as the 1875 Finke River massacre where around 160 men, women and children were beaten and speared to death. Difference is indeed a beautiful phenomenon to celebrate.
Talk about and meet traditional owners
Kirby encourages the use of the term ‘traditional owners’ — that’s how she describes herself and her family’s relationship to the land she lives on.
She says if you want to break down what that means to little kids, you can say: “Traditional owners are local families who have lived here for thousands of years — before there were towns, before there were shops.”
The best thing you can do is meet some of the traditional owners in your region and ask them about their connection to country.
“Ask who their mob is or what their background is,” Kirby says.
“Sometimes you have to be a bit more sensitive as some people might not know where they’re from due to the Stolen Generations, so it’s always important not to be too pushy if they don’t want to tell you.
“But, most of the time, Aboriginal people are happy to share their stories and want people to hear them — they’re stories that have been told for thousands of years and they deserve to be heard. So don’t be afraid.”
We could also talk about Elder and traditional owner Robert Bropho, whose Swan Valley Nyungah Community served up Aboriginal children for sex slavery which resulted in at least one girl committing suicide. Or we could talk about Winkie Ingomar, who raped children in exchange for petrol.
Aboriginal people also had a remarkable ability for owning land they never cultivated or settled, and in some cases owned land they had never even seen. In fact, they cared so much about land ownership that they had no concept of “trespass” and, in the case of the Tasmanians, no word for “land.” Windschuttle notes:
“None of the four vocabularies of Tasmanian Aboriginal language compiled in the nineteenth century, nor any of the lists of their phrases, sentences or songs, contained the word ‘land.’ Nor did they have any word for ‘own,’ possess’ or ‘property’, or any of their derivatives.” (p 110)
Our children may also be interested in asking their teachers if they would be interested in giving up their own land for the traditional owners. After all, previous attempts have proven futile.
Explaining reconciliation
Kirby says racism is a strong word to use around preschoolers, but they will sense sorrow and injustice.
When talking about the need for reconciliation, Kirby says we should be honest.
“We can start when children are young to teach the truth about the history of Australia,” she says.
“You can say: ‘Many years ago, before you were born, the government at the time took away Aboriginal children and some of them never made it back to their families and it’s caused a lot of sadness.’
“Think about the feeling behind your words. Take time to sit with it.
“It can be uncomfortable but it’s important to talk about because we never want something like that to happen again.”
Students may want to be informed that despite widespread abuse and neglect of Aboriginal children in their communities, no more than 10% of children were ever separated, and that all court attempts seeking damages for being “stolen” have failed. But it might not be a good idea for to ask an Aboriginal Elder about this, as child welfare may be forced to intervene.
Seek out Indigenous stories
Kirby says there are plenty of resources like books, videos and podcasts based on dreaming and Indigenous creation stories that carers can share with children.
She personally recommends Play School and ABC podcast Little Yarns which explores the diverse languages, stories and countries of Indigenous Australia.
You might need to look much further than these media, as much is often made up. This is how Martin Flanagan describes the creation of a “traditional” war dance.:
“First, they acquired some dance appropriate to the boomerang from an Aboriginal cultural centre in Cairns. Then they needed words to go with the dance. Four members of the team were fluent in their traditional languages and one of them offered the word ”kurrku”, meaning team or mob. Another, from the Torres Strait, volunteered, ”Ngalpa Ngiya”, meaning ”Who are we?” Then came ”dhu dhu” (strong), ”yindamala” (fast) and ”kulala” (hunting). They had the basis of a chant. Who are we? Boomerang mob. Strong, fast, hunting. ….. Dual Brownlow medallist Adam Goodes told the Boomerangs: ”This is the first traditional Aboriginal dance I’ve ever done and you fellers taught it to me.”’
Learn some indigenous language
Kirby also suggests making an effort to learn some of the Indigenous language from your area.
If you don’t know how to do that, your local schools, neighbourhood centres or land councils may be able to point you in the right direction.
“Learning language is a way of connecting to land and community, and it can make local Aboriginal people feel really comfortable and welcomed in their community,” Kirby says.
“Even if people just pick up a couple of words here and there. It’s a great way to get to know people and also to keep those languages alive.”
A couple of words may be all you need. As noted, vocabulary for such terms as “land” and “property” did not even exist among Tasmanian, but Australia-wide Aborigines had no words for “gardening” or “agriculture” either. (By the way, they did no gardening or farming, despite what Bruce Pascoe might say)
Ask yourself: ‘How would you feel?’
Finally, Kirby says to constantly remind our kids to practise empathy.
“Treat everyone how you would like to be treated,” she says.
“Put yourself in someone else’s shoes and think about what would make you feel comfortable or uncomfortable.
“It’s all about establishing trust and building relationships.”
Students may also want to ask themselves how European settlers felt having to deal with regular arson, theft, sexual assault and murders by Aborigines in unprovoked attacks. In response to some 187 murders in Tasmania (Windschuttle, p 352), settlers launched the Black line, killing 2(!).
They might also want to ask how they would feel living in a country where a noble people receive twice the government expenditure than the average Australian and commit more crime than any other race in the word.
Please, ask your teachers. Just don’t expect a welcome response.
