Indigenous Education: Perspectives on Aboriginal Identity in Australia

This essay critically examines the perspectives surrounding Indigenous education and the preservation of Aboriginal identity in Australia, responding to controversial viewpoints suggesting the assimilation of Aboriginal people into mainstream Australian culture. It counters arguments made by figures like David Oldfield and analyzes statements by Prime Minister Tony Abbott regarding the impact of the First Fleet, highlighting the negative consequences such as the Stolen Generation and the erasure of Indigenous history. The essay draws upon feminist anthropological work, particularly Diane Bell's study of Ngarrindjeri women, to illustrate the value of Indigenous knowledge and the disruption caused by modernization. It argues for the protection of Aboriginal culture and heritage, emphasizing its significance to Australia's history and the well-being of Indigenous communities, and concludes that respecting and preserving Aboriginal identity is essential and aligns with constitutional rights.

Running head: INDIGENOUS EDUCATION AND PERSPECTIVES
Indigenous Education and Perspectives
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David Oldfield startled everyone when he said on SBS that the concept of Aborigines
should be wiped out from Australia. He was of the opinion that it is basically bad for the
aborigines to remain the same and they must follow the dominant culture of the country.
However, this has always been a topic of debate for a period of time. Therefore, in the
following essay, I aim to argue and counter the standpoint of Oldfield stating that it is
essential to protect the aboriginality of the native Australians and further substantiate my
point of views.
First, I wish to counter the opinion of Prime Minister Tony Abbott, as he said, “The
arrival of the First Fleet was the defining moment in the history of this continent”. This had
made a hiatus among the country. Especially, the Indigenous Advisory Council of the country
had deeply criticised him. I can realise the viewpoint of the prime minister and acknowledge
that the moment was a historical one in all true sense, but it was the most disastrous one from
the perspective of the indigenous people. According to Mr Mundine, the Chairman of the
Advisory Panel of the Prime Minister, the English had definitely brought prosperity to the
country, but the progress did not include the aboriginals. The English people had settled
down in the country and to give their people a better living condition, they brought
development throughout the country. Further, it was because of the ‘First Fleet', the ‘Stolen
Generation' came into being where families were torn apart. This contributed negatively to
the indigenous people also for the history of the country. Moreover, what shocked me more,
was his statement that, Australia was “unsettled” before the First Fleet came in. As noted by
the Deputy Prime Minister, the unsettlement in the territory was created by the English as
they embarked upon the land. The PM was further criticised by the Stolen Generation
Council for NSW, saying that if the settlement of the English is a defining moment for the
country, then it must be a poor one since it had robbed off of the country it’s past sixty
thousand years. However, another important point is this significant notation of the prime

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minister has again stimulated the debatable issue of “Placing”. In fact, while researching on
this I found out that, the school books of Australia had never mentioned about its original
people till as late as the 1970s. Instead, the spread of civilisation through explorers,
colonialism and conquests had been found in the chapters. The contribution of the liberal
studies and the theorists has marked the significance of the aborigines which then made them
a part of the school curriculum. Therefore, such opinions, that too, by the prime minister of
the country have negatively impacted the nation and took the country way back into time
(Dingle, 2014).
Another argument can be presented through the works of feminist anthropologist
Diane Bell as portrayed in her book, Ngarrindjeri Wurruwarrin: A World that Is, Was and
Will Be. This is necessarily a case study on the Ngarrindjeri women. In the book the author
has talked about the factual knowledge possessed by the aborigines that are getting distorted
and lost by the extremity of modernism. The book tells the story of how the Ngarrindjeri
women went against the Australian Government and some other tribes and stopped the
building of a bridge because it could defile some of their sacred sites. The author further
projected some authentic knowledge that the aboriginals possess regarding climate,
environment and food. Notably, in the case of food habits, the aborigines used to produce
their food in their own land. However, due to the loss of property or acquisition of land by the
government authorities, they have changed their food habits with a likeness to have the
modern food which has negatively impacted upon their health. They are now prone to illness
which they had never experienced. Therefore, such information gave me the knowledge of
and understanding of the importance of protection of the aborigines. The rich and ancient
culture and knowledge that they are possessing provide an essence of cultural heritage and
ethnicity to the history of a country. Therefore, it can be posited in contrast to the modern
knowledge and can be argued that the importance we hold regarding the contemporary

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knowledge, they also had a similar kind of notion regarding their indigenous knowledge.
Therefore, to rob them off of their conceptions and ideas, as suggested by David Oldfield, is
constitutionally wrong as under the Aborigines Protection Act, 1869. Further, the book gives
a sound description of how the law and culture of the place works, and it is observed that the
aborigines have a sound socio-political system with minimal social unrest. This is quite the
opposite of the socio-political system of the country. Therefore, to include them within a
complex political system is unscientific and implausible. Moreover, the book depicts the way
an indigenous being is treated by a man from the modern world stating that they are faced
with abuses and exploitations. However, that is not the scenario when a modern man comes
across an indigenous being. Further, since being a feminist by orientation, the author has tried
to capture the difference of treatments as experienced by the women of the particular tribe
and the women of the western culture. In the latter, the women are undervalued, and their
opinions and decisions are not given any importance, but the aboriginal women are mostly
treated with equity and are provided with equal opportunities (Waters, 2001).
The purpose of my essay was to provide a perception of the standpoint of modernised
Australia and the significance of the existence of aboriginals. The aborigines of Australia not
only add a land-marking impulse to the history of the country but also provide an idea of how
the country has evolved over a period of time. However, I understand that, the perception of
Oldfield is a subjective one and he can express his views as this is his fundamental right but
he also must understand that his standpoint is in contrast to the right of the Aborigines which
makes him undoubtedly wrong and unreasonable. Therefore, I believe that the Aboriginals of
Australia must be protected and their culture and heritage must be preserved and encouraged.

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References:
Dingle, S. (2014, Aug 30). Tony Abbott names white settlement as Australia's ’defining
moment’, remark draws indigenous ire. ABC Premium News Retrieved from:
https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy.uws.edu.au/ docview/1559078413?
accountid=36155
Waters, K. (2001). Ngarrindjeri Wurruwarrin: A World That Is, Was and Will Be.