Analyzing Colonization's Impact on Indigenous Australian Society

This essay delves into the historical and ongoing impact of colonization and discrimination on Indigenous Australians. It examines how European colonization led to the marginalization of Indigenous populations, focusing on discriminatory practices, loss of land, and the imposition of foreign cultural norms. The essay highlights the lasting effects on Indigenous Australians' access to education, healthcare, and social opportunities, emphasizing the role of systemic biases and historical injustices. It also explores the concept of mixed blood and its implications, the impact of violence and trauma, and the importance of decolonization. The essay references the history of colonization, the decline of the Indigenous population, and the ongoing struggles for cultural identity and self-determination. The author argues for the need to address historical wrongs, promote equality, and foster a more inclusive society. The essay concludes by advocating for decolonization and the recognition of Indigenous rights, emphasizing the need for peaceful coexistence and mutual respect.

Running head: QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Name of the students:
Name of the universities:
Author note:

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Answer number 1:
Discrimination has crept in the concept of indigenous and non indigenous people from the day,
when Europeans have colonized the land of Australia. They have tried to judge the non
indigenous people according to their own methods and rules of culture and have always
neglected them believing that they are backward people with ill developed methods of lifestyles.
From the day of colonization, mixing had taken place and different eras had their own ways of
calling the aboriginal people (Lloyd & Wolffe, 2016). From the year 1910 to 1940, different new
concept like full blood, half caste, quadroon, octoroon had been introduced according to the
blood they carried in their veins. Later after 1960 two types called Western Australia and
Victoria came into being to denote people that whether they are having aboriginal blood or non
indigenous blood (Griffiths et al., 2016). Later after several revolutions and discussions, three
part definition of aboriginal identity came into being that depended upon descent, identification
and also community. However, all these systems of designating Australians in order to identify
them to the category indigenous or non indigenous or mixed blood has itself been an insult to the
face of a developed nation.
A developed nation would never show such a harsh mentality by depicting its citizens based on
their culture, creed and religion. However, in spite of this, indigenous people have got fewer
opportunities to get good education, good healthcare and good opportunities to lead with proper
life. This is purely because of the conception honored by the colonized for many years that
indigenous are backwards castes ad their lifestyles were unhygienic and lacked modern scientific
approach towards life. They had never respected their culture and exploited their land which had

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resulted them to develop a poor financial condition over the years as a result of that they had
automatically became illegible to get good food, shelter and life. In the recent generations,
human activists have been finally successful in making the government see the inhuman
activities that are happening with them and how they are affecting the overall image of the nation
and health of the Australian (Sweet et al., 2014)
The concept of mixed blood of Australian doing well in different sector usually comes from the
conception that such an individual; would carry traits form both the blood of non indigenous and
indigenous and therefore this will bring successful results. However, this thinking itself is a proof
of discrimination between the two types of blood reflecting the scenario that even to this that
people of the modern generation are providing importance in the caste creed and religion in
blood to be the main factor that assess a person’s credibility and success (Carey et al., 2017).
Any Australians who live on the land of the nation can become successful in their life on the
basis of his own skill and knowledge and any king of blood he possess, irrespective of the
community he resides, can never be a barrier in his path of success.
Answer 2:
From the time of British, severe mental and physical tortures have followed the colonization
process and the violence it showed had severe impacts on the livelihood of the aboriginal
population. They had been looted, beaten, harmed and defeated repeatedly. Their land had been
taken away. Their self esteem, self image, self respect and ways of self sufficiency - all has taken
away their will to live (Dudgeon et al., 2017).
In such a situation, they have lost their confidence to earn for their living to lead a better life. To
ask for employment from a non indigenous Australians society requires courage in their cases as

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the relationship between them is not simple. They have developed a feeling that they would
never be accepted in the society and so they get no opportunities where they prove their mettle.
The government should come forwards and introduce health and education promotion programs.
They should also introduce employment centers from where they could get their job and make
their life worthy of living (Paradies, 2016).
Answer 3:
From the time of colonisation, aboriginals have got very little scope to outdo themselves. Due to
exploitation of the colonisers initially, many aboriginals have lost their possession of wealth.
Land which was their key source of livelihood were also taken away from theme through
different policies and doctrines. An aboriginal was a tribe who had very few enemies and were
never prepared to fight their rights in the initial cases. As a result, they never got the scope to
protest for their rights as their opposite power had much strength and authority to defeat them.
Since, then they have always been threatened and exploited by the colonisers (Burdon et al.,
2015). Over time they lost their financial strength and became deprived of good education and
livelihood. As a result, lack of education and lack of scope of being skilled and knowledgeable
forced them to remain confined within the darkness. Although they survived generation after
generation, they could never taste the success of becoming a modern man by participating in the
changes that took place in the world of science and literature.
Over course of time, they could not learn the proper hygiene habits, importance of good
lifestyles, how to keep the body fit, the correct diet, importance of exercise in maintaining body
weight. They could not know how these factors could incorporate to greater life expectancy
(Dudgeon et al., 2017). To the region of the aboriginals, it seemed the light of modernisations

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never reached. Therefore, it is not entirely their mistake that they are uneducated about the health
and different ways of keeping proper health. Therefore it is not morally correct to say that they
are casual with the subject of their help. Rather it should be said that they are not educated about
the health systems and how to care them because of the lack of scope and opportunities.
Although, the government, human activists, present healthcare organisations are trying to
provide healthcare services to aboriginals, however biases is still present which is disrupting
their access to proper healthcare services.
Answer 4:
In order to establish valid point on either the acceptance as well as the rejection of the
decolonization topic of indigenous Australians, one should first have a glimpse of the history of
the colonization of the non indigenous Australian by the British. Before British people settled in ,
Australia was the land of 500 indigenous actions who inhabited the continent with a population
about 750000 people. Their cultures which had developed over the 60000 years had made such
non indigenous people the custodians of the world and most ancient living culture (Sherwood,
2013). They believed in closed relationship with the land and over thei9r traditional national
country. After James cook reported about the concept of colonization in British, they found it or
be a good place to accommodate their overcrowded prisoners and therefore in 1788 captain
Arthur took about 1500 convicts, mariners and crew and settled in Sydney cove.
Three main reasons were noted by the scientists who had resulted in the decline of the
indigenous population by 90% from the time 1788 to 1900; these were introduction of new
diseases, settler acquisition of the lands of the indigenous people and also due to direct and
violent conflict with the colonizer. Evidences are there which suggest numerous account of

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colonist offering indigenous people with food which contained arsenic and poison even. They
have made the population drunkards, killed and hunted them like dogs, infected them with
diseases and have tried to rot down their bones even. Colonial violence had swept their soul form
the land for which they could even tend to have died (Kicked et al., 2016).
In the present era, many indigenous Australians are still facing difficulty in defining their
identity because so much of their traditional culture had been lost. At the same time, their
relationship with the majority of the Australian culture is complicated by the role in their own
loss of tradition. They were never considered as a part of British constitution or Australian
constitution. They were considered to be a part of the flora and fauna and were referred as aliens
according to Naturalization act of 1903. However, the present scenario is changing where the
modern government has tried to provide human rights of the population to decide their own
course of life. They have taken various steps to make their lives beautiful with proper education
services, proper healthcare services, and accessibility to good food and employment. Although
the government is claiming to do so, there have been reports that the government had instructed
for forced closure if homelands to clear the lands of the original owners for mining and other
developments. History us getting wiped out by clearing the ancient spirituals sites of aboriginals
making their existence more questionable (Verracini et al., 2013).
Standing on the bridge of humanity, it is preferable to show traits which represent humane
feelings and decisions that make lives of disadvantaged people better. The process of
decolonization would help them to get back the freedom that is their human rights. As they have
been under terrible structure, they should be given the chance to turn back and lead their lives on
their own will. As this had been their homes for centuries, it first becomes their right to enjoy
freedom and live with their own possession and fearless at their own will. This will give them

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opportunity to feel attached with the roots of existence which was once their own. They should
have the right for self determination which will ultimately help them to develop the feeling of
satisfied soul (Docker, 2017).
The decolonization should be done on a peaceful mode so that both the sections of the society
can enjoy equal rights of the land and can develop a peaceful connection. Unity can be
maintained and violence can be prevented if both the sectors extend their hands of friendship by
overcoming their biasness and leading a normal life.

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References:
Burdon, P., Drew, G., Stubbs, M., Webster, A., & Barber, M. (2015). Decolonising Indigenous
water ‘rights’ in Australia: flow, difference, and the limits of law. Settler Colonial
Studies, 5(4), 334-349.
Carey, T. A., Dudgeon, P., Hammond, S. W., Hirvonen, T., Kyrios, M., Roufeil, L., & Smith, P.
(2017). The Australian Psychological Society's Apology to Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander People. Australian Psychologist, 52(4), 261-267.
Docker, J. (2017). Reconceptualising Settler-Colonialism and Genocide with Special Reference
to Palestine, Sri Lanka and Australia: Reflections on Damien Short's Redefining
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Palestine Studies, 16(1), 27-45.
Dudgeon, P., Bray, A., D'Costa, B., & Walker, R. (2017). Decolonising psychology: Validating
social and emotional wellbeing. Australian Psychologist, 52(4), 316-325.
Dudgeon, P., Darlaston-Jones, D., Nikora, L. W., Waitoki, W., Pe-Pua, R., Tran, L. N., &
Rouhani, L. (2016). Changing the acculturation conversation: Indigenous cultural
reclamation in Australia and Aotearoa/New Zealand.
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development. Drawing on narrative interviews provided by two respected Noongar
community Elders (both contributing authors to this chapter) and two case studies, we
aim to draw out the complexities, diversity and. Mia Mia Aboriginal Community
Development: Fostering Cultural Security, 217.
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Sweet, M. A., Dudgeon, P., McCallum, K., & Ricketson, M. D. (2014). Decolonising practices:
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