Different Eras of Resistance from Aboriginal People - Coursework Example

Different eras of resistance from Aboriginal people Table of Contents Different eras of resistance from Aboriginal people Table of Contents 2 Introduction 3 Aborigines and European Contact- The Initial Era of Conflict and Resistance 3 Relations between Settlers and Aboriginals in the 19th Century 6 The Colonial Period 8 Conclusion 9 References 11 Bibliography 11 Introduction This project attempts to study the ‘Aboriginals’ or the indigenous Australians, who have been the original occupants of the continent. They have been identified as a group of people who shares certain common cultures, customs, ideas and the same biological ancestry. This project endeavours to find out the manner in which these people have resisted the Europeans from settling in the continent. Before getting into the discussion of the conflict that ensued between the European settlers and the Aboriginals, this project tries to trace their origin which happens to be some 40,000 years old. Since then they have gradually undergone transition from a pre-civilised society to a modern one. But, it is unfortunate to note that the entire group has not been able to transform themselves completely. Some orthodox people have still remained rooted to their original traditions, and even today celebrate their age old traditions. The European settlers had to face severe resistance from these people while they were trying to establish themselves in the continent which resulted in extreme violence and bloodshed. Aborigines and European Contact- The Initial Era of Conflict and Resistance The initial revolt took place as a result of the encounter between two different cultures. Intrepid explorers from Europe came upon the indigenous people in Australia and this caused a clash of two cultures. This encounter is generally referred to as ‘contact’. Commentators say that contact in Australia occurred for the first time when the Australian Aboriginals encountered British settlement. At once, the European culture was established and imposed on the Aborigines. They remained powerless and passive. It is said that the European system was completely responsible for the downfall and demise of Aborigines inhabitants in Australia. European settlement brought about cultural and social changes in the continent. This was brought about with the help of interaction between native and foreign cultures. Additionally, exchange of ideas and technologies in between the neighbouring groups within Australia accounted for certain changes in society (Jupp, 2001, p. 9)1. Australian writers have presented the conflict between the Aborigines and settlers in a rather curious and paradoxical fashion. One group has portrayed an extremely peaceful and conflict-free settlement in the land which was said to have been unoccupied from the very beginning. Another group has mentioned about the hostilities and resistances that the Europeans had to face while establishing themselves in the continent. Indeed, the earliest of explorers remained engaged in extreme violence and conflict with the aborigines (Jupp, 2001. p. 11)2. The British settlers had arrived on the Tasmania Island in 1803. This island had about 5,000 Aboriginal inhabitants during that time. By the end of 1820, The British had successfully wiped out every trace of the Aboriginals in the island (AES, 2006, p.1)3. The first job of the settlers was to take over the useful resources, like water sources, productive area of lands and fisheries. They even took over the towns, farms and the mining operations. The Aboriginals responded to this attack in more than one way. Some treated the newcomers with respect. Some considered the whites as “spirits of the dead” (AES, 2006, p.1)4, while others were really hostile in their reaction. The British people had advantage over the Aborigines in terms of tools and weapons. Consequently the Aborigines residing near the settlements were ruthlessly killed. Apart from the conflict the Aborigines had also to fight against some of the European diseases to which they had no immunity. These were “small pox, venereal disease, syphilis, tuberculosis, measles and influenza” (AES, 2006, p.1). These diseases and the Aboriginal’s inability to fight against them reduced their population drastically. The British settlers introduced a number of animals in the continent, which included the wild rabbits, foxes and cats. These animals used to prey on the native animals as well as reduced their food resources considerably. These were indirectly responsible for destroying the ecological balance and some of the very important species that served as food for the Aboriginals. As the white settlement increased its strength, the Aboriginals protested violently to protect their lands. Many of them lost their lives fighting with the settlers. In some areas, the European farmers created vigilante groups. They responded to the killing of cattle and sheep by taking away the lives of Aborigine women and children. The colonial settlers organised various groups of Aboriginals and involved them in the native police. The Aboriginals soldiers, under the instruction of the colonial settlers would be taken to remote places where they had no relatives and would be asked to take revenge against their own men on behalf of these settlers. These victimised natives in fear of the British would remain in and near their homeland (AES, 2006, p.2)5. Relations between Settlers and Aboriginals in the 19th Century The settlers required the labour of Aboriginal men to work on their cattle and sheep farms. They would be primarily required in the remote and sparsely populated areas. They encouraged the Aboriginals to reside on their stations and work for them as domestic workers and stockmen. In return they would be provided with rations, sugar and tobacco. Some of the Aboriginals accepted this lifestyle in order to stay near their own land. Additionally, the settlers tolerated the native cultures and practices as long as their work in stations remained undisrupted. As a matter of fact, in many places sheep and cattle farming would be possible only because of the availability of cheap labour provided by the Aboriginals. “Mission Stations” (AES, 2006, p.3) established in the year 1800, became popular among the Aboriginals. They were provided with housing, tobacco, food, and supplies. Their primary objective was to convert the Aboriginals to Christians. However, there were differences in approaches, depending on the religiously denomination. Some of these missions taught the Aboriginals to live like the Englishmen. They established English schools which emphasised specially on Bible study. They used to look down Aboriginal cultures. These missions had put a ban on Aboriginal languages and traditional ceremonies. They were also required to wear European clothing. A new conflict began after the white people got access to more economic opportunities. In 1850, a “gold rush” (AES, 2006, p.3) started in the continent. There was complete destruction of sacred cities. They were removed from the desirable camping sites and provoked against the miners. It led to “massacres of Aboriginal people” (AES, 2006, p.3). Some of the white settlers residing on the coastal regions of Australia used to hunt seals. These people killed a number of Aboriginal men and took away the women. In the northern parts of the country the Aboriginal boys were abducted and were forced into dangerous work. They were made to dive into deep waters for long time spans. At this time, the Aboriginals took the help of sorcery to resist the foreign attack. Black magic was used widely to counter these attacks. It was believed that these sorceries would enhance the success of attacks using spears and clubs. During the early years of confrontation, this strategy was kept hidden from the whites. But it was considered extremely important and equally significant as physical confrontation (Reynolds, 2007, p.92)6. Evidences show that the Aborigines also had access to wide range of weapons. They used firearms as their chief military warfare. It was even used for hunting. They emerged extremely aggressive and ‘killing’ was largely done in traditional procedure. Traditional weapons and procedures imposed extreme limitations on the warriors. They were able to oppose strongly only at the end of the 19th century. They posed serious fights against the settlers in the north and west Australia. Some of the Aborigines had acquired “white skills as native police or trackers” (Grey, 2008, p.33)7. The difference between the fight of the aboriginal and the other European settlements is that, in Australia, the major conflict was between the settlers and police. They were not fought by the British policemen. The English soldier’s participation was minimal but not non-existent. In 1838, November, under the declaration of Governor Arthur, 100 soldiers were supposed to mount an expedition against the local Aboriginals residing in the island of Tasmania. From the 1840s, “the Mounted Police and the Native Police Corps” were put to increasing use to defeat the native Aborigines. It did not take much struggle to pacify them as they were not considered a serious military threat. Limitations resulting from the use of traditional weapons and equipment made them even weaker. The European settlers, on the other hand, were fully equipped and armed and even had the assistance of the “Native Police” (Grey, 2008, p.34). They were strong enough to handle the indigenous Australians with ease. In the middle of the 19th century, there was propagation of the belief that the Aborigines were an inferior race who was destined to be assimilated and redeemed. This, in Christianity meant, “a gradual dying away in the face of progress” (Grey, 2008, p.37). During this time, introduction of a large number of weapons gave an extra edge to the settlers over the Aborigines. The Native Police spread across New South Wales and Victoria and successfully pacified the tribes in these areas (Grey, 2008, p.37)8. The Colonial Period The British settlers colonised the greater part of the Australian continent by the end of the 19th century. In 1810, the “73rd Regiment of Foot” (AWM, n.d.)9 was established as the first line regiment. From then onwards, a number of infantry regiments, small artilleries and engineering units were established across the colony. Their role was to protect the Australians from external attack. However, their most important responsibility was to guard against convict uprisings, and suppress the Aboriginal resistance. Although majority of the training programs undertaken were meant to protect the Europeans against external attacks, an undeclared war soon started against the Aborigines of Australia. These fights were sporadic and localised in nature. It continued in different parts of the continent till the end of 1930. The British soldiers were primarily involved in the war during the martial law period in Tasmania. They were also involved in the war against New South Wales during the same time. The settlers never considered the Aborigines to pose serious threat against them. The settlers in assistance with the police were sufficient to hold fights against the Australians. According to estimates, 2500 people were killed in the conflict which included the settlers as well as the police. Among the Aborigines, the figure was much higher. It is said that 20,000 Aborigines died in the war against the settlers, thousands died of diseases brought by the Europeans and many lost their lives resulting from other consequences of colonisation. The Aboriginals were rendered ineffectual in the face of European hostilities. Conclusion In the last thirty years, historians among the Aboriginal Australians have agreed on a common consensus. It is an undeniable fact that there has been widespread killing of the indigenous Australians by the European settlers. They were absolutely unprotected, and were killed mercilessly by the whites. They have fought to maintain their tradition desperately, without any assistance from the Government. Historians have termed this merciless killing and washing away of this race completely as ‘genocide’. In the central part of the continent, the population was shot dead mercilessly. It is said that they were hunted like wild beasts. The conscience of the Europeans struck much later and legislations prohibiting such killing were passed much later between 1986 and 1991. It was from this time that they got some amount of relief in terms of ones life and livelihood. Laws were passed which attested their right to work as per ones wish, the freedom to marry the person one chooses and other such aspects of living. Most Australians today agree that the Aborigines had suffered extensively and were mistreated and imprisoned for no reason apart from the white man’s fancy. The unanimous belief that rings in the air of this subaltern is perhaps a conscious and prompt effort could have saved them from being completely washed out. References Australian Embassy School. 2006. Early European Exploration and Colonisation. European Settlement and its Effects on Australian Aboriginals. [Pdf]. Available at : http://www2.aes.ac.in/mswebsite_07/teachersites/mtabor/1_Geography/auspacific/european_effects.pdf [Accessed on August 2, 2010]. Australian War Memorial. No Date. Colonial Period, 1788-1901. [Online] Available at: http://www.awm.gov.au/atwar/colonial.asp [Accessed on August 3, 2010]. Grey, J. 2008. A military history of Australia. Cambridge University Press. Jupp, J. 2001. The Australian people: an encyclopedia of the nation, its people and their origins. Cambridge University Press. Reynolds, H. 2007. The Other Side of the Frontier: Aboriginal Resistance to the European Invasion of Australia. UNSW Press. Bibliography Fergusson, G. & Johnston, D. M. 1998. Asia-Pacific legal development. UBC Press. Kurtz, L. R. 1999. Encyclopedia of violence, peace, & conflict. Academic Press. May, D. 1884. Aboriginal labour and the cattle industry: Queensland from white settlement to the present. CUP Archive. Read More