The Moore River Settlement was established as a work camp that should have eventually become self sufficient, and provide for all of the inhabitants’ of the mission. The Moore River inhabitants early years of schooling and half of the time in the latter years, was devoted to teaching practical skills such as the making of a shack, making a bed, coarse soap and fire, cooking, and simple pottery. This work camp also provided for the training of Aboriginal people in skills such as; Domestic duties-washing up, cleaning, sewing, laundry, cooking, help looking after little children and helping out with school lessons were generally for the girls. The boys and young men of the mission were skilled as gardeners, sanitary disposal, milking, goat herding, baking and collecting wood for the stoves. Most of the Aboriginal men went out to work on neighbouring stations and farms away from the mission when they became of age.
Moore River had paid positions for young men in poultry, yard work, stockmen, general hands, camp cooks and the laundry girls. Most of the girls went out into the wider community as domestic servants, most of these girls went back to the mission because their services were not required anymore or they came back pregnant to have their babies and live with them at Moore River or Mogumber. Although there was time allocated to school lessons, the European attitude that Aborigines’ could only be educated to the grade level of three, lessons catered to the grade level of three. The rest of the day time of the was either taken up by chores or like Moore River, boredom was an issue as there was nothing else to do when school and chores were done. (Maushart. (2003) p.126)
Aboriginal peoples’ interaction and participation at schools is very few if any at all. Just like the nineteenth century when Aboriginal parents sent their children to school thinking that they will be educated to the same standard as the European, and that was that. It was not because you wanted to, but more the fact that you had to, or there would be consequences such as ration cuts. In today’s society, the parents are still penalised for not sending their children to school through penalising the welfare payments, still the old system of do this or that will happen. Some Aboriginal people show a disinterest in education/school, as the system did not work for them, so how is the system going to work for their children, as to these Aboriginal people, nothing else changed when it came to Aboriginal issues, and education. Maushart claims on page 128 of Sort of a Place Like Home: Remembering the Moore River Settlement that adult Aborigines’ wanting to reside at Moore River had to relinquish their adult rights and responsibilities. In addition, if Aboriginal parents wanted a cottage at the camp, they had to agree to have their children live in the compound away from them, but could come home, on occasions, on the weekends. (Mausaut. (2003) p.149) Even the Aboriginals that were fortunate enough to be formally educated and learnt to read and write were disheartened. By the fact that, on sending their children to Moore River for education, found that they could not read or write properly, lived in appalling conditions and did not even have access to cutlery or Manchester let alone knew how these utensils should be utilised. (Mausaut. (2003) p.104)
Moore River settlement did not yield good crops, or the harvest did not satisfy the Aboriginal tastes and the harvest would at times, go to waste. Fish and fruit supplemented the Aboriginals diet in season from the bush, explaining their good health when inspectors observed them on annual visits. The inhabitants acquired the skills that were possible without the necessary utensils, materials, insufficient machinery and unqualified educationist to help them to obtain an equal and self-sufficient life outside of the settlement, which never eventuated for the Aboriginals, resulting in the mistrust and weariness by Aboriginal people of the Government and their promises. The Education and Welfare departments are also subject to this weariness and mistrust when they say to trust them with the children and their education.
References:
Maushart. S., (2003) Sort of a Place Like Home: Remembering the Moore River Settlement. Fremantle Arts Centre Press. Fremantle: Western Australia.
Monday, September 29, 2008
Thursday, September 18, 2008
What reasons can you advance for the failure of Neville’s plan? What more appropriate solutions should have been found?
A.O. Neville or in some cases, was refered to as “Mr Neville the Devil” failed in his efforts to eventually breed out the Aboriginal through assimilation and then misconcengation He then shifted focus to educating the Aborigine and finally moving focus onto equipping Aborigines with menial skills such as domesic duties and stock/grounds work. Nevilles' belief in that the Aborigine could only be educated to the European grade 3 level only accentuated his ignorance in that they could only be taught remedial lessons and menial tasks, no attempts were made to develop a curriciulum or lessons like the Loves’, where the sociocultural theory to teaching was considered and used to teach the Aboriginal children. Today, a knowledge of ‘Gardners Mutiple Intelligences' allows teachers to plan learning experiences that benefit how the child learns, instead of enforcing a curriculum that does not work for individual learners.
Nevilles' thinking that “by separating the children at Mogumber and putting the little ones, or the school children out into the compound, keeping them away from the camps, they would gradually realise there was a better life than a camp life” Even though the contact between the adults at the camp and the children within the compounds of the mission were minimal, Sr Eileen Heath believed that the Aboriginal would not entirely lose their culture as they were great story tellers and passed on their traditions and lores through their telling of stories. (Personal communication, 17 Oct 1997) But what of the half caste, quarter caste and the quadroons, who could not participate in the traditional Aboriginal customs as they were not recognised or classed as Aboriginal, and yet still not considered a European, and not have the same privileges and rights as the European. What he achieved here instead, was a sense of not belonging to either culture and a new form of race that did not seem to fit anywhere in the Australian Society. Although there are accounts from half caste, quarter caste and the quadroon Aboriginal to suggest that they were appreciative of being able to read and write, but still there is a yearning to feel a sense of belonging to certain people and making a connection to family and country. Would the circumstances of this be reversed, if the contact between the parents and the children allowed for traditional customs to be maintained and practised?
The forcible removal of children created a distrust of the government and missionaries by Aborignal people. Even those Aborigines who wanted their children educated developed the mistrust, as they were told that their children would be returned to them after they had been educated, this did not eventuate and the children in some cases were told that their parents had died or did not want them. Furthermore, parents who accompanied their children to the mission or reserve were still not able to have contact with the children as they had invisioned.This made the Aboriginal people wary of the promises made by the government in regards to their children and their education. In todays society, the dependance on welfare payments to educate Aborignal children almost seems like the Government has to bribe the Aboriginal into educating their children, with further restrictions being put in place, such as the voucher system. This involves the Government distributing funds to Aboriginal parents on the proviso that their children attend school regularly, if attendance is not regular, then the Government can cut funding to the family. This forces the Aborigine to do something because they are told to and not because they see the benefit of education. Education is knowledge and power, more Aboriginal people need to realise this.
Life within the missions and reserves was hard and conditions were harsh. The Aboriginal childen could not experience the love of family from the missionaries and managers, opting to make the other children at the mission their family, or some of the older children could still remember the kinship relationships of some the inhabitants from the same language areas.The negative effect on Aboriginals’ parenting skills have developed from negative childhood experiences are evident in todays society. Discipline of little childen in Aboriginal culture was not part of their traditions, but in todays society it is nothing for an Aboriginal parent to hit a child to discipline them, eventuating from the discipline forced upon the Aborigines at the start of the nineteenth century. What could have been the outcome if a residential college style of instituition were used instead of the dormitory and compound style? Where parents could live with their children and be immersed in the European culture as well.
A. O. Neville’s attempts to breed out the Aboriginal has only resulted in a race of people who do not know where they belong or their place in Australia, the Stolen Generation. A reliance by some of the Aboriginal people on welfare payments and handouts, as Aboriginals had always had their lives restricted and regulated from the time of settlement.
References:
Attwood, B. et al. (1994). Excerpts taken from ... A Life Together A Life Apart: A History Of Relations Between Europeans And Aborigines. Melbourne: Melbourne University Press.
Choo, C. (2001). Homes for Wayward Girls in Mission Girls: Aboriginal Women on Catholic Missions in the Kimberley, Western Australia. 1900 – 1950. Perth: UWA Press
Green, N. (1996). The Mission as a Total Institution Forrest River Mission under Ernest Gribble in B. J. Dalton (ed) University Lectures on North Queensland History No. 5 , James Cook University: Townsville, Qld.
Maushart, S., (2003). Sort Of A Place Like Home: Remembering the Moore River Native Settlement, Fremantle Arts Centre Press:Fremantle, WA.
Nevilles' thinking that “by separating the children at Mogumber and putting the little ones, or the school children out into the compound, keeping them away from the camps, they would gradually realise there was a better life than a camp life” Even though the contact between the adults at the camp and the children within the compounds of the mission were minimal, Sr Eileen Heath believed that the Aboriginal would not entirely lose their culture as they were great story tellers and passed on their traditions and lores through their telling of stories. (Personal communication, 17 Oct 1997) But what of the half caste, quarter caste and the quadroons, who could not participate in the traditional Aboriginal customs as they were not recognised or classed as Aboriginal, and yet still not considered a European, and not have the same privileges and rights as the European. What he achieved here instead, was a sense of not belonging to either culture and a new form of race that did not seem to fit anywhere in the Australian Society. Although there are accounts from half caste, quarter caste and the quadroon Aboriginal to suggest that they were appreciative of being able to read and write, but still there is a yearning to feel a sense of belonging to certain people and making a connection to family and country. Would the circumstances of this be reversed, if the contact between the parents and the children allowed for traditional customs to be maintained and practised?
The forcible removal of children created a distrust of the government and missionaries by Aborignal people. Even those Aborigines who wanted their children educated developed the mistrust, as they were told that their children would be returned to them after they had been educated, this did not eventuate and the children in some cases were told that their parents had died or did not want them. Furthermore, parents who accompanied their children to the mission or reserve were still not able to have contact with the children as they had invisioned.This made the Aboriginal people wary of the promises made by the government in regards to their children and their education. In todays society, the dependance on welfare payments to educate Aborignal children almost seems like the Government has to bribe the Aboriginal into educating their children, with further restrictions being put in place, such as the voucher system. This involves the Government distributing funds to Aboriginal parents on the proviso that their children attend school regularly, if attendance is not regular, then the Government can cut funding to the family. This forces the Aborigine to do something because they are told to and not because they see the benefit of education. Education is knowledge and power, more Aboriginal people need to realise this.
Life within the missions and reserves was hard and conditions were harsh. The Aboriginal childen could not experience the love of family from the missionaries and managers, opting to make the other children at the mission their family, or some of the older children could still remember the kinship relationships of some the inhabitants from the same language areas.The negative effect on Aboriginals’ parenting skills have developed from negative childhood experiences are evident in todays society. Discipline of little childen in Aboriginal culture was not part of their traditions, but in todays society it is nothing for an Aboriginal parent to hit a child to discipline them, eventuating from the discipline forced upon the Aborigines at the start of the nineteenth century. What could have been the outcome if a residential college style of instituition were used instead of the dormitory and compound style? Where parents could live with their children and be immersed in the European culture as well.
A. O. Neville’s attempts to breed out the Aboriginal has only resulted in a race of people who do not know where they belong or their place in Australia, the Stolen Generation. A reliance by some of the Aboriginal people on welfare payments and handouts, as Aboriginals had always had their lives restricted and regulated from the time of settlement.
References:
Attwood, B. et al. (1994). Excerpts taken from ... A Life Together A Life Apart: A History Of Relations Between Europeans And Aborigines. Melbourne: Melbourne University Press.
Choo, C. (2001). Homes for Wayward Girls in Mission Girls: Aboriginal Women on Catholic Missions in the Kimberley, Western Australia. 1900 – 1950. Perth: UWA Press
Green, N. (1996). The Mission as a Total Institution Forrest River Mission under Ernest Gribble in B. J. Dalton (ed) University Lectures on North Queensland History No. 5 , James Cook University: Townsville, Qld.
Maushart, S., (2003). Sort Of A Place Like Home: Remembering the Moore River Native Settlement, Fremantle Arts Centre Press:Fremantle, WA.
Friday, September 12, 2008
AB272 Wk 6 Blog To what extent were their endeavours to stem this immorality a case of blaming the victim?
Wayward girls referred to the relationships that were being developed among Aboriginal people and the Europeans and Asiatic. Beagle Bay missions were first established to house Aboriginal women who were breaking the law by developing immoral relationships with the European and Asiatic men. The Half-caste Aboriginal girls were potentially at more risk than the full blood. These wayward girls would have their hair shaved and made to wear uniforms, as a means of reforming them from their immoral ways.
Most of the missions established in this time, were located in remote communities, so that they were not influenced by the outside community’s attitudes and feelings, as well as isolating them from their own language groups, so that they were immersed solely in the European way of living and punishment for inappropriate behaviour. Some managers, ministers turned a blind eye to Aboriginals practicing their culture, and conducting corroborree’s, some even correlated corroborree into the catholic baptism ritual. Most of the ministers, especially the catholic ministers, saw a connection between the Aboriginal beliefs and the belief s of the catholics, for example god promises an afterlife which is similar to the Aboriginal belief in reincarnation.
Using the Aboriginal beliefs with the Christian beliefs, gave the pastors and managers a way in which to manipulate the Aborigines, making them subservient to the Europeans. Every waking hour of the Aboriginals day was filled with some activity, if it was not doing jobs around the mission that helped maintain the mission or station; it was with formal reading and writing lessons. But, as all documented readings suggest, the upkeep of the mission or station came before the formal education of the Aboriginal. Choo (2001) suggests that the most amount of time dedicated for education at Beagle Bay mission was 1 hour and 15 minutes, out of a possible 11-12 hour day.
Keeping Aboriginal people busy and isolated from the wider community was a means of keeping the immoral relationships and behaviours from happening. Those that cavorted with these women were to be prosecuted, but the authorities of the time did not do so in most cases as the suspects were Europeans and opted instead to send the girls/women who cavorted with these men to missions such as Beagle Bay to reform them from their immoral behaviour. Managers and pastors of some missions/stations even resorted to arranging the marriages among the Aboriginal people so that the so called immoral cavorting did not happen, this in itself had adverse affect, some resulting in marriages of cousins which the knowledge of Aboriginal kinship relationships would have avoided.
References:
Choo, C. (2001). Homes for Wayward Girls in Mission Girls: Aboriginal Women on Catholic Missions in the Kimberley, Western Australia. 1900 – 1950. Perth: UWA Press
Green, N. (1996). The Mission as a Total Institution Forrest River Mission under Ernest Gribble in B. J. Dalton (ed) University Lectures on North Queensland History No. 5 , James Cook University: Townsville, Qld.
Hughes. T., (2008) History of Aboriginal Education: Maverick Missionaries. PowerPoint Presentation. Retrieved on Thursday 4 September from
https://blackboard.nd.edu.au/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_3478_1%26url%3D
Most of the missions established in this time, were located in remote communities, so that they were not influenced by the outside community’s attitudes and feelings, as well as isolating them from their own language groups, so that they were immersed solely in the European way of living and punishment for inappropriate behaviour. Some managers, ministers turned a blind eye to Aboriginals practicing their culture, and conducting corroborree’s, some even correlated corroborree into the catholic baptism ritual. Most of the ministers, especially the catholic ministers, saw a connection between the Aboriginal beliefs and the belief s of the catholics, for example god promises an afterlife which is similar to the Aboriginal belief in reincarnation.
Using the Aboriginal beliefs with the Christian beliefs, gave the pastors and managers a way in which to manipulate the Aborigines, making them subservient to the Europeans. Every waking hour of the Aboriginals day was filled with some activity, if it was not doing jobs around the mission that helped maintain the mission or station; it was with formal reading and writing lessons. But, as all documented readings suggest, the upkeep of the mission or station came before the formal education of the Aboriginal. Choo (2001) suggests that the most amount of time dedicated for education at Beagle Bay mission was 1 hour and 15 minutes, out of a possible 11-12 hour day.
Keeping Aboriginal people busy and isolated from the wider community was a means of keeping the immoral relationships and behaviours from happening. Those that cavorted with these women were to be prosecuted, but the authorities of the time did not do so in most cases as the suspects were Europeans and opted instead to send the girls/women who cavorted with these men to missions such as Beagle Bay to reform them from their immoral behaviour. Managers and pastors of some missions/stations even resorted to arranging the marriages among the Aboriginal people so that the so called immoral cavorting did not happen, this in itself had adverse affect, some resulting in marriages of cousins which the knowledge of Aboriginal kinship relationships would have avoided.
References:
Choo, C. (2001). Homes for Wayward Girls in Mission Girls: Aboriginal Women on Catholic Missions in the Kimberley, Western Australia. 1900 – 1950. Perth: UWA Press
Green, N. (1996). The Mission as a Total Institution Forrest River Mission under Ernest Gribble in B. J. Dalton (ed) University Lectures on North Queensland History No. 5 , James Cook University: Townsville, Qld.
Hughes. T., (2008) History of Aboriginal Education: Maverick Missionaries. PowerPoint Presentation. Retrieved on Thursday 4 September from
https://blackboard.nd.edu.au/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_3478_1%26url%3D
Thursday, September 4, 2008
What was the role of the school in achieving the broader aims of Ramahyuck mission ?In what ways did Ramahyuck reflect the Western Values?
The roles of schools and missions in the era of ‘civilising and christianising’ the Aborigines were to ‘change and reshape their minds and hearts and make them anew....a likeness of their own (European-Christian) image.’ (Attwood. (1989) p.1) In order to this, missionaries and government appointed employees came to a conclusion that the Aborigine had to relinquish their own customs in order to learn, except and adopt the European customs, rituals and faith. Some missionaries and government employees did not believe and accept that this was right.
An example of the rejection to the belief is the Love’s who worked very closely with the Worora people at the Kunmunya Mission (McKenzie. (1969)) Bob Love was a pastor and teacher, who also had to manage the stations operations, even though the legislation at the time prohibited Aborigines from practising their own culture and language, the Love’s embraced the Worora language and converted two scripture readings .
Ramahyuck missions’ manager, Mr Hagenauer, devised a system where every hour within the day, is taken up by some activity, so that there would be no time for the Aborigines to practice their own law and culture. Engaging Aborigines in European duties and customs was seen as the best way in which to ‘civilise and Christianise’ the Aboriginal people.
The managers and missionaries of the time often saw themselves as the parental figure in the life of the Aborigine. That they needed to be taken care of and told how to do so, even though the main idea behind the missions was to educate Aborigines so that they could be a part of the wider community. The Government of the era, realised that, the Aboriginal race was not going to die out like they thought, so they now had an obligation to provide education, housing, and health needs thinking that putting them on stations, missions and reserves would solve the racial discrimination Aboriginal people endured, and satisfy those that did not want the Aboriginal children in the so called public schools, which were funded and run by the government.
References:
Attwood, B. (1989) ‘And God said...let them have dominion’. In The Making of the Aborigines. Sydney: Allen and Unwin. Retrieved August, 8 from
https://blackboard.nd.edu.au/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_3478_1%26url%3D
McKenzie, M. (1969) The Loves at Kunmunya. In The Road to Mowanjum. Angus & Robertson. Retrieved August, 18 from https://blackboard.nd.edu.au/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_3478_1%26url%3D
An example of the rejection to the belief is the Love’s who worked very closely with the Worora people at the Kunmunya Mission (McKenzie. (1969)) Bob Love was a pastor and teacher, who also had to manage the stations operations, even though the legislation at the time prohibited Aborigines from practising their own culture and language, the Love’s embraced the Worora language and converted two scripture readings .
Ramahyuck missions’ manager, Mr Hagenauer, devised a system where every hour within the day, is taken up by some activity, so that there would be no time for the Aborigines to practice their own law and culture. Engaging Aborigines in European duties and customs was seen as the best way in which to ‘civilise and Christianise’ the Aboriginal people.
The managers and missionaries of the time often saw themselves as the parental figure in the life of the Aborigine. That they needed to be taken care of and told how to do so, even though the main idea behind the missions was to educate Aborigines so that they could be a part of the wider community. The Government of the era, realised that, the Aboriginal race was not going to die out like they thought, so they now had an obligation to provide education, housing, and health needs thinking that putting them on stations, missions and reserves would solve the racial discrimination Aboriginal people endured, and satisfy those that did not want the Aboriginal children in the so called public schools, which were funded and run by the government.
References:
Attwood, B. (1989) ‘And God said...let them have dominion’. In The Making of the Aborigines. Sydney: Allen and Unwin. Retrieved August, 8 from
https://blackboard.nd.edu.au/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_3478_1%26url%3D
McKenzie, M. (1969) The Loves at Kunmunya. In The Road to Mowanjum. Angus & Robertson. Retrieved August, 18 from https://blackboard.nd.edu.au/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_3478_1%26url%3D
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Mounsey on page 395 of Aboriginal Education -A new Dawning, refers to ‘education institutions set up by the Aboriginal Protection Boards (APB)or previously Protector of Natives (PN), were established through the authority of religious groups, received financial support from the government and primarily provided instructed programmes that were considered useful skills for Aboriginals to gain’. Mr Burrage managed the APB’s Moonahcullah Station, but he also had a teaching position at the stations Aboriginal school.
Attwood et al (1994) on page 4, claims that these churchmen or missionaries believed that ‘as a superior race, Europeans had a Christian duty towards Aborigines and the latter, were capable of being ‘Christianised and civilised’. Removal of Aboriginal children to these reserves or stations was thought, by Europeans’ as the only way and means to successfully assimilate Aborigines to European practices. (Attwood et al (1994) p.4)The Burrage’s felt obligated to the Aboriginal people to provide a good education and keep peace and order on the APB’s Moonahcullah Station.
Religious groups frequented these stations, reserves or missions to spread the word of their God, and ‘domesticate and raise’ Aboriginals ‘through religious instructions, secular training, and virtues of hard work, thrift and sobriety through frequent, repetitious and forceful means’. (Attwood et al (1994). p. 4) Typical of the era, Mr Burrage found conflicts between duties of managing the station and maintaining his teaching obligations, but was sympathetic and adopted the sociocultural theory to teaching Aboriginal children through provision of nature studies in his teaching program. This was before changes in curriculum to cater for the different learning style of Aboriginal people.
The Burrage’s were sympathetic to the plight of the Aboriginal people, and even though Mr Burrage was employed to uphold the policies and legislation put in place by APB, he made allowances for the Aboriginal people. The ignorance and stereotyping of Aboriginal people by Europeans forced some to come and go from the stations on a regular basis but that did not concern the Burrage’s as mentioned on page 156 when Mr Burrage is told by an inspector to expel an Aborigine off the station. Mr Burrage opted to send the Aborigine for a holiday, as he regarded this Aborigine to be a good citizen.
Ethnohistory of the era from Burrage’s children can only be relied upon as there are no documentation of the Burrage’s in any of the recollections of Aboriginals of that era, only Elsie’s inference that ‘Dad was very good to the children ....they enjoyed their schooling’ (Attwood et al (1994). p. 153) It may be said that the Burrage children may have been ‘concerned with justifying their parents’ ideas and attitudes and actions, especially in the face of recent criticisms of such people.’ of that era. (Attwood et al (1994). p. 211)
These educational institutions set up by the Aboriginal Protection Boards (APB) and those employed by the APB, such as the Burrage’s, had the Aborigines interest at heart, ‘primarily providing instructed programmes that were considered useful skills for Aboriginals to gain.’ (Mounsey. (1980). p.395) Policies and legislation set in place hindered interaction of European and Aboriginal people on a social level and formal education always came second best to the duties that needed to be fulfilled to ensure working order of the stations, reserves or missions.
References:
Mounsey, C. F, (1980) Aboriginal Education-A New Dawning. In R. & C. Berndt. Aborigines of the West. Their Past and Present (pp394-404). University of WA Press: Perth.
Attwood, B., et al, (1994) “Excerpts taken from...”A Life Together, A Life Apart: A History of Relations Between Europeans And Aborigines. Melbourne University Press.
Attwood et al (1994) on page 4, claims that these churchmen or missionaries believed that ‘as a superior race, Europeans had a Christian duty towards Aborigines and the latter, were capable of being ‘Christianised and civilised’. Removal of Aboriginal children to these reserves or stations was thought, by Europeans’ as the only way and means to successfully assimilate Aborigines to European practices. (Attwood et al (1994) p.4)The Burrage’s felt obligated to the Aboriginal people to provide a good education and keep peace and order on the APB’s Moonahcullah Station.
Religious groups frequented these stations, reserves or missions to spread the word of their God, and ‘domesticate and raise’ Aboriginals ‘through religious instructions, secular training, and virtues of hard work, thrift and sobriety through frequent, repetitious and forceful means’. (Attwood et al (1994). p. 4) Typical of the era, Mr Burrage found conflicts between duties of managing the station and maintaining his teaching obligations, but was sympathetic and adopted the sociocultural theory to teaching Aboriginal children through provision of nature studies in his teaching program. This was before changes in curriculum to cater for the different learning style of Aboriginal people.
The Burrage’s were sympathetic to the plight of the Aboriginal people, and even though Mr Burrage was employed to uphold the policies and legislation put in place by APB, he made allowances for the Aboriginal people. The ignorance and stereotyping of Aboriginal people by Europeans forced some to come and go from the stations on a regular basis but that did not concern the Burrage’s as mentioned on page 156 when Mr Burrage is told by an inspector to expel an Aborigine off the station. Mr Burrage opted to send the Aborigine for a holiday, as he regarded this Aborigine to be a good citizen.
Ethnohistory of the era from Burrage’s children can only be relied upon as there are no documentation of the Burrage’s in any of the recollections of Aboriginals of that era, only Elsie’s inference that ‘Dad was very good to the children ....they enjoyed their schooling’ (Attwood et al (1994). p. 153) It may be said that the Burrage children may have been ‘concerned with justifying their parents’ ideas and attitudes and actions, especially in the face of recent criticisms of such people.’ of that era. (Attwood et al (1994). p. 211)
These educational institutions set up by the Aboriginal Protection Boards (APB) and those employed by the APB, such as the Burrage’s, had the Aborigines interest at heart, ‘primarily providing instructed programmes that were considered useful skills for Aboriginals to gain.’ (Mounsey. (1980). p.395) Policies and legislation set in place hindered interaction of European and Aboriginal people on a social level and formal education always came second best to the duties that needed to be fulfilled to ensure working order of the stations, reserves or missions.
References:
Mounsey, C. F, (1980) Aboriginal Education-A New Dawning. In R. & C. Berndt. Aborigines of the West. Their Past and Present (pp394-404). University of WA Press: Perth.
Attwood, B., et al, (1994) “Excerpts taken from...”A Life Together, A Life Apart: A History of Relations Between Europeans And Aborigines. Melbourne University Press.
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Your Story or Mine-AB272 Wk 3
Henry Ford’s claim that ‘history is bunk’ refers to Australia’s history being written from white social memory, and with no input from the indigenous of Australia. The white social memory refers to how documentation of events from the view point of the European settlers is written with biased opinions and built upon the systematic and technically rigorous examination of documented records. (Nugent. 1968. p. 36) The involvement of indigenous Australians in the writing of history before the nineteenth century is minimal and their knowledge of events, not included in history but their “local knowledge” of where these historical events took place are evident in the many memorial plaques that are being erected and telling a new history involving the indigenous Australians.
In the context of Aboriginal history and education, the ‘Aboriginal eyewitness’ reinforces the ‘changing use and meanings of Aboriginal testimony about historical events, particularly as they are deployed, or indeed dismissed, in the new context of public memory and history’. (Nugent. 1968. p. 39). Colonist required Aboriginal knowledge to preserve their own past, only referring to the indigenous for where events happened but never what happened from their point of view, and continues to do so in the twentieth century, preferring to research ‘old ways’ through sorting through collections of pre-contact materials and not drawing on living Aboriginal people as sources of information. (Nugent. 1968. P. 43)
Aboriginal Education was overseen by a European appointed “Protector of Aborigines”. From 1905 onwards Aboriginal people had every aspect of their lives controlled by the protector. Government agencies and church groups decided that Aboriginal children needed to be educated, some would say assimilated to European ways. No involvement of Aboriginal people was sought about what to teach children or how to teach their children, but that they were to be ‘Christianised and civilised and taught ‘useful’ skills. (Mounsey. 1980. P. 30) This attitude is built on the European understanding of history, that ‘because of their limited mastery of English literacy and numeracy, Aboriginals were only educable only to fourth or fifth grade’, an assumption assumed because of one view of history.
The late 1960’s inclusion of recorded oral histories of Aboriginals bought with it a new history which depicted the relationship between Aboriginal and non Aboriginals from the view point of the Aboriginals, a classic example of this is Mission Training (Mowaljarlai, D. & Malnic, J.) and ‘A Lousy Six-pence’ (Nugent. 1968. P. 38) This acceptance of the oral stories, motivated Aboriginal people to become involved in decisions concerning Aboriginal people, especially in areas of education and history.
"The history and achievement of Aboriginal people must occupy its rightful place in literature, textbooks and educational programmes offered in Australian schools and not portray the stereotypical view of ‘culturally deprived, lazy, dirty, drunken, modern day Aboriginal but embrace the environmental and cultural differences of all Australians.”(Mounsey. 1980. p.403)
Documentation from Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal sources supports the fact that Aboriginal people wanted their children to ‘acquire mastery of functional literacy and numeracy skills and develop self-sufficiency and gain an independence from domination and manipulation by non Aborigines". (Mounsey. 1980. p.404)
Australian History is a shared history and should be a collaborative project involving non-Indigenous forms of history and the Indigenous forms, whether oral, painting or dreaming stories. A consensus should be met in relation to time, place according to each cultures view of time and space .As Mounsey states on page 404, ‘The success of many Aborigines has come from the contributions they have made to Australian society in general rather than from their contributions to their own communities....and the demand to have a say in the determining of what will be taught to, and about Aborigines in Australian Schools’ shows Aborigines want the right to be included in Australia’s History as Australians. (Mounsey. 1980. p.404)
References:
Mounsey, C. F, (1980) Aboriginal Education-A New Dawning. In R. & C. Berndt. Aborigines of the West. Their Past and Present (pp394-404). University of WA Press: Perth.
(Mowaljarlai, D. & Malnic, J.) Mission Training. In Yorro Yorro Spirit of the Kimberley. Magabala Books. Magabala Books: Western Australia.
Nugent, M. (1968) Aboriginal History: Historical Encounters. Aboriginal History, volume 30, 33-47
In the context of Aboriginal history and education, the ‘Aboriginal eyewitness’ reinforces the ‘changing use and meanings of Aboriginal testimony about historical events, particularly as they are deployed, or indeed dismissed, in the new context of public memory and history’. (Nugent. 1968. p. 39). Colonist required Aboriginal knowledge to preserve their own past, only referring to the indigenous for where events happened but never what happened from their point of view, and continues to do so in the twentieth century, preferring to research ‘old ways’ through sorting through collections of pre-contact materials and not drawing on living Aboriginal people as sources of information. (Nugent. 1968. P. 43)
Aboriginal Education was overseen by a European appointed “Protector of Aborigines”. From 1905 onwards Aboriginal people had every aspect of their lives controlled by the protector. Government agencies and church groups decided that Aboriginal children needed to be educated, some would say assimilated to European ways. No involvement of Aboriginal people was sought about what to teach children or how to teach their children, but that they were to be ‘Christianised and civilised and taught ‘useful’ skills. (Mounsey. 1980. P. 30) This attitude is built on the European understanding of history, that ‘because of their limited mastery of English literacy and numeracy, Aboriginals were only educable only to fourth or fifth grade’, an assumption assumed because of one view of history.
The late 1960’s inclusion of recorded oral histories of Aboriginals bought with it a new history which depicted the relationship between Aboriginal and non Aboriginals from the view point of the Aboriginals, a classic example of this is Mission Training (Mowaljarlai, D. & Malnic, J.) and ‘A Lousy Six-pence’ (Nugent. 1968. P. 38) This acceptance of the oral stories, motivated Aboriginal people to become involved in decisions concerning Aboriginal people, especially in areas of education and history.
"The history and achievement of Aboriginal people must occupy its rightful place in literature, textbooks and educational programmes offered in Australian schools and not portray the stereotypical view of ‘culturally deprived, lazy, dirty, drunken, modern day Aboriginal but embrace the environmental and cultural differences of all Australians.”(Mounsey. 1980. p.403)
Documentation from Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal sources supports the fact that Aboriginal people wanted their children to ‘acquire mastery of functional literacy and numeracy skills and develop self-sufficiency and gain an independence from domination and manipulation by non Aborigines". (Mounsey. 1980. p.404)
Australian History is a shared history and should be a collaborative project involving non-Indigenous forms of history and the Indigenous forms, whether oral, painting or dreaming stories. A consensus should be met in relation to time, place according to each cultures view of time and space .As Mounsey states on page 404, ‘The success of many Aborigines has come from the contributions they have made to Australian society in general rather than from their contributions to their own communities....and the demand to have a say in the determining of what will be taught to, and about Aborigines in Australian Schools’ shows Aborigines want the right to be included in Australia’s History as Australians. (Mounsey. 1980. p.404)
References:
Mounsey, C. F, (1980) Aboriginal Education-A New Dawning. In R. & C. Berndt. Aborigines of the West. Their Past and Present (pp394-404). University of WA Press: Perth.
(Mowaljarlai, D. & Malnic, J.) Mission Training. In Yorro Yorro Spirit of the Kimberley. Magabala Books. Magabala Books: Western Australia.
Nugent, M. (1968) Aboriginal History: Historical Encounters. Aboriginal History, volume 30, 33-47
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