Indigenous Australians didn’t cultivate the land like Europeans did so because they didn’t mark the land for clear evidence Europeans considered them wanderers and claimed traditional Aboriginal land as their own. Their land was considered to be invaded. They began clearing and fencing land denying access for Aborigines and because of this, Aborigines began to resent the new settlers. Europeans considered Aboriginal ways as uncivilized societies and treated them as inferiors.
Governor Macquarie attempted to uphold good relations with the Aboriginal community and his misleadingly attempted to ‘civilise’ them. Europeans tried to teach Indigenous Australians to be like them but that wasn’t how Aborigines lived and this created more conflict between them. This resentment led to multiple massacres between the Indigenous and White Australians. Over 20 000 Aboriginals were killed as oppose to 2 000 Europeans that were killed. The Stolen Generation This refers to the removing of Aboriginal children from their parents and families by White Australians between the 1890s to 1970s. Knowledge, language, traditions and spirituality could only stay rich if passed down to younger generations. Taking Aboriginal children were the Europeans attempt to break this cycle and end the Aboriginal race. They were taken and placed into fosters homes or missions where they attend school to learn and hold the same beliefs as Europeans. They believed that Aboriginals would be bred out if Aborigines had children with white people. White Australians thought Aboriginals could die out and this was their attempt to make this happen. This was known as the assimilation policy. Aboriginal People suffered great despair and confrontations during this time period and the effect of immensely impacting on the community. |