Access and Equity for Indigenous Australians

Historical developments Occupation Dispersal Protection Segregation and Assimilation Integration Self determination

Occupation 1788 British arrived with their law Aboriginal law denied and declared non existent Terra Nullius (land belonging to no one) Not allowed to testify(later must be corroborated) No protection from the white law

Dispersal 1800’s seen as a nuisance by settlers Policy of dispersal used Essentially murder I.e. Tasmania Recognised as savages under Darwinian ideas.

“Protection” Not sure what to do with the indigenous population Refer to cartoon for different ideas.What do they suggest? Made into indentured slaves Owned by whites like cattle, as a source of labour Could not leave ‘owners’

Segregation/Assimilation Tried to both at the same time Turn blacks into ‘white people with black skin’ I.e. language, dress, religion, values, attitudes, social structures, law and politics How? By putting them on reserves.

Segregation/Assimilation Made legal in Wa with Aborigines Act (1905) Full blooded people were sent to reserves to live like whites. People were put into the hands of the state. Mixed blood were sent to white foster parents in the hope they would become white. Belief was that indigenous Australians would die out and mixed blood would be breed out. I.e. Stolen generations

Integration Early 1970’s- beginning to allow own culture to remain but operate in white Anglo-Saxon world Funding was increased

Self-Determination What improvements or moves towards self determination have occurred in recent times?

Issues for Indigenous Australians Complete a concept map on the disadvantages Indigenous Australians face with regards to access and equity in the legal system.