The effects of past colonialism are reflected in the poor housing conditions of many Aboriginal persons living on reserves today. “Internal colonialism is used to refer to a situation in which members of a racial or ethnic group are conquered or colonized and forcibly placed under the economic and political control of the dominant group” (Murry, 2014, p.286). The Europeans that invaded and conquered their land colonized Canada’s Aboriginal people. With this, they lost “property, political rights, aspects of their culture, and often their lives. The capitalist class acquired cheap labour and land through this government-sanctioned racial exploitation.
Aboriginal Canadians have, over the years, become victim to a tremendous amount of discrimination by the Canadian government. The Indian Act of 1867, which signifies one of the earliest forms of discrimination, took away a significant amount of power from the hands of Aboriginals. Aboriginals living within Canada have also suffered as a result of poor living conditions and extreme poverty. Although poverty is a national issue, it is especially prevent among the Aboriginal community. The White Paper of 1969, which attempted to assimilate Aboriginals into Canadian culture, is considered to be one of the most severe forms of discrimination directed towards this group.
Finally, the essay will give understanding of the life of Indigenous people. The British claimed possession of the Australian continent, and had power to dispossession of the Indigenous land. European settlement swept over Aboriginal land. The central argument that the Aboriginal land was taken from the British settlement, and Aboriginal seen to be as inherently incapable of become useful participants in the developing colonies: an archaic people destined to disappear before the racial and cultural superiority of the Europeans, and the Aboriginal labour was needed. (McGregor, 1997).
* Large amount of Aboriginal people were imprisoned, because they were often in conflict with the law. In addition, countless of their children were taken away and were positioned in the child welfare organization. * Potlatches or big gatherings, in 1884, were forbidden, since the government viewed them as unsafe and as opportunities for native peoples to manage their protests. Website: Racism against Native Americans * Throughout the imposing and self-governing periods, an extended sequence of Indian Wars was fought with the major goal of obtaining much of North America as land of the U.S. * During wars, slaughter, required displacement, the limit of food rights, and the imposition of treaties. The land was taken, several hardships forced.
Indigenous Australians, who also sometimes referred as Aboriginals, were the original inhabitants of the Australian continent and nearby island, who currently together make up about 2.7% of Australia's population (ABS 2007). Despite the diversity of Indigenous people around the globe, it is noted that they share common problems and issues in dealing with the prevailing society. It is generally concerned that the cultures of Indigenous peoples are being lost and that they suffer both discrimination and pressure to incorporate into their surrounding societies (Dixon 2002). The health and economic difficulties they face are substantial, especially the disproportionately high levels of unemployment and the concentration in the lowest paying jobs.
The Aboriginal Stolen Generation The Stolen Generation[->0] has had a traumatic effect on Aboriginal people, their identities and links with their Aboriginal culture. These tremendous effects are still continuing towards the Aboriginal society through the policies and practices that were in place at the time. The Stolen Generation[->1] destroyed numerous Aboriginals lives. The damage done to them has not been redeemed, after many
It may have been that many Australians were and still are chauvinistic, fearing those who are different. In Uyen Loewald’s sarcastic poem ‘Be Good Little Migrants’ she portrays her attitude at the discrimination of Australia’s harsh treatment to those ‘below’ them. In “growing up Asian in Australia” by Alice Pung we are met by a various collection of short migrant stories in Australia talking about their Australian Migrant experience. Scathing in its criticism of Australian attitudes to migrants “Be Good Little Migrants” is spoken from the patronising point of view of the Australian Superiority to refugees. The use of collective pronouns puts the poem in first
In reporting hostilities between the Indigenous and white settlers, referring to the natives as “pitiless barbarians” clearly shows reporter’s bias towards the settlers. Furthermore, by noting that “[the white settlers] requesting to know [the Aboriginals] motive for the barbarous assault, was answered by a flight of spears,” it depicts the settlers as non violent and civilized in juxtaposition towards the violent savage Aboriginals. Social problems like these are treated in such a way that they leave viewers with the impression that they are caused by something innate within Aboriginal people, rather than by colonial impositions. This systematic misrepresentation indeed influenced the dominant culture in Australia to view Indigenous peoples in a negative light, and was a major cause of the racism and discrimination experienced daily by Aboriginal people across the
It can destroy a person’s self esteem, community cohesion and even creates divisions in society. Racism has influenced wars, slavery, the formation of nations and legal codes. In addition, racism has been used as a powerful weapon encouraging fear and hatred of others in times of conflict and war. For this reason, during the Civil War, a huge presence of racism existed. One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest shows the different types of racism present during the Civil War.
When this kind of effect happens to a certain group or population, it could have harmful consequences towards their identity. It is because indigenous Australians economic status, sex, race and ethnicity area affected by the change and became the target for racist comments and ruined their “identity”, in fact, they did not have to face situations like this (racism) prior to the Assimilation Policy, putting them at a higher risk for developing mental problems, that greatly affect the total well being of an individual, tribe or culture (AIHIN 2013). Racism, one out of five Australians experience it everyday (All together now 2014). And it has brought varying effects to people in Australia, especially the Indigenous Australians. Racism has given them the wrong identity of being violent, unhealthy, sickly, poor and uneducated; it is just traumatic, when in fact all of these happened because of their exposure to racism (Creative Spirits 2013).