Why are aborigines the ultimate outsiders in 21st century Australia?

And why are they the perennial

objects of Australian government attention?
Soon after 1788 the indigenous people's of Australia became a strange minority in their own land.
Although in retrospect it is understandable to see why the more than contemptible views on
indigenous peoples were held by the European settlers. It can be puzzling to understand why,
despite abolition of these views from policy and the general culture of white Australia, a concerning
disparity still remains between white and indigenous Australians and is strongly embedded right
here and now in the 21st century. To understand why indigenous people were and still are on the
fringe of Australian culture, both indigenous and white Australian culture needs to be understood.
Although completely different the two cultures are when they first encounter each other, they go on
to develop with heavy sentiment to the former rather than latter.
The indigenous culture of Australia is one of the oldest in the world, records span 40,000 years. The
continent now known as Australia rests at what can be figuratively said to be the bottom of the
world. It is a harsh but beautiful place filled with a bustling array of flora and fauna. The indigenous
people managed to flourish on this vast and relentless island. The land being harsh and unforgiving
shaped them to be masters at utilising the land, they could make use of as many aspects of it as
possible while maintaining the lands health thus having an abundance of resources. It was a
nomadic lifestyle where the land held sway over the lives of people in every sense. This in turn
crafted the spirituality and culture of the indigenous people. A common theme found through out is
the respect owed to the land through mediums such as painting, dance, music and spirituality. The
view is held that one does not own the land but that they belong to it, the land has possession over
all things in a sense. A culture built by a land that holds sway over all things.
White Australian culture began in 1788 when captain cook from England landed by boat in Sydney
harbour. The only difference lies in name, Australian culture for some time was the aspiring little
brother of England. Australia being one of the last places to be settled and explored by Europeans
would be subject to the already well established ethnocentrism that blatantly dwell within colonial
and the broader white culture of the time. Europe is a place of lush fields that are rich with fruits
and vegetables., thick forests that provide a variety of materials for building and crafting and
animals that are able to be domesticated for the use of their fur, produce, meat, hide or just to have
as a pet or aid. Although this sounds ideal, Europe does reach freezing temperatures. The
availability of resources and their malleability coupled with the cold conditions. A culture and
people were born that had to take control of their environment in order to survive. This in turn
invested their value in possession and the might of people alone. This led to polytheistic religions
like that of the ancient Greeks and Norse where God's and Goddesss were that of human
appearance but exhibited great power in one way or another. This was later replaced by monotheism
predominately in the form of Christianity. Although an already technologically competent place, it
was what would come later on that would further push the idea of superiority in technology and
owner ship. In the 1700's and 1800's the industrial revolution took place. This was a significant
event for the development and growth of both technology and capitalism. So it can be said that the
European judgement of a culture, society and individual was heavily dependent on
material/technological possession, conquest and triumph.
Cultures such as the indigenous of Australia developed in a land that wasnt so manipulative. The
land had much more direct dictation on peoples lives as it simply did not have the right qualities to
be tamed by the hand of people. Where as European culture developed in the complete opposite, a
land that could be tamed. So this led to the difference in availability to material possessions which
influenced ideas of owner ship and value. Value being in the same vain as judgement, it can now be
seen why initially the British viewed the Indigenous in an ethnocentric way. But now the point of
both cultures holding sentiment to the former rather than the latter.

A long history of difference and feud has existed between white and black Australia. In the grand
scheme of things 227 years is not that long, the industrial capitalist mind set and practice
established in England and brought to Australia is going stronger than ever before. On the other
hand the indigenous for the past 227 years have felt like prisoners that are treated as sub human in
their own land that is meant to be a place of opportunity and fair go. Part of the reason for this is
because of the governments continual intervention with indigenous communities and a policy that is
extremely paradoxical in its nature. Before 1967 Indigenous Australians werent even counted as
people in the census, they were categorised under flora and fauna. Pre 1967 was the time of the
stolen generation. A government initiative that took indigenous children from their homes and
placed them in white families. This was done under what were racist ideals that held the indigenous
people in general were primitive and outdated, by moving indigenous children into white families
their race would eventually be bred out, a welcomed loss. But after the referendum of 1967 when
indigenous were acknowledged many other things followed such as acknowledgement of
indigenous land rights and acceptance of their culture. So why today in the 21st century are
indigenous peoples still the ultimate outsider of contemporary Australian culture?
Australia is now based on the ideals of multiculturalism and diversity. This ideal seems to work for
most migrant groups that come here, they are able to find work, have families, have housing,
education and practice their culture freely. Although this is quite a generalisation and is debatable it
is for the most part true. In some suburbs of our cities we see streets dedicated to Asian, Arab and
various European cultures, shops and restaurants that cater to produce and goods that are unique to
these cultures. Why arent there streets dedicated to that of indigenous culture? The answer quite
simply is because their culture doesnt call for it. As it was pointed out earlier indigenous people are
subjects to their land, they depend on it and are influenced by it, unable to hold sway over the land
as it is just untameable. They have no economy, no concept of supply and demand, completely
different ideas of value and ownership. Government policy is built on the idea of multiculturalism,
people being able to practice their culture while being free from discrimination or prostitution. So in
turn the indigenous must be able to practice their culture, which they do but are still treated as
outsiders. The reason being is cultural incapability.
White Australia being much younger than black Australia has become the dominant group on the
island. Their control was originally established by technology that has better capacity to kill and
install fear into others and later, a continuous growth in numbers that surpassed that of the
indigenous inhabitants. Combined with racist views and attitudes this was an unfortunate mix for
the indigenous peoples who would become the victims of the colonial ideal of conquest. But no
matter how much progressive social policy is adopted, Aboriginals still remain hugely
disadvantaged and forgotten. The reason being is although they are allowed and encouraged to
practice their culture, they are also expected to be apart of the hyper capitalist/consumerist and neo
liberal system that is contemporary Australia in the 21st century. Australian indigenous culture is
literally the complete polar opposite of a hyper capitalist/consumerist neo liberal society.
In the past government policy and attention in regard to indigenous peoples was brewed out of a
cauldron of archaic close minded racist ideals. It was an effort to erase their culture and indoctrinate
them into White Australia. But in the twenty first century, things like the Northern Territory
intervention and Lake Tyres feel reminiscent of the stolen generation. But these acts were
committed under the notion that the children on indigenous land werent being taken care of and
suffered under ill conditions. But on their land they are practising their culture, wouldnt it be
wrong by the policy of multiculturalism to deny them that right? Of course but the government will
act on the idea that they are just protecting the children, when really they are trying to enforce and
strengthen their culture. Culture in western cultures for the most part has been lost to consumerism.
Australia being a consumerist country judges a person on their ability to acquire money and spend
money. Indigenous culture has no need to acquire money and spend money as the culture holds

completely different senses of value. The reason the government still dabbles in the affairs of
indigenous people is because they arent good consumers. A person who doesnt contribute to the
economy can be said to be redundant as money is how we judge a countries worth in this day and
age. Indigenous culture not being affiliated historically and presently with any economic system or
consumerist ideas is in fact a redundant culture in 21st century Australia. Due to the historic guilt
installed in White Australia much material and monetary aid has been given to indigenous
communities, but this aid is unsuitable in a sense. It tries to bring them up to speed with White
Australian culture rather than giving back everything that was stolen from Indigenous Australia.
Indigenous People in Australia remain the ultimate outsiders of Australian culture due to the two
being completely different in every sense. Pre 1967 it was because White Australians had the ability
to oppress them through force of superior weapons backed by racial dogma. Now in the 21st century,
it is because their culture as it is and always has been makes them redundant to the capitalist goals,
aims and ideals of modern Australia. These are the reasons why Indigenous people of Australia have
been the ultimate outsiders culturally and subjects of government intervention and attention since
1788. The solution to this though remains complex and unknown. Perhaps there will never be a
solution as both sides are too stubborn due to historical happenings and the cultures themselves
remain invested in completely different things.