Indigenous Australian History (HIST2022)
Semester 1 / 2009

Texts

y separately published work icon Why Weren't We Told? : A Personal Search for the Truth about Our History Henry Reynolds , Ringwood : Viking , 1999 Z1184786 1999 single work non-fiction (taught in 7 units)

Why Weren't We Told? is a frank account of Henry Reynolds' personal journal towards the realisation that he, like generations of Australians, grew up with a distorted and idealised version of the past. From the author's unforgettable encounter in a North Queensland jail with injustice towards Aboriginal children, to his friendship with Eddie Mabo, to his shattering of the myths about our 'peaceful' history, this bestselling book will shock, move and intrigue. Why Weren't We Told? is crucial reading on the most important debate in Australia as we enter the twenty-first century.

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Description

A study of the history of Indigenous Australians since European contact. We consider the ways in which the conceptual tools for understanding this history have changed over time, in response both to a changing political climate and the increasing impact of Indigenous perspectives on historical writing. Topics to be covered include: first contact; processes of invasion, dispossession, and settlement; Indigenous workers and labour relations; the gendered and sexual dimensions of colonisation in the Australian context; changes to government policy; the motivations for and experience and consequences of the large-scale removal of children from their parents; the constitutional changes of 1967; the struggle for land rights; housing, health, and education and Indigenous achievements in the arts, sport and society generally. There will be special attention to the dialogue between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians through various cultural forms such as writing and the visual and performing arts, and through public protest and political action for Aboriginal rights.

Assessment

1000 word critical review (15%), 3000 word essay (45%), take-home exam (30%), and tutorial participation (10%).

Other Details

Levels: Undergraduate
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