Book Snails Book Group discussion

On 27 May 1967 Australians voted to make two changes to the constitution to increase aboriginal rights. Previous to this the constitution ostensibly left Indigenous Australians segregated as second class citizens and invisible. The constitution read "The Parliament shall, subject to this Constitution, have power to make laws for the peace, order, and good government of the Commonwealth with respect to the people of any race, other than the aboriginal people in any State, for whom it is deemed necessary to make special laws," and "In reckoning the numbers of the people of the Commonwealth, or of a State or other part of the Commonwealth, aboriginal natives should not be counted."
Some of the special laws included the forced removal of Aboriginal children particularly those of mixed heritage. The government placed the children and babies into foster care where many suffered psychological, physical and sexual abuse. These children are known as the "Stolen Generation." It is estimated that as many as 100,000 children were abducted between 1910 and 1970. Not only did they lose their families but they also lost their culture, heritage and language which was the aim. It was abduction for assimilation purposes. To this day many of those removed still suffer from PTSD, depression, and alcohol and drug dependency.
Aboriginal Australians have higher infant mortality rates, lower age expectancy, higher drug and alcohol dependency rates, lower education levels, higher poverty rates, and though they only make up 3.3% of the population they make up 30% of the national prison population. In the Northern Territory they make up 80% of the prison population. Aboriginal children are not immune to disproportionate incarceration either, they make up 50% of the total population of children in youth detention centres. These statistics are shocking and saddening but there is hope that there will be change. Aboriginal Australians voices are on the rise advocating for equality and reconciliation.
Let's celebrate Aboriginal Australian and Torres Strait Islanders this May and let their voices tell us their stories.

Non-fiction


Memoir/Biography


History/Politics


Fiction


Historical Fiction


Romance


Sci-fi/Fantasy


Mystery/Thriller


YA


Short Story/Poetry


Children's

Truly shocking and heartbreaking! Similar to what happened in America, and also in Japan with its aboriginal people, the Ainu, which I’m researching for my next book. What IS it about white people and their cruelty toward POC?

Candace wrote: "Truly shocking and heartbreaking! Similar to what happened in America, and also in Japan with its aboriginal people, the Ainu, which I’m researching for my next book. What IS it about white people ..."

Money and power. It makes people do horrific things to each other. For colonial powers it was especially important to subjugate the indigenous population by all means available. White people have done it very well but as you know studying Japanese culture and history its a cruelty across color lines. The Japanese occupation/colonisation of both China and Korea was not pretty. And their policies and practices were based on superiority and inferiority of race and culture too.

Thanks. I’d forgotten about the Japanese in China and Korea and xenophobia in general.