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Social Justice & Human Rights Issues:
A Comparative Investigation

Economic Independence

Investigation Two
Jan Ryan (Teacher - Tweed River High School)

OUTCOMES
H1.1 explain different viewpoints of invasion and colonisation and evaluates the impact of these viewpoints on Aboriginal peoples
H1.2 analyses and discusses the social justice and human rights issues that are contemporary consequences of the colonisation of Aboriginal peoples
H1.3 assesses the representation of Aboriginal peoples and cultures for bias and stereotyping
H2.1 analyses the importance of land as an aspect of contemporary issues impacting on Aboriginal peoples
H2.2 examines contemporary expressions of Aboriginal culture, heritage and identity
H2.3 discusses and analyses consequences of colonisation on contemporary Aboriginal cultural, political, social and economic life
H3.1 assesses the effectiveness of government policies, legislation and judicial processes in addressing racism and discrimination
H3.2 evaluates the impact of key government policies, legislation and judicial processes on the socioeconomic status of Aboriginal peoples and communities
H3.3 compares and evaluates current initiatives that reassert the social, economic and political independence of Aboriginal and Indigenous peoples

Pre-colonisation economic systems

Students need to learn about the ways in which Indigenous peoples incorporated economic systems into the environment, pre-colonisation.

This enables students to appreciate the self-sufficiency of Indigenous peoples and gain knowledge of the full impact colonisation had on the Indigenous population.

For each of the three case studies students should examine the basis of economic life and the interaction with the environment. Areas to be examined could include provision of food, clothing, shelter and the technology required for these; trade; and the management of environmental resources. Specific examples are required.

A. Land management practices

Firestick farming
Used by Indigenous people for the same reason that farmers use plough and fertilise the soil. After a deliberately lit fire the ashes fertilised the soil, encouraging sweet new grass, which attracted game for hunting. The purposeful use of fire appears to be common throughout Australia as it was in North America. It is widely acknowledged among ecologists that fire is an integral component in Australian ecosystems and that its wise use is critical to national land management and to the protection of the environment. There has been consultation between the Australian National Parks and Wildlife Service and the traditional owners of Kakadu Park on the adoption of traditional fire practices.

Seasonal movement
An important part of land management for some Indigenous people, as it enabled them to take advantage of the resources that became abundant within their tribal boundaries at different times of the year This ensured local resources were not over used and trade became possible with neighbouring tribes. Examples are:

(i) (Australia)
The Minjungbal people had a monopoly on red ochre and Nautilus shells (which were made into necklets). These items could be traded within the Tweed Valley or as far away as the Bunya Bunya Mountains in SE Queensland. Here the tree nuts were so prolific that tribes from several hundred kilometres away were prepared to trek to the area when the nuts were ripe (approximately every three years) to trade for part of the bounty.

(ii) (International)
The Lakota moved camp according to the seasons and also to follow the movement of the buffalo herds that were an integral part of their culture and life.

B. Water management

Fish traps
One way Aboriginal people managed their fish resources and improved productivity was to build fish traps. These were used in many parts of the continent. Along the coastal areas tidal fish traps were built. At high tide fish would swim into enclosures and were trapped as the water level fell. On some rivers, stone or wicker pens were used so that fish could be efficiently harvested. It was human intelligence and the use of technology that enabled Indigenous people throughout Australia to use their given resources to provide for them the food, shelter and clothing that they needed, without destroying their environment or depleting their raw materials.

C. Kinship and cultural education

There was widespread sharing of resources with kin, distribution via exchange networks, communal accumulation for important religious ceremonies and the persistence of a strong anti-surplus ethos. The practice of elders passing down knowledge to each generation ensured the self-sufficiency and continuity of the Aboriginal economy.

Go to next section of Investigation two
Effects of colonisation and dispossession