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How did assimilation policies suppress Aboriginal culture and autonomy, and how
are 21st-century Aboriginal people striving to reverse the impacts of assimilation?
Education is and has always been a powerful tool in developing societal
opinions and values. In the mid-20th century Aboriginal children who had been slowly
assimilated into state schools over the last century (Broome, 2010, p.178) had extremely
low school performance rates in comparison with their European counterparts. This
was due to multiple factors such as high rates of poverty and poor health. A large
influence however was their struggle adapting from Aboriginal to European ideals
represented in schools. There was no consideration given to this cultural difference
during these times as the public view and policies encouraged all to behave like
Europeans. They were taught in school that Europeans were the first Australians and
that Aboriginal people were savages (Broome, 2010, pp.184-185). These enforced
opinions by educational policies lead to self-hate and a growing belief by Aboriginal
children that they were worthless (Broome, 2010, p.187). On reserves they were seen
and treated as inferior and were therefore taught inadequately (Broome, 2010, p.178).
Most Aboriginal people on reserves were educated only to be able to work in lowskilled jobs such as domestic service (Broome, 2010, p. 174). Without a proper
education, the Aboriginal population had little hope of becoming self-supporting,
independent and free from poverty. In todays education system consideration is given
to the difference in culture and beliefs of Aboriginal people. Lillian Bowen is part of a
program in a Queensland school supporting the students to connect with their cultural
background through their ancestral language (Pearson, 2013, para.2). Having this
inclusion of a cultural domain teaches students of their identity, rather than quashing it
like in previous centuries, and the schools recognise the difference between these
lessons and mainstream academia (Pearson, 2013, para.7). Aboriginal students are now
given an equal education which gives them the skills, knowledge and opportunity to
further their education and therefore employment opportunities (Pearson, 2013, para.6).
It wasnt just within the education system that policies were enforced to rid
Aboriginals of their identity, but also in the wider community. To assimilate, which was
the aim of the governments at the time, the Aboriginal people were told to behave and
live like European people, following their rules and customs and disregarding their own.

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This stripped the Aboriginal people of their pride and identity and coerced them into
feeling or even wanting to behave and live like Europeans in order to become
worthwhile (Broome, 2010, pp.187-188). Nowadays however, it is recognised that to
belong to particular culture does not mean you cannot belong to another culture as well.
Aboriginal culture is changing and growing with the Australian society and so people
can be proud to be Aboriginal as well as to be a mixture of other cultural heritages
(Pearson, 2013, para.4). Celebrating their cultural traditions through language and
dance allows them to regain this pride in their identity. A group on the coast of NSW
has developed dancing lessons to teach Aboriginal people the traditional dances of their
ancestors. Dennis Walker Jr, the founder of the group says that it helps them connect
with their culture and is a start to repairing the damage caused by earlier centuries
(Margaret Burin, 2013). Through dance, language and other forms of education and
learning the young Aboriginal people of Australia are given back whats rightfully
theirs, their identity (Margaret Burin, 2013).

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References
Broome, R. (2013). Aboriginal Australians: A History Since 1788 (4th ed.). Crows
Nest, NSW: Allen & Unwin.
Burin, M. (2013). Aboriginal dance big step in learning culture [Video file]. Retrieved
from http://www.abc.net.au/local/videos/2013/06/24/3788118.htm
Pearson, N. (2013, July, 13). Indigenous pupils relish lessons in heritage. The
Australian, p.16.