*thread*
"What percentage Aboriginal are they?"
"Are there still any 100% Aboriginal people in Australia?"
As a former settler in Australia these are genuine questions I've gotten from people around the world.
"What percentage Aboriginal are they?"
"Are there still any 100% Aboriginal people in Australia?"
As a former settler in Australia these are genuine questions I've gotten from people around the world.
"But they don't LOOK Aboriginal," people say. What's wrong with that?
...everything. Apart from nobody owing you an explanation about their identity (ever), here's why.
...everything. Apart from nobody owing you an explanation about their identity (ever), here's why.
Genocide, rape and forced separation were used to 'stamp out the Aboriginality' in people by colonisers in Australia. They were used as a weapon to erase culture and history.
Through horrific events like the Stolen Generation when Aboriginal children were forcibly removed from their families and communities, children were ripped away from their culture.
Many weren't given the chance to speak their language, or connect with their culture.
Many weren't given the chance to speak their language, or connect with their culture.
Many Indigenous people experienced violence under colonialism, which can lead to a pattern of intergenerational trauma. And when you've been separated from culture for so long, re-connecting doesn't come easy.
Mixed-race people exist everywhere in the world, often from positive relationships. We don't make people defend their Scottish heritage, so why question if someone's "really" Indigenous? #everydayracism
thanks @MattNT11 for pointing this out. Also:
thanks @MattNT11 for pointing this out. Also:
If an Aboriginal person "doesn't look Aboriginal" to you, that's exactly what colonisers wanted to happen. We have NO RIGHT to question someone's Indigeneity.
Next time you're wondering "what % Aboriginal" someone is or wondering why they don't "look" Indigenous, think about what we know about colonialism, genocide, sexual violence and relationships. And for the love of god, don't ask.
#alwayswasalwayswillbe #toostrongforyoukaren
#alwayswasalwayswillbe #toostrongforyoukaren
If you want to learn more from Indigenous perspectives in Australia (the colony), here are some rad Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander accounts I follow: @MattNT11 @NayukaGorrie @IndigenousX @LukeLPearson @schirriant @MerikiKO @nakkiahlui @missmirandatap @clairegcoleman
Actually there are way too many amazing ATSI accounts to name. Also @1KarenWyld @AnitaHeiss @toostrong4karen @Roxy_Moore_ @ScottTrindall @evelynaraluen @caseyconway_ @ruby_wharton @drcbond @AstroKirsten @mhibb87
