I’ve been thinking a bit about the infantilisation of Indigenous ppl’s that has been going on for some 200+yrs... the basis of this is that Indigenous ppl are ‘primitive’ and therefore ‘childlike’.
A few examples of how this has played out: Indigenous ppl are incapable of managing their affairs eg legislation making Aboriginal ppl ‘wards of the state’, or Howard abolishing ATSIC and referring to it as the ‘failed attempt of Aboriginal self-determination’
Much of Australia’s history can be looked at in this light, from education and employment policies and practices, to controlling every aspect of ppl’s lives on missions and reserves, through to the Stolen Generations, even the over-incarceration of Indigenous ppl.
Yet, when we think of this idea of infantilising a culture that has thrived for tens of thousands of years we reveal a few home truths. That is, that the ‘advanced’ ‘adult’ culture is far more easily compared to an infant: egocentric, doesn’t play well with others, lacks empathy,
Lacks both foresight and hindsight, prone to temper tantrums, doesn’t understand or accept responsibility, and so on...
so the image of a wise adult Western culture patiently trying to protect and educate a primitive childlike Indigenous culture is actually more like a spoiled child throwing a temper tantrum to avoid responsibility to an adult who is patiently waiting for the child to grow tf up.
I hope 200yrs is long enough for Australia to realise it is the child in this relationship, then sit down, listen and learn...
