ThinkRankDisplacing Indigenous Peoples
Overview
This chapter examines the history of settler colonialism in North America and Australia. It tells the story of how European expansion led to the displacement, land loss, and cultural suppression of native populations.
Learning Objectives
- Explain the motives for European settlement in America and Australia
- Analyze the concept of 'Terra Nullius' and its impact
- Discuss the methods of displacement used against indigenous peoples
- Recognize the ongoing struggle for indigenous rights and land restitution
Key Concepts
The Frontier and Expansion
European settlers moved inland in search of gold, farm land, and minerals. This 'frontier' was pushed westward in North America and across the Australian outback, often at the cost of native lives.
Legal Justifications for Land Seizure
Europeans often ignored native land rights, using doctrines like 'Terra Nullius' (Land belonging to no one) in Australia or broken treaties in the United States.
Cultural Imperialism
Governments established boarding schools and laws designed to 'civilize' and assimilate indigenous children, forcing them to abandon their languages and traditions.
The Native Response
Indigenous communities resisted through warfare, petitions, and legal battles. Today, they continue to fight for historical acknowledgment and the return of ancestral lands.
Key Terms
Examples
The Trail of Tears
The forced relocation of the Cherokee and other Native American tribes in the 1830s, resulting in thousands of deaths due to exposure and disease.
Mabo v Queensland
A landmark 1992 Australian court case that finally overturned the doctrine of 'Terra Nullius' and recognized native title to land.
Quick Check
- What does 'Terra Nullius' mean?
- How were native children in North America often assimilated?
- What was a primary driver of westward expansion in the USA?