What Are The Arguments Against Settler Colonialism

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The British failure to recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as sovereign nations brought extensive and brutal violence known as ‘the killing times’. This essay will argue that the refusal to acknowledge indigenous sovereignty led to systematic massacres, forced removals, and the disruption of indigenous culture and society. This historical violence is best evidenced through policies designed to marginalise and disadvantage Indigenous communities. By exploring the historical context of British colonisation, Australian law and indigenous communities, this essay will shed light on this tragic period. Australia was colonised by the British in 1788, which sparked a dark chapter in their history. Settler colonialism is a kind of …show more content…

Upon arrival the British invoked the doctrine of terra nullius which translated to “land belonging to no one” (Fitzmaurice, 2007: 2). The doctrine stated that land could be legally claimed if it was not occupied by any sovereign state recognised by European powers (Fitzmaurice, 2007: 2). Reynolds (1992) suggested that the legal deception of terra nullius gave the British an incentive to occupy and exploit the territory without treaties or negotiations with its indigenous inhabitants (Reynolds, 1992). Ultimately, terra nullius was implemented legally to overlook and ignore the presence of indigenous societies with their own customs, laws, and connection to the land in Australia (Reynolds, 2019). This is supported by Broome (2019) who stated, “as indigenous communities did not conform to European agriculture, architecture, and governance, they were not viewed as sovereign nations” (Broome, 2019: 22). It is evident that Terra Nullius was driven by different societal beliefs and values, which led to widespread displacement and …show more content…

This pattern of violence faced by indigenous communities came to be known as the killing times. The killing times were distinguished by widespread and systematic violence against Indigenous Australians. It was a series of frontier wars where indigenous Australians were defending their land against colonial invasion. According to Broome (2019), these initial confrontations were not isolated, but rather part of a larger strategy by colonial authorities to kill and capture indigenous peoples and gain land for their own benefit (Broome, 2019: 22). The violence included brutal massacres, forced removals and the destruction of food sources in an attempt to displace indigenous communities. For example, one of the most famous massacres occurred at Myall Creek in 1838 (Lydon & Ryan, 2019: 4). According to Lydon & Ryan (2019) a group of British settlers brutally killed at least 28 unarmed aboriginal men, women, and children (Lydon & Ryan, 2019: 5). While the Myall Creek massacre was horrific, it was only one of many violent clashes across Australia. The historical violence faced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples during the

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