IGNOU MEG 8 Solved Question Paper | June 2020

 

In Australian literature and culture, the question of whether Aborigines figure in the national consciousness has been deeply debated and explored by various writers, especially in the post-colonial context. Aboriginal people are the original inhabitants of Australia, with a history that goes back over 60,000 years. However, with the arrival of British colonists in the late 18th century, the identity, culture, and rights of Aboriginal people were systematically ignored or erased from mainstream Australian narratives.

 

For a long time, Australian national identity was shaped around the British colonial experience—white settlers, convicts, bushrangers, and the idea of the “Outback” as a symbol of rugged Australian spirit. Aboriginal people were either portrayed negatively or completely left out. Their stories, suffering, and culture were not considered part of the national narrative. This kind of erasure led to what many critics call a “cultural silence.”

 

However, since the late 20th century, there has been a growing recognition of Aboriginal people in the national consciousness. This shift is visible in literature, films, political discourse, and education. Writers like Oodgeroo Noonuccal (formerly Kath Walker), who was the first Aboriginal poet to publish a book of verse, played a very important role in this change. Her poetry reflects Aboriginal pride, identity, and resistance against colonization. In her poem We Are Going, she powerfully talks about the loss of land, culture, and spiritual connection due to white colonization. Lines like “The white tribe are the strangers now” challenge the idea that only the British built the nation and remind Australians of the long Aboriginal presence and their rightful place in the nation’s history.

 

Similarly, the novels of writers like Kim Scott, who is of Noongar descent, contribute to Aboriginal representation. In his novel Benang: From the Heart, Scott explores the effects of government policies like the forced removal of mixed-race Aboriginal children—policies that aimed at “breeding out” Aboriginal blood. These are now referred to as the Stolen Generations. Scott’s work forces readers to confront painful truths that had been ignored in the national imagination.

 

Moreover, government actions like the 2008 national apology by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd to the Stolen Generations are signs of change. Though symbolic, such gestures are part of a growing national recognition of Aboriginal pain and survival.

 

Even in modern media and art, Aboriginal voices are becoming louder. Filmmakers, musicians, and artists are using their platforms to tell Aboriginal stories and demand equality. The inclusion of Aboriginal flags, culture, and language in national events and school curricula also reflects this growing awareness.

 

Still, critics argue that more needs to be done. Recognition in art and literature is just one part. There are still issues of inequality, racism, and lack of representation in politics and mainstream society. Many Aboriginal communities continue to face disadvantages in health, education, and employment. So while there is now a growing space for Aboriginal people in the national consciousness, the journey toward true recognition and equality is still ongoing.