An Indigenous academic has warned about the impact of overemphasising the “assumed trauma” brought about by colonisation when addressing Aboriginal issues at school, saying it will promote “a sense of victimhood” among Indigenous students.
The comment comes about a week before the Victorian government implements its new school program which will require educational settings across the state to acknowledge Indigenous culture and adopt measures to “eliminate racism.”
The standard, which commences on July 1, applies to all government and independent schools including those without no Indigenous students.
“However, Aboriginal communities have a long history of resilience and growth in the face of adversity and trauma. Schools should show respect for the deep resilience of Victorian Aboriginal communities.”
Anthony Dillon, a researcher at the Institute for Positive Psychology and Education at the Australian Catholic University, argued that the statement “is quite a stretch.”
“While there may have been trauma to some Aboriginal people at the time of colonisation, it is quite a stretch today to suggest that any trauma an Aboriginal person may be experiencing is the result of those events,” he told The Epoch Times.
Dillon noted that if the program “focuses on the assumed trauma caused by colonisation,” it is potentially promoting a “sense of victimhood amongst students with Aboriginal ancestry.”
Negative Approach Could Cause Victimhood
Responding to the government’s suggestion that the program will foster “culturally safe environments in which Aboriginal young people are respected and valued,” the Indigenous academic asked: “Are they not feeling respected and safe now?”“Do initiatives like this encourage children of Aboriginal ancestry to embrace all their ancestries or only one of them?”
