Cultural Genocide of the Aborigines
Essay title: Cultural Genocide of the Aborigines
“Cultural Genocide of the Aborigines”
In the 1800s, the aboriginal tribes of Austrailias population was estimated around 750,000. There were hundreds of languages, religions, and traditions, which vaired greatly among different tribes. In 1788, British colonization of Australia began in Sydney. The most immediate effect of the British settling in Australia was the spread of new diseases. The Aboriginal tribes had not been exposed to various types of diseases that the British brought with them, which included smallpox, measles, chickenpox, influenza, and veneral disease. The effects of these outbreaks were devastating to the tribes. The tribes were also forced off of their land, which led to a shortage of water and food. Combined with the disease already plaguing the Aboriginees, the loss of land and direct violence reduced the Aboriginal population by an estimated 90% between 1788 and 1900. In addition, birthrates were severely decreased because the spread of veneral diseases caused infertility.
Another impact of the british settlement was the loss of many cultural and religious practices. The British had the impression that they could move the Aborigines off of their land, and that they would be happy and able to thrive somewhere else. This was not true, and due to being uprooted from their traditional land; they could not maintain their religious and traditional practices. Tribes were dispursed and their cultures were mixed.