Professor Mary
Kalantzis from RMIT University presents a paper exposing the black
holes
that still exist in Australia's history.
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Professor Mary Kalantzis
Dean of the Faculty of Education,
Language and Community Services
RMIT University, Australia
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"At that
moment
(1901) we said we were going to be a fair and equal society and
egalitarianism was at the core of it - but it was only for some people
not for others - only for those who were going to be white and British."
Mary
Kalantzis talks about the history of the past one hundred years of
Australia, the history that isn't taught and consequently is hidden. It
compels to agree,we do not know our own history and the
profound difference that constitutes to the reality of today.
"We
are being self congratulatory but for the wrong reasons - I think there
are good reasons to name who we are... but we've missed the
opportunity."
Thursday
22/2/01 Mary Kalantzis spoke on the TODAY SHOW (Australia Sydney,
Channel Nine 7.00 AM) on her views of the bicentenary celebration
exposing the black holes that still exist in Australia's history.
Here
are some excerpts from The Today Show:
In response to a
question on comparison of ideology to Nazi Germany, Mary Kalantzis
replies:
"It's the same
modern ideology about people who could survive, people who were
superior, and people who were inferior. In 1901 we decided that
Aboriginal people weren't human, because we didn't count them as
humans,
and what we decided we needed to do after that is to segregate them in
similar kind of ways.
There
were one million aboriginal people perhaps more - by Federation there
was a hundred thousand - what do you call that. It was the destruction
of a people that was systematic, based on an idea at the time that they
weren't worthy."
1901 - The way it was:
"Alfred Deakin said, "We do not want any admixture of race -
the motivation for Federation was no admixture of race - one people one
nation one culture". That's what he said.
Mary asks, "Why don't we know our history - why don't we
know the truth of it? It is a good country. At that moment we said we
were going to be a fair and equal society and egalitarianism was at the
core of it - but it was only for some people not for others - only for
those who were going to be white and British. Why don't we face up to
that.
If
we did, we had recognize how far we've come, we'd recognize that today
we are a different people - we are a country that's multi-cultural - we
are a country that is trying to deal with indigenous business that's
unfinished.
If
we would recognized that it would be a terrific story... but we
didn't.
A
white-washed silence:
This year what we tried to do is white-washed the Federation
so there was a continuous link with the noble founding fathers and
we've
left unfinished business which has allowed the extremism to grow in
our country that has no compassion for aboriginal people - that has
no compassion for refugees - that doesn't understand what
immigrants have done, and in that silence we have created a
shameful
situation that doesn't represent who you or I or most of us.
We
are a different nation. Why didn't we face up to the fact that 2001 is
entirely different from 1901 and that we needed to renovate our
Constitution, renovate our soul, renovate the way we represent
ourselves."
On reflection:
"What we've done in the past fifty years is an extraordinary
story - we've done it together - aborigines, none aborigines,
immigrants
- women, women weren't even included in 1901. It's a terrific
story.
But 1901 is not the moment that will give us anything to be
proud of - it's what we've done since despite 1901.
And
I think this was the year we had to face up to that, and that was my
point. Germany recognizes that - the horrible history, they haven't
said
let's forget it - they said it's important to remember it, so we don't
repeat it.
A
blancmange:
But what we've done in our country is blancmange this year -
absolute blancmange, we've partied - we've had a white stuffed baby
floating over peoples heads down the streets of Sydney and we've been
self congratulatory - for the wrong reason, and I think there are good
reasons to name who we are, but we've missed the opportunity."
John
Zulaikha
Mary
Kalantzis was born in Valcouvina, Greece and arrived in Australia in
1953. Her work has been at the interface between community, industry
and
university. Prior to her arrival at RMIT University, Professor
Kalantzis
was Professor of Education at James Cook University of North Queensland
and Director of the Institute of Interdisciplinary Studies. Professor
Kalantzis’ extensive record of research and scholarship covers the
fields of school education, adult and vocational education and
training,
and multicultural studies. She is the author or co-author of six major
books, four of which have been published internationally, 20 research
reports and 37 refereed journal articles.
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