Professor Mary Kalantzis from RMIT University presents a paper exposing the black holes that still exist in Australia's history.

Professor Mary Kalantzis Dean of the Faculty of Education, Language and Community Services RMIT University, Australia

"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."

"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."

Here are some excerpts from The Today Show:

"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."

"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. 

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."

"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.

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."

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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"Rhythms of Awakening; Re-membering the Her-story and Mythology of Women in Medicine".

Dr Bridgman's thesis is based on the stories of lived experience of two groups of women, the first was a group of women healers working in many areas of medicine, and the second, a group of academic women. Their stories have been woven into his-storical, mythological and theoretical context. This research weaves a rich tapestry - re-membering the women who were healers in the past and re-connecting with women healers today - their stories and their myths. It is a healing and research journey for re-balancing of our feminine:masculine principles in medicine and in life.

The thesis critiques both science and scientific medicine, while offering more holistic alternatives as part of the this process. Multi-method, using feminist research, cooperative inquiry and narrative approaches are used throughout the thesis. In all, the research thesis is embedded in both a socialist feminist framework and that of depth psychology/mythology. It is based on feminist research methods and cooperative inquiry methodology and uses narrative for the recounting of the experience. It is also a heuristic inquiry that offers constructive critique using reflexive learning and explores the richness of difference in philosophies of healing and the experience of transformation.

It is a social, economical and political thesis for change for medicine today and for the future.

Some references:

a) Eisler, Riane (1987)  The Chalice and The Blade - Our History and our Future - London, Unwin Hyman.
b) Baring, Ann & Cashford, Jules (1993)  The Myth of the Goddess - Evolution of an Image - London, Arkana
c) Gimbutas, Marija (1989)  The Language of the Goddess - New York, Harper Collins (for some of the archeological evidence - she has written several books on her findings).
d) Graves, Robert (1961)  The White Goddess - London, Faber & Faber (on old classic and possibly one of the first books acknowledging the ancient goddess).
e) Nicholson, Shirley (ed) (1989)  The Goddess Reawakening - The Feminine Principle Today - Illinois, Quest Books.

If you are into videos on the ancient goddess cosmologies - you can't go past the National Film Board of Canada - 'The Goddess Remembered' It is one a series of 3 videos that tell some of the ancient stories of women and the goddess cultures, and how these were destroyed with the rise of the patriarchal cultures. Worth a look. We need to re-member and re-claim these women and this female cosmology or we will always have a one-sided, patriarchal culture.