Backbencher

The summation of the first of the three part Lecture 1 discussion consisted primarily of the origins of the natives of the Aborigines and Maori. Unlike the United States, groups of individuals are not characterized by their ethnic backgrounds, however, by their arrival timeframe. For example, the Aborigines are defined as being the first settlers; the true natives! The Maori are characterized by their arrival after the Aborigines but before the European settlers, who would later be called the Pakeha. Part 2 and 3 discussed the environmental interactions by the Aborigines, Maori, and Pakeha, as well as peaceful and war relations amongst natives and settlers. Environmental actions included actions such as Firestick Farming intended to cleanse the land and the Pastoral Frontier by European cattleman. Race relations in Australia became very sensitive after the European settlers decided that children of stockmen and their Aboriginal wives should be denied access to their native culture and raised, what they considered properly…against their mothers culture; even if that meant kidnapping and adopting them out to strangers! However in 1967, the referendum allowed the government to have claims brought against them for times when the government was not acting in the natives best interest.

Throughout the lecture 1 material, I found the animal interactions to be the most interesting. Having studied last semester on the reasons why animals can achieve such great sizes without the pressure of larger or in the case of humans, more dangerous predators, I am sad to know that if caution was used originally by the natives and settlers, in all parts of the world, that a vast number of wondrous species would still be alive and be prosperous in one way or another.