Self-determination

While the land rights campaign took off and the referendum was being held the assimilation and integration policies were slowly dying out. They had been shown not to work and in the new political and social climate of Australia in the early 1970s they were no longer seen as justifiable policies. Self-determination became the new 'buzz' word surrounding Aboriginal issues. The age of paternalism finally came to an end and a new attitude to Indigenous rights was adopted by successive federal governments with the introduction of self-determination. See image 1

Self-determination meant that aborigines would now have more say in their affairs and more input into the laws and policies that affected their community. They would also have more freedom to live their lives how they wanted to. The assimilation policy of taking children away from Aboriginal parents was also officially ended. Self-determination was a major step towards Aboriginal people having the same rights and freedoms as those enjoyed by white Australians.

There are two main reasons why self-determination became the fore front of government policy. The new Federal Labor government under E.G. (Gough) Whitlam was instituting a major period of change in Australia and the major influx of refugees from South East Asia in the early part of the 1970s meant that assimilation as a policy was no longer feasible.

The Whitlam government recognised that a multicultural society was much more achievable and beneficial for Australia. As with the new migrants, the government now realised all groups and cultures should be treated equally. A white, homogenous (all the same) society was no longer as desirable as it had been after the Second World War. Instead of trying to destroy Aboriginal culture, the Federal government encouraged people to accept it. Schools began teaching Aboriginal culture and history to both Indigenous and white children.  See image 2

In the 1970s the land rights issue continued, but now the Commonwealth government was seriously looking into the issue of land ownership. The effect of mining and other commercial projects on traditional Aboriginal land was also investigated. Although the Commonwealth government did not encourage the states to investigate the land rights issue, it did put a stop on mining companies applying for mining permits on Aboriginal reserve land that it owned.