| The racism
of omission refers to the leaving out of Aboriginal history from official
versions of Australian history. Many Australians, through their education
and socialization, have been presented with a version of Australian history
that has minimized or ignored events concerning Aboriginal people.
The historian,W.E.Stanner,
described the omission of Aboriginal people from Australian history as
"A
view from a window which has been carefully placed to exclude a whole
quadrant of the landscape. What well may have begun as a simple forgetting
of other possible views turned under habit and over time into something
like a cult of forgetfulnesss practised on a national scale."
Many resources
are biased or ethnocentric and much so-called knowledge about Aboriginal
Australia is, in reality, based on popular myths and stereotypes. The
racism of omission constitutes a subtle yet powerful barrier to social
equality in Australia. The inclusion of Aboriginal perspectives has the
potential to dispel the myths and ignorance that contribute to racist
attitudes and behaviour |
