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In My Blood It Runs: Whose story of history?

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Indigenous boy stands outside and looks into distance
In My Blood It Runs: Whose story of history?

SUBJECTS:  English, History

YEARS:  9–10


People have different privileges and biases.

While we may be born into certain privileges, we may also develop biases as we age and through the people we spend time with.

The majority culture within a population has a certain privilege that comes from being part of the majority, and this often leads to "marginalisation" of the minority. To be marginalised is to be treated as if you are less important, or "outside the margins".

Why do you think there are different versions of history? How would you feel if your own history or culture was marginalised at school? What might be the impacts of this?


Things to think about

  1. 1.Why do you think First Nations histories have often been excluded, simplified or undervalued in colonial-history textbooks used in mainstream schools? Some people prefer to talk about "histories" and "truths" in the plural. Can there be more than one "history" of a place or people? Can there be more than one "truth" about historical events? Who decides which is the official history or truth of a place or people? Why is it important to critically engage with diverse perspectives – including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives – when truthfully and holistically learning about our nation's shared history?
  2. 2.The Australia Book by Eve Pownall was published in 1952. Whose history does it tell, and from whose perspective? The teacher says, "This isn't a story; this is history." How does this compare with Dujuan's comment: "The history that we're told at home is in language, and it's about the Aborigines"?
  3. 3.What have you been taught at school about the history of Australia? Have you learnt about Australian history in other contexts and perspectives? Is there anything you wish you learnt more about – or differently – regarding Australian history? In what ways might Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander understandings of the word "history" differ from Western conceptions of history? Can you think of other cultural, language or ethnic groups who might have a non-Western conception of history?
  4. 4.Pick one or more Australian-history books from your school or local library and think critically about the content and perspective of the book. Who wrote and published the book, and when? What stories are being told, how are they being told and by whom? Whose voices and perspectives are included or excluded? You can repeat this activity for other books in other subjects or learning areas.


Teachers

This resource is an excerpt from the In My Blood It Runs ATOM guide. You can download the full guide and find more information about the associated impact campaigns and additional education resources here.



Date of broadcast: 5 Jul 2020


Copyright

Metadata © Australian Broadcasting Corporation 2020 (except where otherwise indicated). Digital content © Australian Broadcasting Corporation (except where otherwise indicated). Video © Australian Broadcasting Corporation (except where otherwise indicated). All images copyright their respective owners. Text © Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

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