Ontological Reconciliation: A Dialectical Approach to Generating Unity in Difference Brian Spittles BA in Community Development Honours Thesis 2006 DECLARATION The material contained in this thesis is my own account of research carried out by myself during the Honours year. Signed: This thesis is presented as part of the requirement for the Degree of Bachelor of Arts in Community Development with Honours at Murdoch University. Date:
COPYRIGHT ACKNOWLEDGEMENT I acknowledge that a copy of this thesis will be held at the Murdoch University Library. I understand that, under the provisions s51.2 of the Copyright Act 1968, all or part of this thesis may be copied without infringement of copyright where such a reproduction is for the purposes of study and research. This statement does not signal any transfer of copyright away from the author. Signed:... Full Name of Degree: Bachelor of Arts in Community Development with Honours Thesis Title: Ontological Reconciliation: A Dialectical Approach to Generating Unity in Difference Author: Brian Spittles Year: 2006 1
ABSTRACT The formal process of reconciliation between Indigenous and non-indigenous Australians is fraught with tensions, ambiguities and mutual misunderstandings. Overall, this paper argues that these problems are primarily due to Indigenous and non-indigenous people having divergent views concerning the ultimate aim of reconciliation; with the former generally promoting Indigenous autonomy and the latter generally expecting Indigenous assimilation. Also, the non-indigenous notion of white superiority is identified as the foremost cause in thwarting both the reconciliation process, and the ability for Indigenous people to have their reconciliatory needs acknowledged and met. Drawing on Hegelian philosophy, the idea of fostering a dialectical or ontological approach to reconciliation is proposed as a counter-measure to these problems. The theory of ontological reconciliation is expounded upon in context of three interrelated motifs unity in difference, knowing the self, and knowing the Other and each is also juxtaposed against key problems inherent to the white dominated formal reconciliation process. Practical examples of what ontological reconciliation looks like are provided, first by comparing the notion with Langton s three categories of intersubjectivity, and then by examining three cross-cultural projects in Australia. The demonstrated effectiveness of these projects in reconciling differences between Indigenous and non-indigenous worldviews, and in contending with serious problems in Indigenous communities, supports the proposal of adopting an ontological approach to reconciliation on a national scale. Finally, in the spirit of ontological reconciliation, this paper also proposes that the teaching of English and an Indigenous language be introduced into the curriculum of all schools for all students, as a nation-wide strategy for bridging the gap of miscommunication and misunderstanding that prevails between Indigenous and non-indigenous worldviews. 2
CONTENTS Copyright Acknowledgement 1 Abstract 2 Acknowledgements 4 CHAPTER ONE Australia s Formal Reconciliation Process: Overview And Critique The Reconciliation Process: A Potted History 5 Reconciliation: Conundrums of Definition and Perception 9 Reconciliation as Assimilation: The Prevailing Non-Indigenous View 10 Reconciliation as Autonomy: The Prevailing Indigenous View 14 Never the Twain Shall Meet 18 CHAPTER TWO Ontological Reconciliation: A Dialectical Approach Creating Common Ground: The Reconciliation and Dialectic Nexus 24 Ontological Reconciliation: Unity in Difference 28 Ontological Reconciliation: Knowing the Self 33 Reconciling the Manichean Allegory 36 Ontological Reconciliation: Knowing the Other 38 Fostering the Meeting of the Twain 42 CHAPTER 3 Ontological Reconciliation: What Does It Look Like? Ontological Reconciliation: A Domain of Intersubjectivity 45 Case 1: The Ngaanyatjarra Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Women s Council Case 2: Petrol-Sniffing and Yolgnu Youth 52 Case 3: Versöhnung: Reconciliation as Transformation 57 Learning Indigenous Languages: A Way Forward 62 48 Conclusion 72 Appendix Glossary of Acronyms 74 Table 1 List of Australian schools teaching Indigenous language and culture classes. 75 References 76 3
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS First, I want to acknowledge the original owners of this land, the Nyungar people, for this thesis is fuelled by the understanding that nidja Nyungar boodjar (this is Nyungar country). Secondly, much thanks to my supervisor Dr. Dave Palmer whose friendly and sage advice enabled me to iron out the conceptual wrinkles and fill in the conceptual gaps that the preliminary drafts of this paper invariably contained. Also, much appreciation to my partner Bronwyn who endured many months of listening to me talk about ontological reconciliation, and to family and friends in general for their ongoing encouragement and support. Finally, I give myself a pat on the back for the perseverance it took to complete this. 4