On January 26th 1788, British colonizer arrived at place where now it's called "Sydney". The people known as, the First Australian had different physical appearance and cultures unlike British. Contacts betweem two different cultures formed a biased view, which developed into perspective of ethnnocentrism. British's over exaggerated ethnnocentrism perspective towards the aboriginal result in colonization, and harsh contacts.
First impression of the First Australian, wasn't surely what British have thought of, as the aboriginal was not reaching the standard of British. British believed that the First Australians lacked of every single manners and cultures. After the first contact between the aborignal, Phillip, the leader of British said we would be able to get the land, addressing the fact that British holds the power and the aborignals were 'native' and savage. The First Australians had 'uncilvilized' life according to British's standard of cultures, laws and manners. This idea generated from the British ethnnocentricity view, caused conflict as British wanted 'un-wanted' man to die out from their society. This ethnnocentricity view towards the First Australian, concluded that British have rights to colonize the land as British thought it was one of white man's burden that they had to carry.
These negative perspective of the First Australian, created by the ethnnocentrism of British, British believed that aborignal had to be educated, to act like the white man. Bennelong, the leader of the First Australian was "sent" to the Great Britian as British believed that the leader of aborignal must be changed before they manipulate the other natives from becoming like cilvilized man. However, the idea of manipulating and educating aborignal was unsucessful, as Bennelong became addicts to alcohol and was worsen. Bennelong becoming rum-addict created negative sterotype of natives, that all of aborignals are alchol-addict. And British wanted to weep off the 'rum-addict' natives from Australia, and forget about them forever.
The First Australian had their own cultures, but it was devasted by the fact that British's culture was unquestionable and right. Despting that the First Australian had their own cultures which they believed it was right, the British started to take over the native's land, because in British's ethnnocentricity perspective, British culture was much cilvized and natives culture savage. The aborignal, now had no lands to cultivate crops, they couldn't hold anymore ethnnocentrism of British. The First Australian, leaded by Pemulwuy burnt all the British's supplies and crops, using strategy that British have never thought of. This resulted conflicts between British and the aborignal, which more evolved into a war betwen them. The arrogant British emphasized the end of the war by slashing of Pemulwuy's head. However, in First Australian perspective, it was more like an insult than the end of war, as the natives couldn't have proper ritual ceremonies for Pemulwuy. British's ignorant act towards the native, caused several conflicts more.
Everything started off from the ethnnocentrism of British, which caused further troubles and conflicts. If British didn't look aborignal in ethnnocentristic perspective in the beginning, it would've caused no conflict, and everyone would live in peace. If British kept looking aborignal in ethnnocentristic point of view, it would've caused more severe deaths and injuries. Ethnocentrisim can be useful in a way, but looking other culture in ethnocentrism -should be disposed and gone forever.
E. Phillips Fox (1900?). Painting of James Cook landing at Botany Bay, National Gallery of Victoria
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