Maralinga Tjarutja Essay

Decent Essays
In South Australia, there is an area of remote western lands known as Maralinga, which is estimated to have been inhabited by the Maralinga Tjarutja people for up to 60,000 years. Like nearly all Aboriginal tribes in Australia, the Maralinga Tjarutja believe in a mythical force, commonly thought of as a dragon or a serpent which made the land and buried itself deep under the surface to sleep for all eternity. The dragon/ serpent is believed to be the source of all Uranium in Australia: The Uranium itself being the glowing scales/ skin or the dragon. Uranium is a radioactive metal which is found in vast quantities in Australia, particulary in the outback where many Aboriginal tribes live/lived.
Maralinga is known is have been a major place in Australia's nuclear history. Referred to as a
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The Australian government handed the land back in 2009, but the Maralinga Tjarutja still feel worried about the effects of the bombs and the potiental of waking the dragon.
In recent years and decades, the Australian government are being influenced by Transnational Corporations and foreign governments to mine land for Uranium. The major reward they claim is the large money the Australian government would get. When exploring possible sites for uranium mining, one site that has been thought of is Maralinga. Similar to the bomb tests, the influence of money and the idea that choosing an area where Aboriginals live has been the major influence of choosing Maralinga as a land for use. The issue is still being debated by Aborigines across Australia and politicians.
In both examples, it can be seen the major governments ( Australian and foreign) have the major power and the local Aborigines are being ignored, a form of racism because they are not being treated in the same manner as people of different skin colour or

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