The policies of Assimilation and Protectionism had detrimental impacts upon the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (ATSI) communities throughout Australia prior to 1965. While Protectionism aimed to be a ‘smooth pillow to die on’, the policy of Assimilation culturally mixed the races.
Assimilation was a policy implemented by the Australian Government which integrated ATSI into the Australian Society, this policy aimed to make Aboriginals ‘similar’ to white Australians and culturally mixed. As a result, this policy would extend the language, culture, beliefs, clothing and manner of living of the ATSI race but would genetically ‘die out’ through natural elimination. The most tragic aspect of the policy of Assimilation was legalised kidnapping which contributed to the ‘Stolen Generation’, this event makes clear that the ATSI faced a loss of identity, beliefs/spiritual, connection, bonds/ties, culture, taken from family such as biological parents, and a disconnection to the Indigenous heritage and traditional knowledge.…