WhitewashedThe Age [Melbourne]LettersAugust 30, 2003The Melbourne Writers' Festival debate between Keith Windschuttle and Robert Manne focused on their differences. However, Windschuttle, Manne and John Hirst (the debate's chairman) demonstrated that they share something in common. On several occasions, all three men talked about "the Aborigines and their women". The language during the debate demonstrated a white male view of history. It dismissed the experiences and autonomy of Aboriginal women. By making them invisible, they whited out their history.
Men who claim to be telling the "historical truth" need to acknowledge that their history is at best a partial truth. The "legitimate historical records" often tell a story about men, written by other men.The history of European occupation in Tasmania may never be fully told. Much of it lies in the hearts and minds of people whose stories were never documented in government records, newspapers and diaries.The story of Aboriginal women has been largely kept secret. It is indeed a sorry business.Jan Browne,
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