Zanemarena priča: Sjećamo se doprinosa Prvih naroda na Dan ANZAC-a

The Australian War Memorial For Our Country memorial recognises the military service of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Credit: Tracey Nearmy/Getty Images

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Svake godine Australci se okupljaju na Dan ANZAC-a kako bi se prisjetili onih koji su služili u ratovima, sukobima i mirovnim misijama. Ali čije se priče sjećamo? Postoje li priče koje ne čujemo uvijek? U ovoj epizodi istražujemo važan dio australijske historije koji je često bio zanemaren - službu Aboridžina i otočana moreuza Torres.

Najvažnije

Australijski ratni memorijal procjenjuje da se 1200 Aboridžina pokušalo prijaviti u Prvi svjetski rat, a 6500 u Drugi svjetski rat.
Aboridžini su se suočavali s mnogim ograničenjima prilikom pridruživanja oružanim snagama.
Mnogi su išli do izvanrednih mjera kako bi se prijavili u vojsku, uključujući i skrivanje svog porijekla.
Po povratku, diskriminacija i restriktivni zakoni i dalje su bili dio svakodnevnog života za aboridžinske veterane.

Koliko je Aboridžina i otočana moreuza Torres služilo u Prvom i Drugom svjetskom ratu?
S kojim preprekama su se suočavali pripadnici Prvih naroda Australije prilikom pokušaja prijave u vojsku?
Šta se događalo aboridžinskim vojnicima kad su se vratili iz rata?
Kako Australija danas odaje priznanje vojnoj službi Aboridžina i otočana moreuza Torres?
Šta biste trebali znati o historiji Aboridžina i otočana moreuza Torres na ovaj Dan ANZAC-a?

Mnogi Aboridžini i stanovnici Torresovog prolaza služili su u oružanim snagama Australije, tokom i Prvog i Drugog svjetskog rata, često zajedno s neautohtonim Australacima - čak i kada im je zvanično bilo zabranjeno da se prijave u vojsku.

Danas se ulažu sve veći napori da se osigura da se njihove priče prepoznaju i sačuvaju od zaborava.

Tim radom bavi se i Majkl Bel, pripadnik naroda Nanaval i Gomeroja. Kao službenik za vezu sa starosjedilačkim narodima u Australijskom ratnom memorijalu - Australian War Memorial, on pomaže u pronalaženju i priznavanju službe i života Aboridžina i otočana moreuza Toresovog, kako onih koji su služili u uniformi, tako i onih koji su pružali podršku ratnim naporima na domaćem tlu.

Kroz ovaj rad, počinje se pojavljivati jasnija slika.

Koliko je Aboridžina i otočana moreuza Torres služilo u Prvom i Drugom svjetskom ratu?

„Trenutno imamo nešto više od 1200 Aboridžina koji su se prijavili ili su pokušali da se prijave u Prvom svjetskom ratu, a procjenjujemo da će ih u Drugom svjetskom ratu biti oko 6500“, kaže gospodin Bell.

Indigenous Australians Honoured On Anzac Day At Coloured Diggers March

Razumijevanje Dana ANZAC-a znači prepoznavanje doprinosa i izazova s kojima su se suočavali Aboridžini i otočani Torresovog moreuza. Credit: Brendon Thorne/Getty Images

Ovi brojevi i dalje rastu kako se otkrivaju novi zapisi.

Ratni memorijal je statistički uporedio broj prijava u vojsku s poznatim brojem aboridžinskog stanovništva.

Uprkos značajnim preprekama s kojima su se suočavali, ti brojevi su značajni.

Stope prijavljivanja u vojsku, odnosno pristupanja službi, iste su kao kod njihovih neautohtonih sunarodnjaka.
Michael Bell

S kojim su se preprekama suočavali pripadnici Prvih naroda u Australiji prilikom pokušaja prijave u vojsku?

Aboridžini su se suočavali s ograničenjima prilikom pokušaja prijave u oružane snage. Ova ograničenja su postojala na više nivoa.

Aboridžini su se suočavali s ograničenjima kretanja po zemlji.

Nisu bili priznati kao punopravni australijski građani, a u nekim slučajevima nisu čak ni priznati kao osobe po zakonu.

A vojne politike su često isključivale one bez evropskog naslijeđa.

Zajedno, ovo je stvaralo velike prepreke za one koji su željeli služiti.

Čak i s ovim ograničenjima, mnogi ljudi su se izuzetno trudili da se prijave. Jedan takav čovjek je pješačio od Queenslanda sve do Alburyja, objašnjava g. Bell.

„Na svom putu je pokušao da se prijavi pet puta, na kraju je ipak primljen, i nažalost nije uspio da služi jer je preminuo od bolesti na brodu na putu do bojnog polja. Dakle, to je posvećenost i ponovno prijavljivanje naših ljudi gdje su odbijeni jer su Aboridžini, ali se vraćaju i pokušavaju ponovo.“

Priče poput ove ilustruju odlučnost, otpornost i snažnu želju da služe zemlji, čak i kada ta zemlja nije nudila jednaka prava.

Aboriginal And Torres Straight Islander Veterans

Polaganje vijenca tokom godišnje ANZAC komemoracije obojenih vojnika u Sydneyju. Credit: Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images

Šta se događalo s vojnicima Prvih naroda kada su se vratili kući iz rata?

Za mnoge aboridžinske veterane, njihove žrtve nisu značile jednakost.

Vratili su se u društvo u kojem su diskriminacija i restriktivni zakoni još uvijek bili dio svakodnevnog života.

„Naši ljudi su se borili za prava u stranom ratu na koja nisu imali pravo u svojim matičnim zemljama“, kaže g. Bell. „A vratiti se kući u očajnički nejednako društvo i vratiti se u segregaciju, nedostatak pravnog priznanja, ograničenja vlasništva nad zemljištem, jednake plate, ograničenja upravljanja našom djecom, Ukradene generacije, bile su u punom jeku.“

Neki aboridžinski veterani su mogli pristupiti beneficijama, ali mnogi nisu, sa širim društvenim i političkim ograničenjima koja ograničavaju podršku.

Čak je i povezivanje s drugim veteranima moglo biti teško.

Vojnici povratnici su često bili ohrabreni da se pridruže organizacijama u zajednici kao što su RSL klubovi koji podržavaju veterane i organizuju događaje poput ceremonija Dana ANZAC-a.

Ali mnogi od ovih klubova su bili licencirana mjesta, što znači da se služio alkohol, a Aboridžinima je često bio ograničen ulazak u ove prostore.

Bili su efektivno isključeni i iz podrške i iz povezivanja.

Kako Australija danas odaje priznanje vojnoj službi Aboridžina i stanovnika Torresovog prolaza?

Posljednjih decenija, Australijski ratni memorijal preuzeo je aktivniju ulogu u otkrivanju i dijeljenju informacija o Aboridžinima i stanovnicima Torresovog prolaza.

„Naše priče se dijele podjednako i proporcionalno u svim našim galerijama“, objašnjava g. Bell. „Imamo sadržaj o autohtonim osobama u svim uslugama, svim galerijama, svim pričama, svim našim reprezentacijama.“

Ne postoji ‘crni kutak’ u Australskom ratnom memorijalu. Ono što radimo jeste da ravnopravno ispričamo priču kroz cijeli prostor, onako kako su to tražili veterani.
Michael Bell

“U uniformi su mogli vidjeti sebe samo kroz boju svoje službe, kao što su zelena, plava ili siva za vojsku, zračne snage i mornaricu.”

Ovaj pristup odražava kako su se mnogi aboridžinski vojnici vidjeli—prije svega kao vojnici koji služe zajedno s drugima.

Istovremeno, dugo skrivene priče sada se ponovo otkrivaju i dijele s porodicama i zajednicama.

“U slučaju kada imamo jedinu poznatu fotografiju aboridžinskog muškarca u našoj zbirci, a porodica je nikada nije vidjela… možemo im je dostaviti u ime ili kao priznanje njegove službe… i to je za mene zaista dirljivo i posebno—moći podijeliti to s porodicama koje znaju da se ovo znanje i informacije čuvaju u instituciji koja nastoji pozitivno uključiti ranije nepoznate ili manje poznate priče o službi Aboridžina i stanovnika otočja Torres Strait.”

Za porodice, ovakvi trenuci mogu biti snažni, jer pomažu u ponovnom povezivanju s historijom, identitetom i voljenima.

Godišnji ANZAC događaj u Sydneyju, posvećen obojenim vojnicima, slavi doprinos aboridžinskih i stanovnika otočja Torres Strait koji su služili u vojsci, kao i službenica.” Credit: Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images

Šta biste trebali znati o historiji Aboridžina i otočana moreuza Torres na ovaj Dan ANZAC-a?

Razumijevanje ANZAC Dana znači prepoznavanje i doprinosa i izazova s kojima su se suočavali Aboridžini i stanovnici otočja moreuza Torres.

‘Radi se o cjelokupnoj i potpunoj historiji Australije i o tome kakva je ona danas,’ kaže gospodin Bell, ‘a ne o nevidljivoj naciji kakva smo bili u prethodnim godinama. A za ljude iz Prvog svjetskog rata koji su morali skrivati svoje porijeklo, želimo ih ohrabriti da vide punu historiju Australije onakvu kakva jeste, a ne onakvu kakva je bila napisana kroz ranije sisteme koji su isključivali naše priznanje.’

Dan ANZAC-a je vrijeme za sjećanje na one koji su služili u ratovima i sukobima i za mnoge Australce to je trenutak zajedništva u odavanju počasti historiji.

Kako se ove priče sve više dijele, one pomažu da se stvori potpunija slika australijske prošlosti - i sadašnjosti.”

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Transcript

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SBS acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country and their connections and continuous care for the skies, lands and waterways across Australia.

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You're listening to Australia Explained, an SBS audio podcast helping you navigate life in Australia.

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Hello, I'm Lowanna Grant, executive producer of NITV Radio. I'll be your host for this special episode of the Australia Explained. ANZAC Day is one of Australia's most important national days. Each year people gather to remember those who served in wars, conflicts, and peacekeeping missions. But understanding ANZAC Day can take time, especially if you're new in Australia.

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Whose stories are we remembering and are there stories we don't always hear? In this episode, we explore an important part of Australia's history that has often been overlooked, the service of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

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Many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people served in Australia's armed forces, including during the 1st and 2nd World Wars, often alongside non-Indigenous Australians, even when they were officially barred from enlisting. Today there is a growing effort to ensure these stories are recognised and remembered. Ngunnawal/Gomeroi man Michael Bell is part of that work as Indigenous liaison officer at the Australian War Memorial.

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He helps identify and recognise the service and sacrifice of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, both those who served in uniform and those who supported the war effort on home soil. Through this work, a clearer picture is beginning to emerge.

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We currently have just over 1200 Aboriginal men enlisted or attempted to enlist in the First World War, and approximately we're estimating it's going to be about 6500 men in

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the Second World War. It's an ongoing project and the numbers change weekly as we identify and add and include men on our list.

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These numbers continue to grow as more records are uncovered, but one question often asked is how do these figures compare to non-Indigenous Australians?

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We've statistically viewed the numbers of Aboriginal attestations compared to known populations, and the rates of enlistments or attestations

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are the same to their non-Indigenous brothers and sisters.

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In other words, despite facing significant barriers, Aboriginal people enlisted at similar rates to non-Indigenous Australians. So what were those barriers? Michael Bell explains that restrictions existed at multiple levels. Aboriginal people faced limits on their movement across the country. They were not recognised as full Australian citizens and in some cases, not even recognised as people under the law.

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And military policies often excluded those without European heritage. Together these created major obstacles for those wanting to serve. But even with these restrictions, many people went to extraordinary lengths to enlist.

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Oh, we have an Aboriginal man that's walked from Queensland all the way down to Albury, and on his way, he's tried to enlist 5 times, ultimately to get in and unfortunately didn't get to serve because he passed away of illness on the ship

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on the way over to the battlefield, so it's the dedication and re-enlistment of our men where they've been rejected for being Aboriginal, but go back and try again.

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Stories like this show determination, resilience, and a strong desire to serve country even when that country did not offer equal rights. But what happened after these servicemen returned home? For many Aboriginal veterans, the end of the war did not mean equality.

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They returned to a society where discrimination and restrictive laws were still part of everyday life.

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Our men were fighting for rights in a foreign war that they weren't entitled to in their home countries.

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And to come home to a desperately unequal society and to go back into segregation, the lack of legal acknowledgement, the restrictions on ownership of land, equal wages, the restriction of managing our children, the Stolen Generations were in full swing.

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Some Aboriginal veterans were able to access benefits, but many did not, with broader social and political restrictions limiting support.

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Even connecting with other veterans could be difficult. Returned soldiers were often encouraged to join RSL clubs, community organisations that support veterans and organise events like ANZAC Day ceremonies. But many of these clubs were licenced venues, meaning alcohol was served.

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Because Aboriginal people were often restricted from entering these spaces, they were effectively excluded from both support and connection. Today, there is growing recognition of this history.

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In recent decades, the Australian War Memorial has taken a more active role in uncovering and sharing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander service. Mr Bell explains.

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Our stories are shared equally and proportionately throughout all of our galleries. We have Indigenous content in all the services, all of the galleries, all of the stories, all of our representations. There is no Black corner at the Australian War Memorial. What we do is tell the story equally throughout.

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The veterans have asked us to do in the uniform, they could only see themselves as the colour of their service, such as the green, the blue, or the grey for army, air force, and navy.

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This approach reflects how many Aboriginal servicemen saw themselves as soldiers first, serving alongside others. At the same time, long hidden stories are now being rediscovered and shared with families and communities.

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On the occasion where we have the only known

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of an Aboriginal man in our collection and the family haven't seen it or didn't know what their great grandfather or great uncle looked like, we can provide that to them on behalf of recognition of his service and recognition of his contribution, and that's really, really touching and special for me to be able to share that with the families and know that that knowledge and information is held in an institution where we're positively trying to include the previously or lesser known story about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander service.

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For families, these moments can be powerful, helping to reconnect with history, identity, and loved ones. So this ANZAC Day, what should you, especially if you're new to Australia, keep in mind?

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It's about the full and total history of Australia and how it is today, not the unseen nation that we have been in previous years and for the First World War guys, you know, having to hide their heritage, where we want to be able to encourage them

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to see the full history of Australia as it is, not as it was written by previous systems that excluded our acknowledgement.

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ANZAC Day is a time to remember those who served in wars and conflicts, and for many Australians, it's a moment to come together to honour history. Understanding ANZAC Day means understanding the full story of Australia.

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That includes recognising both the contributions and the challenges faced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. As these stories become more widely shared, they help paint a fuller picture of Australia's past and its present.

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Thank you for listening to this episode of Australia Explained. The interview was conducted by Rachael Knowles, sound edit by Melissa Compagnoni, and the Australia Explained managing editor is Roza Germian, and I'm Lowanna Grant. Until next time.

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This was an SBS audio podcast. For more Australia Explained stories, visit SBS.com.au/Australiaexplained.

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Subscribe or follow the Australia Explained podcast for more valuable information and tips about settling into your new life in Australia. Do you have any questions or topic ideas? Send us an email to australiaexplained@sbs.com.au.

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