Genetic Signatures of Australia’s First Peoples Survive Recent History

Abstract

IntroductionTHE STORY OF COLONIZATION IS A FAMILIAR ONe for Indigenous peoples whose countries were taken by colonizers, whose culture, language, and traditional life-styles were regarded as inferior, and who were forced to move aside to make room for large-scale expansion dominated by technological, political, and economic power. In Australia the process began in earnest in 1788 and, despite the intentions of some colonizers to treat the inhabitants with respect, most failed to recognize the richness of cultural diversity and the long history of human habitation of the continent that was handed down through language, stories, art, and music. The prevailing attitude was that the process of British colonization would gradually and inevitably see the demise of Australia's First Peoples. Conflict over land and stock lead to punitive killing expeditions, and introduced disease wiped out many of the people who came in contact with white settlers. Much of the earlier ethnographic and anthropological work reflected the prevailing social attitude that Aboriginal people would 'vanish' within a few generations. The 'vanishing' concept is not only insulting but deeply hurtful to survivors of this period. It is only relatively recently that, thanks to the struggles of the survivors, enlightened academic research, and improved media reporting, the Australian public is beginning to appreciate the value of the heritage that has been compromised since 1788.Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians have gained some influence over their own affairs during the past thirty years but control is still too rare, being subject to political decision-making that affects education and employment opportunities. Much racist social baggage remains, socio-economic disadvantage is extreme for most Aboriginal Australians, and, against a background of insensitive research,1 it is not surprising that the response to new research proposals is often negative.2 In the area of genetic research, resistance from many groups is very strong due to the legacy of distrust generated by Australia's history, coupled with concerns that are universal. In this era, genetic technology has reached extraordinary levels of power to probe living organisms in minute detail and has the potential to generate information that can be used in many ways, meaning that likely benefits and risks require careful consideration and explanation to potential individual and organizational research participants.This article will focus on the experiences of the author, a researcher who has been doing genetic research in Australia for eighteen years. Mixed responses from Aboriginal groups to proposals have been received during that period. Nevertheless, progress has been made slowly by working closely with Aboriginal participants in the Darling River region of western New South Wales. For some, there remain issues that touch on protection of identity, privacy, and the perceived threat to 'Aboriginality'. On the broader level of state and national Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organizations, scientists and educators need to foster a better understanding of the potential benefits of the research if effective partnerships are to be forged.The Colonization Experience for the People of the Darling River RegionThe rich diversity of language and culture practised by the descendants of Australia's First Peoples was not appreciated by the European explorers and colonizers who later settled in the continent after 1788. Experiences of contact between incoming European colonizers and Australian inhabitants varied. Those in the areas that were first settled were confronted suddenly, others in more remote areas were contacted more sporadically over a longer period. The Darling River runs south-west from present day Queensland through north-western New South Wales and joins the Murray River at Wentworth, from where it flows south to the sea. The river country has been a rich habitat throughout human history, capable of supporting many people. …