British to the core no more: time to ‘decolonise our identity’, says Western Sydney University

Western Sydney University says the idea that British or white European cultures constitute a ‘core’ Australian identity is now ‘redundant’.

Western Sydney University campus in Liverpool. Picture: AAP

Western Sydney University says the idea that British or white European cultures constitute a “core” Australian national identity has become “redundant and is based on imperialist logics”.

In its submission to a Senate inquiry into nationhood and democracy, the university said Australia’s national identity should be “based on the cultures of the indigenous peoples of this country”.

The university, which has one of the nation’s most diverse campuses, said a “decolonisation of the very definition of Australian nation and nationhood” was required to repair “past wrongs and … legacies of colonialism for indigenous Australians”. “Decolonisation efforts must … underscore policies of immigration and multiculturalism in order to foster a more equitable, empathetic and hospitable environment for those populations that are identified by the self-designated ‘dominant’ Australian cultures — the racially neutral zero-point — as culturally or racially ‘diverse’,” its submission said.

The submission, one of several backing greater recognition for indigenous Australians, proposes “decolonisation” as an avenue to a stronger national identity, which could be “more reflexive”.

“True egalitarianism must start from all feeling secure to be who they are, despite any divergence from what remains entrenched as a core, Anglo-centric sense of nation and national identity.”

Western Sydney University said “social cohesion and trust in public institutions” was putting pressure on the “democratic operation of the state”.

“Lack of transparency and democratic participation undermines trust in institutions and people’s personal investment in not just their local communities but the nation more generally.

“Of particular interest to this inquiry should be the position of marginalised communities; those people who are most disconnected from the shared experiences and opportunities of ‘mainstream’ populations.”

A university spokeswoman said its submission “comprises refereed contributions by researchers from disciplines aligned to the Terms of Reference”.

The NSW Aboriginal Land Council made six recommendations to the inquiry, including for the legal and constitutional affairs reference committee to “recognise the inherent biases and systems of privilege that underpin Australia’s democratic state”.

They also call on the committee to recognise the “structural disadvantage created by successive government policies, which have excluded Aboriginal people from taking their rightful place in the economy of Australia”.

The NSWALC cited work by Professor Marcia Langton who noted that: “Admitted neither as nations nor as citizens, Aboriginal peoples have been the subjects of an extraordinary history of policy experimentation, much of it predicated on the belief that the first Australians would disappear.”

The NSWALC said “denial of these practices and policies has resulted in a ‘cultural/colonial amnesia’ that hinders the emergence of a decolonised nation that recognises and acknowledges the inherent sovereignty and rights of Aboriginal peoples”.

The Close the Gap Steering Committee, in its submission, makes six recommendations to the inquiry, which is chaired by Victorian Labor senator Kim Carr, of the Socialist Left.

The committee calls for the immediate removal of “racially discriminatory clauses in the Constitution”, making constitutional recognition for indigenous Australians a priority and to implement an indigenous representative voice to parliament. “The current administration has shown good leadership in ­finally sitting down with indigenous leaders as equal partners to work on the Closing the Gap ­policy refresh.

“While long overdue, this shows promise and a change in direction towards equal partnership to improve outcomes for indigenous peoples,” the Closing the Gap committee submission said.

“As Prime Minister, Malcolm Turnbull missed the opportunity to advance indigenous affairs to a state reflective of a mature, reconciled nation by failing to embrace, or even truthfully characterise, the Uluru Statement from the Heart. That opportunity still presents itself and will continue to do so until it is fully grasped by courageous leadership.”

Senator Carr last year told The Australian there was an urgent need to examine modern democracy in Australia.

The Senate inquiry into nationhood, which received more than 168 submissions, was set up to consider the “changing notions of nationhood, citizenship and modern notions of the nation state in the 21st century”.

The legal and constitutional affairs committee, in a discussion paper, said “some Australians report a growing sense that democracy is under threat”. “Around the world, voters seem increasingly dissatisfied with how democratic politics works for them.”

“Public trust in democratic ­institutions is declining. Notions of national identity, which can be the roots of a democratic community, are changing as our world becomes increasingly interconnected.”

The committee is due to present its final report by May 28.