The Pros And Cons Of Colonization And Torres Strait Islander People

In comparison for Torres Strait Islander peoples, due to their circumstances they were able to adapt a lot easier without fear of total annihilation (Donovan, 2002). Contact with Europeans had occurred by the 17th century and many trading vessels from various nations frequented the waters of the islands.
In 1871 the missionary Rev. Samuel MacFarlane brought Christianity to the islands. Unique in Australian history, the daily work of conversion and cultural modelling was carried out by Pacific Islander pastors and teachers. There were disadvantages of missionary influences, such as the destruction of traditional cultural religious practices (Lawrence, 2004). But the positive consequences were also numerous, particularly the hybridisation that was given to forms of religious and secular music. Christianity also provided a shared identity with the focus on unity that Christians reinforced through inter-island church meetings, religious festivals and church openings (Shnukal, 1988).
By 1879 Queensland had annexed the majority of the Torres Strait on behalf of the Crown. Torres Strait Islander peoples were given jurisdiction to deal with day to day law and order.
This essay has examined and detailed some of those impacts. The concept of colonisation was explained, including the forces that were driving colonisation and the ways it was achieved. Ideologies that underpinned the Europeans interactions with indigenous peoples have also been described. The experiences of colonisation by the British on the Aboriginal peoples of Australia and the Torres Strait Islander peoples were compared. In particular, the issue of dispossession from land and culture has been analysed, as well the influence of Christianity. As a result, it has been argued that Aboriginal peoples have suffered from the full extent of colonisation and is ongoing when compared to that of Torres Strait Islander