Molly's Rabbit-Proof Fence

I argue that the ideologies behind The Assimilation Policy were evident since the first white settlers had arrived in 1788. Since first contact, Aboriginal people’s values, customs, beliefs and traditional way of life began to erode. From the 1850s onwards, Aboriginal people were forced onto reserves, and then into towns and cities in the mid 20th century . Many people feared that the ‘Australian’ culture was being affected by immigrants. Since the early 1900s, there had been a ‘White Australia’ policy and assimilation was expected upon arrival. However, Aboriginal people did not immigrate, so their policy, dictated by the Australian States and Commonwealth Government was known as The Policy of Assimilation. Assimilation policies were supported by racist assumptions and represented by settler nationalist imperatives . In the 1950s, assimilation policies for Aboriginal people were supported by the

We studied what had happened before and discovered a pattern. Based on the pattern, 18-year-old boys would be next. Then it’d be 18-year-old girls. Jason and I knew we had to escape. So we

Since the time of federation the Aboriginal people have been fighting for their rights through protests, strikes and the notorious ‘day of mourning’. However, over the last century the Australian federal government has generated policies which manage and restrained that of the Aboriginal people’s rights, citizenships and general protection. The Australian government policy that has had the most significant impact on indigenous Australians is the assimilation policy. The reasons behind this include the influences that the stolen generation has had on the indigenous Australians, their relegated rights and their entitlement to vote and the impact that the policy has had on the indigenous people of Australia.

At the turn of the twentieth century the systematic forced removal of Aboriginal children from their mothers, families and cultural heritage was commonplace. There were several reasons that the government and white society used to justify the separation but the prevailing ideology of nationalism and maintaining Australia for the ‘whites’ was the over-riding motivation and justification for their actions[1]. Progressive sciences such as anthropology espoused such theories as eugenics, miscegenation, biological absorption and assimilation which legitimated governmental policies relating to Aboriginal affairs[2]. It was

Rabbit-Proof Fence is the name of the film directed by Philip Noyce. This movie is about three girls, Molly, Daisy and Gracie, who are taken away from their families to a camp in Moore River where they bring up the Aboriginal kids as white kids. The girls then go on a nine week journey back home and this movie showcases the journey and the obstacles the girls had to face before coming back home. A particular scene from this movie, ‘Stolen’, is about the three girls enjoying their day when a white man comes and takes them away to the campgrounds away from their families. There are many techniques used in the scene ‘Stolen’.

Throughout the early 20th century, the Australian public was led to believe that Aboriginal children were disadvantaged in their communities, and that there was a high risk of physical and sexual abuse. Aboriginal children were being removed in order to be exposed to ‘Anglo values’ and ‘work habits’ with a view to them being employed by colonial settlers, and to stop their parents, families and communities from passing on their culture, language and identity

As molly and her pups watch as napoleon and his army of pigs take complete control of the farm. Searching and killing any animals that stands in their way or not on any side of the war. The last of the survivors is Mollie and her pup’s. While hiding under the barn in a secret hideout. The stairs to get there are blocked with feed bags and straw. Other than the animals down there, no one knows where it is not even jones himself. Molly and her pups heard that the pigs were looking for rebels. They sat there waiting for the noise of the pigs to calm down, so Mollie’s pups could soon fall asleep. They woke up in need of food. They knew that they need to find a way to get food and not be seen by napoleon or his army. All of the food is in the main house. Molly and the pup’s came up with the plan using one of the pups as a decoy to lour Neapolitan out of the house so they started taking down the feed and stray off the stairs. As they start to run in and snatch some food for them to eat, and at least satisfy their stomach. One out of the nine puppies, bonnie, ran to the window where everyone was and shouted.

Governments soon felt that to banish Indigenous Australians, the children needed to be removed from their family and assimilated with non-indigenous families, believing this was the best option to breed out the aboriginal race and to fit them into mainstream society.

‘Australia’ also showed how the government controlled how children of Aboriginal descent were brought up with language used such as “The mixed raced children must be dislocated from their primitive full blooded Aborigine, how else are we to breed the black out of them”. This presented again the reason as to why the Aboriginal children were taken away from their own cultures to be raised in something completely different.

The film Rabbit-Proof Fence by Philip Noyce takes place in 1931 in a small town named Jigalong in Western Australia. Along the town is a rabbit-proof fence that runs for miles through the Australian Outback. The film focuses on three aboriginal girls, 14-year-old Molly, her younger 8-year-old sister Daisy, and their 10-year-old cousin Gracie. The officers removed the girls from their family and forced them to assimilate into white society. The chief A. O. Neville legally removed the aboriginal girls from their family because they were half-castes which means they are half one white parent and one Aboriginal parent. In this case, the girls had an aboriginal mother and a white father who was a worker near their area, but the father in not take part in the girl’s life. The Chief wanted to take away all the half-castes from the Aboriginal homes so they could eventually breed the aboriginals out of existence as well as give the half-caste a better life in their modern society. These camps held lots of indigenous children and trained the children to become laborers and servants for the white families. Soon after arriving at the Moore River camp, the three girls escaped after the first night and made a 1,500-mile journey home. Molly, Gracie, and Daisy left as soon as it began to rain so their tracks could be covered. Although at the camp, the workers soon noticed the girls had escaped and sent the Aboriginal tracker to go find them and return them back to Moore River camp. The girls later found the rabbit-proof fence and followed it north to find Jigalong. On their way back to home, they met an aboriginal man who told the girls that Gracie’s mother was in Wiluna and she could take a train to meet her. Soon after Gracie parted ways, the tracker captured Gracie and they returned back to Moore River. Daisy and Molly continued to follow the fence and finally arrived home to meet their mother. Although, the family had to leave to go hide in the desert in order for the family to stay together. After the movie ends, there is a short clip of the real Molly and Daisy in 2002. The captions said that Gracie did not survive her way back to Moore River Camp and she was never seen again. Molly also stated that the government took

The film Rabbit-Proof Fence illustrates on the topics of ethnocentrism, and also, the significance of perceiving the immense breadth of the Jigalong clan's customary biological learning to depict the wrongs that jumped out at this gathering starting in the 1930's. As the "half-rank" youngsters were taken from their homes with a specific end goal to be educated like English kids, the men responsible for said operation were endeavoring to strip away the nobility, as well as the conventions and character of a culture that was viewed as unthinkable on the grounds that the kids were not the same as supposed "humanized" society. A case of the ethnocentrism in the film would be when Mr. Neville, Chief Protector of Aborigines states, "Ensured against themselves. On the off chance that they would just comprehend what we are endeavoring to improve the situation them." Thinking that these children require sparing on the grounds that the children live as per an arrangement of conventions and ways that originate from their own history is identified with what is known as the "White Man's Burden," since this is viewed as an adequate purpose behind interceding in the lives of others, when this is extremely not satisfactory.

The climbed up mountain after mountain and frequently checked the compass to make sure they were on the right path. They stopped briefly beside streams to drink and when the sun rose, they slept in a cave that they had reached. Dawn came, and the girls finally woke up. They ate what little food they had but were still hungry. Below the mountain was a town. They decided that they would climb down there and buy food from the white folk. This was a very risky plan, but they had no choice. They would either starve to death or be caught and sent back to the Riley Plantation. At night they climbed down and snuck into an alley. Some meters in front of the alley were a farmhouse. Julilly knocked on the door of the house and out came an old lady carrying a pistol. Politely, Julilly asked if she could buy some food. Surprised at the money in Julilly's hand the old lady shouted very loudly that she was stealing money. Then she threatened her, saying that she would shoot if Julilly didn't get off her property. They ran away from that place, but they didn't give up. Fortunately, the second house they approached was a farmhouse full of cows. The farmer saw them walk into the field. He asked them if they were slaves. Then he instructed to follow him. Bewildered the two girls did as they were told. He led them into a small village.

Doris was taking her to Nan and Poppy’s (Doris’ parents) with her other two siblings. Ellie’s father was away on business and Doris has a fashion audition near Nan and Poppy’s. Ellie had only met her grandparents once and for Albert and Marie this was their first time meeting them. They met them and then ate sandwiches together. Doris went to her audition to become a Circus girl and took Ellie with her. A Circus girl is someone who advertises for the restaurants. Doris was told to come back at eleven tomorrow for the final cut. Doris went for the final cut and she did not make the cut to be a Circus girl. Doris told the children to pack up their bags because they were going back home. The children were very sad to leave because this was the best vacation they had ever

64, Commonwealth of Australia 2011). Policy then moved towards more assimilationist strategies in which attempts were made to convert Aboriginal Australians into ‘responsible citizens’ (Gilbert 2005, Haebich 2000). The protectionist and assimilationist policies share the core values that Aboriginal culture is inferior and on its way to an ‘evolutionary end’ (Gilbert 2005, p. 64).

As I walked away I heard a camel neigh, it was as if something had spooked it. I saw a car race into the outpost smashing into a pile of discarded wire. Constable Rigs launched himself out of the car just like a kangaroo would have sprung off the ground. I screamed! “RUN GIRLS!” I could feel my heart pounding on my chest, as if it was trying to escape. I ran after the girls as Rigs hopped into his vehicle and chased as down like we were animals. I couldn’t lose my girls not like this. Rigs cuts us off. I grabbed hold of Molly and daisy. My arms wrapped around them.