Blog Archives

What does it mean to be the oldest culture? – By Dr Sean Perera In my previous article titled Are we one?, I enquired whether indigenous Australian reconciliation policy is ridden by white guilt that aims to atone for the past in an attempt to reinvent national identity. In this subsequent article, I aim to interrogate efforts driven by a modern Australian social consciousness which seeks to rectify errors of the past with the aim of reconciling the future. In particular, I seek to unpack the contemporary claim that Aboriginal Australians are the oldest living culture. Is it a badge of honour or just another camouflaged colonial shackle to be the oldest living culture on this planet? Culture First, we need to clarify what is meant by “culture”. Scholars such as Raymond Cohen define culture as people with a common past and future distinguishing themselves from other populations through distinctive ...