Research Excursion Reviews

 From Bella’s research excursion I learned that the Aboriginal peoples in Australia feel they have lost their own culture. This is due to the fact that the white settlers washed it away. Bella brings up a good point about how the indigenous people were forced to assimilate as a safety mechanism; they had no choice. This is something we do not see in The Secret River. The aboriginals reject the white ways, and instead try to teach them their own methods (though they are met with aggression and pity). In Bailey’s essay, I found it interesting that the true plan for Cook’s voyage was hidden from him and his crew mates at first. So deceptive! I think it was remiss to mention both the violent and non-violent interactions that took place between the indigenous people and Cook and his men. In truth, only the violent interactions matter, because they shadow over any “good” interaction that took place. Thinking about Cook’s journal, I always wonder with historical journals like these if the people writing them knew they were going to be read by thousands of people one day. Like Alexander Hamilton’s letters, were they true accounts of the past, or were they written in an untruthful manner? It is also a debate whether Cook is entirely to blame… though he incited violence, he was instructed to do so by others. So who is entirely at fault? In my opinion, it is everyone’s fault, and responsibility to make correct choices, regardless of what someone else tells you to do.