Aboriginal And Macassan Traders

Australian Aboriginal International Trade With Asia Already Strong During Europe's Dark Ages

Apr 7, 2006 Woorama

The myth of "first contact". Europeans were the last in Australia. International relations were established with Asia long before, between scholars, traders and farmers.

The Accepted View

Contemporary Australian History refers to the early days of European invasion in the 1700's as "settlement", or more diplomatically, "contact". The time before this is often referred to as "pre-contact". The Dutch expedition here in the early 1600's is referred to as "first contact", in which the Hollanders were defeated by the Indigenous Wik warriors of western Cape York, and fled, never to return.

But what they really mean by "first contact" is "first European contact". In the secret English of White Australia, the implications of such phrases communicate exclusionist agendas that are best not spoken aloud. In this way the immoral interests of the dominant culture shape not only the language of the nation, but its history as well.

Pre-British Contact

Most Australians are unaware that the Dutch were repelled by Aboriginal warriors at Keer Weer (Dutch for "Turn Back!"). Even those who are aware of this piece of history are often surprised to find that the Dutch weren't the first foreigners here at all. Long before they arrived, the Macassans (an Indonesian people) had established an embassy and lucrative trading relationship with Aboriginal farmers, scholars, fishermen and businessmen of the Yolngu people in the Gulf country. This international relationship was going strong long before England had imperial explorers or even a navy.

Yolngu Song

Yolngu band, Yothu Yindi, sings about this in their song, "Macassan Crew".

"They came in peace

And the Tamarind seed."

Smoke

"Smoke" refers to the tobacco that the traders introduced into Australia. Now, this was not a drug that was dumped irresponsibly upon the Yolngu. The visitors carefully delivered education about the responsible use and side-effects of tobacco, information that was further tested and developed by Yolngu doctors and scientists, and then converted into a song-cycle to govern tobacco use, a song which became part of the lore/law of the land. As a result, prior to European occupation, tobacco was not abused by Aboriginal people.

Steel

"Steel" refers to the introduction of steel tools by the Macassans. These were highly prized, and traded locally along with tobacco down through the ancient trading routes along songlines which interconnected all the peoples of Australia (at least 500 language groups). This included the famous Pituri Trail (pituri being a native drug plant farmed in Central Australia from time out of memory). These trade routes would have even interlaced with those established by eel farmers in the south of Australia, who built canal systems in towns constructed from stone masonry.

Tamarind

"Tamarind seed" refers to the careful introduction of a fruit tree species. This was not done lightly, in the same manner as the European introduction of thousands of exotic pests that now cost the government four billion dollars each year to control. Scholars, farmers and botanists from the two cultures tested, examined and exchanged extensive knowledge about the Tamarind and its habitat before deciding to introduce it. It was carefully integrated with the local ecology over time, then interwoven with the lore of the place, and became a component of the agricultural industry and economy in northern Australia to such an extent that it is now regarded as a native plant by Aboriginal peoples. The first tree was planted on the beach, at the site of the Macassan embassy. It is still there.

Foreign Exchange

The Macassans traded these goods for pearls, which were cultivated by expert Yolngu oyster farmers. The Yolngu and Macassans also intermarried, and set up diplomatic relationships and exchanges. Macassans came to study at Yolngu universities, and Yolngu travelled to Macao for the same. The languages of the north still carry many Indonesian words that were absorbed into the culture. Off the top of my head, in Wik Mungkan there is "remat", which means periwinkle, and "otamat", which means porpoise.

Catastrophe

This relationship was terminated a century ago by the European invaders, who legislated against it. In 1906 the Macassan ships were denied entry, and never allowed to return. The Yolngu were not informed. They waited in vain for the return of the traders, and the return of beloved family members who were now stranded in Indonesia. The pain and confusion caused by this inexplicable catastrophe reverberated along the songlines and trade routes throughout the continent, creating a market "crash" that shattered what was left of the already devastated Indigenous economy. This added further stress to invaded peoples already buckling under the strain of genocidal European activity.

For more Aboriginal history, check out Nanette Croce here at Suite 101.

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