What is an Aboriginal mission?

Answer 1

Aboriginal Missions and reserves were protected areas where Aborigines were housed, although often at the expense of their culture. These missions had schools where the children were educated in white culture, rathyer than allowing the children to be educated in the ways of their people by their own elders and family members.

In many cases, these missions (and schools) were established by Christian groups who had the Aborigines' interests at heart, but who also misunderstood the importance of the aboriginal culture. There were exceptions, where the Aborigines were free to live in as traditional a manner as they wished, or to become involved in white culture. Children were free to come and go from these schools.

Government reserves were introduced when the Aborigines expressed their dissatisfaction with the missions, and these reserves were often simply the government taking over old missions. These tended to suppress the aboriginal culture, introducing white language, customs, education, foods, religion and culture at the expense of the Aborigines.