quote:
Originally posted by Barry the Sprout:
I stand by what I said earlier. Whislt the native people had "discovered" the land way before anyone else (by definition) the actual thread was referring to its "discovery" by Western civilisation. This is neither more or less important or significant in my view. I was not saying that we were the only people that mattered, just trying to answer the question posed. Sorry if this caused any offence to anyone, I honestly didn't mean it...
That's alright mate, it's just that language shapes thought. In Oz we've been replacing "colonisation" with "invasion" in history books, because of the offense such denialist thinking gives to indigenous Australians. Similarly, perpetuation of "discovered" as a word perpetuates the "Terra Nullis" (empty land) thinking that justified western imperialism.
Consequently it is indeed becoming incorrect to use the word "discovered", as it is purely from a European perspective, and hampers reconciliation.
[ 01-24-2002: Message edited by: Yorick ]