A real history of Aboriginal Australians, the first agriculturalists | Bruce Pascoe | TEDxSydney

Indigenous writer and anthologist Bruce Pascoe draws on first-hand accounts from colonial journals to dispel the myth that Aboriginal people were hunters and gatherers and "did nothing with the land that resembled agriculture". In this powerful talk, Pascoe demonstrates a radically different view of Australian history that we all need to know - one that has the potential to change the course of Australians' relationship with the land. Bruce Pascoe's career has spanned teaching, farming, bartending, writing, working on an archaeological site, and researching Aboriginal languages. A Bunurong, Tasmanian and Yuin man born in Melbourne, he grew up on a remote island in the Bass Strait. Bruce has written more than 20 books.
His non-fiction book, Dark Emu (2014), won the Book of the Year and Indigenous Writers' Prize in the 2016 NSW Premier's Literary Awards. He says, "Aboriginal people have always had a story to tell. We have always been storytellers and artists and singers and dancers and we've just brought this into the general Australian culture. Non-Aboriginal Australians enjoy it and are starting to embrace it". This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at www.ted.com/tedx

[@lilyrose1233]

I have visited some very progressive museums in this country that have large aboriginal sections and none of them have discussed the practice of sowing and harvesting crops.

[@kiesha4804]

@REDFOX393 SMITH because we KNOW its not true? I doesn't make sense in our culture, it doesn't match our morals and beliefs? colonisers also said we weren't human and the land was empty. Maybe not everything they say is true and maybe a lot of it is just based in racism.

[@flud3989]

kiesha The Lang was called empty for its lack of infrastructure or established society.

[@kiesha4804]

​@@flud3989 the land was ILLEGALLY declared as "Terra Nullius" even though there was proof of infrastructure and an established society. We are the oldest living culture IN THE WORLD. A society is "the aggregate of people living together in a more or less ordered community." Our communities are extremely complex governing and family systems that range over 300 individual nations throughout Australia and have done so for the past 60000 years.

[@kiesha4804]

@Connor Broderick yeah, read the book, because you very obviously don't know what Indigenous Agriculture is, you also don't seem to know anything about Aboriginal culture and skin groups.

[@druid3744]

Lily Rose we r not taught 4 a reason but Truth sets us ALL free!!!!

[@MrRealgiovanni]

Any one that thinks Bruce's claim about the writings or journals should get hold of these journals, and try to find the passages Bruce claims as his proof. He has trouble getting academics to believe it is code for "the publication failed peer review". Most of the claims are extreme extrapolations at best. And Bruce's indigenous background is a recently acquired Monica, with his actual Ancestory now having been shown to be 100% British

[@alanc6781]

He is a fake as most of their recently discovered dreamtime stories and dot paintings. And, apparently, their smoking ceremonies. We read that they are all false. And Ernie Dingo had a hand in making up some of them.

[@kathleenhull6259]

This man is off his tree!

[@johnmaude5065]

Not wrong 😑

[@moorediane7831]

What a con artist.

[@jamo5468]

Funny how a White European Australian becomes an expert on all things Aboriginal

[@dalewoodland2930]

Well well well its all out now . MR CONARTIST

[@kateredhead7334]

I believe they were also leaders in the exploration of Space. They did, after all, look at stars.

[@wayneevans8286]

yep,and that is what capt james cook was doing mapping the travel of venus,not looking to colonise australia,a bit of truth telling there.

[@nicktrueman224]

They probably invented hydroponics too

[@havanadaurcy1321]

Could elders tell the young people kicking elders out of their home is abuse?

[@James-kv6kb]

Sadly no one will listen to the elders not the land councils not the people stealing money from the kids no one. They should be an immediate enquiry into this

[@JohnNy-ni9np]

Interesting, however, I've never heard about farming in Dream time stories.

[@RodneyWilliams-to8jc]

That's because it didn't happen.

[@Dingoroaming]

Hmmm then MAYBE you should do some real looking, Its in many nations from the Eel farmers down south to the grain growers in my mob etc Cleaerly you have no idae.

[@Dingoroaming]

@@RodneyWilliams-to8jc lol Another coward racsist , It very well did happen and is recorded in many nations Dream Time stores, From Murray Cod famring Cray Fish farming, making dams and our Sky father filling them so we can stock them from rivers miles away. The Ell famring in Vic that built permanant structures in the vulcanic rock, trapped smoked eels then traded them all over. OPEN YOUR EYES EARS stop the racism fear. Dream stime stories of the Rainbow serpant giving the Northern mobs native geese Yams, water bulbs etc etc

[@Without_Lies_Media_Dies]

@@Dingoroaming 😂😂😂😂 yeah sure. You lot done nothing for thousands of years, Couldn't even make clothes or a cooking pot.

[@TheLincolnrailsplitt]

Because it is nonsense. Zero evidence.

[@daviesfamily998]

Hasn't this guy been exposed as a fraud? Why is this misinformation still up? Isn't misinformation the biggest problem facing society today?

[@helgavierich4762]

It is a common misconception that "hunter-gatherers" just live off the "natural" landscape, like other fauna. But they do not. They manage vast landscapes. All people, from the very beginning, have been ecological engineers. Indigenous people use fire ecology and replanting of favoured food plants to shape their entire landscape into massive gardens and food forests. This does not mean they were "agriculturalists", because agriculture is almost always associated with private land tenure and early city-states. There is a common notion, not just in Australia, but all over the Americas and Africa, that European style "farming" is better and more admirable than mere "hunting and gathering". But this is a false idea. And the finest soils are to be found in regions where the foraging people encourage a vast mosaic of varying stages of secondary growth. This is due to the many species of colonizing plants in such successions fix nitrogen through bacteria that live in their root nodules. Imposing European land use and crops on the landscape of Australia is detrimental to soils because it replaces these beneficial fire-stick practices with ploughing that exposes the soil to wind and water erosion. Imposing laws that prevent the hunter-gatherer "fire-stick farming" - which, by the way is common to hunter-gatherer and horticultural economies wherever they are still found, on every continent - are equally misguided, as these practices not only create these productive wild "food-scapes", they also prevent disastrous wildfires.

[@warwicklewis8735]

Modern agriculture feeds literally billions of people. Without it there would be a mass extinction as the majority would starve. Pre colonial Australia supported a population estimated at less than a million people. A people who lived a precarious existence on the edge of survival. They manipulated their environment through the use of fire but this was not particularly good for the land either. The remnants of native flora and fauna are the survivors. Only those species which were able to adapt to regular fire events survived the onslaught of aboriginal colonisation. The original rainforest that covered the continent and the mega fauna that lived here were wiped out driven to extinction by the first Australians. Modern Australian farming feeds a population of over 30 million. We are also one of the world major food exporters. Hunter gatherer populations are only able to maintain small populations. They remain at the mercy of nature. Agriculture is a stepping stone to other technologies. Once people become sedentary they are able to spend more time on other pursuits. The food security enables people to explore other industries. Metal work pottery art music architecture boat building and trade are able to flourish because people are no longer tied to the endless struggle to survive. The modern delusion that hunter gatherer societies live in some kind of utopian harmony with nature is simply not true. It is a hard and uncertain existence. Requires a relentless and constant search for food firewood and shelter. Provides a limited seasonal diet sometimes unpalatable. It is not a lifestyle that any sane person would choose over our comfortable agricultural based society.

[@cinemaipswich4636]

I know just one gem of Aboriginal Australia. It is the Bunya Nut tree. In south east Queensland for thousands of years that common food was traded amongst tribes for hundreds of kilometers away. Just one thing, with profound meaning.

[@whoisdylanjames5973]

@@totalwater9431 brother written history is only about 5200 years old and we’ve been in Australia for over 80,000 years. There’s a whole bunch of history you probably believe that was written down but was passed on from generation to generation. Remember writ the end of the day we are just really smart animals, every aspect of modern life including documenting history is 100% unnatural

[@Jlewismedia]

@@totalwater9431 You make a very good point, we can find relics and use anecdotal evidence from multiple sources to make an educated guess at the truth (the more sources the more likely it is to be true). Aboriginals have historically used stories and pictures to depict so unfortunately with the atrocities of the British colonisation a lot of Aboriginal history is lost to wonder. We do have accounts however of British explorers as mentioned in this video who documented what they saw the Aboriginies doing, we can assume that the Aboriginies hadn't just learnt to grow tubers that day, but in fact learnt it over the years. But yeah not everything in history is verifiable. Just like any science we take the most factual information and replace it with any new discoveries that make more sense, in regard to history this ends up being a ton of anecdotal information and educated guesses based on leftover tools/writings/etc. discovered. Aboriginals used to trade in the north with islanders and lower Asian countries too well into modern history which indicates a bit more than just hunter-gather.

[@Jlewismedia]

@@totalwater9431 mate I'm not here to argue you're bringing a lot of opinion into objective facts. You can't tell me what the British did is not as bad as it was, I'm grateful for the country we have but not proud of how it became colonised. Aboriginal people got along more often than they fought, and even then it was often family feuds in a sense. Aboriginals were been documented trading in the north with islanders what do you mean not really lol?

[@reedbender1179]

@@Jlewismedia "Aboriginal people got along more often than they fought" Not necessarily so and how do we know?🦘 Maori tribes fought each other,American Indian tribes fought each other,African tribes fought each other , European tribes same and the evidence is clear that Aboriginals did also. Jardine at Cape York observed the actual extermination of one tribe by it's hostile different clan neighbours. That was no average family feud or skirmish....tragically.

[@Jlewismedia]

@@reedbender1179 bruh you know some early settlers actually watched documented the Aboriginals. You give me "I know nothing about history beyond year 5 education and believe everything my parents tell me" vibes. Didn't say they were some good time hippies but they were absolutely not monkeys throwing sticks at each other all the time, they had trade networks, ceremonies between tribes, etc.

[@svensshed1564]

So we know now that this bloke was making stuff up. So my question would be why has he still got a TED talk up?

[@Dingoroaming]

Hmmm no actualy he made Nothing up. Its all well proven. It very well did happen and is recorded in many nations Dream Time stores, From Murray Cod famring Cray Fish farming, making dams and our Sky father filling them so we can stock them from rivers miles away. The Ell famring in Vic that built permanant structures in the vulcanic rock, trapped smoked eels then traded them all over. OPEN YOUR EYES EARS stop the racism fear. Dream stime stories of the Rainbow serpant giving the Northern mobs native geese Yams, water bulbs etc etc Clearly you lot so Afraid...why?

[@ghostlyshadowly]

I've just learnt more in 12 1/2 minutes about the history of Australia than in all my decades of living here. Thank you. I dare say my life is changed, and I am delighted to have my life changed. The possibilities of understanding the world differently! I'm in awe

[@warwicklewis8735]

How does this change your life ?? Besides it being a complete fabrication. How could it possibly change your life to find out something that happened 200 years ago ??

[@Afflictamine]

I bet you are thrilled to hear things that you wish to believe

[@howabout8611]

Gullible?

[@katehenderson8194]

It’s all bull

[@andrewholliday251]

Hi Wendy, you gotta love those open-minded replies from the flat earth society....

[@Productions-gv9rn]

This is crazy, I'm from Vanuatu right next to Australia and we have been farming since our ancestors arrived on the islands, they even brought pigs with them. It makes absolutely no sense that they didn't know how to farm, people started farming 10,000 years ago. OFCOURSE they were farming!

[@coreluminous]

people have always gardened the wild, and if one wants to call that farming, then fine.... that's what all creatures do... Agriculture as an Economic Hierarchy is another matter...

[@MrAnperm]

Yes, in New Guinea where I was born it’s the same story. Bananas and cane sugar were first cultivated there. Among many other crops.

[@freudianslippers6567]

​@@coreluminous Seems you are quite desperate to shift the goal posts for convenience.

[@MrAnperm]

coreluminous Europe is one of the regions that did not develop agriculture on its on. The knowledge was transferred from the Middle East.

[@mattrogerson5663]

@@coreluminous perhaps what he is referring to is increasing the amount of a natural occurring plant in its natural environment. This is the same as what is beginning to emerge from the amazon where they are finding large areas of orchards previously believed to be natural. It depends on what consider agriculture, but if spreading seeds and eradicating other plant life to create a natural orchard is agriculture in its simplest form, then it is not necessarily a great leap to believe it was occurring.

[@jononolan946]

There was an article today in the herald with 2 experts in Aboriginal history debunking alot of his claims.

[@Akolgo_islam]

Expert.....ex (a has been) spurt (a drip under pressure)

[@mspdu5536]

This version doesn't back up the ancient Tartairian architecture of the early 1800's

[@sahulianhooligan7046]

Jacinta and Warren Mundine?

[@warwicklewis8735]

@@sahulianhooligan7046 no Sutton and Walshe. Sutton is an anthropologist who has been the leading academic for several successful land rights claims. Walshe is an archaeologist who has spend her life studying pre colonial relics. Jacinta and Warren were just using common sense and experience they never claimed to be experts or academics.

[@jrtaylor1275]

Yes, an expert.

[@RachQLD]

Thank you Bruce for all of your research and spreading the word of Australia's real history. I would recommend anyone watching this to check out some of Bruce's other videos. Incredible information.

[@Ray-wm8dz]

Mr Pascoe’s cites for information on the aboriginal grain agriculture, the researcher Harry Allen, who has three separate works cited in Dark Emu including, “The Bagundji of the Darling Basin: Cereal Gatherers in an Uncertain Environment” (1974). From the same, beloved explorers' accounts* that Mr Pascoe used for evidence in Dark Emu, as well as other historical records, Harry Allen was able to build up a model of Bagundji subsistence activities, but came to completely the opposite conclusion as Mr Pascoe with regard to the possible presence of pre-colonial aboriginal agriculture. Harry Allen summarises his peer-reviewed findings in the abstract summary as follows: “The Bagundji economy was primarily riverine in character based on the collection of aquatic foods and wild cereals. Seasonal variations in their subsistence activities can be related to seasonal variations in the productivity of their habitat. Despite a long period of association with wild cereals, the Bagundji remained hunters and gatherers and apparently made no attempt to cultivate these cereals. Possible reasons for this are examined. No simple explanation can be put forward to explain either the specific problem of the absence of agriculture from the Darling River Basin or the general problem of the absence of agriculture from Aboriginal Australia as a whole."

[@wilhobbs207]

Charlatan

[@Rand0mManic]

@Paul French Some Aboirigine tribes induct oursiders into their tribes and they have been doing it for 1000s of years. Its part of their culture. his genes are aborigine now not to be questioned by the Commonwealth.

[@steveboy7302]

@Paul French typical white fragility

[@serverlan763]

Why are you thanking him for publishing lies?

[@wolf_ifritah]

This should be made part of the school curriculum, we have so much to learn ..

[@MrAnperm]

Mehrunes Dagon What can we learn from you?

[@freudianslippers6567]

@@MrAnperm That no amount of education can fix bogan?

[@captaink4416]

It is part of the curriculum! I'm teaching year stage 6 agriculture and they have to learn how Aboriginal Australians farmed the land pre colonisation and how their knowledge can assist current Australian Agriculture

[@rizzrizz4841]

@paul w the future generations will learn about first nation people. That will change Australia for the better

[@Ray-wm8dz]

Aboriginals really didn't achieve very much. No written language, no great cities. no wheel, no copper, no bronze, no iron, no sailing ships to explore the lands off South East Asia, Asia etc. This was simply basic agriculture. Even the advanced tools were absent.

[@imogenlenore]

What he says about the need to start growing Australian crop is very true! There has been a growing focus in recent years on 'locally-sourcing' foodstuffs, to reduce the carbon footprint of our foods since they do not need to be transported across oceans, which is fantastic! However, if there could be a large movement towards growing crops that are actually local to a place, that would be incredible.

[@warwicklewis8735]

Pascoe and others have been trying to grow native crops for over ten years now. They still haven't been able to produce anything that is economically viable. Australian farmers have always been at the forefront of crop development. Do you think they would not have been growing native crops if they were viable ?? How insulting that a political activist can come along and claim to know more about agriculture. Only the gullible and deluded would believe such outrageous nonsense. The only native food crop that has been successful is macadamia nuts. Recognised by European settlers as a productive food source and very quickly turned into a valuable commodity.

[@betula2137]

@@warwicklewis8735 What about native millet? And the countless plants which haven't been fully cultivated (as the Eurasian plants were over centuries through artificial selection), but show great potential in production and nutrition?

[@warwicklewis8735]

@@betula2137 that is a good question. Why aren't we growing native millet or yam daisies or whatever ?? I think you may have mentioned the answer already. The food crops we eat today have been developed over time through generations of selective breeding. Selection for productivity, flavour and quality has changed these plants. Giving us high yields of good quality produce. To start this process from scratch would require planting unproductive wild plants carefully selecting the higher yield/better flavour individuals for propagation. Then planting another poorly producing crop and doing it again and again thousands of times over. The value of the grain would not cover the cost of producing it. A farmer would have to run a program of selective development at his own loss. And in the end what would you have ??..could native millet ever compete with wheat, corn and rice ??..or would it be nothing but a novelty crop for hobby farmers.

[@betula2137]

@@warwicklewis8735 Native millet has actually already passed the economic-viability marker. It is already more nutritious compared to old-world crops, and can be industrially farmed at high return. European settlers also used it to make damper. All it needs is federal funding and establishment with conventional farms in order to compete with the status-quo system of growing traditional staple crops, which is hard to change. That's why we don't grow many native plants industrially for crops, because there is a lack of political will to go through the effort of changing a thoroughly-established existing system.

[@warwicklewis8735]

@@betula2137 I call bs on that. There is a huge demand for native crops. A market is the only incentive needed to encourage farmers to plant any crop that will produce returns especially something that will produce on marginal land that is usually fallow. If it isn't on the market it is not through lack of government funding, any indigenous business start up is able to access millions of taxpayer dollars with no accountability. Australian farmers have always been at the forefront of crop development, drought resistant wheat merino sheep, granny smith apples and plenty of other varieties of high yield agricultural produce adapted to Australian conditions.

[@athenatatnell1333]

I'm confused about why people are saying his claims are false? I thought it was well known that the first Australian's had wheat belts, regularly harvested local food sources and often travelled throughout different seasons to trade with other tribes? It wasn't luck they thrived in Australia for as long as they have.

[@Grimloxz]

But yes, I agree - humans didn’t survive in Australia for 80,000+ years by mere luck…

[@warwicklewis8735]

No one is saying they didn't survive. They were an amazing culture capable of surviving in a harsh environment. This has always been acknowledged. They were a nomadic hunter gatherer society with a complex social structure. Gathering the native grains harvesting the wild plants and animals. Truly a remarkably resilient people. But not farmers or settled people. The evidence has shown that they lived as nomadic hunters unchanged for millennia. Bruce is saying that this isn't good enough they must be made more like Europeans. He ignores the ingenuity of their ancient culture. Unable to respect them unless he turns them into a recognisably European agricultural people.

[@zac2636]

@@warwicklewis8735 Perfectly put. He puts forth a very Eurocentric idea that agriculture is the result of progress from hunter-gathering, which implicates that farming is better than a hunter-gatherer lifestyle.

[@warwicklewis8735]

@@zac2636 ?? Farming is a progression from hunter gathering. The advantages of stable food sources and permanent settlement shouldn't be underestimated. Farming was developed independently in at least four separate places. From these early agricultural societies it was soon adopted by every other culture that had contact with the idea. Though the process of adapting to farming takes many generations it eventually replaces hunter gatherer communities once they are exposed to and in competition with agricultural people. Being free from the endless struggle of nomadic movements and the unpredictable resources of nature allows men to put their effort into other pursuits. In agricultural societies we see an increase in the production of high quality craft and manufacture, buildings become more sophisticated, art and music flourish. In general the number and quality of available goods grows exponentially. It is the nature of people to want luxury and material goods (the morality of this is another question but one I will leave for the philosophical pundits to argue). Todays aboriginal people live on the fruit of agricultural success. Although they still indulge in some hunting, fishing or foraging it is no longer carried on in the pursuit of survival but rather as a representation of cultural identity and recreation. Generally carried out with the aid of modern vehicles and guns or boats and fishing lines. Relying entirely on modern western cultural traditions for food, shelter, transport and healthcare. People did not give up hunting and gathering at the point of a gun. Rather at the point of a knife and fork.

[@zac2636]

@@warwicklewis8735 I get where you're coming from, but I simply think you can't say with certainty that farming is a progression from hunter-gathering. It depends on various factors, including environmental factors. For example, in "Guns, Germs and Steel", Jared Diamond talks about how Indigenous Australians in the Torres Strait islands/North Queensland traded with communities in New Guinea who had established agricultural practices. When introduced to domestic pigs, Indigenous Australians did not adopt a sedentary lifestyle and begin farming, because there was simply no need for it; hunter-gathering as a way of life was most convenient and suited their environment, and despite being introduced to domestic pigs, they did not feel a need to part from their lifestyle. This also brings into question your point about how agriculture was "soon adopted by every other culture that had contact with the idea". But my primary point is that environment has a lot to do with it, and this is why farming began in the fertile crescent; conditions were perfect with easily domesticatable plants and animals, and a favourable climate. Not everywhere is suited to a sedentary lifestyle, like in Australia where there are few places with perfect soil, few animal species favourable for domestication, and the climate in some areas is not ideal which means there may be a worse quality of life, and the advancements you have talked about may be further out of reach. Another good example to illustrate this is in the book "Van Diemen's Land" when newly arrived Brits in Australia ended up adopting a semi-nomadic lifestyle over time, because that was better suited to the environment and presumably because it guaranteed a better quality of life. It should also be noted that there is no inherent value to a farming or hunter-gathering way of life; they are both complex and don't belong on some sort of evolutionary hierachy. There are advantages to adopting a sedentary lifestyle, but there are also disadvantages and limitations.

[@MrVjmojo]

Aboriginals complain about the high death rate of their people in police custody. But don't ask why there is a high rate of Aborigines in Police custody.

[@Hesnotoneofus]

They know more than you do, its that most it is out of their control. Access to education, healthcare, work opportunities, stable families and homes (due to stolen generations etc), and systemic racism all enhancing these harms. Criminals are made by society and its failures... wake up.

[@Ozgipsy]

This has been absolutely, totally debunked as fiction. He’s not an author, he’s a fraud.

[@Ozgipsy]

@Rodney McDonald pay attention mate. Idiots like you are how these lies become curriculum.

[@SHADOWSofSODOM]

@Rodney McDonald read the news, mate.

[@crispy3359]

@@Ozgipsy yeah seriously, I learnt about the book in school lmao.

[@Pies.]

Alright i'll take it but I have my own beliefs

[@2partiesnotpreferred226]

So you are saying all of the white explorers and earlier settlers were lying about what they had witnessed? The colonists were brainwashed into believing they were superior, so that gave them the right to the land. By that theory, I guess if china invaded us today, it would be ok because they are more powerful, so they have every right to this land. It's pretty easy to make the aboriginals look primitive when you destroy there homes and crops. It's the oldest play when it comes to war. Why are you scared of the truth. Is it because it goes against what you have been told to believe?

[@jasonbates2977]

I think there is something quite beautiful about being hunter gatherers. He doesn’t seem very proud of Aboriginal Australians if they were just that.

[@ellaeadig263]

Agreed, I'm not sure why it would be a negative thing to be a hunter gatherer.

[@isobelgeorgeson]

I'm assuming he's disappointed that they are sometimes only seen as hunter/gatherers, and not as agriculturalists and inventors.

[@jasonbates2977]

Absolutely, what they are, are survivors….they are the result of the many who tried their best and only the best carried on. Surviving one of the harshest lands on earth, something to be pretty proud about I think…

[@sahulianhooligan7046]

7:48 That is an eastern Torres Strait hut, not Australian Aboriginal

[@rjw421]

Yes your correct, but remember Bruce 'white fella' Pascoe is never one to let facts get in the way of a good yarn.

[@warwicklewis8735]

That is just one of many lies told by Pascoe

[@cobar5342]

The dude has an aboriginal agenda - pretty funny for a grubba

[@EranWhetstone]

Fascinating, thank you!

[@frankkaiser55]

The Explorers came across very few first ones. They never found crops and to survive they killed what ever walked of flew. I read most journeys. Where did he find this

[@Dingoroaming]

Clearly did not read many, Uni tafe all have many records copies from original. It very well did happen and is recorded in many nations Dream Time stores, From Murray Cod famring Cray Fish farming, making dams and our Sky father filling them so we can stock them from rivers miles away. The Ell famring in Vic that built permanant structures in the vulcanic rock, trapped smoked eels then traded them all over. OPEN YOUR EYES EARS stop the racism fear. Dream stime stories of the Rainbow serpant giving the Northern mobs native geese Yams, water bulbs etc etc

[@josephinelin5525]

take their land, destroy their crops as wild bushs, force them into deserts where there's far less water than their original homes. Where else do they get food but to hunt and gather?

[@yt.personal.identification]

Would they even recognise native yams?

[@jerrywiese]

Many hunter-gatherer based societies practiced some manner of agriculture just as many agricultural based societies practiced some hunter-gather supplementation . Many of us in the current modern technological societies still practice some form of agricultural and/or hunter-gatherer behavior . The Australian aborigines survived for many thousands of years and should be proud of their ancestry and heritage .

[@ddshocktrooper5604]

I don't get what you're trying to say. Is it that deliberately leaving out anything that suggests agriculture from history books wasn't wrong?

[@jerrywiese]

This video was a great presentation . I just stated my further opinion that the value of societies should not be judged on which survival strategies they practiced . It is the general state of satisfaction of the society which should matter most . History should be based on facts , though often it is not . Regardless it is not correct to evaluate a society by classifying it based on supposed societal progression . - hunter-gather as primitive - agriculture as civilized - industrial as advanced Most societies did and do , and probably shall , include aspects of all of these . I live in Canada which is considered to be a developed country . We are an industrialized nation , but also an agricultural nation , with many farms and gardens , and many of us go hunting and fishing and gathering wild produce .

[@warwicklewis8735]

@@jerrywiese are you saying that breaking a stone and using it as an axe is as advanced as casting your tools in copper. And that the addition of the correct amount of tin to create a bronze alloy is no more advanced. That replacing cast bronze with steel does not equate to a further advancement ?? These innovations and technical advances made life easier and gave the user an advantage over his competitors. This same progressive dynamic applies to agriculture, cultivating your food supplies gives stability and reliability that can not be obtained through hunting and gathering. Freed from the eternal nomadic search for sustenance people were able to raise more children and to provide them with a diet that did not depend on the whims of nature. They had more time to build better tools, housing and experiment with new ideas. Farming allowed them to dedicate more time to recreational pursuits and arts. The increasing population density led to cultural innovations in governance and laws that protected both people and property. No one would ever chose to go back to living the hard uncertain life of a stone age hunter. To compare the epic struggle for survival of our ancestors to a pleasant weekend hunting and fishing is laughable at best. The current SJW propaganda that primitive tribal life was some kind of Neolithic utopian paradise is nothing but lies. The world was not civilized at the point of a gun, but at the point of a knife and fork.

[@eoinociarain7986]

@@warwicklewis8735 To read your comment I feel the need to slant my head to the left a bit.

[@warwicklewis8735]

@@eoinociarain7986 it was written in order to address some left leaning nonsense😁

[@shelleyk401]

If Aboriginal people farmed then cool, if they did not then cool! One major part of this country is that Aboriginal people are still not treated equally. This nation that claims to be so great still holds so much disregard for our people. So whatever our people done whether good or not, won't fully be acknowledged. And that's fine because we do not have to prove anything to anybody 😄 we do not have to tell people about our stories and history and back it up with white people's literature. We do not have to communicate back & forth with people that continue to disregard our people. They do it to each other then they do it to other cultures and they just don't expand their horizons or look to gain other perspectives. It's their problem not ours!

[@warwicklewis8735]

Aboriginals recieve more handouts than any other people on earth and still demand more. Your stories are well documented but they are just stories fairytales and entertainment for children. How much regard do you hold for other people ?? Respect is earned not demanded.

[@shelleyk401]

@@warwicklewis8735 Aboriginal people do not physically receive handouts. We do not go lining up to centrelink or parliament house asking for money so yeah sorry your argument is invalid baby cakes. And your saying respect is earned, okay so Aboriginal people haven't earned the right to be respected??

[@mattgoddard3009]

All four of his Grandparents were from England....

[@jomac2046]

The truth is Pascoe embellishes what he reads, noting more complicated than that. As for indigenous heritage, a very suspect connection, both sides of his ancestry seem to originate from the UK.That includes the Grandmother (Sarah Mathews) he claimed in 1993 was born in Dudley, South Australia where in reality she was born in Dudley, United Kingdom.

[@Sean-me4fv]

The way a society treats their women and children is how they should be judged as human beings.

[@maggiemorgan8337]

Well then. In mainstream Australia and Britain, police and medicos are called out because 1.5 women EACH WEEK are killed by a partner. What does that tell us?

[@Sean-me4fv]

@@maggiemorgan8337 it tells me we have a huge domestic violence problem in Australia.

[@Dingoroaming]

Yes and before white man came, Woman and children where treated as Royalty. Any male stepped out of place All woman and men from all around "Educated " him. Hurt a kid.....never did it again.

[@jangaroo777]

I you do your homework Bruce is NOT ABORIGIONAL ! PROVEN & ADMITTED BY THE wanna-be ABORIGIONAL. His DNA 🧬 proves he is British,,!

[@topgurl9313]

So nice to see people like him who just take the time to learn. Relying on prejudice is weak-minded.

[@druid3744]

Princess Jauregui-Hansen Yep! Yep! Yep!

[@James-kv6kb]

You don't know this guys are fake do you

[@AndyJarman]

Pascoe's two parents were English, he's Aboriginal alright, but he's native to a country he's never visited. That's why he tries so hard - he's lost his own truth.

[@davidschier9762]

Pascoe is a fraud

[@wayneevans8286]

this man is nothing more than a liar,look into it,very shaky individual,making a living off lies.

[@havilahfarm1591]

Love this. Thank you for your research and efforts Mr Pascoe. The aboriginal people of Australia I hope will live a renaissance when we have the intelligence and humility to look to them for many of the answers and great questions regarding humanity.

[@mastertemple8369]

Sorry which Tribe accepts him?

[@Ray-wm8dz]

One of the greatest works of fiction today.

[@MrRealgiovanni]

He decided on a conclusion he wanted, and then went about extrapolating it inventing evidence to support it. Most of the claims he makes from Sturt and Mitchell's diaries cannot be found. And his indigenous heritage is a modern day association, with 20 indigenous groups rejecting him before his acceptance. It's been shown that his family history is 100% Descended from British born people *** edit *** The "Yuin Nation" which Bruce has claimed to now be a member of, has disavowed his claim as aboriginal. He now fails 2 of the 3 requirements of being indigenous in Australia. He can lay no claim or proof of ancestory, now is he accepted by any recognised indigenous group. And you could hardly call his multi million dollar farm as "living a traditional indigenous lifestyle"

[@cobar5342]

'Research'.... what??? Maybe he read 'How to Lie'

[@paulrubie1965]

Yes Bruce you are a LEGEND!!!!!! Australia is in denial....

[@Ray-wm8dz]

Denial of what? They farmed but at a subsistence level. No written language, no great cities, no inventions of bronze, iron etc. Oh and they were defeated.

[@BloodyMaori]

Ray 😂 Triggered?

[@Ray-wm8dz]

@Liam Fact is any country which doesn't have the ability to defend itself against invaders is doomed.

[@wally1166]

Your only defeated if you give up indigenous people fight to this day for there rights and land your very uneducated for a visitor on Australian soil

[@JoeyDediashvili]

Ray ... it’s funny. You are so predictable. Spreading disinformation. Did someone hire you or do you do this job for free? Hate or cash?

[@scharftalicous]

Aboriginals were not farmers, that would be derogatory to suggest that. They were land managers that lived with nature, farming is only concerned with profiting from nature.

[@warwicklewis8735]

"Lived with nature" you mean lived at the mercy of nature. Lived like all primitive people by hunting gathering and moving on when resources become depleted. In drought they went thirsty in flood they drowned. In years of plenty they feasted. Famine in the dry years brought hunger and starvation. You romanticize this life but the reality of paleolithic society is that it was a harsh existence a constant struggle for survival against an unforgiving environment.

[@peteranthony9535]

@@warwicklewis8735 Well said. It is called survival bias. Those that did not cope with the environment died. They can't tell their story. Charles Sturt when he went through the Macquarie Marshes fed the aborigines as they had eaten all the food. He was quit scathing of them eating everything and leaving nothing. The other thing no one seems to mention is that the tribal wars and blood feuds would have stopped aborigines moving to areas where there was food. As someone has pointed out 500 languages is clear proof they did not get along.

[@annadrozdzynski529]

We are meant to rest paddocks after using them, rest them then grow on it again. People that live on the land understand the land. Respect the Aboriginal culture they have been on this land for a very long time. We all must learn from one another to make this world a better place, a healthy place with good food that is nutritious and so it can nourish us. Peace.

[@orkadian4173]

'The truths' he tells are complete fabrications, however. There are many sources using real facts that actually debunk his claims. He is a charlatan.. Sorry. Do some due diligence..

[@shaddowwxy3307]

@@orkadian4173 so sad that historical accuracy or study is beneath your engendered hatred of all people who aren't white enough for your sensibility. Evidence that he is lying or sources that prove the opposite please....

[@druid3744]

Anna Drozdzynski YES Mate!!!

[@NoTaboos]

Trite drivel.

[@elizabethblackwell6242]

Except that indigenous Australians didn't grow crops or spell paddocks.

[@aussiefarmer4955]

Native Australians also practiced Nuclear fusion ,were able to split the Atom and had a space program before 10,000 BC.

[@cyandamadlala9610]

Do you have sources of this??

[@aussiefarmer4955]

@@cyandamadlala9610 Yes, It's in his book along with the other fairytales.

[@cyandamadlala9610]

@@aussiefarmer4955 fairytales you say??🤔

[@aussiefarmer4955]

@@cyandamadlala9610 Yes, like Mr Pascoe, just fairytales

[@shelleyk401]

How does it make you feel to constantly belittle Aboriginal people? Like why are you so hurt by us? You're so emotional!

[@JordanPAT]

There's nothing wrong with being a hunter/gatherer. There are many cultures around the world that live this way.

[@fredriko.zachrisson9711]

Just what i thought. Why are he doing this? It is almost like he thinks aboriginal people are lesser then. What he say is false, but he feels the need to fabricate an extraordinary tale in order to raise aboriginal peoples status. This is a big thing in America, where african american history revisionists jump through hoops in order to claim that they ruled the world, invented everything, and "civilized" the world, and it is sad really. Just imagine the shock of those kids that are taught to believe this when they find out that this isnt true. 😐

[@Ocker3]

He's not making a value judgement about different cultures, he's just saying that the history books are currently incomplete.

[@kira2hot4you37]

U dnt get it! White Europeans claim Aborigines were hunter & gatherers & had no tie to the land of Australia so they can use it against Aborigines by lying to the world that these people did not need their land.

[@kiesha4804]

In Australia the aboriginal culture and sciences are incredibly misunderstood, yes there's nothing wrong with being a hunter gather society but we weren't. Rather we has mass systems of complex information, astronomy, genetics, agriculture, the environment, we had dams, complete control over the environment and animals that was beneficial for both parties. If you look into it is beyond impressive. But in the manner of colonisation none of it is written in our books, were only 53 years human to them. that's why its important to actually educate people about our culture and what we can do for the environment, maybe then Australia wouldn't have been on fire for months on end or wouldn't be the leading country in extinction.

[@paulhealy5245]

@@kiesha4804 sounds like you are in serious need of an education.

[@Rand0mManic]

Australia can have Hemp too. Its good for this permaculture. Uses much less water fertilizer and pesticide than every other crop. Its one of those amazing plants that can restore drought striken lands to fertile weed free land for agriculture using using zero herbicide.

[@RomeshSenewiratne-Alagaratnam]

Aboriginal people have been smoking hemp for thousands of years. This is evidenced by the Aboriginal word for cannabis - Yarndi. This may be the origin of the word 'yarn'. In addition, there is evidence that the word corroborate is from the Aboriginal word corroboree. However this man, Bruce Pascoe, is a fraud - he's a whiteman pretending to be Aboriginal to sell his books, (inter alia).

[@tuathadesidhe1530]

The politically correct word for this man's "work" is - fraudulent, the everyday word is is that his a straight up - Liar.

[@zekedaley8665]

where's the lie? tell me, be exact

[@hankshill71]

@@zekedaley8665 literally all of it,

[@MrAnperm]

The continent is large and diverse. People used different methods depending on which part they were from. What they all have in common though is more balanced approach compared to introduced methods. When white settlers moved in they took all the best, most productive land.

[@joebowden4065]

Luke E did you watch the video?

[@matthewlane]

They've never heard full blooded aboriginals talk about farming for the same reason they've never heard full blooded aboriginals talk about colonising mars.... Because it never happened.

[@billygrey8087]

Eh Bruce Pascoe has made up his ancestry so we could get the indigenous writers award lol

[@NoTaboos]

Balanced? They destroyed half the continent's forest by fire and caused the extinction of the megafauna.

[@steveboy7302]

@Solitary confirmed Shitzophrenic haha free country how was aboriginal not free

[@lynettekomidar]

So much ignorance on here. Have you all read the journals he speaks of?

[@jimmyb4982]

It's the Internet, where too many average Joes or Janes can spread their ignorance all too easily.

[@jimmyb4982]

@Hunsa Picton I doubt you could go toe-to-toe with him in a debate.

[@jimmyb4982]

@Hunsa Picton Pure fiction? Statements like that don't build a convincing or compelling case for your competence. But I'm mindful that we're chatting on KZbin, where many people claim to be an expert and know-it-all.

[@wattsy4468]

Jimmy B yea his claims and heritage have been exposed as fraudulent. Nice try mate 👍

[@ex_leper222]

Rich W the heritage claims that the AFP have rejected, yep debunked alright.

[@fergspan5727]

The celts were the first farmers

[@happyolddude]

Hasn't this bloke been exposed as a fraud? Just asking.

[@samdavis7370]

I believe he has but it will take a while before we know for sure. It's frightening how easily he has convinced so many with so little evidence

[@happyolddude]

@@samdavis7370 Thank you, I was watching a TV show the other night which also said his grandparents and great grandparents were English? He has the fooled so many people. I believe he is the subject of a two part documentary on the ABC next week! Not surprising the ABC will not declare this or will they? I am aware that two highly qualified Family Researchers have been hired to search his claims out and all is not looking good for him. Why do people do things like this. There is also a book out shortly which exposes him as the fraud they claim he is.

[@djsega4289]

Yes

[@jackoutback1605]

Yes fraudster.... again embraced by the Left.

[@McHobotheBobo]

After a but of digging I'd say there us some controversy but to call him a fraud would be disingenuous. Really just a few articles in the Sun saying some dubious claims. As though Ernest and Christopher Giles may not have been siblings they were definitely brothers-in-arms and worked together extensively if nothing else. Horticulture would probably be a better term for the old Aboriginal plant-raising practices but to say fraud just ain't right. It is fair to say his detractors can well publish anything they want without verifying as well...... anyone can say anything after all

[@africanqueen1655]

God’s Truth and Justice is coming for Indigenous People of the earth, We will Reclaim Our Humanity, Dignity, & Land that God Blessed US with for growing Food, Shelter, Medicine and Community-MOT to be hoarded by the Greedy & Gluttonous creating Man-Made Poverty! You will know the TRUTH, the TRUTH will set you FREE.” -Jesus Christ 🙏🏿

[@tonydenman9629]

Compulsive liar.

[@opalfishsparklequasar8663]

Has he done his DNA?

[@Lex-cg3ee]

|This man has been proved to be a fraud and his book is a fiction. He is a total fraud.

[@VincentGill3]

I love witnessing the resurgence of the indigenous peoples of the world. They have much to teach us about working with nature instead of trying to tame it. Best wishes

[@warwicklewis8735]

The key would seem to be to keep the population of the entire continent under a million and don't bother building anything. That way you can light bushfires indiscrimanatly to drive game out without burning any one else's house down. Don't mine any metals, there's plenty of sharp rocks lying around. So who to vote for is a conundrum here. The people who want to stop the mines....want to increase the population by half a million a year. The people who want to stop the population increasing...want to build more mines. ????

[@drtooth7505]

We are all indigenous somewhere? Except Vincent the Martian?

[@warwicklewis8735]

@@drtooth7505 we are all indigenous just not all as entitled. Be careful of offending Martians they are a minority.

[@davidstokes8441]

He is not Aboriginal - his claimed descent has been researched and his ancestry is pure English back many generations. He is a Liar.

[@sheerluckholmes7720]

@@davidstokes8441 Indeed,but on the gravy train as we used to say. 🤑

[@westbeach8097]

It is amazing what can be achieved with some flint and sticks. No plough or beasts of burden. Maybe they used kangaroos?

[@honkytonk25]

I’d say you’ve been to far too many “smoking ceremonies’ Bruce !

[@jasonh.8754]

Bruce Pascoe makes some pretty wild claims, taken from original sources that are prone to bias. Indigenous Australians were not just farmers as they also hunted kangaroo and other animals. I believe they utilised the land around them in the best way possible to supply their food: harvesting, foraging, hunting, fishing, & burning.

[@warwicklewis8735]

Then why are they all completely dependant on welfare hand outs now ?? Why are they not using these remarkable food resources to produce commercial interests ?? There is huge global demand for sustainable food technology could they please share these secrets with us ?? Or is it just a feel good fantasy with no actual substance ???!!??

[@jasonh.8754]

@@warwicklewis8735 , your other response to my other post is your answer. Whilst Aboriginals made the most of their food resource, our food was vastly better - tastier, with more energy density, and many Aboriginal foods were poisonous if not prepared correctly. The reason humanity changed to rely on farming was for these reasons too. Native food gathering cannot support local consumption as well as excess for sale. Many Aboriginals in more remote areas of Australia do harvest native food to eat. It's a bit hard for Aboriginies in built up areas to do likewise, of course. I think Bruce Pascoes idea of endless native food resources is a fantasy, their population was not very large, and accounts I've read talk of some Indigenous starving in lean years.

[@warwicklewis8735]

@@jasonh.8754 The reason our foods are more nutrient dense is because we have selectively bred them that way....it is the result of generations of farming. You don't see this kind of genetic selection in any native foods. This is further proof that Pascoe is not "truth telling"

[@isupportchef]

@@warwicklewis8735 Do you sincerely believe that our vegetables are selectively bread for nutrient density? That has to be so far from the truth. Crops are built for yield, profit, climate advantage(drought resistance), appearance and sellability(value). Please explain why you think this? What about the fertilisers? If they are so good, why so many fertilisers? Are we talking, biodynamic, organic, or common farming? There is a big distinction. And you first response about "welfare handouts' is atrocious. Practically the entire population of Indigenous Australians were colonised, divided, removed, land taken away, jailed or killed. You have to admit that it's pretty hard to continue normal societal organisation when you've just been invaded. I have an idea, considering you are asking to... "please share these secrets?" (you said). Why not investigate a bit more? Why not travel out west, into predominantly indigenous populated areas and ask the question. teach them, See if the land is still worthy, valuable. Why do you think universities encourage Indigenous population to come to uni. Spoiler: so they can get educated and contribute to opportunities like you mentioned. I'm curious. Genuine interested what perspective of education you are coming from? Qualifications, career vocation?

[@yuuka926]

@@isupportchef have you ever eaten a wild carrot or wild onion? They are barely eatable. They are also tiny. You would need to eat 30 just be nourished

[@waynegrosvenor9699]

.Pascoe is not Aboriginal

[@tanyamead8027]

How you know?

[@ep2934]

And you know for sure because? 😊 ..

[@jeremyx1431]

I’m sick of white people claiming to be aboriginal. If you’re skin is white u are not aboriginal

[@brettbarager9101]

And what difference does that make if he is giving a more accurate accounting of history?

[@brettbarager9101]

And what difference does that make if he is giving a more accurate accounting of history?

[@steinanderson9849]

Pascoe claimed to be indigenous through his mothers side of the family, turns out she was born in England. Now he claims to be indigenous through his fathers side. What a joke. Dark Emu is full of errors.

[@mellarius188]

The Yarra Plenty Regional Libraries currently have 6 copies of Dark Emu. There are 33 holds. People are interested. YES WE ARE. Bruce, thank you for this talk.

[@warwicklewis8735]

Are they kept in the fiction section ??

[@AmandaKaymusic]

@@warwicklewis8735 Of course not. That's where they should move the lessons I was taught at school about the indigenous to though.

[@warwicklewis8735]

@@AmandaKaymusic really what is it you were taught ??? I see a lot of people make these kind of broad comments but never back it up with an actual example.

[@warwicklewis8735]

@@AmandaKaymusic I see you weren't paying much attention in your English lessons. Maybe that is why you failed to remember the Australian history class too.

[@eoinociarain7986]

Its $15 why dont they just buy it instead of waiting to borrow it?

[@fergspan5727]

He is not aboriginals and aborigines didn’t farm, they hunted and gathered

[@Bananamations]

He is literally reading journals from Australian explorers journals that say otherwise. How thick are you??

[@NoTaboos]

​@@BananamationsHe twisted the journals content.

[@sarcasmo57]

I want to try that cake.

[@ddshocktrooper5604]

Last time I checked that grass is speculated to maybe be extinct because we were too slow to care. But well, white people speculations aren't exactly the pinnacle of accuracy so there's likely no less than 10 aboriginal communities making cake with it somewhere today, but nobody has bothered to check.

[@AmandaKaymusic]

@@ddshocktrooper5604 I am looking forward to hearing how the harvest of local grains on the N.S.W. coast (mentioned in this clip) goes. The harvest time is Feb 2019. With all the mismanagement of our rivers I suspect the harvest will be more successful than the imported water hungry species, especially if you take into account the real cost of water and water mismanagement. Australia has a long written history (since 'colonisation') of drought ruining food supplies (with our more modern imported farming techniques) and serious starvation and depravation resulting from that. There are records showing how many 'settlers' were wiped out from famine. I think it is a pity so much knowledge has already been lost. I hope we start investing in learning some of the farming practices and food species from the knowledge keepers that are left.

[@nevillelamberti]

It is completely fictitious. It never existed. What a load of SH1T.

[@annao3212]

Neville Lamberti how do you know ?

[@Patrick3183]

dD ShockTrooper I feel like You’re White yourself and trying to get SJW points

[@rosshitchen-ij6en]

Isaac Batey is not typically known as the first farmer in Australia, but he is recognized as an important early settler and farmer in the Australian colonies. His life and work contribute to the understanding of early agricultural practices in Australia. Early Life and Background Birth: Isaac Batey was born on February 5, 1836, in Lancashire, England. Migration to Australia: He emigrated to Australia with his family as a child, settling in the Port Phillip District, which later became part of Victoria. Contributions to Farming in Australia Early Settlements: Family Settlement: The Batey family settled in the Sunbury area, north-west of Melbourne. Isaac's father, John Batey, was among the early settlers who established farms in this region. Pioneering Efforts: Isaac Batey continued his family's pioneering efforts, contributing to the development of agricultural practices in the area. Farming Practices: Sheep Farming: Like many early settlers, the Bateys engaged in sheep farming, which was a significant industry in colonial Australia. Sheep farming played a crucial role in the economy, providing wool for export. Crop Cultivation: In addition to livestock, early farmers like Batey cultivated crops suited to the Australian climate, experimenting with various grains and vegetables. Community Contributions: Local Historian: Isaac Batey is remembered for his contributions as a local historian. He documented the experiences of early settlers and Indigenous Australians, providing valuable insights into the early colonial period. Written Works: His writings include detailed accounts of daily life, farming practices, and interactions with the Aboriginal people. These records are valuable historical sources. Context of Early Australian Agriculture First Farmers: The title of the "first farmer in Australia" is more accurately attributed to early European settlers who established agricultural practices in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Figures like James Ruse are often credited with being among the first successful farmers. Ruse, a former convict, was granted land at Rose Hill (near modern-day Parramatta) and proved that European-style farming could be successful in the Australian environment. Indigenous Farming: It's important to note that Indigenous Australians practiced sophisticated forms of land management and farming long before European settlement. These included techniques such as fire-stick farming, yam cultivation, and fish trapping, as observed by explorers like Sir Thomas Mitchell and George Grey. Legacy Historical Significance: Isaac Batey's contributions as a settler and historian provide a window into the early agricultural development of Victoria. His records help historians understand the challenges and successes of early farming communities. Recognition: While not the "first farmer," Batey’s work is part of the broader narrative of pioneering agricultural efforts that shaped the Australian landscape and economy. Conclusion Isaac Batey was a significant early settler and farmer in colonial Australia, contributing to the agricultural development of the Sunbury area in Victoria. His work as a local historian provides valuable insights into the lives and practices of early settlers and their interactions with Indigenous Australians. While he may not hold the title of the first farmer in Australia, his contributions are an important part of the country's agricultural history.

[@user-vn7rh3yz7c]

When particular foodstuffs were in great abundance local tribes would sometimes invite neighbouring people to come and get some too. This meant very large, if not huge temporary gatherings. Bruce embroiders these events a bit to strengthen his arguments about agriculture and settled dwellings. It's not entirely accurate. One thing he gets completely wrong is when he claims the First Australians were the "most peaceful people on Earth". This is simply not true, so you might question where else is he departing from reality? Unfortunately, all cultures have blood on their hands. One tribe Bruce identifies with is the Bunurong. A neighbouring tribe, the Gurnai, tried to wipe out the entire Bunurong tribe in 1834. The main Bunurong camps were attacked at Brighton, Dromana and Koo Wee Rup. Half of all the Bunurong people were killed. It was genocide. The tribes saw each other as different humans, so it was also a race war. The two tribes had been at war for hundreds, possibly thousands of years. Previous to this the Gurnai tribe invaded the region of Wilsons Promontory and had wiped out the Bunurong 'Yowengerre' clan there. The Gurnai took ownership of this conquered territory. Conflicts like these appear nowhere in Bruce's narratives or 'truth-telling'.

[@henryjanicky4978]

Best farmers, best land keepers,best food managers, plus ➕️ fantasy stores tellers

[@jamespunch8049]

The best fire lighters as well, that's why we have global warming, they started it SIXTY ZILLION years ago.

[@seawater1322]

Dumbest and ugliest people on the planet

[@martinhall2191]

Australian's are among world leaders when it comes down to each of your topics. They owe this to the European settlers who brought the skills, seeds, and animals here. Ideal climate with good soil and access to water. Yes, Henry, you are right. Our Indigenous tell good stories too.

[@j...bro.]

Tilled with what? Where are tools.

[@rapoela7137]

Not being curious or astonished that the ancestors of Aboriginal Australians were the earliest pioneers of our migrational human ancestors to get to this continent before our other ancestors reach many parts of Asia, Europe or the Americas from our collective place of origin in Africa is very sad. We all form an amazingly diverse tapestry originating from the same human gene pool that has found creative ways to live in all corners of the planet and found amazingly creative ways to manage the landscape to prosper and survive. Our human ancestors that were skillful enough to reach this continent at least 600000 years ago is the most overlooked achievement of our species and the amount of destruction and disrespect for the incredible civilization that the diverse cultures of Aboriginal Australia were able to achieve by being the most sustainable custodians of a continent should make all Australians (and all humans) deeply respectful and proud as a nation and as human beings. They were forced ( in the most brutal way) in only 200 years to lose almost 90% of this culturally technological knowledge and deep understanding of the land to all of our detriment. The fact that some still survives within Aboriginal communities today is incredible and should be protected and understood to help redress the destructive non sustainable tendency of the dominant cultural practices we see causing havoc to human society everywhere today. We are all human with the same patterns of understanding and ancestral interconnection with each other. Now more than ever in our history we have the opportunity to use the collective knowledge we have acquired since the great ancient migrations to shed the negative and emphasise the amazing achievements such as those our Australian Aboriginal brothers and sisters have managed to retain despite the genocidal attempt to eradicate them and their culture (indirectly it is also all of us and our shared cultural history). Forget linear historical propaganda which when have been brainwashed to believe (to justify the greedy imperial and materialistic aspects of our cultural nature) let us focus on the achievements as an incredibly diverse global species. Nuclear fusion and space programs are not necessarily indicative of a wise culture as we have seen from the unimaginable destruction and political fuckery that they have wrought in the hands of cultures who claim to be the most civilized but will do anything to suppress and deny wisdom and basic humanity in their own and other cultures in the process. Let us use the example of our Australian Aboriginal family and what they have been through in the past 10's of thousands of years and in the past 200 (when other branches of the human family arrived on the continent and formed the thing we now know as Australia), of our common humanity and that great wisdom that can help the world needs to be recognised and celebrated and that any human civilization is just as fragile as the next in our ability to lose what we ignorantly believe gives us cultural superiority over others when we are all related through deep time on this earth

[@warwicklewis8735]

Do you have any examples of this wisdom and knowledge you speak of ?? With all due respect I'm just curious what exactly it is that you think they knew All the evidence points to their arrival on this continent around 45 000 years ago Within 5-10 000 years they had caused the mass extinction of the mega fauna Destroyed the ancient rainforest environment and created a dry period that continues to this day The fire resistant drought hardy species that remain are the survivors of a rapid man made extinction event The 17th century was called the age of discovery Not just Europeans but all of mankind had reached a technological level of boat building and navigation that was expanding human horizons The existence of Australia was already known It was inevitable that someone was going to exploit the resources here In fact the English decided to establish a colony here as a strategic base specifically to keep other world powers from doing so We all live in the modern world today It doesn't matter iif you are African Indonesian Irish or aboriginal the calender still reads 2024 The ancient knowledge of how to track a goanna across the dessert or grind a stone axe head is no longer valid The skills needed to survive in todays global economy are not found in bark huts or shady billabong The modern farmer feeds 30 million Australians and is a major exporter of food to the world Ancient Australia barely supplied the food requirements of less than 1 million malnourished individuals Yes we invented bombs and poison But we also invented hospitals charity medicine human rights democracy and air conditioners Our achievements should be celebrated Do you dwell on your personal failures and mistakes ? Or do you prefer to focus on the things you have done well and your best moments Wallowing in the misery of your lowest points is mentally destructive This applies also on a national scale We are not the sum of our mistakes Australia is built on our best efforts and our noblest actions

[@El-sm9gr]

The point about carbon sequestration is an interesting one, Allan Savory talks about the same thing using something much more common: grass. My only question is that with Agriculture surplus food leads to specialization and a higher population. Were these also noted by early explorers?

[@warwicklewis8735]

Agriculture requires specialized tools, none have ever been found here. Have a look (laugh) at the pathetic attempt to pass pointy rocks off as tools. Described as weighing "more than can be lifted above the waist" a weight that makes it far to heavy to be of any practical use as a tool. He claims to have seen "thousands" and yet the best example has no handle and no sign of having had one. This is conclusive proof that Bruce has never done an honest days work but that is all it proves.

[@ericrussell5861]

Yes hence the genocide

[@NCRonrad]

@@warwicklewis8735 you don’t think biodegradable (eg wood and bone) would be harder to find? And you sound awfully dismissive of genocide..

[@warwicklewis8735]

@@NCRonrad we are not talking about thousands of years. Only 200 years has past since colonisation. This is not long enough for wood and bone to completely deteriorate. As is evidenced by the wooden hunting and gathering tools that are still found. The definition of genocide does not include providing free education and health care. Or sustained efforts to protect and preserve cultural traditions. It's not that I dismiss genocide....it's more a case of I dismiss political propaganda.

[@saimoncole]

That's what I was wondering... Specialization also led to civilization - civil = cities. Aborigines invented bread and society?? That was invented independently in many places around the world. Pity he politicizes this. Keep to the facts.

[@danieldowling4993]

My ancestors managed the land but didn't farm it. Country provided everything we needed as long as we looked after the land and animals.

[@henryjanicky4978]

What was the method you used to look after land- fire?

[@CurlyEm]

Mr Pascoe thank you for sharing this wonderful talk

[@cobar5342]

It is a lie

[@oldtimers6460]

Pascoe is not even Aboriginal and a fantasy writer. He has no idea what it takes to Farm and is just pulling peoples chain for a cushy job. My family worked the land for over 100 years and it took them years just to clear the land to farm. As to the grains he talks about ,all were introduced by colonization. His talk about flowing fields in the heart of Australia is BS as there is not enough water to supply such crops and they did not have the means to transport water over long distance. They had no work animals to even work the land so vast fields is BS again. Pascoe is a lair and fraud, no even recognized by the Aboriginal people.

[@haydenwalton2766]

hilarious. the australian media outlets put this stuff by pascoe on youtube, but they turn the comments off so the public can't put facts in the story

[@billygrey8087]

Isn’t this guy like Elizabeth Warren? Basically claiming to be aboriginal for financial benefit? Just asking

[@TracyBartram]

Billy Grey you can’t be serious. Have you read Dark Emu?

[@billygrey8087]

Tracy Bartram I’ve read the comparisons between what dark emu was supposed to be quoting versus the actual literature that was written by explorers - it’s highly exaggerated and twists the facts. Yes nomadic people can harvest grain etc however it’s wrong where it was saying they were planting crops like farmers. Have you actually read the literature of the explorers that Pascoe claims to be quoting and compared it with his quotes? Provably naht.

[@freewheeler8924]

Good point! I don't believe Pascoe is an authentic aboriginal. American Indian? Perhaps....

[@biancajones2337]

This man continues to identify as Aboriginal, but is not recognised or accepted as such by the First Nations peoples he claims to come from.

[@thenextchrislawrence]

Awesome stuff Uncle Bruce Pascoe!

[@Ray-wm8dz]

Google Dark Emu exposed - The myth of Aboriginal agriculture.

[@AndrewLouisOstrom]

Ray who are these faceless and nameless men you speak of?

[@Ray-wm8dz]

@@AndrewLouisOstrom Type "Dark Emu Exposed - The Myth of Aboriginal Agriculture?" on Google or other similar questions.

[@billygrey8087]

More like fake news ?

[@AndrewLouisOstrom]

anthony k ah, The Andrew Bolt crowd have arrived. Nothing like being told what to think.

[@MrGidupngo]

Guess who's been thoroughly discredited by anthropologists? For further information, read Farmers Or Hunter Gatherers by Sutton and Walshe.

[@brettdavis4903]

To save me the time, in a nut shell, did Aboriginal Australians farm? Its a big country, it is possible that some communities did establish semi-permanent sites that they farmed seasonally.

[@MrGidupngo]

Yes, Possible. Aso may have driven around in home made diesel cars. Just because there's no evidence doesnt mean it aint so! , @@brettdavis4903

[@MrGidupngo]

@@brettdavis4903 Sure, and they may have built Nuclear Power Plants. Who Knows?

[@thebrightsideok]

Bring back the yams!

[@davidhill8520]

A complete work of fiction. As the author is

[@mattjohnson2525]

This bloke's work was debunked by anthropologist Peter Sutton and archaeologist Keryn Walsh. "Littered with errors and unsourced material.." His claim to aboriginality is also disputed by many - including some of his own family. Treat this with appropriate skepticism.

[@russell_beddyoisken]

This is why TEDx talks have the reputation and status they now have....

[@articulatecommunity9492]

This is fantastic information. Thank you Bruce. This needs to be shared

[@Ray-wm8dz]

@REDFOX393 SMITH This does not need to be shared however truthful it is. Fiction works better and Aboriginal activists are not interested in anything which does not advance their cause for MORE Aboriginal rights and benefits.

[@cobar5342]

This dude is an aboriginal activist. He is out to shame the 'white' man. The funny thing is that he is clearly one of those!. Not a lot of aboriginal blood in him.

[@whatevs1700]

I agree with growing local crops if there are such viable plants. But this guy is a known fraud cherry picking a small number of quotes, misrepresenting them and then adding his imagination. The big whole in his argument is that if the large fields of crop were true, the Europeans would have been keen to have such crops continue. Food is food after all and in those early days of European settlement, life was tough and food scarce. Another hole is that surely a culture with a strong history of oral story, the indigenous people of these areas themselves would have stories and passed this knowledge down. Where are these stories. I also understand Pascoe to be fully white on all sides of his ancestry, so really he is just a man with a fantasy. Look, I am open minded that there may have been some form of farming, but I wouldn’t trust this dude.

[@sebastianomusmarra]

Bruce Pascoe is what is known as a trans Australian Aboriginal .

[@dplant8961]

Hi, Folks. Let me see ANY SCIENTIFIC proof of ANY of this MIS-information and I will apologize for this comment. I have wandered around Western Australia from South to North and I have seen some of the rock art in this country. I have also seen just how little the Aboriginal people changed the country and how little indication of their occupancy of said country they left behind. I have seen tidal fish traps constructed of rocks that let tidal water filter in through the rocks and fish swim over the top as the tide rose high enough, only to leave some of the fish stranded on the 'wrong' side of the rock wall as the tide receded. I have seen some of their midden heaps of shellfish shells that indicate a LONG history of collecting and eating these food sources I have seen the etched rock art that can be found in various places in the Pilbara in Western Australia and elsewhere, some of which had great significance for Aboriginal survival by indicating the direction and distance to water NOWHERE have I EVER seen ANY signs of any 'cities' of dwellings or of ANY 'cultivation' or 'farming' of the land beyond the burning off of areas of land before they moved on to follow seasonal changes in the availability of various food sources. What's more, I have NEVER heard any aboriginals even speak of any of the things that Pascoe claims were part of their history. Not ONCE. Not EVER. Just my 0.02. You all have a wonderful day. Best wishes. Deas Plant.

[@peterdoran8443]

Hi Deas, I have just received my copy of Peter O'Brien's book 'Bitter Harvest' this book debunks Mr. Pasco's thesis covering his book DARK EMU and what he embellishes by deception.

[@James-kv6kb]

@@peterdoran8443 I didn't need to buy a book to know that lol

[@sariyahm]

when i first watched this i thought an episode of westworld was about to start

[@user-je6ls2pd7j]

This man is totally discredited he is not Aboriginal and has no Aboriginal in his family at all. He is a liar, facts do not stand up to critical examination . Please review other examinations of his book.

[@patricktimbs8788]

history reimagined for woke viewers. An absolute joke.

[@Ryan-eu3kp]

Aaaaa this crackpot

[@sophrapsune]

There was such a vast agricultural industry that there were no food storage or bulk transport systems. Pascoe’s propaganda has long been debunked but that’s never been a problem for TED.

[@tanyamead8027]

We only take or use what we need….we don’t store as such….🙄

[@sophrapsune]

@@tanyamead8027 If that’s the case, there would be no motive for mass agricultural production as Pascoe claims existed. Mass agricultural production requires storage and transport logistics if the food isn’t to rot in the field. Furthermore, any given food supply is only available for a few weeks at a time. If they “only use what we need” that means a nomadic, seasonal subsistence lifestyle and not agriculture. Agriculture produces seasonal gluts of produce and must manage them.

[@tanyamead8027]

@@sophrapsuneand this is where we are at today…what is indigenous farming?? we do things differently, seasonal, live off the earth etc. we are not the colonial non indigenous farmer, who sprays and cuts everything they can so much that the soil is now sooo sh3t, that they have to use chemicals for everything to grow anything Live off the earth, go off the grid ….simple! If you don’t look after the land, the land can’t look after you!!

[@ozoneswiftak]

Alot of rude comments. Let me assure you all, were still learning about our history. Everything under the sun has already been done. Earth has many past civilizations.

[@aujay]

Don't forget the Cannibalism of Far North Queensland tribes due to the fact that they were/are hunter-gatherers, who do not grow crops or domesticate livestock and thus were often starving and fighting other local tribes for their food and were certainly lacking in protein sources. Of course numerous types of cannibalism has been practiced in many parts of this country - including tribal rights for parents, who were allowed to eat the remains of their deceased children!

[@coreluminous]

80,000 + years of continued sustainable, nurturant culture, during which at least 1 billion persons were born, lived, loved, lost and died.. good lives, biologically healthy lives, lives mostly egalitarian in dynamic. 250 language groups and little in the way of organised multi-generational war-fare. People acknowledged tensions and conflict resolution was the typical response. They survived two massive climate changesm without losing their genetic diversity... These people know how to live here, with all that is, and they know how to live lives full of love, abundance,m effort, laughter, poignancy... they know more about being truly biologically healthy as human species than the colonisers do. Even stil. Make Austraila Great Again! Give it Back and listen to the elders. Listen because even still they will love you, and nurture you. Just open up. It's not that diffficult.

[@Luke-bj8mr]

I am not trying to call you a liar or diminish anything the aboriginals did but the whole 80,000 years ago thing makes no sense to me. I mean 80,000 years ago Neanderthals and denisovans were still living. That would make it the oldest civilization to ever exist wouldn’t it? I feel like in a location such as tropical Australia agricultural would of been practical and a probable way of life so I am not debating that it was practiced to some extent. But if you compare the aboriginal Australians to say native Americans in Mexico or Aryans in ancient India which are other cultures that developed independently they have evidence of large scale civilizations and functioning economies. I mean if you claim they are that old how in all of that time did they not build something of significance. I can’t personally think of an ancient people and culture living in rainforests not to build some type of stone buildings. I guess you could point out specific areas in South America and elsewhere but I am talking on large scale. I think Australian Aboriginals are very similar to native Americans that were found in the eastern US. Both practiced agriculture but native Americans there did not build massive cities or towns which could be very similar to the aboriginal in Australia.

[@coreluminous]

@@Luke-bj8mr hmmm... the mistake many make is to thinkthat civilisation is an inevitable marker of progress. It's not. Biology mandates healthy behaviour in all species.... Bullying, or Violent Hierarchy is not healthy behaviour.... In Anthropology we see spectra of behaviour from egalitarian to hierarchically violent. Studies of Neuro-development, endocrinology suggest like wise the mandate for healthy behaviour, because being bully anbd being bullied damage the body and the mind.,

[@coreluminous]

We humans are evolved to nurture,not to destroy...

[@Luke-bj8mr]

@@coreluminous I see what you have done. Do you like cake? It is not very good for you.

[@coreluminous]

@@Luke-bj8mr some cake is good, excess not so good.

[@riepie]

There's a lot of racists in these comments...

[@Patrick3183]

Oh shut up.

[@capital_beaz4725]

@@Patrick3183 lol I found one of the racists

[@MrRealgiovanni]

Or maybe it's people who have read the original source documents and struggled to find the passages Bruce quotes verbatim.

[@dennisthemenace57]

This bloke is no longer taken seriously. His "work" has been debunkedcompletely

[@rodpratt7718]

Yet we also have so many more sources showing that hunting and gathering was the predominant means of subsistence. Could it be that sedentary horticulture was just starting to catch on? I doubt that the early Europeans transitioned from hunting to horticulture overnight.

[@James-kv6kb]

Yes but Europeans were isolated from the rest of the world for nearly 100000 years

[@jenericjoe7565]

6:34 well okay then

[@mike-sy7cm]

Guy that writes book tells you that your understanding of history is wrong and his books will fill in the gaps. You should trust him because he has a liniage in a culture that only passes down information in story format. !! For the first time this guy is selling a book that... ***

[@justin8079]

What a legend Mr Pascoe is! Big respect for this man.

[@Ray-wm8dz]

Dark Emu has been debunked and Aboriginal tribes rejected Pascoe's claim of being an Aboriginal.

[@skydonsgamingtv4898]

Thank you for showing the indigenou australians had a great civilization

[@warwicklewis8735]

You need to look up the definition of civilization. And the definition of the word great.

[@warwicklewis8735]

@Dustin Geard there was a lot of explorers and settlers. It would make sense that some of them would have noticed this alledged agricultural tribe. The first Europeans in America clearly describe the cities they found and the societies that they encountered. They made clear distinctions between the settled farming cultures and those that lived a nomadic hunter gather lifestyle. These same people clearly identified indigenous Australians were all nomadic hunters. We get a lot of our modern farm produce from the American native farmers that they found there. Potatoes, tomatoes, chilli, corn and turkeys to name just a few of the more popular foods in our modern diet. All these foods quickly became part of a European diet. Yet not one single domesticated food comes from Australia.

[@warwicklewis8735]

@Dustin Geard there are many thousands of records. Journals written by eyewitnesses explorers sailors and settlers who actually lived with and spoke to these people. Scientific studies by leading anthropologists and historians of the time. And also rock paintings by the indigenous people themselves. These sources are all very clear on the facts. They recognize the various tribal features distinctions and nuances that are unique to different areas. Not only do they record different languages but also the tribal practices and ceremonies that distinguish one tribe from another. Still none of them mention a tribe that practiced agriculture. Even the art drawn by the people themselves shows no farming tools or change in lifestyle. To say that all these people who were actually eyewitnesses there at the time were wrong. But that a modern political activist has found the truth is truly a stretch of the imagination.

[@drugilbert2447]

Fraud

[@user-wy6iu6gw3s]

Bruce Pascoe's a shockingly dishonest and divisive pseudo historian. Here's an example. Dark Emu p. 30: "The science of baking developed alongside the seed harvests. Richard Fullagar, at the Australian Museum, and Judith Field, at the University of New South Wales, found grindstones at Cuddie Springs, near Walgett, in western New South Wales, which had been used to grind more than 30,000 years ago. This makes the people the world's oldest bakers by almost 15,000 years, as the Egyptians, the next earliest, didn't bake until 17,000 BC." Leaving aside the fact that this "boast" mirrors similar boasts by white supremacists that "we" invented steam engines and the internet, Pascoe's summary of Fullagar and Field's discovery doesn't match their own descriptions of it. They found grindstones which COULD have been used to grind seed to a paste, or COULD have been used to make flour which may then have been put on hot rocks to cook out the starch, or COULD have been used for other purposes such as to grind ochres. Dark Emu p. 31: "The explorer Hamilton Hume, in frank conversation with Robinson, said that he had been on the exploration parties of Captain Charles Sturt (1795-1869), and that, 'on the Darling the Natives gather grain from the wild oats and grind it between two stones and make a paste and eat it, the same is done by the Natives to the northward'." First bakers or first tahini-makers? Bruce's agenda, from start to finish, is anti-white, with explicit accusations directed at reputable historians such as Charles Manning Clark, Geoffrey Blainey, Bain Atwood, Henry Reynolds, Lyndall Ryan and others too scrupulous to turn the discovery of grindstones into a "we understood the science of baking" claims.

[@annprince5298]

Many of aboriginal groups denied he was a Native Aborihins S have survived in the outback for thousands of years learned how to use the land knowvtheir way in the Desertr They are the land. ( pardon me Aboriginals sorry spellchecker)

[@Andrew-yb1uv]

This guy is of English heritage.

[@mistersmacky]

His claims are about as real as Wakanda

[@Brokenlama2024]

Shouldn’t this be taken down for misinformation?

[@warwicklewis8735]

Except that the government has approved this particular lie It is no longer misinformation instead it has become propaganda