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[Originally published in the February Issue, 18th of February 2026]
When did colonisation begin?
Is it a case of human nature and human expansion? Or is it a case of imperial nations forcing Indigenous communities to assimilate, while exploiting and stealing resources?
Did it start in the ancient, medieval period with the Phoenicians, Babylonians, Persians, Romans, Arabs and Greeks? Or was it the High Middle Ages that saw the colonising Europeans? All we know is that it has been happening for far too long, and its consequences are far too detrimental. This can be seen all around the world.
European powers divided up African territories without any consultation from Indigenous peoples in what’s referred to as the Scramble for Africa. All because they wanted to exploit Africa’s minerals and natural resources. Borders were drawn by colonial powers with no regard to ethnic groups, which effectively lumped together unrelated communities and created unnecessary internal tensions. This was not all, colonies were forced to produce only one or two cash crops as this is what they were ‘valued for,’ resulting in global price fluctuations. African languages and spiritual systems also suffered at the hands of colonisation. European languages such as English, French and Portuguese became official languages, aiding in the erasure of many Indigenous languages and dialects. Furthermore, Christianity became extremely widespread within Africa, at the expense of African spiritual systems. This is only some of what has led to the current war occurring in Sudan. It is due to Western powers only valuing countries for their natural resources and disregarding the effect this has on Indigenous communities.
Just across the sea from Sudan, Palestine has faced a similar fate. The signing of the Balfour Declaration in 1917 saw the start of Palestinian land being annexed for Jewish settlements. Since being occupied by the British, Palestine was promised as a Zionist state after World War I as though it was their land to bestow upon whomever they pleased. As though they had some invisible right to a land that was not their own. Not only was Palestine’s land stolen, but their natural resources were also exploited – including something as common as water – by the colonising entity. Soon after in 1948, over one million Palestinians were displaced from their lands, their homes, their country, in what’s referred to as Al Nakba (The Catastrophe). Since then, Israel has committed various massacres towards Palestinians in an effort to ethnically cleanse them and erase their culture. But the colonisers have not been successful, nor will they be. Inspired by African resistance, grassroots Palestinian organisers launched the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement in 2005. They have also garnered worldwide support during the 2023-current genocide.
Why venture away from home when we can see the effects of colonisation right here in so-called Australia? Upon arriving on Australian soil, the British Imperial powers treated Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as flora and fauna rather than equal human beings, stealing their lands and displacing their people. One of the many horrible effects of colonisation on the Indigenous peoples was the Stolen Generation. Over 100,000 Indigenous children were stolen from their families and placed within white society: the British’s attempt at eradicating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture. Of course, this is not the only suffering that Indigenous people faced due to colonisation; they lost access to their sacred sites, their resources, and even their languages. Traditional languages became outlawed, and spiritual practices became forbidden, all contributing to the suppression of cultural expression within Indigenous societies. Even now, while we like to claim that we’ve erased all effects of colonisation, Indigenous people merely receive an acknowledgement that this land once belonged to them, and a reconciliation week but no true rights. What good is claiming to respect and acknowledge the traditional owners when you won’t give them the simple rights they’re owed? When you won’t give them back their land?
For far too long, Western powers have laid claim to lands they had no right to claim. And for far too long we’ve stood idly by. We need to stop stealing peoples’ lands. We must put an end to ruthless colonisation. It must stop with us!
This is the first (introductory) article of a brand-new series that will analyse the effects of colonisation on a chosen country per edition. Stay tuned for my next piece focusing on Australia!
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