Sustained Colonial Structures: Physical & Institutional 

UN Sustainable Development Goals:

#10: Reduced Inequalities

#16: Peace, Justice & Strong Institutions

 

Throughout our time spent studying abroad in Europe and Australia, we realized it is nearly impossible to participate in any sort of tourist activity without taking note of its lingering colonial presence. History shows up everywhere in both loud and subtle ways; every place tells its story if you pay close enough attention. 

Through our individual photos, we found an overarching common theme amongst our subjects: manifestations of both physical and institutional sustained colonial structures. Unfortunately, more times than not, the scales of power are tipped in favor of the dominant power, at the expense of Indigenous livelihood. Due to the causal relationship between colonial history and current social issues of Indigenous peoples of or affected by these countries, we chose to focus on U.N. Sustainable Development Goals #10: Reduced Inequalities and #16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions. This photo essay gives a glimpse into how colonialism has molded the political, social, economic, and cultural landscapes of Spain, Australia, and Denmark. 

Since Spain does not have direct contact with the Indigenous communities in Latin America impacted by colonization, their perception of colonization centers around the glorification of Spanish power rather than on the exploitation of Indigenous peoples. The glorification calls on systematic global inequality, furthered by the colonialist extraction of wealth from Latin America. The absence of Spanish acknowledgement of colonial human rights abuses has been perceived as a limited exercise of justice towards Indigenous communities. 

Non-Indigenous figureheads have often called Australia a “young” country, referencing the British First Fleet’s “arrival” on January 26, 1788. This date of European invasion marks Australia Day, effectively erasing Indigenous Australians’ long, long history – approximately 40,000 years old. Indigenous ‘Aboriginal’ Australians are the oldest continuously living civilization on Earth. Ever since colonization, Indigenous Australians have been fighting not only against numerous systemic issues including police brutality, inaccessibility to healthcare, and racial discrimination in all spheres, but also for mere visibility. Indigenous erasure by post-colonial institutions is an enormously prevalent theme in the Indigenous fight for equitable systems and existence.

Though Denmark and associated nordic countries such as Norway are not traditionally thought of as European colonial superpowers to the extent of countries such as England, Spain, or France, the empirical influence of Denmark has both had a lasting impact on former colonies and the current political environment of Denmark related to issues of equality among races, ethnicities, religions, and immigration status. Though Scandinavia as a whole, but Denmark specifically, prides itself on being a nation of equal opportunity maintained by the welfare state, this attitude can make conversations about past or present inequality, exploitation, or prejudice difficult, even when physical reminders of historical oppression are present.

The Catedral de Santa María de la Sede, or the Seville Cathedral is the largest Gothic church in the world and which, notably, holds the tomb of Christopher Columbus. In fact, the tomb of the alleged Spanish cultural ‘hero’ acts attracts many to pay the €12 fee to enter the Cathedral and specifically stand among its presence. As Seville was a major trade port during the Spanish trans-national colonization, the legacy of colonial structures persists in this city. The city has been able to maintain these colonial structures, such as Columbus’ tomb, and transform them into symbols of national pride and profitable tourist attractions. 

Contrasting this exalted perception of Columbus in the context of the Cathedral, many – especially in the Americas – have called for the destruction of statues of Columbus. They understand Columbus as a symbol for European colonization, racism, and mass genocide. The tomb represents the failure to reconcile the ongoing global inequalities stemming from the European colonization of the Americas. Furthermore, the conflicting narratives of Columbus communicate how people feel as if justice for Indigenous peoples of the Americas has not been upheld.

Firstly, I’d like to acknowledge that this photo was taken on the traditional lands of the Gadigal People of the Eora Nation, and I pay my respect to elders both past and present. 

In 1983, Australian artist Carol Ruff and a team of local Eora TAFE college members painted this mural to honor the Indigenous presence in Redfern, an inner-city suburb of Sydney. Drawing inspiration from Murri musician Joe Geia’s song, “40,000 Years,” the mural depicts the Rainbow Serpent, a powerful spiritual force of creation in Indigenous lore. The feet can have multiple interpretations, mostly connected by the theme of Indigenous journeys throughout Australian land for the past 40,000 years (Bettes). 

The Redfern Indigenous community reconvened in 2018 to breathe new life into this mural. Not only did these restoration efforts serve as an Indigenous practice of reiteration of stories, they also function as a preventative action against cultural erasure in the midst of gentrification. Redfern is a historical hub for Indigenous locals, but the increasingly expensive Sydney real estate market continues to displace these communities. However, regardless of how structural inequities continue to disadvantage Indigenous peoples, this mural displayed in plain sight is a symbol of resistance, survival, and proof of life (Griffiths).

This photo is an example of Denmark’s colonial history existing in plain sight. Considered one of the most notable equestrian statues, the sculpture commissioned by the Danish East India Company depicts King Frederick V and resides in the courtyard of Amalienborg Palace, current home of HM the Danish Queen.

When contemplating historical European colonial powers, the tiny, neutral nation of Denmark is not traditionally discussed outside of ancient Viking history. However, Denmark and Norway’s colonial influence in Greenland, the Caribbean, West Africa, and India spanned centuries until Greenland was formally integrated into Denmark as a county in 1953, and the profits made through colonial trading, including the transatlantic slave trade, were critical in shaping Copenhagen, Denmark’s capital. While Denmark’s colonial history has recently been discussed in relation to offensive and stereotypical packaging found on goods in supermarkets, the Danes are often reluctant to revisit Denmark’s history (and present) of institutional racism. When people speak up about things such as racial caricatures in packaging, they are criticized for being “too sensitive” or “pc.” The moniker “hygge racism” was created, noting the phenomenon of addressing racial issues being seen as killing the good vibes, and not being able to take a joke. This attitude, along with the fact that Scandinavian nations like Denmark are touted as some of the most “equal” countries in the world, contributes to an atmosphere where discussing racial issues, historical examples of exploitation, or most recently immigration, is discouraged because everything is perfect and equal now (it isn’t).