Dr Nicholas Herriman1, Dr Alistair Welsh2, Dr Monika Winarnita2
1La Trobe University, , Australia, 2Deakin University, , Australia
Generally, scholars in postcolonial studies view rejecting a colonial language as a radical act. But is it less radical for (formerly) colonised subjects to speak in the coloniser’s tongue? Based on extensive fieldwork on the Cocos (Keeling) Islands, we contend that local Malays have an uneasy relationship with English. After 150 years’ rule under a dynasty of English-speaking ‘White Rajahs’, the local Cocos Malays voted, in 1984, for their islands to be integrated into Australia. As Australian citizens, for the Cocos Malays the significance of using English is context/situation-dependent. Using English can be highly empowering as much as oppressive. However, other options are also problematic. Local residents perceive themselves to be partly descended from Indonesians. Indeed, Indonesian was taught in the local school as part of the Australian education department’s curriculum. This however met with disapproval, leading to calls for the teaching of Cocos Malay. However, Cocos Malay mostly exists as an oral—formal codification has yet to be undertaken. At the same time, most parents desire that their children achieve proficiency in English. This complexity of the language situation is a barometer of the historical and social contestation.
Biography:
Dr Nicholas Herriman is a senior lecturer in Social and Cultural Anthropology at La Trobe University. He has conducted fieldwork in East Java and on the Cocos (Keeling) Islands. His published works included The Entangled State (Yale Southeast Asian Studies) and Witch-hunt and Conspiracy.
Monika, Alistair, and Nick have all undertaken fieldwork among Cocos Malays on Australia’s Cocos (Keeling) Islands.