Hostages to Whiteness

Hostage syndrome is understood as a psychological attachment developed due to fear or other circumstances that may elude the consciousness of those who are held captive. Earlier reference to hostage theory often was restricted to being held prisoner against one’s will. Elsewhere a broader context has been described to illuminate captive, psychologically dependent or dominating relationships, or influential ideology. In Australia, colonizers of British heritage committed unfathomable atrocities against the First Nations people while seeking to establish their “superiority” and their legitimacy to claim ownership. In Australia and elsewhere it is an imperative to challenge ongoing oppression and the impacts of White master narratives in order to bring about critical social change. Yet those with colonizer heritage may be held captive by a Whitewashed history, in part because facing the truth might feel like a considerable disloyalty and a threat to their socialized White identity. Equally, subsequent generations of Australian migrant bystanders have benefitted by turning a blind eye to First Nations’ peoples suffering, dispossession, and disempowerment. In this chapter, while recognizing some pitfalls, I ponder whether introducing hostage theory when critically examining past atrocities, pervasive White privilege, and the ongoing undermining of Indigenous knowledges might enable learners to more easily deconstruct their White captive mind.