You said it - the Empire conveniently defined indigenous peoples as local wildlife. In Australia they even gave it a legal term - "terra nullius". As in, "People? What people? We don't see no humans here."
I remember in school, when they'd teach us about "explorers" "discovering" parts of Australia, I'd ask them, "But weren't there already people living there? Why didn't they just ask them?" The teacher would give me the strangest look.
You said it - the Empire conveniently defined indigenous peoples as local wildlife. In Australia they even gave it a legal term - "terra nullius". As in, "People? What people? We don't see no humans here."
Terra Nullius was used as a legal reason to take over Canada as well. See the book by the same name. Shocking history.
I remember in school, when they'd teach us about "explorers" "discovering" parts of Australia, I'd ask them, "But weren't there already people living there? Why didn't they just ask them?" The teacher would give me the strangest look.
Rhymes with " A land with no people for a people with no land" as the Brits munch on Jaffa Cakes.
Who grew the oranges? That does not matter to infantilized adults who are comfortable in the heart of the empire.
Archival footage here showing the cities, ports, etc of Palestine.
https://www.aljazeera.com/program/featured-documentaries/2013/5/29/al-nakba/