Stereotyping Aboriginal People

After doing research on stereotyping for my reflection paper on Babakiueria I came across this old stereotype which is in all Australian Peoples wallets, even the Indigenous.
 

If you can please take out and view one of each coin: Five cents, ten cents, twenty cents, one dollar and two dollars. What is the common theme? I will give you a hint.... Look at the images designed for each coin (even include old coins).

One cents (fethertail glider)

Two cents (frill-neck lizard)

Five cents (echidna)

Ten cents (lyrebird)
Twenty cents (platypus)

One dollar (mob of kangaroos) 

Two dollars (an Indigenous Man)

(this image is from http://www.creativespirits.info/aboriginalculture/people/aboriginal-australia-stereotype.html)

 

The general consensus is that it is a representation of Australia's fauna, however, there is one coin that is left out, the Indigenous Man and I wanted to find out why.

 

 

"Most coins were designed and introduced in February 1966 [14], more than a year before Aboriginal people were counted as citizens in their own country. It was a time when they were still thought to 'die out' eventually and politics of the Stolen Generations would be carried on for at least another ten years.

The series of coins suggests that Aboriginal people were seen as part of the landscape. Ironically the 'native tree' shown next to the head of the Aboriginal man used to be called 'blackboy', a reference to Indigenous people not only because the grass tree, as it is now known, has a black stem after a bushfire, but also because it develops a spear-like shoot which holds the flower and can be up to two metres in height.

"You see, this is where we fit into the white scheme of things, as fauna, part of the animal kingdom, part of the landscape." —'Craig', an Aboriginal character in John Damalis' book Riding the Black Cockatoo

One might argue that the one dollar and two dollars coins are not really part of the others because they were designed and added in 1983 and 1987. The fact remains, however, that Aboriginal people might be offended and think otherwise." (1)

In all honesty, I want the currency to be changed and I am sure the Aboriginal people would feel the same way. Who would want to be represented as part of the landscape and not 'human'? I would change the two dollars to fit in with the rest of the 'landscape' and change the notes to Historical Aboriginal People who had a major impact on Australia as a country. It is the least we can do for the Aboriginal People because of how white Australians have treated them and I believe they are our 'real' heritage and history not the Queen etc. I understand why they are on our currency however, the Aboriginal People were here before them and are the first owners of the land and we should respect that by changing the currency to best fit with this.

(1) Geoffrey Artherdan & J. Pringle, “Creative Spirits: Stereotypes & prejudice of 'Aboriginal Australia'”,  http://www.creativespirits.info/aboriginalculture/people/aboriginal-australia-stereotype.html (accessed July 29, 2011)