The Aboriginal Australian poet, Oodgeroo Noonuccal, in her poem ‘we are going’ examines the impact of colonial conquest on aboriginal Australians with reference to:
[A] Loss of ‘bora ground’
[B] Loss of aboriginal identify
[C] Loss of new education
[D] Loss of primitive culture
[E] None of the above
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:

The correct answer is A, B and D only.

Explanation:
Oodgeroo Noonuccal’s seminal poem, "We Are Going" (1964), is a poignant lamentation on the devastating impacts of European colonization on Aboriginal Australians. Through the poem, she illustrates several key dimensions of this historical trauma:

1. Loss of "bora ground" (A): The poem explicitly states, "The Bora ring is gone," referring to the sacred initiation grounds. The physical dispossession of their traditional lands and the destruction of sacred ceremonial sites (like the bora ground) are central themes.
2. Loss of Aboriginal identity (B): The title and the refrain "We are going" signify the erasure and cultural genocide facing the Aboriginal people. As their culture, traditions, and lands are stripped away, their collective identity is threatened with extinction.
3. Loss of primitive culture (D): The poem mourns the fading of traditional ways of life, spiritual beliefs, and the deep connection to nature. The text portrays the native people as the "nature-owners" and the "laughter of quiet valleys," expressing how their ancient culture has been disrupted and displaced by colonial settlement.

Conversely, "Loss of new education" (C) is incorrect and historically out of place, as the poem focuses on the erosion of indigenous heritage rather than the loss of colonial or western-style education. "None of the above" (E) is also incorrect since options A, B, and D accurately identify the themes of the poem.

Therefore, the impacts examined in the poem correspond strictly to statements A, B, and D.