Indigenous History and the Current Situation of Indidenous People - Essay Example

?How is Indigenous history and the current situation of Indigenous peoples in Victoria presented at the Melbourne Museum`s Bunjilaka exhibition? Abstract The Australian Aboriginal society has the longest continuous cultural history in the world, with origins dating back at least 50,000 years, possibly even 70,000. (Singh, Andrew, Andy, Choy, Finlay, Greenway, Kenny, Morrissey, O`Byrne & Scott, 2001, p.22) Indeed, if we think about it, even the word "Aboriginal" itself, which comes from Latin, means "from the beginning". For some time now Melbourne Museum has been hosting a series of Indigenous exhibitions in an attempt to put in the spotlight the issues still in dispute. At present, there are six such exhibitions, of which four permanent and two temporary. If you ckeck them out you will find that they deal with a great variety of subjects: history, legislation, rituals and ceremonies, art. The Aborigines have a very troubled history behind them and they still have unsolved issues that do not allow them to fully move forward and face the new times. Throughout time they passed on their artistry, they taught their children their stormy history, they fought for the recognition of their wrights and, generally, they remembered everything that was ever theirs, including the lands they "lost" to the sea, during the Holocene (15,000 to 10,000 years ago). (Singh et al., 2001, p.22) That may be so because for the Aborigines land also provided spiritual strength. (Singh et al., 2001, p.32) Indeed, a people which remembers and preserves its past so vividly deserves to be presented to the large public, because it is the recognition of this public that will help it move on into the future, while at the same time trying to hold on to the past, as well. The Aborigines and their early history Although none of the six exhibitions focuses on the early history of the Aborigines, a minimal knowledge of it could benefit anyone willing to visit the Indigenous exhibitions. Their first ancestors arrived in the Pleistocene by land bridges and sea-crossings, in waves, over a long period of time. (Singh et al., 2001, p.22) Apparently the first settlers found large forests, lakes with plenty of fish and even giant marsupials (3m tall kangaroos), huge flightless birds and giant reptiles. With only a few carnivorous predators present, the settlers flourished. Some of them lived in a nomadic style, moving for access to water, food and resources. Where they could, the Aborigines made semipermanent dwellings, moving out only during the annual wet season. Very few of them lived by the sea and struggled to make out a living in permanent villages. We know that they used to burn the land in order to renew it, thus being also safe from major fires that appeared naturally in the dry season. It can be said that the Aborigines did not have the conditions to settle down properly and build cities, like other ancients peoples. Generally speaking, for a city to exist you must have a specific social class system, a geographical division into sections with administrative/ military functions, a religious space of some sort. (Levy, 2008, p.8) The Stolen Generations Between 1910-1970 around 100,000 Indigenous children were forcibly removed from their families. (Singh et al., 2001, p.26) According to the laws of the time, Indigenous children could be removed from anywhere and at any time, without a court order, as the parents had no legal rights to the children. The purpose appears to have been to take the children, teach them to live like the whites and then turn them into domestics or labourers for the whites. In 1995 there began an inquiry into these matters, which was finalised in May 1997 with schocking results. (Singh et al., 2001, p.26) The report published stories of sexual abuses and excessive physical punishment. Sources say about the stolen children that "Despite claims that it was for their own good, they were not better educated, nor more likely to be employed and not receiving significantly higher incomes than people who were raised in their communities." (Singh et al., 2001, p.26) State governments have made formal apologies for this policy, but the federal government would not. Prime Minister John Howard firmly refused to offer apologies on behalf of the nation, despite recognising the harms that had been done. (Singh et al., 2001, p.27) The Indigenous Exhibitions The Birrarung Gallery It is a sparkling exhibition, aired and lavish, and I think by this design it expresses the hopes of the Aborigines for the future. It consists of various artefacts, e.g. clothes, pictures, writings, etc. An important part of the exhibits are photos, and with modern subjects, for that matter. This kind of artefact can express very well the mixture between tradition and modernity, as well as the social issues, as it is the case here. The curators tried to inspire the feeling of "alive", hence the representations of people, dressed and with various other objects around them. The very shape of the rooms which house the exhibition (curved, large and of a strangely exotic shape) resemble the passage through history of the Aborigines. This shape was inspired by the Yarra River ("Birrarung" in some local dialects), which runs through the heart of Melbourne. "Two Laws" This is a permanent exhibition having as subject Indigenous knowledge, law and property. It has been suggested that until now "Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Australians have had a continuing dialogue since first contact. " (Russell, 2001) The purpose of "Two Laws" is to make people understand that it is neccessary now to formally recognise the Indigenous customary law. (http://museumvictoria.com.au/melbournemuseum/) The history behind this exhibition is rich and painful for the Aborigines themselves. The British Empire (through captain James Cook) claimed Australia in 1788, by peaceful settlement, invoking Terra nullius (the land was supposed to be previously unoccupied). The British claimed that the Aborigines living there were not really in occupation of the land, since they did not show evident signs of occupation (no commerce, no permanent settlements, no evidence of land use and ownership). (Singh et al., 2001, p.23 ) As the Aborigines did not fight back, the British could not take the land by conquest, but an undeclared war began nevertheless. The settlers took the land, little by little, and even used as weapons the diseases they brought with them (smallpox, leprosy, influenza, measles, venereal diseases), which quickly decimated the Aboriginal population. As a result, "By 1900 traditional Aboriginal society survived only among relatively small groups in central and northern Australia." (Singh et al., 2001, p.23 ) The dispute lasted until 1992, when it was officially ruled that Australia had not been unoccupied in 1788. (Singh et al., 2001, p.23 ) "Koori voices" This is another permanent exhibition dealing with the history of Aboriginal people. It "celebrates the diversity of a culture that has withstood the impact of colonisation for two hundred years" (http://museumvictoria.com.au/melbournemuseum/) Here you can find stories of the Aborigines since the arrival of the British and you can see how the Aborigines have struggled to keep their culture alive. Some stories speak of brutality, opressionm hardship, but others remember simple every day life. "Ritual and Ceremony" It is a temporary exhibition exploring the rituals and ceremonies of Victorian Aboriginal people. It sends out the message that art can heal, inspire and enable people to connect with their cultural heritage. In this exhibition you can find photographs, media and objects that mean to evoke the life of the Aborigines. You can see people with painted faces and clothes who perform live with beautifully adorned instruments. The live performances of rituals and ceremonies attract a large number of people. "Belonging to country" (permanent) and "Women with clever hands" (temporary) These are two exhibits displaying Indigenous art (baskets, bags, mats, sculptural figures, jewellery) and objects which express the identity, the knowledge of the land and the views on history of the Aborigines. The artefacts combine simple but functional shapes with a complex design, a fine range of detail and subtle colours, all of which reflect the complexity of the Aboriginal land and culture. Conclusions The Bunjilaka exhibition from the Melbourne Museum focuses on today`s isssues through artefacts, pictures and everyday objects. Each item is proof that the Aborigines successfully resisted the British colonisation, despite the Stolen Generation policy and despite the natural time obstacle which states that, in time, people will surely forget their origins and abide by the rules of the new times to come. The fact that the Aborigines can organise such exhibitions is a sign that things will get better for them in the future. There are other signs in that direction, as well: at the 2000 Sydney Olympics Aboriginal athlete Cathy Freeman lit the Olympic torch. (Singh et al., 2001, p.32 ) References Levy, J. (2008). Lost Cities of the Ancient World. London, UK: New Holland Publishers. Russell, L. (2001). Bunjilaka brooding. The Bunjilaka Aboriginal Centre at the Melbourne Museum. Meanjin vol.60, no,4, pp.99-103. Singh, S., Andrew D., Andy B., Choy M., Finlay H., Greenway P., Kenny K., Morrissey P., O`Byrne D., Scott B. (2001). Aboriginal Australia & the Torres Strait Islands (guide to Indigenous Australia). Victoria, Australia: Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd, pp.22-32. http://museumvictoria.com.au/melbournemuseum/ Read More