Australian Indigenous Literature - Essay Example

Australian Indigenous Literature Name Institution Date INTRODUCTION My semester had a lot to learn, and such topics have been given a brief insight into what they really held, a detailed though brief elaboration of the topics that has a personal touch and serves a purpose of giving an overall insight into the various fields studied in the whole semester. This has amazingly been captured in form of a personal journal, with a total of 12 entries catering for basically the areas covered per week. This paper therefore captures the very entries of my personal journal with regard to the activities of the semester, broken down on weekly basis. WEEK 1: UNDERSTANDING THE VOICES OF INDIGENOUS AUSTRALIANS It is basically fruitless trying to engage a given society in certain important issues without earning their integrity and trust; I could say, these two virtues form the pillars of the relationship if there is going to any. In this entry, I give special interest to the voices and issues of the Australian indigenous people, as was handled in the semester. From my viewpoint, any discussion in line Australian indigenous voices goes back to inclusion of the issues affecting the Aboriginals and the Torres Strait Islanders. However, with reference to the Australian Institute of Aboriginal Studies., & Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (1983), I made to understand that in Australia, as opposed to other economically established settler nations, the voices of the indigenous people were not based on agreements signed nor were these people given any special say over the matters, as much as their contribution is invaluable. These communities have always expressed dissatisfaction with the way the national government has always responded to their plight. Indigenous communities have been treated as an option that can as well be ignored, in their view. They have always wanted to be included in the national issues, though they tighten the conditions to an extent of wanting the suggestions are tailored their way. Their voices are filled with remorse over the discrimination they have endured on their own ground. WEEK 2: HISTORY OF THE ABORIGINES, UNDERSTANDING THE FILM ‘NICE COLOURED GIRLS’ Talking of the Aboriginal history, it is prudent enough to pick it up from the advent of the European colonial powers in Australia, as life was all peaceful and beautiful, until the disruption by the settlers changed everything. The invasion of Aborigines by the Europeans dates back to around 1788. The Aborigines had to adapt to a new lifestyle, and oppression seemed to be the new way of life. These indigenous community people were forcibly thrown into a world not known to them, a world that was characteristic of disease, which drastically reduced their population. The settler had illegitimate children with the Aboriginal women, and these half caste children were constantly treated with scorn and contempt by the full-bloods. Displacement, loss of family, land grabbing and racial segregation are among the key series of problems that faced the Aborigines. Nice Coloured Girls is a film done by Tracey Moffat. Nice Coloured Girls serves to defy the myths that white people are always stronger that the black people. The Aboriginal women in the film depict this by way of luring a white man, a captain, into buying them alcohol. As the four drink, the three women steal his wallet and escape. This symbolically means Black women have power over White men. Tracey aesthetically brings to the fore the consciousness of Aboriginal women’s oppression through juxtaposition. The film therefore covers satisfactorily the idea of oppression of Aboriginals, which is a basic idea in the history of Aboriginals. In this entry, I as well undertake a close examination of the works of Tracey Moffat and Essie Coffie.The fact that both women were great filmmakers is undisputable. Many scholars who have looked into their achievements reveal that these women produced films that gained popularity. These women were definitely the best in filmmaking during their times. In my view, Tracey Moffat’s ‘Up in the Sky’ and ‘Night Cries’ must have been amazing works going by the number of viewers who approve of the film as being an amazing piece of production. On the other hand, Essie must have been a stir in her game, since her film ‘My Survival as an Aboriginal’ did excellently and she indeed saw her gain both national and international recognition as a good film maker (Horton and Rapf, 2012). This film features the horrible poverty conditions of the Aboriginal people, their suffering and depression and the discrimination they underwent. The film manages to effectively pass the message of the life experiences of the less fortunate Aboriginal people. So, in my judgment, Essie and Tracey were both artists who produced films and documentaries that in a way tried and managed to pass a message effectively. According to my fairest judgment, Tracey Moffat must have been so successful in line with her career, and she must have raised a reasonable sum of cash through selling movies and films. The success must however be solely owed to her realizing her talent at her early age and the inspiration she found in watching movies, hard work and persistence (Kuhn and Westwell, 2012). Her attending college studies even better increased her chances of success. Here, she gained further necessary skills in the art of filmmaking. She therefore was in a position to create photos when she needed to pass a message to her audience. I find most of her photographs produced in the studio with painted backdrops and sets. In Senzani’s idea, her films are more of a representation of people’s dreams and happenings in their everyday lives (Senzani, 2008). In her film ‘Night cries, a rural tragedy 1989’, a daughter goes through a difficult time to look after an elderly mother. I find humour and sadness in it, as the old woman is suffering and cannot be able to walk. However short, the film manages to portray the daily happenings in our lives. WEEK 3: ABORIGINAL LIFESTYLE I give an insight into the lifestyle of the Aboriginals with the aid of ‘Two Bob Mermaid’. The film given a clear picture of the experiences of the Australian Aborigines. In view of Onsman&Aboriginal Studies Association (2002), Two Bob Mermaid goes deeper to highlight the family ties, the history of the Aborigines and the personal relationships forms by the Aborigines. The script writer in a fascinating way handles the lifestyle concepts of the Aboriginals, and among them is friendships, history, identity and family. The film narrates the experience of a young girl from Koori, with an interest in becoming a great swimmer, just like the whites. Dawn Fraser and Esther Williams are the swimmers Corinne admires and wishes to grow into. On sharing her aspiration with her mother, she gets a very cold scoff. The mother discourages her telling her that swimming is stuff for the whites. A local swimming competition is organized, and Corinne has signed up as a contestant, against racist discouragement from white friends. The film therefore responds to the racism and conflict of culture as the Aborigines hold onto their identity. WEEK 4: AUTOBIOGRAPHY AS INDIGENOUS LITERATURE The indigenous communities also had forms of literature that have stood the test of time. I find the communities having rich literature forms, and such a form is the autobiography. According to Russo (2010), autobiography, in simple terms, can be understood as the story of one’s life, in simplest of terms.Russo further argues that although presently existing as a written form, autobiography would exist as a narrative indigenously. However, the functions of this art form do not vary with the means of presentation. It carries the aesthetics of storytelling as well as being a store of meaning. WEEK 5: ABORIGINAL THEATRE Just like many other indigenous communities, the Aboriginals have had an experience with theatre. The Aboriginals have not only produced playwrights, directors, producers but also actors. The series Blak Inside is such a demonstration of the theatrical expertise that rests with the Aboriginals (Harding et al., 2002). The series did give opportunity to deserving actors from the Aboriginal community to professionally stage a script written by six professional playwrights. The assertion that indigenous theatre in Victoria has been graced with talent holds water. WEEK 6: ABORIGINAL POETRY Márquez (2007) is of the idea that poetry is a form of literature that communicates emotions and experiences, with an invaluable ability to influence learning. Poets of the present day hail from various ethnic backgrounds, and their thematic concerns revolve around the issues that are within their societies. Such is Aboriginal poetry. Aboriginal poetry does present precise themes, all it takes to unveil the issues discussed is knowledge of the Aboriginal context and comprehension of the words selected. Cultural conflicts and racism tend to form the basic topics of Aboriginal poetry (Márquez, 2007). WEEK 7: ABORIGINAL POETRY, POST ME TO PRIME MINISTER Romaine Moreton is a filmmaker, writer and poet. She has had a love for story telling since her childhood, which must have intrinsically motivated her to be an artist she is. Though she comes from South Wales, her poetry has been a favourite for a wider audience globally. Moreton exceptionally writes her pieces without necessarily abiding by the normal Ongian writing and sound standards as other poets (Jose et al., 2008). This technique enables her merge politics and performance poetry, as seen in Post to the Prime Minister. The work tastes traditional in its manner of approach as it heavily borrows from Goenpul oral literature. Feminism is suggested by virtue of Moreton getting involved in poetry as a female (Moreton, 2004). The poem suggests all the prestige that comes with power, and one does not need to worry over such issues as taxes. WEEK 8: ABORIGINAL JEDDA FILM PRODUCTION In this entry, I give attention to the crew behind the production of the film Jedda.The film Jedda was directed by Chauvel, Charles, an Australian filmmaker, and has been rated highly, for having been the first production to have Aboriginals as star actors and evidently being the first coloured film (Kuhn and Westwell, 2012). In the film, Jedda is an Aboriginal girl who is curious over her history. She dies in her search for identity, though late after learning her origin. WEEK 9: ABORIGINAL RABBIT PROOF FENCE FILM Produced by Philip Noyce, Rabbit Proof Fence is an Australian film that is written basing on a book written by Doris Pilkington, and the film shows a lot of production expertise in terms of audience relevance, scenery selection, and sound and image selection (Horton and Rapf, J. E. (2012). It tells of the story of three Aboriginal half caste girls who attempt an escape from a settlement camp in which they are taken captive. Their efforts and suffering make the narrative base of the film. WEEK 10: REVIEW OF THE SEMESTER These entries summarize the semester activities. Other than being a fascinating experience, the semester has generally provided insight into the cultural and literal make-up of the aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders to a great extent. It has definitely formed one of my most productive study sessions. References Australian Institute of Aboriginal Studies.,& Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies. (1983). Australian aboriginal studies: Journal of the Australian Institute of Aboriginal Studies. Canberra, ACT: The Institute. Harding, J., Anderson, T., Rigney, T., Sam, M., Milroy, J., Frankland, R., &Playbox Theatre Company. (2002). Blak inside: 6 indigenous plays from Victoria. Strawberry Hills, N.S.W: Currency Press in association with Playbox Theatre. Horton, A., & Rapf, J. E. (2012). A companion to film comedy. Malden, MA: Wiley-Blackwell. Jose, N., Heiss, A., & Minter, P. (2008). Anthology of Australian Aboriginal literature. Montréal: McGill-Queen's University Press. Kuhn, A., & Westwell, G. (2012). A dictionary of film studies. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Márquez, R. (2007). Puerto Rican poetry: A selection from aboriginal to contemporary times. Amherst: University of Massachusetts Press. Moreton, R. (2004). Post me to the prime minister. Alice Springs, NT: Jukurrpa Books. Onsman, A., & Aboriginal Studies Association. (2002). Journal of Aboriginal studies. Rozelle, N.S.W.?: Aboriginal Studies Association. Russo, K. E. (2010). Practices of proximity: The appropriation of English in Australian indigenous literature. Newcastle: Cambridge Scholars. Senzani, A. (2008). Women, film, and oceans a/part: The critical humor of Tracey Moffatt, Monica Pellizzari, and Clara Law. Read More