Mapping injustice: Cultural bleeding on Facebook

Rainbow Serpent

Van Luyn (2013) explains narrative as causal, a way of making sense of our lives as we piece together memories to create ‘our story’.  When a particular narrative reaches back at least 50,000 years and has provided some kind of oneness to notions of body, spirit, ghost, shadow, name, spirit-site, and totem (Stanner, 2009, p. 59), the implications of disturbing this narrative would be profound and generational speaking, destructive.

  The Dreaming narrative is sacred ground: metaphysically and geographically.  It is symbolic, ancient, mythological, spiritual, present and relevant all at once.  It is a geographic site and a state of meditation simultaneously.  This is a narrative under threat.  

 Social network conversations around the issues of native title, mining leases and intervention practices are narratives unto themselves.  Some are aware of pre-prepared narratives on the issues and aim to debunk powerful myths set up by institutions to instil fear to achieve a particular gain.  For those who live within the power relationship of domination, that is the group whose status enjoys no power (Petray, 2013), their narrative is in a perpetual state of flux:  trying to make sense of their lives with every institutional change of rules.

There is a tangible sense of frustration, confusion, deep sorrow and aggression within the conversations on my chosen social media forum.  There are contributors who offer guidance and support and others who may be considered protagonists and revolutionaries.  Each appears to have taken on a particular role, (contributor/commentator/protagonist) and enjoy that position and the particular power relationship it develops within the community.  The forum map shows a community wherein various networks are established:  support for social injustices are formed; avenues are opened for visual art and music exposure; employment and training opportunities and links are posted; current affairs discussed. It is a forum that has its own narrative of a generation.

Reference List

Bednarik, R.G. (2012).  AURANET - Welcome to the homesite of the Australian Rock Art Research Association, Inc.  Retrieved from http://home.vicnet.net.au/~auranet/aura/web/ 

Burnside, S.  (2013, February 1).  Native title, mining and myths of reporting on indigenous Australia [Web log comment].  Retrieved from http://www.crikey.com.au/2013/02/01/native-title-mining-and-myths-of-reporting-on-indigenous-australia/?wpmp_switcher=mobile&wpmp_tp=0 
Chatwin, B. (1987).  The songlines.  London: Jonathan Cape.
McKinnon-Dodd, C.  (2011, July 19).  Indigenous sacrifice for the miners’ gain.  ABC Online.  Retrieved from http://www.abc.net.au/indigenous/stories/s3274867.htm 
National Native Title Tribunal.  (2011).  Exactly what is native title?  Retrieved from http://www.nntt.gov.au/Information-about-native-title/Pages/Nativetitlerightsandinterests.aspx
 Petray, T.  (2013).  BA1002: Our Space: Networks, narratives and the making of place, Lecture 2.  Power:  Big Brother and Self Surveillance.  [Power Point slides].  Retrieved from https://learnjcu.jcu.edu.au/
Richards, M. (2013, July 16).  First Footprints: Episode 1 "Super Nomads 50,000 to 30,000 Years Ago" [Video file].  Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=56IsgT7e_bM 
Stanner, W. E. H. (2009).  The Dreaming (1953).  In The Dreaming and Other Essays (pp. 57-72) [DX Reader version].  Retrieved from http://books.google.com.au/
Van Luyn, A. (2013). BA1002: Our Space: Networks, narratives and the making of place, Lecture 4: Networked narratives. [PowerPoint slides]. Retrieved from http://learnjcu.jcu.edu.au 
Image Credit 

Bednarik, R.G. (2012).  AURANET - Welcome to the homesite of the Australian Rock Art Research Association, Inc.  Retrieved from http://home.vicnet.net.au/~auranet/aura/web/