When Tony Abbott as Opposition Leader commented in November
2012, that Indigenous Australians from Central Australia were more authentic
than those in urban areas, a Twitter forum exploded with humorous rebuttal
that united the people. Abbott’s comment
and the #itriedtobeauthenticbut Twitter forum highlights the narrative that
continues to fuel intolerance and fear and the preconceived assumptions of
Indigenous Australian culture in Australian society. How extraordinary it
is to see that White Australia has wanted the First People to conform to
European genres and yet when they do, they are no longer considered authentic.
These are authentic (natural) voices no matter their location; these are authentic voices that are heard on Facebook’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Grapevine. The very nature of Facebook is a form of sousveillance and this forum makes no apology for utilising it as such and as a community notice board. The participants want to be noticed; they want to be heard; they want to attract attention. Do they do this as their ‘natural’ or ‘whole’ real selves? Absolutely. The participants are the culture and the genre. They use the language that is colloquially and traditionally theirs and use symbolic representations that provide identity for themselves and as a mob.
These are authentic (natural) voices no matter their location; these are authentic voices that are heard on Facebook’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Grapevine. The very nature of Facebook is a form of sousveillance and this forum makes no apology for utilising it as such and as a community notice board. The participants want to be noticed; they want to be heard; they want to attract attention. Do they do this as their ‘natural’ or ‘whole’ real selves? Absolutely. The participants are the culture and the genre. They use the language that is colloquially and traditionally theirs and use symbolic representations that provide identity for themselves and as a mob.
When considering Frow’s list of aspects of genre in text (as cited in Van Luyn, 2013), participants on ATSI Grapevine demonstrate each point. The language and how words are chosen and used are unique to their culture; the list of topics is numerous ranging from land rights, human rights, current political affairs, missing persons and more; how each contributor addresses the audience is similar in language, tone and structure; there is substantial presupposition of background knowledge given the cultural heritage of the participants. Further, posts that are designed to garner a response are textually arranged in short statements that invoke reaction.
The Meme above taken from the Grapevine shows not only intertextuality but also a clear relationship to the current affairs issue of immigration and the irregular maritime arrivals. It is a powerful imagery and text relationship and it is doubtful that it would be as powerful if the image was of an Indigenous Australian in a suit with a neat haircut. We identify Indigenous Australians in terms of their dispossession and marginalisation; not as a people in control of their future equipped with ability for genuine change and to self-govern. At the very least, Tony Abbott would be able to recognise the Indigenous Australian in the image as authentic.
Di Yanni (2005) states that through the act of writing, authors are exploring their roots and their relationships. This resonates within the Grapevine as the participants are continually examining and exploring their roots through dialogue that identifies heritage and ownership. Their relationships not only with individuals but with country, policies, institutions and communities are ever present narratives.
The Grapevine is a powerful forum and offers up incredible narratives that can have a profound effect. It can only put it down to the authentic voices that are present and the stories that are told. Not only the stories of dispossession, but pressing issues of saving significant cultural heritage sites and the ability to self-govern.
Tim Goodwin says it best: #itriedtobeauthenticbut something called Colonisation got in the way.
Di
Yanni, R. (Ed.). (2005). Twenty-Five Great Essays (2nd ed.). New York: Pearson
Longman.
Van Luyn, A. (2013). BA1002: Our Space: Networks,
narratives and the making of place, Lecture 6: Genre.
[Podcast]. Retrieved from http://learnjcu.jcu.edu.au
Image Reference
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1401169236777246&set=pcb.10151882112766385&type=1&theater
Hi Davina, Thank you for your post this week, I really enjoyed reading your articulate thoughts.
ReplyDeleteI appreciate the way Australia’s Indigenous people so often reply with humor, to so much of the ignorance surrounding their culture in our modern society.
You stated how “extraordinary it is to see that White Australia has wanted the First People to conform to European genres and yet when they do, they are no longer considered authentic” and it baffles me why the dominant culture has so many ignorant practices and constantly dismisses the narratives and knowledge of Indigenous peoples. Knowledge which has been refined over tens of thousands of years.
I love the image you have used in your post as it depicts more layers of the ignorance of our dominant culture, when it should be clear to us that Western categories of understanding surrounding Australian Aboriginal people, should not be imposed on them, but we should seek to conceive things in an Indigenous context (Stanner, 1979 p. 24).
References:
Stanner, E. H. (1979). White man got no dreaming Essays 1938-1973. Australian National University Press, Canberra.