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Cultural appropriation
It occurred to me after ConFest last weekend that I didn't see anywhere (on the tickets, on the programme thingy, anywhere else) any acknowledgement to the traditional owners of the land. This struck me (although I confess to not noticing it at the time), because that acknowledgement is something I have seen at most official/governmental establishments (including museums and suchlike), and also something I saw at Exodus, the other festival I've been to in Australia (psytrancery). There wasn't (as, again, there was at Exodus) as far as I could see (and I did look for this) any explicit involvement of the traditional owners. Given the hippy/alternative/etc background of ConFest, the omission surprises (and saddens) me.
This also links to my discomfort with what felt like not just cultural appropriation, but fairly incompetent cultural appropriation, at one of the workshops I went to[0]. Lots of banging on about 'traditional medicine wheels' and 'tribes' and 'Father Sun' and a whole lot of similar stuff. Now, I am aware that making assumptions about people's cultural/racial/ethnic backgrounds based on appearance is very dodgy, so yes, it's possible that the two leaders of the workshop were screwing around with their own cultural background. They didn't make any claim to that, though, and if that was the case, I still think they were doing it in a very dubious fashion. (It *sounded* very like random mix-&-match wet liberal hippy nonsense, with which I am depressingly familiar, and it didn't match up with anything I have learnt about the way the culture of the Indigneous peoples here works.)
Unfortunately, of course, this isn't that unusual; liberal/alternative/etc != aware of this shit. And when chatting to a couple of people involved with the organising co-op (about totally unrelated matters), I was struck by what seemed like a fairly aggressive attitude, and not all that much self- or other-awareness :-/ (Some of which I tried to challenge a bit, but, hm. With I think maybe limited success, and I'm not good at pushing, especially given the social context of the conversation.)
[0] I should note that I did actually get some useful stuff from the workshops; but I was uncomfortable with the way they packaged it up.
This also links to my discomfort with what felt like not just cultural appropriation, but fairly incompetent cultural appropriation, at one of the workshops I went to[0]. Lots of banging on about 'traditional medicine wheels' and 'tribes' and 'Father Sun' and a whole lot of similar stuff. Now, I am aware that making assumptions about people's cultural/racial/ethnic backgrounds based on appearance is very dodgy, so yes, it's possible that the two leaders of the workshop were screwing around with their own cultural background. They didn't make any claim to that, though, and if that was the case, I still think they were doing it in a very dubious fashion. (It *sounded* very like random mix-&-match wet liberal hippy nonsense, with which I am depressingly familiar, and it didn't match up with anything I have learnt about the way the culture of the Indigneous peoples here works.)
Unfortunately, of course, this isn't that unusual; liberal/alternative/etc != aware of this shit. And when chatting to a couple of people involved with the organising co-op (about totally unrelated matters), I was struck by what seemed like a fairly aggressive attitude, and not all that much self- or other-awareness :-/ (Some of which I tried to challenge a bit, but, hm. With I think maybe limited success, and I'm not good at pushing, especially given the social context of the conversation.)
[0] I should note that I did actually get some useful stuff from the workshops; but I was uncomfortable with the way they packaged it up.
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Aussie cultural appropriation
Acknowledgement of the traditional owners is very rare in my experience outside government/university circles.
And while I don't hang out much with hippies, I do get a very strong sense of, as you say, mix-&-match wet liberal hippy nonsense (I must remember that!). I'm shocked at how rarely even the fact that Australia is in the southern hemisphere is considered, and that for example traditional paganism and feng shui are intended for the northern hemisphere. Let alone the Australian landscape and biology, and you can just forget about Indigenous peoples.
I think there's a cultural embarrassment both about their existence and the state of that existence, and I think some of the stuff taken from NorAm Natives is taken precisely because the white Australians involved are completely oblivious to the fact that in fact the situations are quite comparable - they think NorAm Natives are magical fairytale humans deeply in touch with the earth blah blah blah. And I saw some of the same treatment of Indigenous Australian peoples when I lived in NorAm, and I found it fascinating how other continents' indigeneous legacy is more attractive, because no-one can call you on the bullshit I guess.
Re: Aussie cultural appropriation
Acknowledgement of the traditional owners is very rare in my experience outside government/university circles.
Yeah; I'm aware that my experience is probably weighted by the fact that I've spent more time in that sort of establishment (cos I've been doing the touristy thing!) than average. Although as I say, I did see it at Exodus, implying that at least *some* sorts of hippy types are aware of these things.
Interestingly, the pagan types I was talking to at ConFest mentioned the fact that they move Beltane & Samhain to the appropriate time of the year for the S hemisphere (thus causing much confusion, until I just asked, on my part as I tried to work out whether I'd got my terminology confused or whether they'd done the Sensible Thing & moved them). I don't know whether this is normal/standard.
Hm, now you mention it, what the workshop ppl were on about sounds much more like it arose from NorAm culture (based on my extremely poor knowledge of that). Except that they were also trying to add in bits that were definitely Aussie (refs to goannas, the fact that the sun is north not south, etc etc). So, um, yeah. This is reinforcing my impression, basically!
[nods] re your point about pinching legacies from other places - that's interesting, thank you!
(I should note that to at least some extent I probably *am* a wet liberal hippy type; but I try and be up-front and responsible about it :-) )
Re: Aussie cultural appropriation
Re: Aussie cultural appropriation
Re: Aussie cultural appropriation
<headdesk> Argh, fail on the goannas tacked on to more NorAm cultural appropriation. Because all indigeneous cultures are really The Same only modified for the local environment, and you can probably take any NorAm traditional story and search and replace the "bear" and "wolf" to "goanna" and "dingo" and get a genuine Australian story! <headdesk>
I have slight hippy tendencies myself, and yes, the thing is to be responsible and aware and, well, polite to the human beings whose culture you're so fascinated by.
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I had a sudden "Why don't we acknowledge the traditional owners at Swancon?" epiphany after seeing it done at a medical conference, you've inspired me to poke at the idea a bit harder.
I asked a pagan friend why he felt comfortable with the use of American Indian religious traditions by outsiders and he accused anyone who tried to limit access to their traditions of elitism. The more I poke at the racism and cultural appropriation amongst my "left liberal" friends and fandom the more I realise how deep they go and how aggressively people will defend them :/
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Elitism? Blimey. I - really can't see how anyone can structure a remotely convincing argument on those lines. As in, I just can't work out how it would go. I suppose it relies on an assumption that everything 'should' be open-access, which is (of course) a very privileged position to be coming from.
The whole RaceFail fandom thing recently has made me more aware of racism and cultural appropriation issues; I'm still prodding at a lot of this, and unsure what to do (from my own POV) next.
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I encountered similar discussions a few years ago during a relatively teeny!Racefail around Pirates of the Caribbean 2. I've found
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Naturally. We ARE the most interesting and important nation in the world after all :D
Cawnoqna
(Anonymous) 2009-07-14 01:18 am (UTC)(link)no subject
Sorry, that is badly expressed.
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The cultural appropriation stuff: I suspect that if I'm more aware of it, it's because I'm trying to be more aware of such things generally, rather than because of my alien-status. And tbh, if I know more about indigenous culture over here than (some of) the locals do, that's a bit rub! That *shouldn't* be the case, surely?
It's possible that I'm more aware of the 'traditional owners acknowledgement' thing; but again, I don't think that's remotely a decent excuse. I don't think it requires *that* much awareness.
Australian's understanding of indigenous culture
I'm pretty sure Confest has done an acknowledgement before, when they have done a formal opening. Although I'm not sure that's a standard thing. It may depend on who is organising things - remebering it is an event put together by a committee from a co-op. As you say, lefty/hippy does not equate to culturally aware.
Your average city based Australian, regardless of cultural background (even some from an indigenous one) has traditionally had very little exposure. The amount taught in schools has increased a lot, but 20+ years ago there was sod all.
It's pretty embarrassing but the indigenous population were only granted suffrage 40 years ago, and not long before that the government was still removing children from their families.
Re: Australian's understanding of indigenous culture
I knew about the Stolen Generations, but I'd forgotten about the suffrage thing. (Possibly because I was *so gobsmacked* by it the first time I saw a reference.)
Yeah, the co-op nature of ConFest will I guess affect such things; but a really basic "land belonging to X" thing on the tickets or the little programme whatsit doesn't seem like a terribly difficult concept to have as standard! I guess I kind of think that people *should* make an effort (which is why I have, and it seems it ought to go *more* for people who actually live here). But, yes, I acknowledge that that isn't particularly socially encouraged even now, and certainly hasn't been historically, as you say.
(In that sense, I guess the hippy-cultural-appropriation nonsense is worse, because that's people who've made enough of an effort to put their grabby hands all over the Stuff They Like and not enough of one to, y'know, KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT IT OR HAVE ANY DAMN RESPECT.)
Re: Australian's understanding of indigenous culture
I agree wholeheartedly. And I agree it's sad that that DTE as a lefty/hippy organisation can't get that together. I shall make comment about such on their forum!
Re: Australian's understanding of indigenous culture
And indeed I have done so.
Re: Australian's understanding of indigenous culture