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How Do Themes Of Identity, And Challenge The Personal And Cultural Identity Of Indigenous Australians?

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Language is an essential role when affirming or challenging culture and identity. Through the use of poems people are able to express cultural and personal experiences, which in doing so can reshape the understanding of their own identity and the identity expressed in their communities. In Ali Cobby Eckermann’s poems “Unearth”, “Eyes” and “Trance” she uses language to affirm and challenge the personal and cultural identities of indigenous Australians. These poems explore themes of cultural resilience and personal identities of the indigenous Australians. These three poems explore the themes of forced displacement, cultural resilience, and the impact of colonialism as well as the power of language to transform and heal. Through the language and imagery which is used throughout the poems, Eckermann highlights the importance of acknowledging and showing respect to the histories and cultures of the Aboriginal Australians, and the certain ways language …show more content…

Each of the three poems highlights the complex relationship between our personal experiences and the cultural narratives which are shaping our understanding of our world and ourselves as well as our place in the world. Her poem “Eyes” can be used to remind us that the eyes which we choose to see the world with can be used to have a profound impact of our own sense of self. “Trance” is showing us how language has the ability to affirm or challenges cultural identities and norms, while her poem “Unearth” can encourage us to confront the uneasy truths of the shared history and can recognise the continuing impact of colonisation on the indigenous Australians. Together, these three poems can serve as a strong reminder of the different ways in which language, culture, and identity are interconnected, and of the continuing struggles for cultural resilience and

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