Municipal Gum By Joe Zhao
Acknowledging the wrongs against Indigenous communities in Australia is critical, as this poem shows. The Stolen Generation was a dark chapter in Australia’s history that still affects Indigenous peoples today. From the late 1800s to the 1970s, thousands of Indigenous children were forcibly removed from their families by the Australian government. The policy was designed to assimilate Indigenous children into White Australian culture, and many suffered abuse and neglect.
They had their own traditional laws and customs and held a very strong and deep-rooted connection to their land. The British policy of the land being terra nullius, or “nobody’s land”, infringed the rights and customs of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. The concept of terra nullius robbed the Indigenous population of their right to have possession of their traditional and revered land. Mabo firmly believed it was not the white government’s responsibility to deny rights to traditional Indigenous land.
You can see the development of housing and the deterioration of the surrounding bushland. The tone of this piece is upsetting due to the inhumane ways that the indigenous people and their land have been known to be treated in the past. This persuades the audience to be conscious of the sadness that the first Australians would've felt while witnessing their homes being taken away. However, this source could also make the audience perceive that the British had the most power in this situation due to them taking the land and making it their property. This has been proven by ‘Derrimut, leader of the Boon Wurrung’, who states ‘you have all this place, no good have lubra, me tumble down and die very soon now’, this refers to the British settlers.
The deliberate use of such evocative language aims to support the intended audience in that “there is nothing to be ashamed about”. Like Moore, Cromb uses a vexed tone through strong emotive language. Although, Cromb uses this in opposition to Moore’s argument. Cromb addresses the “lack of empathy” felt towards the Indigenous people. It is through Cromb’s use of attacks that she gains attention and develops a sense of guilt in the audience.
Lisa further criticises the lands council for their thirst for riches, evident in lines 22-26: "nothin'but first-class travel, where to now Canberra?" This highlights the disrespectful and horrific treatment of indigenous, provoking anger and irritation towards the land’s council. The theme of land destruction and resulting misery among first nations people are powerfully conveyed through imagery, emotional techniques, and supporting evidence. She has been able to identify atleast two main reasons which invite the reader to accept the subjects identity these include, the lack of protection the lands council is putting in toward this country aswell as how mining not only affects the aboriginals but their future chilldren and generations to come. Throughout the poem, the poet employs vivid imagery, emotional techniques, and enjambment.
In the poem, ‘Shame’ by Kevin Gilbert, it exemplifies stereotypes and the prejudice surrounding Aboriginal Australians in a more modern-day Australia. Lines like ““Shame” when we live on the riverbanks, while collectin’ our welfare cheques”, shows White Australia’s many existing prejudices around Aboriginal peoples’ ways of life. The way that our country has treated our first nation’s peoples has embedded a sense of shame within Indigenous Australians for living their lives differently. The repetition of the word ‘shame’ reinforces this idea of the shame felt by Aboriginal Australians and illustrates the constant reminder that Indigenous Australians should be ashamed of their ways of life, despite white Australia’s major role in perpetuating dangerous stereotypes around our First nations people. However the ending line “
This poem’s structure reveals resistance because it shows that the words of apology extended to the Indigenous people mean nothing to them, if not backed up by action. I think this tactic is effective because it lacks unnecessary aggression, but at the same time does not excuse the
Reynolds exposes the persecution of Indigenous People, describing the entrenched belief in Aboriginal inferiority common in 70s North Queensland, recalling one school principal who said he ‘did not expect much from [Aboriginal children] because they had smaller brains’. The ‘confidence and complete certainty’ with which the comment was made conveys how deeply negative ideas about Aborigines had been ingrained. These attitudes resulted in an assumption of superiority by white citizens, who Reynolds writes expected ‘lowered eyes and a submissive downward tilt of the head’. Reynolds’ personal voice resonates with condemnation for the oppression faced by Aborigines, illustrating how his perspective has been shaped by his experience of race relations. By sharing this account, Reynolds raises questions about the historical origins of the racial tension he experienced.
This monologue is a psychoanalytic perspective of how this particular Aboriginal felt at different points throughout his life therefore it is a record of his personal truth. This story is similar to other Aboriginal soldiers’ stories like the ghost’s and the bloke’s in the Glebe Town Hall monologues. The old soldier’s monologue
Herbie is described throughout the relentless bullying as an ‘A*o’ and ‘b**ng’ by his peers. This derogatory language is used to display the deep-rooted racism and hatred towards the aboriginal population through the connotations of the language. Terms like ‘A*o’ and ‘b**ng’ are Australian terms which are widely recognised as slurs which hold deep contempt and hatred towards the aboriginal population due to their deeply oppressive history. This language also shows the consistent ridicule that Herbie experienced for something as simple as skin colour, which will have a lasting effect on how he sees himself in the future. One time Herbie is described as ‘strip(ped) … naked ‘like a proper n****r ought to be’’ and being a ‘frightened boy.’
Language is essential to influence perceptions of individual and collective identity, shaping our individual assumptions about ourselves and other cultural groups. The poems “Oombulgarri”, “Unearth” and “Leaves” from the anthology “Inside My Mother” (2015) by Ali Cobby Eckermann, encourage responders to explore her connection with the natural world and her indigenous culture, to disrupt or affirm perspectives of themselves and those around them. Ultimately, through the use of language devices, her poems reveal the impact of dispossession of country, perceptions of culture and memory and changing relationships around us which influence our outlook on life. Eckermann’s use of poetic form in “Oombulgarri” invites responders to reflect upon Indigenous
It tries to explore the process of reclaiming Aboriginal identity in the works of Sally Morgan’s My Place and Rubi Langford Ginbi ’s Don’t Take Your Love to Town. The paper focuses on how these selected writers engage in the reclaiming process, and also tries to locate the changes that occur in the identity of Aboriginals in Australia during pre-colonial, colonial and in contemporary
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.
Title: Part A Reflective Journals Student Name: Hannah Warren Student ID Number: 17759577 Email Address: Hannah.warren@student.curtin.edu.au School/Department: Unit: Indigenous Cultures and Health INDH1000 Tutor Name: Due Date: Monday 30th March, 2015 by 11.55pm Declaration: I declare that this assignment is my own work and has not been submitted in any form for another unit, degree or diploma at any university or other institute of tertiary education.
Rather than being viewed with rhyme and rhythm, it is to be seen and appreciated as a whole singular piece of poetry. Oodgeroo Noonuccal simply begins a new line every time a meaningful and important statement is made. The language of this poem paints a piercing picture of the adversities the aborigines faced. The repetition of personal language linked to the history of the traditional land owners forces the audience to reflect upon the damage and loss of the culture due to the Anglo Saxons which caused the Indigenous Australians to face great amounts of adversity.
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