Vandalism of the Soul: The Disrespect of Custodial Culture In recent times, sacred Aboriginal land at Lee Point has been faced with destruction, disrespect, and downright degradation, with bulldozers culling trees to make way for housing. This crisis highlights Australia's disrespect for Aboriginal culture - a topic explored for decades in literature. Oodgeroo Noonuccal's "We Are Going" forcefully unveils the devastation and imposed alterations wrought by colonial invasion. Considering recent media coverage of Australia's relentless pursuit of traditional land destruction, her poem compels us to question: can we do better? When Aboriginal culture has repeatedly been threatened, it is clear we need to do more. In ‘We are Going’, Noonuccal emphasises the unjust changes forced upon …show more content…
A powerful simile exposes the hurtful changes inflicted on their culture. Noonuccal paints a scene describing a tribe of Aboriginal people returning to “the place of their old bora ground”, only to find “many white men” who “hurry about like ants”. A “bora ground” carries deep home and cultural connotations to the Aboriginal peoples and “ants” are pests who live in colonies eating anything they see. Noonuccal compares the “white men” to “ants”, equating them to pests taking over the homes of the Aboriginal peoples, symbolised through the “old bora grounds”. Additionally, “hurry” highlights the colonisers’ disregard for the Aboriginal people’s connection to their land, and their willingness to cover centuries of culture. This contrasts with the “old” bora ring, exposing the harsh changes inflicted on Aboriginal culture, and criticising the careless actions that resulted in decades of violence. The thought of invading sacred land enrages readers, prompting them to feel outraged alongside Noonuccal and her people. Furthermore, Noonuccal uses a striking metaphor to highlight the shift from the rich culture