I hate my culture
I was supposed to be going to bed about now since I'm finishing my intership with the local newspaper tomorrow and I have had a few big days watching the world cup and then the Rugby League. BUT I read an article on leilouta's blog which made me somewhat annoyed and frustrated at people's self-righteousness and ignorance. *actually it was more so the comments then the post Leilouta: Fourth Of July Parade*
I can't believe how people can have ANY cause to celebrate things like 'independence day' or here in Australia, 'Australia Day'! What they in essence represent is the end of Indigenous cultures and the beginning of violent regimes of self-denial. Until I went on a little bit of a finger-pointing jibe, NO ONE had mentioned anything AT ALL about America's idigenous cultures. I think that demonstrates my point clearly that people are more then happy to occupy land stolen through mass murder, rape, forced removal and genocide; but they think it's too unpleasant to talk about such things on 'independence day'.
Why is it even called 'independence day'? When those swine who first drafted the foundations of that day and their decendents who now celebrate it first dreamed up this grotesque concept, the majority of people living on the continent of America were far from being 'independent'. Native Americans were being slaughtered or herded onto small tracts of land (many of whom are still confined to these portions of land) while African people were being stolen, bound and brutalised into the new slave race and forced working class for these 'independent' people.
The situation in Australia is no better. Time again we hear crap from white idiots who go on about how 'Australia is a christian nation, we speak english. If you don't speak english you can leave'. At the last count, pre-invasion Australia had OVER 350 different languages and spiritual belief systems, none of these were either english or christian.
Here too, people on 'Australia day' extol the virtues of the 'Aussie identity'. The only shared identity that I can trace for most non-indigenous people is their participation in the acrimonious and bi-partisan wholesale genocide committed against Australia's indigenous populations.
And yet this is never mentioned; 'maybe a few children were taken away from their families in some isolated cases, but it certainly wasn't a widespread practice', and 'the numbers of deaths talked about in 'so-called' aboriginal massacres, as well as the number of instances of this occaision have been greatly over exaggerated'.
At the very least these pigs should come forward and remove any doubt about their identities by declaring themselves as being 'Aboriginal killers'; but they are even to cowardly to openly admit their tendencies.
Even still the theft of culture continues. I was at a NAIDOC (National Aboriginal and Islander Day of Celebration) event yesterday as part of my internship as a reporter and the scene there was quite typical of indigenous and non-indigenous relations here, and across the globe. While the local Wonarooah people were given their 'day in the sun', it all came with provisos. The wonderful and extremely tactful 'Coal & Allied' mining company, who so generously 'sponsored' the event, thought it necessary to erect signs and placards with their company logo all around the performance areas on the day. The non-indigenous keynote speakers did not even know what NAIDOC stood for and found it amusing to take punts on the meaning of the acronym.
The sad fact remains that we know nothing about indigenous culture, and yet keep the relationship with indigenous people heavy with the latent expectation that they will one day become fully integrated members of the 'white Australian' community. And because we have not taken on the initiative to learn more about indigenous cultures, we blame those cultures for being 'closed' and unwilling participants in the 'Australian community'. Because indigenous people refuse to acknowledge the latent hostility of 'inevitability', we blame them for being 'lazy' or 'un-motivated' wellfare cheats. Their culture is seen as a barrier to progress, while ours is seen as a catalyst for this process.
Today I was also so pleased to read the latest from federal health minister, Tony Abbott, who said that 'Desert Aborigines [sic] need to give up the practice of mourning relatives for 3 months if they are to develop a successfull work culture'. Again, it's Indigenous peoples' own fault that they are 'un-progressive' and their culture must be eroded if gains in the indigenous sector are to be made.
It seems to me then that my 'European high culture' has brought nothing but destruction to the rest of the world. What makes me despise it even more so is the fact that this culture is not really MY culture, but it's all that I currently know. My culture was an indigenous culture as well that didn't conquer or dominate and that loved the land as its own family.
There is one of the most universal truths in the concept that indigenous Australians speak of when they say that all people once were indigenous; some have just learnt to hide that part of their identity quite well.
I can't believe how people can have ANY cause to celebrate things like 'independence day' or here in Australia, 'Australia Day'! What they in essence represent is the end of Indigenous cultures and the beginning of violent regimes of self-denial. Until I went on a little bit of a finger-pointing jibe, NO ONE had mentioned anything AT ALL about America's idigenous cultures. I think that demonstrates my point clearly that people are more then happy to occupy land stolen through mass murder, rape, forced removal and genocide; but they think it's too unpleasant to talk about such things on 'independence day'.
Why is it even called 'independence day'? When those swine who first drafted the foundations of that day and their decendents who now celebrate it first dreamed up this grotesque concept, the majority of people living on the continent of America were far from being 'independent'. Native Americans were being slaughtered or herded onto small tracts of land (many of whom are still confined to these portions of land) while African people were being stolen, bound and brutalised into the new slave race and forced working class for these 'independent' people.
The situation in Australia is no better. Time again we hear crap from white idiots who go on about how 'Australia is a christian nation, we speak english. If you don't speak english you can leave'. At the last count, pre-invasion Australia had OVER 350 different languages and spiritual belief systems, none of these were either english or christian.
Here too, people on 'Australia day' extol the virtues of the 'Aussie identity'. The only shared identity that I can trace for most non-indigenous people is their participation in the acrimonious and bi-partisan wholesale genocide committed against Australia's indigenous populations.
And yet this is never mentioned; 'maybe a few children were taken away from their families in some isolated cases, but it certainly wasn't a widespread practice', and 'the numbers of deaths talked about in 'so-called' aboriginal massacres, as well as the number of instances of this occaision have been greatly over exaggerated'.
At the very least these pigs should come forward and remove any doubt about their identities by declaring themselves as being 'Aboriginal killers'; but they are even to cowardly to openly admit their tendencies.
Even still the theft of culture continues. I was at a NAIDOC (National Aboriginal and Islander Day of Celebration) event yesterday as part of my internship as a reporter and the scene there was quite typical of indigenous and non-indigenous relations here, and across the globe. While the local Wonarooah people were given their 'day in the sun', it all came with provisos. The wonderful and extremely tactful 'Coal & Allied' mining company, who so generously 'sponsored' the event, thought it necessary to erect signs and placards with their company logo all around the performance areas on the day. The non-indigenous keynote speakers did not even know what NAIDOC stood for and found it amusing to take punts on the meaning of the acronym.
The sad fact remains that we know nothing about indigenous culture, and yet keep the relationship with indigenous people heavy with the latent expectation that they will one day become fully integrated members of the 'white Australian' community. And because we have not taken on the initiative to learn more about indigenous cultures, we blame those cultures for being 'closed' and unwilling participants in the 'Australian community'. Because indigenous people refuse to acknowledge the latent hostility of 'inevitability', we blame them for being 'lazy' or 'un-motivated' wellfare cheats. Their culture is seen as a barrier to progress, while ours is seen as a catalyst for this process.
Today I was also so pleased to read the latest from federal health minister, Tony Abbott, who said that 'Desert Aborigines [sic] need to give up the practice of mourning relatives for 3 months if they are to develop a successfull work culture'. Again, it's Indigenous peoples' own fault that they are 'un-progressive' and their culture must be eroded if gains in the indigenous sector are to be made.
It seems to me then that my 'European high culture' has brought nothing but destruction to the rest of the world. What makes me despise it even more so is the fact that this culture is not really MY culture, but it's all that I currently know. My culture was an indigenous culture as well that didn't conquer or dominate and that loved the land as its own family.
There is one of the most universal truths in the concept that indigenous Australians speak of when they say that all people once were indigenous; some have just learnt to hide that part of their identity quite well.
posted by Andrew at 10:17 pm
3 Comments:
i couldn't agree more w/ what you write here. you know, americans celebrate independence day and then to thank the indians, they have "thanksgiving". it's all laughable really when you think about it. i'm part american indian and i hate the way they're treated in the states. you have the same being said about them and most are considered to be drunks and no good, when it's simply not true.
The white European colonists tried to assimilate the First Nations (native Americans), and when they couldn't they pushed them aside, breaking their promises time and time again.
I'd like to see the First Nations return the favor by building up some social and economic clout and then assimilating white culture. I know I certainly wouldn't mind being "adopted"!
The same thing has happened everywhere unfortunately moody.
Haha, I wouldn't mind that either. The most profound thing about indigenous cultures is that they don't want ANY kind of dominance, they don't want to take over the world or convert people.
They just want the space and respect to practice their culture, on their own country without having to constantly appease the west and sell themselves off as cheap trinkets to survive.
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