In 2006 my husband and I visited Australia. I was surprised how much it reminded me of America. I guess it's because we didn't go deep into the center of the continent, where the gorgeous nature exists. We stayed in the cities that have come from British colonies and ventured slightly into the nature through day trips from the cities.
We started our trip in Cairns, in the north. I was surprised how much it looked like it could have been a city in America. Most people were white, the architecture was similar, the streets were large, the buildings were not high. Once we left the city we were able to go to the Daintree Rainforest and into the ocean to see the Great Barrier Reef, which were more interesting. On our way to the rainforest there was a cultural center educating the public on the Aboriginal experience. There was a film showing the history of the brutality of colonization in Australia, which was not long ago; during the 1900's. They explained their ways of life were intertwined with the land and the land was taken from them during the brutal murders that took place. It reminded me of the history of Native Americans; the story of a beautiful culture destroyed by colonization. I just thought how crazy it is that European colonization has affected almost every inch of this world. Once we got back to Cairns it felt so strange to see almost no Aboriginal people in the streets. I remember seeing one assimilated family that stood out as we walked along the boardwalk.
The second city we went to was Melbourne. Melbourne felt a lot like New York, but smaller. It was more city-like, there were yellow cabs and tall buildings. It was also more diverse. We stayed in an area just out of the center, which felt like it could have been a part of Brooklyn. They even had their own version of Coney Island, called Luna Park, which was built by the same people the built the original Coney Island. However, still, there was almost no sign of Aboriginal culture until we took a day trip out of the city. We took a bus down the Great Ocean Road where we were able to see a rest stop painted in the style of Aboriginal art.
Finally, the last stop on our trip was Sydney. We looked for more Aboriginal experiences, but it was winter and the outdoor happenings were closed. Sydney also felt like some type of Euro-American city, without anything special that stood out except the touristy Opera House. I found some galleries that had Aboriginal art, but not all of it was made from Aboriginal people. Then, walking along the water, we saw street performers; two aboriginal men and one white man. They were playing the didgeridoo to techno music.
On this trip I learned what happened to the Aboriginal people and saw the lack of their visual presence. I heard that some Aboriginal people live in the center of Australia, far away from all that the Europeans built up, trying to live their lives as they were, in peace. Other Aboriginal people struggle through the cultural differences that have been imposed upon them, while many white people cannot understand their lack of assimilation. Unfortunately, a huge amount of Aboriginal people were killed and simply do not exist anymore.
Due to the history of this land, the ice dance performed by Russian people during the 2010 Olympics hit a sensitive topic. They inappropriately dressed up as Aboriginals and it was the media acknowledged. There was no tribute to the culture and they did not form a relationship with the Aboriginal people allowing them to have the knowledge of how to portray the culture properly, if it were to even be approved by the Aboriginal people.
There is nothing that can compensate for all of the people and cultures around the world that have been forced into some form of colonization and/or genocide due to European expansion. As the time goes by, the generations that come after those who have already done what is now history inherit the repercussions. We need to be sensitive to the history that we have inherited in order to work towards making amends in any ways that are possible. If it is possible, we must also understand that it takes time. Hopefully this dance has raised awareness for some people that the world has not healed yet and/or raised awareness about ways that history affects the present day.
No comments:
Post a Comment