Some of My Lifes Most Powerful Lessons
13 years ago I went to Australia, it was a journey that would open my eyes and change my life.
I was in my late twenties and in my mind I thought I knew alot about the Country already. I watched some Australian soaps, seen all the amazing beaches, the endless good weather and the happy healthy people. I'd read a little about Aboriginal Culture, about their peaceful way of life, their respect for the land and the amazing art that they created.
I was so excited to go, so I applied for a 1 year working visa and off I went.I already had a few connections over there after making friends whilst I lived in London. I visited the east coast briefly and then I headed over to Western Australia.
At first everything was great, Western Australia is beautiful. Alot of the coast was wild and untouched and the South has Kari forests that have such a magical quality to them. One could easily stay here and live the dream.
But slowly I started to hear the terrible disregard that alot of people living throughout Australia have for native people.
I saw how they were treated with scorn and disrespect.
Source:astar.tv
I learned how children of school age were told that the history of Australia started with Captain Cook arriving there.
That Australia day which is a huge celebration for many Australians, is considered a day of mourning for Aboriginal people, as it was the day Captain Arthur Philip took possession of New South Wales and raised the British Flag for the first time.
That in 1936 the Western Australian Aborigines Act was passed that allowed Aboriginal people to be taken into custody without trail or appeal and also to forbid them to enter towns without a permit.
I learned that 'Walk About ' is a huge part of Aboriginal culture and that they follow songlines which criss cross all over the Country and tell the history of the land. But now they are being forced to move into settlements with appalling conditions and give up that way of life .
How the oldest rock art in the world, older than the pyrimads, The Burrup is being destroyed by mining companies.
'Dampier Rock Art Precinct comprises possibly the largest concentration of petroglyphs (rock carvings) in the world and possibly the largest number of megaliths (stone arrangements) known in Australia. Estimates of the number of rock art motifs range from 300,000 to well over 1,000,000 images. There are many types and styles of carvings in the Archipelago, which are thought to represent a period from our recent history up to 40,000 years in age, straddling the last ice age some 17,000 years ago. The place constitutes the greatest continuous cultural site in Australia.'
http://www.fara.com.au/
I discovered that when the Australian Government sells uranium it is part of the agreement of sale that Australia dispose of any waste created, that waste is being buried in the center of Australia. The aboriginal people know that all land is sacred. Now that land is being filled with toxic waste. http://archive.foe.org.au/import-waste
I learned that a lot of very well off art dealers go to remote communities to buy art and then sell it for huge profit in their very expensive galleries, completely exploiting artists.
Many of the breweries in Australia are built on Sacred sites, showing a huge disrespect for the people, as their was a time when they were paid in Alcohol and as their bodies have a harder time processing sugar, drinking only small quantities of Alcohol has a huge affect on them. And as a result of the way they are and have been treated some have turned to Alcohol, like many other people all over the world to help them cope.
I learned about the huge percentage of young aboriginal people who commit or attempt suicide.
How, when aboriginal people are admitted to hospital, they are usually put under guard and observed very closely.
How do I know this ?
Because for a while I worked in mental health services over there and I saw that when native people were brought into the Emergency Room in General hospitals they were usually always brought by police and sometimes restrained .
There is one incident will stay with me forever.
A young woman, younger than me, had been brought in and since her admission she was kept sedated. No one could tell me why, only that she was picked up by the police upset and would not co- operate with them. I was told to keep her sedated until she was seen by a Consultant. I chose not too and when she awoke she was very upset and angry. I apologised for the treatment she had received and it was then she told me that her partner had hung himself. She had started to drink in order to deal with her grief. She had been at the hospital for 3 days and no one had spoken to her, her family didnot know where she was. She had lost her partner and this is how she was treated.
I was in Australia for just over 3 years and during that time the media began to spread stories about about how child abuse was rife in some northern Territory communities. Then the day came where it was announced that they would be sending in the army to remove children from their families. The reality was that there was huge mining opportunities on the said land and the aboriginal people were refusing to move on. So what does the government do, it invents stories to cover up the real reason and support their cause, whilst fueling the already existing racism towards aboriginal people.
I am including a link for the amazing Documentary 'Our Generation' which talks about this and many other issues facing Aboriginal people in Australia. It is a must see.
I am also including a link for a website that shows the violence that they suffered down through history, it is not easy to read. https://www.creativespirits.info/aboriginalculture/history/massacres-the-frontier-violence-thats-hard-to-accept
But through all of this I did connect with some amazing people who were active in trying to end the prejudice and destruction in Australian.
http://www.standupfortheburrup.com/
https://nuclearnewsaustralia.wordpress.com/category/topics/opposition-to-uranium-mining/
My time there, opened my eyes further, to the lengths the government go to, to get what they want.
That the media are not our friends.
That if you want to know the truth about anything, you go there yourself, you educate yourself and keep doing so. Always always ask questions.
That only by being active, when faced with injustice can you ever have a light heart,we must always fight and stand united.
That one voice, added to that of others will collectively always make them louder and more likely to be heard.
Aboriginal people are called savages. I believe it is the other way around. People just label them and have a one eyed opinion. Only if they knew that the aboriginal way of life is the answer to our world problems. They looked after the land, survived in co-operation and had great respect for the earth that sustains them. They made art that was for the human condition. To be honest I may not be aboriginal but I would prefer to live like the ancient aboriginals and wander the land :) I studied principles and philosophy of design and the theory of form at university by a wonderful teacher who taught us a lot. It is true that we are on the brink of annihilation and the direction humanity is taking. We are forgetting about the earth, the most important ingredient to our existence as a species. They keep talking about sustainability or other things but its just another lie.
I hear you @imperialaussie, we have so much to learn and gain, whats important is that we add our voices to theirs. More need to speak out, thank you for doing just that x
Oh, mama. Thanks so much for raising awareness on this. All over the world this kind of nonsense is happening. Appropriation, stealing art and culture pieces that fit the sick narrative of europe's descendants, stealing children, stealing land, destroying with all our poisons - from uranium to alcohol. So, so sick. Honestly it almost bothers me more when neo liberal types hang their art or talk about how we need to treat native people better while doing absolutely nothing to change their own lives or fight horrid policies.
Yeah it's sickening alright. It's so important to keep talking about these injustices, people have been silent for far too long. x
It's amazing to see how easily people can be manipulated in believing the government. I never been to Australia but I knew about these conditions that the aboriginals have to face. Thank you for bringing that awareness to Steemit.
Thank you @gardenbsquared. it's been years in the making, the government turning turning people into sheep.
I worked as a diving instructor in Cairns and the Great Barrier Reef for three months in 97. The Australians (Whites) I met were the nicest people, until the discussion turned to the Abos, then they could be pretty racist.
Yeah that was my experience, what upset me the most, was that majority of them had never even had a conversation with a native person yet had all these racist opinions that were passed down to them. never questioning what they were told or re- educating themselves.
Wow , while this is not new to me, I can feel the details and weight of your story. Indigenous people all the world over have been treated this way by colonizers, such a sad fact that is hidden from most of us until we get older and see for ourselves. It’s devastating and I feel so much grief for it. We are losing so much in losing the Aboriginals especially. They are so Connected. To Land. To Ancient Wisdom. To relating to life in a way we do not know, but which is better and more whole than our own. It is a collective human loss. Thanks for raising awareness. <3
I hear you, this has happen to many people the world over not just in Australia. It really goes back to the whole dominance over nature, having total disregard for any people that were living in harmony with the earth, forcing them to change their ways, introducing laws that even allowed them,to be recognized as no longer Aboriginal but White, so that they could fit into the society that was built on greed and power.
wow.... that last part about making laws to make them "white"... yep you hit the nail on the head <3 we are nature.. no dominance, truly... <3
Love the story. I studied abroad in Australia for 6 months last year and it was amazing :)
Hmm just curious as to what bit did you love actually?
You write very well and with passion. Such a huge subject. I always wanted to go to Australia, have had so many lovely, witty, down to earth Ozzy mates here in Europe, but I've always been put off going, thinking there'd be so much in your face Colonialism. Quite ironic being English, I suppose! Travelling as a westerner is not a very straightforward subject. We are always going to be in a position of power. Lets learn from what we see. Lets use our western power to do something about it when we return home. Sharing info is a good start.
Thank you, I found it all very upsetting when I was there, which led to be getting involved in some activism, but then I felt pregnant and knew that all my energy needed to be with nurturing this life inside of me. I knew I couldn't continue that fight so I chose to go to Ireland to start my family.