Lived Experience Forum

[Historylover]

@Appleblossom, was that the Bunjilaka Aboriginal Cultural Centre that you were going to visit? How was it? I had a look at the website. It looks very nice, and well presented. Rather grand from what I could see. I might treat myself to a visit some time. I'm not familiar with that side of town anymore. It's been such a long time since I ventured far.

I hope you're doing alright, and the guerilla garden is flourishing.

What's on for you today? Just trying to get my major assignment together, here.

[Appleblossom]

No it was Narana Creations.  The one you mentioned is in Exhibition Gardens.

@Historylover Great you are getting study work done.  Noticed you were absent a little and hoped you were busy.

Today: doing a special movement class across town and 2 zooms.

[Historylover]

Have been doing an appraisal and reassessment of my life, @Appleblossom. It hasn't helped. I'm still bamboozled. We need time out from everything occasionally. I do, anyway.

I had a peek at Narana Creations, and they are selling Aboriginal xmas baubles!! I don't think they have missed a surface on which to express themselves. Good luck to them! It must feel good to be able to claim Aboriginality without shame or fear.

The Bunjilaka Cultural Centre looks very well curated. They sure are coming out of the shadows.

[Historylover]

You know, @Appleblossom, I began my course having been a quiet advocate for Aboriginal people for many decades, and I still am. But, in my current course, it is causing me to think more deeply. I have a knack of rubbing people the wrong way just by a badly worded sentence, and it's really peeving me. 

I'm being asked about a Truth and Justice Commission, and the more I look into it the more I question its benefit–and I know if I do that in my essay, I will receive a low grade–and greater hostility. 

I've considered their gaining the right to vote–a shameful omission, of course; Uluru has been returned, there was the Mabo decision, Closing the Gap, Land Rights, Deaths in Custody investigation, Bringing them Home, an Apology, and I'm sure–a whole lot more. The atrocities perpetrated against them are horrific, but my question is–how can the Aboriginal people now help themselves? 

We all see in news reports the filth many are living in. How can that be acceptable? I could do the same, but I choose not to, and I don't litter my streets. Does it require self-respect, or respect from others? Self-discipline? Role models? What does it take? When does everyone stop finding excuses not to clean up their own act? 

There is so much that we don't know, and our opinions can only be based on what we see. But if I question this of my teachers, or present it in an essay, there will be consequences. So how can university education be educational if we can't question without riling someone who is hard-wired to react? I'm not ignorant, but I can only appraise by what I see. 

I want to see Aboriginal people living as we all do, but how much can they bring about by their own efforts? 

I'm really doing some deep questioning about this, and there is no questioning teachers–so what is the good of them?

[Appleblossom]

Like you @Historylover I have been pro indigenous people all along. Been walking with ... for a long time. I support meeting places and seeing artwork around.  Had a friend as a well known artist back in the day ....

Its complicated and seems to be getting more complicated than better.

I know a few people who are living in better financial conditions than I.

A friend of mine has gone to NT to work with them in a church.  He shocked me by some of his statements.  He think we southern staters are pie in the sky and dont have a clue about realities 'on the ground'.  He calls out BS and is forthright but also in a respected position and does his best.

Now I am bit more nuanced about how I discuss the issues.  Paying the rent and paying respect, but not being played.

Yes I found academia a bit limited in the permitted viewpoints, certainly not open minded.  Part of why I am still looking for a decent course.  No interest in wasting my time squeezing myself into someone else's box.  At least that is a form of self care.  Ha ha Did I mention I met a recently retired academic "in the field" who was glad she did not have to push that barrow anymore.  We were singing at a gig together. 

[Historylover]

Thanks for the opportunity to sound this out, @Appleblossom. And I agree, it does seem to be getting worse instead of better. While there are becoming increasing numbers of academics, there just aren't enough who are going for it–or perhaps that's how it seems to me from my restricted viewpoint. It's unfortunate that we can only judge by what we see, no matter how deeply and thoughtfully we consider the whole matter. 

It all just makes me wonder how on earth we fix this dreadful situation–and we must. 233 years of living in someone else's space, robbing them of it, pretending it's ours–and little is bringing desired change fast enough. 

I've always considered that being on the ground would paint a very different picture, but without the opportunity, we can begin to get jaded because things just don't seem to improve. 

[Appleblossom]

The awareness is better and some individuals are doing a lot better.  It is no longer permissable to express casual racism, which was something I witnessed and really disliked growing up. @Historylover 

The reality is there are a lot of factions which is very human, and usually been a social reality in any circumstance where access to resources is unequal.

Closing the Gap is tricky as the luck of the dice in differing outcomes that seems to accompany the lives of many.

I am being deliberately vague.

[Historylover]

Thanks for the opportunity to get myself back on track, @Appleblossom. There is such a need to be able to discuss things sometimes, without an emotional shutdown from the listener. 

It's all just such a mess. I think if our Truth and Justice Committee brings the results it hopes, and leads to Treaty, a major step forward should have been achieved. It won't be a solve-all, of course, but will be quite an achievement, and more progress. 

[Appleblossom]

I love the song Treaty @Historylover but from my discussions with indigenous people there is a range of positions about it.

I am not interested in guilt trippers about it all and my ex played that game.  I was always inclusive and so was my father, due to both of us living under the same roof, whilst in orphanages.

[Historylover]

There must be a painful story to your family's life, @Appleblossom. 

I've half-finished writing my presentation for the oral part, and have spent the day trying to develop it further. Just a bit bogged down at the moment. I've yet to get my head around the finer points of PowerPoint for the visual part. It's a work in slow progress. I have my opening title page picture and it tells quite a story. I hope I can master pulling it all together to my satisfaction. It's very important to me to do it well.