This week, students explore contemporary Indigenous representations of self. Students should understand:
the diverse nature of Indigenous peoples and expression (challenging fixed notions of "the other")
some of the challenges of self definition/ identity today
the challenges of writing in English
the ways in which Standard English has been adapted to challenge and define
some of the qualities of Indigenous literature
"We, Aboriginal people, come from an oral tradition, where our legends, and laws, were handed down by word of mouth, from generation to generation, it is we, who have always had to conform to the standards of those invaded, learn the Queen's English, so us Mob can write our stories so you Mob can comprehend what we are on about."
Ruby Langford Ginibi in Dhuuluu Yala
Dr Anita Heiss argues that much of the work being penned by Aboriginal writers as present can be categorised as "rewriting history". Poetry and autobiography have been very successful forms for Aboriginal writers because through these forms, the writer can tell his/ her own story.
"...the writing of our stories, our biographies and our autobiographies are our documentation of our histories and stories...for too long we have had other people defining and telling us who we are"
Ruby Langford Ginibi in Dhuuluu Yala
WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT KINDS OF VOICES AND EXPERIENCES OF BEING INDIGENOUS IN THE TEXTS BELOW? HOW DO THESE TEXTS CHALLENGE THE STEREOTYPES DISCUSSED IN WEEK 3?
FOCUS QUESTIONS
How can stories be used as a vehicle for expression?
What are some of the issues/ concerns expressed in Indigenous texts?
How do the texts highlight the diversity of Indigenous experiences?
How has the language of protest been used as a vehicle of expression by the Indigene?
What is Aboriginal English?
What are some of the differences between Aboriginal English and Standard English?
Does Indigenous Literature have a typical style?
RESOURCES & ACTIVITIES Power of myth
How do myths and legends influence the lives of Indigenous people today?
1. Whale Rider, Niki Caro
2. Extracts from The Binna Binna man and My Girragundji from Meme McDonald's website.
3. Ten Canoes Rolf De Heer and the people of Ramingin
4. Website Share Our pride - 'Beyond the myths' - (Click on 'The Basics' to bust some myths)
Personal stories/ conversational style
Why do you think so many Indigenous writers choose to write in a very personal way about topics such as racism? What would be the effect of Oodgeroo choosing instead to write generally about racism?
1. Oodgeroo Noonuccal, Son of Mine
2. This child, Zita from Beyond Sorry on Australian Screen
Why are documentaries like Beyond Sorry so important?
3. Tony Birch, The True History of Beruk
4. ABC Radio National's documentary The Writers Train (shows diversity of Aboriginal experiences, hybridity, challenges of being an urban Aborigine, non linear, mixes extracts from colonial texts such as We of the Never, Never)
A different logic- indigenous literature
How do the characters of the Indigenous texts conceptualise experience differently?
Excerpt from Maybe Tomorrow on Meme McDonald's site
Excerpt from Njunjul- the sun on Meme McDonald's site
The Individual as a member of a group or community/ human and non-human animals
1. Kill to Eat, a short story by Oodgeroo Noonuccal in Best Ever Stories
2. Excerpt from Maybe Tomorrow on Meme McDonald's site.
3. Beyond Sorry, clip 3, on Australian Screen Education
Aboriginal lore
Kill to Eat, by Oodgeroo Noonuccal (short story)
Is there an Aboriginal style? (see also Personal stories/ conversational style)
What are the differences between Standard English and Aboriginal English?
Extracts from The Binna Binna man and My Girragundji from Meme McDonald's website.
Jack Davis' poem, 'Aboriginal Australia: to the others', Inside Black Australia: An Anthology of Aboriginal Poetry. Ed. Kevin Gilbert.
Any text by Boori Monty Prior and Meme McDonald
Beyond Sorry, clip 3, on Australian Screen Education (all three clips useful)
Kev Carmody's song "Thou shalt not steal" and the Australian Screen Education clip with background to the song.
Some of the qualities of Indigenous Literature:
contribution of oral tradition, many writers how they speak, Aboriginal speech patterns in written form
very visual (images created through language and by using photos/ illustrations as in Boori and Meme's work)
repetition (creates rhythm)
personal, conversational style, often directly addressing the reader
Strong use of metaphor in Aboriginal English- humans compared to animals, the land
importance of memory
different sense of time- no beginning, middle end
individual as a member of a group
'he' often suffices for males, females, young and old
How do these characters conceptualise experience differently? A different logic
questions using the structure of statements with rising intonation, question tag
'THE OTHER' SPEAKS - MY STORY
This week, students explore contemporary Indigenous representations of self. Students should understand:
"We, Aboriginal people, come from an oral tradition, where our legends, and laws, were handed down by word of mouth, from generation to generation, it is we, who have always had to conform to the standards of those invaded, learn the Queen's English, so us Mob can write our stories so you Mob can comprehend what we are on about."
Ruby Langford Ginibi in Dhuuluu Yala
Dr Anita Heiss argues that much of the work being penned by Aboriginal writers as present can be categorised as "rewriting history". Poetry and autobiography have been very successful forms for Aboriginal writers because through these forms, the writer can tell his/ her own story.
"...the writing of our stories, our biographies and our autobiographies are our documentation of our histories and stories...for too long we have had other people defining and telling us who we are"
Ruby Langford Ginibi in Dhuuluu Yala
WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT KINDS OF VOICES AND EXPERIENCES OF BEING INDIGENOUS IN THE TEXTS BELOW?
HOW DO THESE TEXTS CHALLENGE THE STEREOTYPES DISCUSSED IN WEEK 3?
FOCUS QUESTIONS
RESOURCES & ACTIVITIES
Power of myth
How do myths and legends influence the lives of Indigenous people today?
1. Whale Rider, Niki Caro
2. Extracts from The Binna Binna man and My Girragundji from Meme McDonald's website.
3. Ten Canoes Rolf De Heer and the people of Ramingin
4. Website Share Our pride - 'Beyond the myths' - (Click on 'The Basics' to bust some myths)
Personal stories/ conversational style
Why do you think so many Indigenous writers choose to write in a very personal way about topics such as racism? What would be the effect of Oodgeroo choosing instead to write generally about racism?
1. Oodgeroo Noonuccal, Son of Mine
2. This child, Zita from Beyond Sorry on Australian Screen
Why are documentaries like Beyond Sorry so important?
3. Tony Birch, The True History of Beruk
4. ABC Radio National's documentary The Writers Train (shows diversity of Aboriginal experiences, hybridity, challenges of being an urban Aborigine, non linear, mixes extracts from colonial texts such as We of the Never, Never)
A different logic- indigenous literature
How do the characters of the Indigenous texts conceptualise experience differently?
Excerpt from Maybe Tomorrow on Meme McDonald's site
Excerpt from Njunjul- the sun on Meme McDonald's site
The Individual as a member of a group or community/ human and non-human animals
1. Kill to Eat, a short story by Oodgeroo Noonuccal in Best Ever Stories
2. Excerpt from Maybe Tomorrow on Meme McDonald's site.
3. Beyond Sorry, clip 3, on Australian Screen Education
Aboriginal lore
Kill to Eat, by Oodgeroo Noonuccal (short story)
Language of Protest
Kev Carmody's song "Thou shalt not steal" and the Australian Screen Education clip with background to the song
Oodgeroo Nooncuccal's "No More Boomerang" and The Coloured Stone's song version of the poem.
Archie Roach's Took the Children Away
Is there an Aboriginal style? (see also Personal stories/ conversational style)
What are the differences between Standard English and Aboriginal English?
Extracts from The Binna Binna man and My Girragundji from Meme McDonald's website.
RESOURCES
Kev Carmody's song "Thou shalt not steal" and the Australian Screen Education clip with background to the song.
Some of the qualities of Indigenous Literature: