Connecting with Culture Indigenous Australian Experiences

Introduction

This reflective essay aims to take a closer look at my learning path through the unit and to identify the main themes that altered my vision of Australian society and Indigenous cultures. It touches on issues like the effects of colonialism, including the consideration of non-White cultures and the role of stories in defining self. In this regard, I plan to demonstrate how my thinking has been enriched and which changes in my opinion have occurred following the lessons of this module. Each of these areas has helped to expand my understanding of Indigenous peoples and their continuing place in todays world and may have opened up new research avenues.

Discussion

Throughout this learning journey, I have covered numerous issues that have significantly influenced my interpretations of society in Australia and Indigenous people. At the start of the teaching period, my conceptions were based on dominant discourses, however, as the further I progressed in our discussions, the aspects of colonialism and imperialism provided the basic framework of Australian society. At first, I only recognised them to be stories and events, paying respect to the elders while not comprehending the effects that continued up to the present day for Indigenous people. However, it became quickly apparent that there exists a more complex conception of power relations, dispossessed states, and erasure operating through colonial mechanisms. Realizing the effects of policies like the one that stripped Indigenous people from children, or targeted assault on cultural values exposed the societys perpetual wounds inflicted by imperialism (Arneil, 2023). For instance, when learning about the Stolen Generations not only brought to light the effects, particularly on individuals and communities but also prompted me to reconsider Australias colonial past. It brought me to the reality that I wanted to look away from and realize the enduring colonial transgression suffered by the Indigenous population.

Exploring Indigenous Cultures

Culture as the concept; the place of race and racial self-identification was another matter over which I reflected deeply. At first, I had a rather limited understanding of the cultural concept and did not understand it as something changeable and existing at the intersection of multiple factors. Nevertheless, conversations that took place in the frame of the given module enriched my perspectives regarding race, stressing its social constructiveness and the controversial features of culture (Ali et al., 2021). For instance, when covering the philosophy of racial essentialism, we were compelled to look at the problem of considering people as only belonging to a certain race, without any other complex identities, and decision-making capabilities. This realisation led me to challenge my thinking assumptions and prejudice and have a better appreciation of the cultures and issues prevailing in Indigenous populations. Indigenous peoples cultural differences as a subgroup also became apparent as a critical concept that erases homogeneity leading to the stereotype of Indigenous populations. Before the implementation of the module, I also held a rather stereotyped vision of Indigenous peoples due to the historically inaccurate monochromatic depictions of Indigenous cultures, languages, and practices. However, with the help of different sources and having an opportunity to listen to various Indigenous stories and opinions, I was able to change my attitude towards various Indigenous peoples and cultures in Australia. For example, reading about the Wurundjeri people and their customs and traditions, gave a chance to understand traditional Aboriginal knowledge with the world. This realization led to the importance of raising the voices of Indigenous peoples and incorporating diverse perspectives in matters concerning Indigenous peoples culture (Pelizzon, 2014).

Another way the links with the nation and local Wurundjeri culture were highlighted in a way that indicated the spiritual and genetic bond that Indigenous peoples have with the soil (Vivian & Halloran, 2021). Before reaching this particular module, my understanding of the Indigenous peoples relationship with the land was quite limited, not recognizing the overlooked importance of land as a key to Indigenous culture. However, this study explains that the relations between Indigenous peoples and their territories reveal the profound strength and continuity of these relations. For example, listening to Indigenous people share their stories, travelling and waiting for the spirit to reveal the land gave spiritual and culturally relevant meaning to the land which is not commonly acknowledged by the masters who valued the land from the Indigenous perspective of possessing economic gain without respecting their sovereign nations (Gilchrist et al., 2023).

Indigenous peoples self-governance became one of the prominent topics, questioning the colonial tendencies of rich superiority over Indigenous people. Firstly, I could confine the concept of sovereignty to legal contexts only without understanding how it would impact Indigenous peoples rights to self-governance. Still, learning about Indigenous people's epistemological perspectives and knowledge broadened my horizon, as well as the focus on Indigenous peoples sovereignty which exists in their cultures. For instance, it was interesting to learn more about Indigenous ways of knowing, especially how enriching the Indigenous knowledge systems are, as well as against the ways of knowing aligned to the Western epistemology that is fixated on positivism (Gibson et al., 2020). For this reason, I have sat down and thought about how colonial practices are still being practised and felt how the educational system was non-indigenizing.

Cultural Elements of Indigenous Australians

Based on this aspect, narrative and storytelling as culturally important elements underlined the relevance of oral tradition in the Indigenous context (Gilchrist et al., 2022). Before beginning the module, I did not have a clear understanding of how stories would be used as a means to pass on culture and to protest it. Still, the analysis of Indigenous perspectives and storytelling based on the conversation with participants helped to understand the role of narration in the processes of identity restoration, colonialism counteraction, and community reinforcement. For instance, the sharing of Indigenous storytellers narratives gave a glimpse into the indigenous peoples experience in cultural assimilation but also forced them into questioning the assumptions of the mainstream views (Smallwood et al., 2023). The representation of Indigenous cultures in contemporary society is a way of analyzing the persistent Indigenous peoples plight and their experience of resistance in colonial societies. Before the beginning of this module, I only had a perception of the Indigenous Australians from a historical perspective and did not appreciate the colonial injustices that continue to be experienced by Indigenous Australians in todays society. Thus, participating in the discussions relating to Indigenous activism, cultural revival, and land defence movements eased deep-sea prejudice by showcasing Indigenous peoples power amidst adversity. For instance, the information about the Indigenous organizations that work on the preservation of languages and cultural heritage introduced the concept of community-based approaches to tackling the colonial impacts.

Conclusion

This unit made me experience a personal learning and development process in which I have had to critically think and challenge my existing attitudes, values and beliefs. The polyvocal approach to analyzing the Indigenous narratives pursued in the course has led me to reflect upon myself and the societies of Australia. This course of reflection also played the crucial role of broadening my perspectives on Indigenous cultures and enhancing my critical thinking on how I can be an active participant in the elimination of oppression and injustice. For my future development, I shall nurture an enhanced discussion and advocate for the recognition and empowerment of indigenous populations.

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