Photographic Images And Identity Essay

The township of Woorabinda is in Central Queensland, approximately 180km west of Gladstone. Woorabinda was established in the late 1920’s because Aboriginal peoples were being forcefully removed from their traditional lands at Taroom so early settlers could develop these lands. Woorabinda is situated on the traditional lands of the Wadja Wadja/Wadjigu and Gangula Aboriginal peoples according to the anthropologist Norman Tindale. Tindale documented in 1938 the residents of Woorabinda represented 47 clans, which included people from all over Queensland, New South Wales and the Northern Territory. (N, Tindale, 1974)

Richard Wagamese’s semi-autobiographical novel Keeper’n Me paints the portrait of a young man’s experience—one shared by many Indigenous peoples across Canada—revealing a new perspective on Aboriginal life. First Nations have often been romanticized and the subject of Western fantasies rather than Indigenous truth concerning Aboriginal ways rooted in “respect, honor, kindness, sharing and much, much love” (Wagamese, 1993 quote). Keeper’n Me tells the story of Garnet Raven, an Ojibway, who is taken from his family as a child by the Children’s Aid Society, and placed in a number of (white) foster families, where his Indigenous identity is stripped away. He serves time for drug charges, during which he receives a letter from his brother, inviting him back to the White Dog Reserve to rekindle ties with his people and learn about Ojibway culture, traditions, spirituality, and philosophy with the help of his community and his teacher, Keeper, an elder and recovering alcoholic who was instructed in his earlier years by Raven’s grandfather. In viewing the novel through the theoretical frameworks of the “Middle Ground”, “Orientalism”, and “Agency”, Keeper’n Me explores Canadian-Indigenous relations in a moving, yet humorous way, as well as the meaning of “being” a First Nation in modern society,

Canada has a very rich history, despite being a younger country than most. This history constitutes many different methods, good or bad, that Canadians have tried in order to develop a significant national identity. For instance, Canada played an important role in both of the World Wars in attempts to establish a distinct national identity on the global stage. After World War Two, Canada joined the United Nations and began performing peacekeeping missions to provide aid to countries, thus creating a new facet to the Canadian national identity. However, Canada has also used unjust methods, such as establishing residential schools as a way to assimilate the First Nations into the government’s idea of what Canadian national identity should be.

‘Analyse and reflect upon how the dance work, Mathinna, makes a powerful political and/or social statement regarding the Indigenous stolen generation in Australia.’

These lyrics from Bruce Woodley’s iconic song ‘I am Australian’ encapsulate the essence of the Australian identity: unity, equality and a fair go for all. However, underneath the surface of our seemingly egalitarian society, the statement ‘we are many’ is the only one that remains. We are a nation divided. Divided by the historic mistreatment of the first inhabitants of our land. Divided by the disadvantage, discrimination and dispossession of Indigenous Australians. Divided by the lack of true equality for all Australians. If we lack this basic equality, how can we say with good conscience that we are an egalitarian society?

In Thomas King’s short story, “Borders”, he writes about the Canada-America border. Within the short story, the main character refuses to identify her citizenship even though she is from Blackfoot. Even though the story is being told through the young boy’s point of view, the main issue focuses on another character, the mother. When approached by guards on the border, the mother insists that she is a Blackfoot, which causes issues because her son is a minor and must stay on the Canadian side of the border.

The Sapphires illustrates the ways in which the stolen generation continues to have repercussions against the indigenous community. The stolen generation was a period of time where children were violently snatched from their families and forced into houses and institutions that lied, abused, and humiliated them. When the children were taken away, relationships were ripped to shreds as the children lost their sense of belonging alongside their beliefs. This loss in connection left unresolved conflicts and impaired relationships that by the time they reunited years later, the resentment towards each other had built and the argument was brutal enough for the relationship to become inrepairable. The Europeans brainwashed the childrens

The Ngunnawal People have been living within the borders and surrounding mountains of the Australian Capital Territory for over 25,000 years. The way the Indigenous people used the land to live off was extremely efficient and sustainable. They had a bounty of knowledge about the land surrounding them, and over generations, devised resourced management skills to ensure maintenance of the animals and plants, and most importantly, the land in which provided these things. Aboriginal culture existed long before Captain Cook arrived in Australia in 1770. He claimed the land to be "Terra-Nullius", meaning that the land did not belong to any person. This claim obviously seemed ludicrous and crazy to the Indigenous people whom already lived on the land.

“I’m not the Indian you had in mind” challenges the widely accepted image held by society of what an Indian should look, act, and essentially be like. The short video starts out with a man dressed in casual business attire carting out a life size statue of the stereotypical Indian. He takes the statue, dressed head to toe in what society expects an Indian to look like including a traditional headdress, tomahawk, long hair and clothing then places it next to a television. The man, along with a woman dressed in a blazer and pencil skirt and another man in what society would define as casual clothing, go on to tell the stories of what society believes true Indians are.

Photographer and ethnologist Edward S. Curtis, is an example of an artist who represented and spread false ideas of Native American culture. In the early 20th century, Curtis traveled throughout the western United States documenting what he considered “the vanishing race.” While his portraits are acclaimed for their beauty and historical significance, they are often attacked for being romanticized, colonial, and staged. Considered incredible documentary treasures, they are also biased, and artistically contrived images. Leaving them simultaneously valued and rejected by both scholars and Native Americans. These images have directly impacted the sub-conscience idea of an Indian, and are the reason many Natives struggle with re-defining their

The application from the essay “ As Canadian As Possible Under the Circumstances” by Linda Hutcheon and the poem “I’m not the Indian you had in mind” by Thomas King shows in the aspects of the history, culture and tone side of things

Although Olsen lived with Indigenous people, she still claims to have no particular expertise on knitting or Indigenous life. Yet, there has been a new trend in non-fiction writing on Indigenous topics to include Indigenous voices. This phenomena can be observed with non-Indigenous written books, such as Catherine C. Robbins’ All Indians Do Not Live in Teepees (or Casinos) (2011) or Martine J. Reid’s Bill Reid and the Haida Canoes (2010). Using Indigenous voices allows for different perspectives to prevail in the narrative. By employing knitters’ quotes, Olsen is honouring the creators behind the famous

The map I created is titled “The Settlers in Canada between 1867 to 1920”. I also, want to point out that this is not an absolute representation for all ethnicities. I chose to represent the “majority” of the ethnicities living between 1867 and 1920. I decided to split my map into four sections with four different communities, which included Aboriginal, Asians and others, English and French. I chose to focus my map on ethnicities during 1867 and 1920 because in 1867 Canadas confederation happened. Gagnon (2017) helps support the illustration of my map because she talks about from 1867 to 1914, opened for mass settlement and became home to millions of immigrant settlers. Also, having parents who immigrated from Pakistan in the late 70’s allowed me to think back to confederation. I wanted to know what were most ethnicities during Canadas confederation time and why? I wanted to acknowledge, but find out what were major communities? Who was welcome to Canada? I wanted to know the difference between different time periods such as 1860’s to

The canon of Australian Poetry, despite the so called migration of Australians to an international mindset, as postulated by John Kinsella a novelist, poet and editor, is even more relevant today in our contemporary society. Especially so is the importance of Aboriginal poetry, as it articulates the impact that the “men of a different hue”, who first appeared 228 years ago, has had on their and culture.

When a guard calls out Adam for wearing a Hungarian officer’s uniform, he adamantly refuses to admit his identity as Jewish. When asked what he is, Adam vehemently refuses to admit his Jewish identity, but recites his status as a Hungarian officer and an Olympic gold medalist. Rather than accept his heritage and be a martyr for his people, he adamantly, “insists on identifying himself as Hungary’s fencing champion rather than as a Jew and pays with his life for it” (Arens 556). Adam’s son Ivan eventually reclaims his identity and reverts to using Sonneschein as his surname, but not until after his family had attempted decades of assimilation only to be persecuted at every possible instance. In keeping with Europa Europa’s theme, Sunshine portrays the idea that embracing your identity may not improve your life, but abandoning it will not save you either.