These pieces are from the people of the far north. The croc mask was made of turtle shell, feathers, etc was extraordinary. Imagine wearing that on your head! The croc was a revered totem for these people. Since we did not go that far north, we didn't encounter any crocs in the wild and opted out of zoos and such as we could see "wild" animals in captivity in our country. What we added to our understanding of the "first peoples" here is that the Torres Straights island people are not considered aboriginal Australians. They come from the territory consisting of 200 islands between Australia and New Guinea, of which only 17 were inhabited.They are culturally and genetically Melanesian people, as are the people of Papua New Guinea. ( although the islands are part of Queensland).
In 1994, in response to local demands for greater autonomy, the Torres Strait Regional Authority (TSRA) was established to allow Torres Strait islanders to manage their own affairs according to their own ailan kastom (island custom) and to develop a stronger economic base for the region. The TSRA is made up of 20 representatives elected by Torres Strait Islanders living in the islands.
The Torres Strait Islands Treaty signed by Australia and Papua New Guinea allows for free movement (without passports or visas) between Australia and Papua New Guinea for traditional activities in a limited zone of the Torres Strait.
In June 1992, the High Court of Australia recognized the native title rights of Eddie Mabo, an inhabitant of Murray Island (Mer), over his traditional land. The High Court overturned the previous concept of "terra nullius" which stated that in legal terms Australia was empty of inhabitants when it was first settled by Europeans. Since the Mabo decision, several communities (Saibai Islanders and Mualgal people from Moa Island) have secured legal recognition of their native title rights over their islands. Several other cases are also in progress.
The transition of land rights back to "first peoples" is something we read about in many of the museums we visited and heard about from colleagues. One of our colleagues sits on the board of one of the communities where the aboriginal owners of the land are now negotiating with companies for access to the minerals in their land. Much like in family businesses, when newer "owners" are learning how to be effective stewards, but lack business experience, having independent directors can be helpful. This is a challenge faced bu a number of groups here who have won rights to the lands taken from them several hundred years ago.
The Dreaming
Since embarking on this journey, we have heard the term "dreaming" and seen artwork referring to dream time, but had a hard time describing when asked what it actually meant. This exhibit had a good definition:
"The dreaming has different meanings to different Aboriginal people. It is a complex network of knowledge, faith and practices that derives from stories of creation and which dominates all spiritual and physical aspects of Aboriginal life. the Dreaming sets out the structure of society, the rules for social behavior and the ceremonies performed in order to maintain the llfe of the land. In essence the Dreaming came from the land and did not end with the arrival of the Europeans, but simply entered a new phase. It is a powewrful living force that must be maintained and cared for."
After a full day and a late evening, we were off to a Slow start this morning. This was our full day to tour downtown and we decided to use the bus that shows you the city and you can get on and off all day...given the rain, we stayed on till it let up and we were at The Rocks.
The Rocks became established shortly after the colony's formation in 1788. The original buildings were made mostly of local sandstone, from which the area derives its name. From the earliest history of the settlement, the area had a reputation as slum, often frequented by visiting sailors...over the centuries there were attempts to tear it down and redevelop it. Not until the 1970s was the community successful and it is now a tourist destination filled with shops, pubs and markets.
We got back on the bus and headed for Queen Victoria building:
We were getting a bit weary of the city and the crowds and were glad to see a few animals:
Another rhino
Back to the hotel to clean up before we joined the other commuters on the train to the suburbs to have sabbath dinner with our cousins, Sid and Judy, their son, Ryan, inlaws and cousins and a wonderful meal! what a pleasure to spend time in a home with new friends who happen to be kin. The Peiperts went out of their way to help us feel at home in their country and in their lives. we hope that they will come visit us when they visit other family in the U.S.
Saturday
Our plan was to wonder about in the morning and then meet up with Judy and Sid after they attend shul and visit the northern beahes (Manley area). But Jack didn't sleep well and wasn't up to par, so he slept more in the morning and we headed out by ourselves for a walk and lunch and came back and rested before going out to dinner with the Peiperts a bit closer in. Jack and I visited a gallery called "Object" which was a design center
and had a light lunch at a cheese shop/restaurant. As it turns out,this is when Sydney was celebrating Mardi Gras and the streets were getting closed off and people were getting food and ice and costumes to party. This is primarily a gay and lesbian event and the city was getting geared up...even the banking institutions were participating!
Wow! Sounds like another great adventure for you and Jack!
ReplyDeleteEnjoyed your blog. It brought back so many memories. The Queen Victoria Building was fascinating. I took lots of photos there. Glad you had a great adventure.
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