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Please visit: Essay Preparation = = =__**Aboriginal Australia our perspective (sterotypes)**__= __[] < link for art image__ SOURCE:http://www.southsearepublic.org/article/126/read/aboriginal_charter_of_rights We chose this image to show __what__ Aboriginal Australians have __bet__ portrayed for so many years. The words commonly used to describe __them__ have been "savages" (when?). They were portrayed as killing machines and __shown of too__ white settlers as a major threat but in reality they were just __continuing a way of life (explain what the way of life is that you are talking about, nomadic? tribal? survival?)__ that has been around for centuries. __**Text one:**__ **__Aboriginal Charter of Rights__** __ We want hope, not racia lism, __ __Brotherhood, not ostrac ism, __ __Black advance, not white ascendance.__ __Make us equals, not dependents.__ __ We need help, not exploitat ion, __ __ We want freedom, not frustrat ion; __ __Not control, but self-reli ance, __ __Independence, not compli ance, __ __Not rebuff, but educa tion, __ __Self-respect, not resigna tion. __ __Free us from mean subjec tion ,__ __From a bureaucrat Protec tion .__ __Let's forget the old-time slave rs: __ __Give us fellowship, not favou rs; __ __Encouragement, not prohibiti ons ,__ __Homes, not settlements and miss ions .__ __We need love, not overlord ship, __ __Grip of hand, not whip-hand ward ship; __ __Opportunity that place s __ __White and black on equal basi s. __ __You dishearten, not defend us ,__ __Circumscribe, who should befriend us. __ __ Give us welcome, not avers ion, __ __ Give us choice, not cold coerc ion, __ __Status, not discrimina tion ,__ __Human rights, not segrega tion. __ __You the law, like Roman Ponti us ,__ __Make us proud, not colour-conscio us; __ __ Give us the deal you still deny u s ,__ __ Give goodwill not bigot bia s; __ __ Give ambition, not prevent ion, __ __Confidence, not condescens ion; __ __ Give incentive, not restrict ion, __ __ Give us Christ, not crucifix ion .__ __Though baptised and blessed and bib led __ __We are still tabooed and libel led. __ __You devout Salvation-se llers; __ __ Make us neighbours, not fringe-dwe llers; __ __ Make us mates, not poor relati ons, __ __Citizens, not serfs on stat ions. __ __Must we native Old Australia ns __ __in our land rank as alie ns? __ __Banish bans and conquer cas te __ __ Then we'll win our own at las t. __
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__**Analysis of the text: Aboriginal Charter of Rights**__ **__ ﻿ SOURCE: __** [] This poem was written by Oodgeroo Noonuccal. She was born in 1920 as Kath Walker. She became the first aboriginal poet to be published in the 1960s. She was the first one to write about aboriginal rights in poetic form. __Because (try never to start sentences with because)__she chooses to do it in a poetic form it shows how intelligent she __is we__ completely goes against her and her people stereotype of being incapable or “savage”. __good point.__

It’s quite __up front (about what?)__ not a lot is back grounded (such as? what were you looking for to be backgrounded?) it’s all there in your face and very clear to read. It uses complex but understandable words to address her point of view another way to be seen on the same education level. One of my favorite lines that some up the whole poem is “Black advance, not white ascendance.” It shows how they have great prospects and how they would like to move on as well as persevere there culture.

Another strong theme in this poem is independence which is shown in the line “Make us equals, not dependents.” When the British colonized they took away a lot of the land leaving the Aboriginals with a sort of lack of resources.

The poem talks about the racial differences and the values of the aboriginal people and how they want to be treated as equals. It also shows that they know that they are being exploited. It goes on about racial differences and the lack of respect that they receive. Although this poem in over 40 years old and many of the issues have been resolved, I know we know from experience that some of the issues are still around today as some people just chose not to accept. All of the laws and such are all equal but there are still people that discriminate and generalize these Aboriginals due to skin colour or different views on the bush.

In conclusion this is a great piece that shows the way they used to be treated and how they wanted to be respected in their own country.

**Foregrounded:** rights ,aboriginals hurt ,discrimination, equalization, exploitation , racism , poetry, generalization and independence. **Back grounded:** Cultural, not fair, relatedness ,rhyming, repeating and religion , Did these peom have an instant reaction with the public? ,was it ignored?, who was this hsown to in the 1960s? did kath walker right anything else?.

__** Text two: RAINBOW SERPENT **__

Long long ago in the Dreamtime a group of Aboriginals were out hunting for wallabies. It had been raining and the ground was soft making it hard for them to run. The wallabies, feeling refreshed by the rain, were flighty and difficult to stalk. The Aboriginals came to a slump of tree near the edge of a small plain, and there they decided to rest. As they sat around, telling stories and warming their hands by the fire, one of them looked up. There on the horizon was a beautiful multi-coloured arch. A rainbow, 'Look, look, over there.' 'There goes the Rainbow Serpent. He is moving from his old waterhole to another.' They were a little fearful. They did not want the huge brightly-coloured Serpent in a waterhole near their camp. They were grateful that he did not seem to be moving too near their own waterhole. They sat and talked some more, mostly about the Rainbow Serpent, but also about hunting and fishing, and about the battles they had fought. One young man, Bandalil, kept wanting to know more about the Rainbow Serpent. The other hunters laughed at him. 'Little Bandilil, be patient. You'll find out about the Rainbow Serpent. What's the hurry?' But Bandalil said he wanted to find out more about the Rainbow Serpent and threatened to set off for the waterhole, where it now lived. The others pleased with him, 'Don't go. You mustn't disturb the Rainbow Serpent.' 'Don't go. Bandalil. It'll only cause trouble.' So Bandalil agreed to wait and ask the old men of the tribe about the Serpent. when the hunting party returned to their camp, the children ran out to greet them. Even though they had caught only two wallabies, not really enough for everyone, there would be singing and dancing, a big corroboree, that night. During the corroboree, Bandalil went over to where the old men were sitting, 'Tell me about the Rainbow Serpent. If everyone is so frightened of him I will go and spear him, then no one need fear any more.' The old men were horrified. The Rainbow Serpent was one of the Dreamtime creatures who had shaped the earth. In the beginning the earth was flat, a vast grey plain. As the Rainbow Serpent wound his way across the land, the movement of his body heaped up the mountains and dug troughs for the rivers. With each thrust of the huge multi-coloured body, a new landform was created. He was the biggest of the Dreamtime Beings. Even the other Dreamtime creatures thought that he looked enormous, and they were very careful to leave him alone. At last, tired with the effort of shaping the earth, he crawled into a waterhole. The cool water washed over his vast body, cooling and soothing him. The other animals watched as the water blurred the bright colours of his body. Then he sank from sight. Each time the animals visited the waterhole, they were careful not to disturb the Rainbow Serpent, for although they could not see him they knew he was there. Then one day, after a heavy rainstorm, they saw him. His huge coloured body was arching up from the waterhole, over the tree-tops, up through the clouds, across the plain to another waterhole. To this day the Aboriginals are careful not go disturb the Rainbow Serpent, as they see him going across the sky, from one waterhole to another.

__**Analsis text 2 :**__ I choose this text about the rainbow serpent to show the different sides of Aboriginals. Although from the last text you can see how they were becoming more sophisticated and trying to earn their rights but before that they had their own ways.

They lived by their culture dreamtime, this was their cultural perspective. They lived by the dreamtime stories and none of them had been converted or knew of any other religions. This story talks about how they believe Australia /the world had been shaped and formed and is had been passed down through generations. The story has a great meaning behind it.

It shows how they had their own more mythical views on the world. There are a lot of ways that this story could have been told as most of the culture is verbal unlike many colonies outside Australia at that time. Only later after the British colonized it were they show how to write down there story but until then it was all verbal or shown though dot art or cave paintings. Which was quite a unreliable way to do it as some bits have been forgotten all together

I believe the way they tell their stories are truly beautiful and a lot more light spirited than all the facts and boring scientific views. Although this story is hundreds of years old its truly amazing to see how well they have kept the Dreamtime alive in the stories that they have kept passing on even to today. Even though they have their own beliefs they wanted to have the same rights as the Caucasians they still didn’t give up their cultural perspective and that’s the great thing about them even though they have evolved into what the society wants them to be they haven’t forgotten who they are and their ancestors .Unlike many Australians who have chosen just to ignore where they ancestor originated form and become “Australian”

**Foregrounded**: beliefs ,dreamtime, Aboriginals, Old time Australia, myths ,legends **Back grounded:** is it true?, How old is this story ? ,Do aboriginals still pass on today?, has this been updated or modernized?, do people believe in this still?