busyAustralian Foods:
http://fooddownunder.com/#4
http://www.recipezaar.com/recipes.php?q=australia
http://www.cultureandrecreation.gov.au/articles/foodanddrink/
Culture & Spirituality:
http://www.princetonol.com/groups/iad/lessons/middle/austral.htm
http://www.crystalinks.com/ayersrock.html
http://www.crystalinks.com/dreamtime.html
Art:
http://www.jintaart.com.au/iconography/iconhmpg.htm
http://aboriginalart.com.au/gallery/iconography.html
http://www.cooinda-gallery.com.au/
http://aboriginalart.com.au/gallery/gallery_intro.html
Mythology:
http://www.mythencyclopedia.com/Ar-Be/Australian-Mythology.html
http://www.godchecker.com/pantheon/australian-mythology.php
http://www.mccsc.edu/~kmcglaun/mythology/australia.htm
http://australianmuseum.net.au/Stories-of-the-Dreaming
I'm working on an alternate history storyline in which the natives of Australia are anthropomorphic canids (variously called "Tingo" or "dogsbodies") who wind up enslaved by Europeans and Americans. To counterbalance the fact that this storyworld has no human Australians, I'm putting some extra energy into promoting Australian culture as we know it in our world.
My answer to cultural misappropriation is cultural investment; I figure that what I get out of a culture should be balanced by what I put into it. I'm also trying to spread this idea to other creative folks in hopes that we can find a sane and decent way to write/paint/etc. about the full diversity of human cultures so it's not all white-bread stuff ... without starting a brawl in the process and without contributing to the already scandalous amount of racism in the world.
Deleted comment
Re: From an urban aussie...
July 30 2009, 02:42:02 UTC 11 years ago
Bullroarer sites:
http://9waysmysteryschool.tripod.com/sacredsoundtools/id9.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bullroarer_(music)
>>Although, I need to ask *which* indigenous australian nation are you interested in? There are literally thousands to explore and study. There is no *one* indigenous australian culture.<<
All of them. When I say "Native American" or "Australian aboriginal" or "South American" etc. I typically mean the whole range of tribes living in that continental area. If I mean a specific nation, like Souix, or a tribe, like Lakota, I'll usually specify it. (I understand that this is not how many people use the terms.)
I would like to pin down our Lammas ritual to sources from one tribe, but everything useful I'm finding is a mishmash of bits from different tribes.
Warlpiri is a favorite tribe, too. Somewhere I've got an article about the Warlpiri accent in English. Thanks for the resources -- I'll definitely explore those.
>>From a pagan perspective, I'm careful to acknowledge the traditional people of the land where I live, work and breathe my own spirituality, however I acknowledge that I do not have the same type of connection to the land. If that makes sense at all.<<
Oh yes, it makes sense. Some people relate to the practices of their ancestors; others relate to the practices of the land where they live. When those are not the same, it can cause confusion and tension. Over here, the land spirits are talking more and more to European-descended people -- sometimes quite assertively -- and that can upset tribal people. (This is understandable. However, when a higher power is talking to you, it's usually not safe to tell them to shove off.) Sticking to ancestral traditions is one way to avoid the cultural tension. On the other hoof, there are many people of mixed descent, and that opens a whole 'nother can of worms.