LC Australia Program 2011: Back in Sydney

By Melanie Frank

G’day mates and family members, greetings from across the Pacific Ocean. Hope you all are staying warm and cozy as you barrel through the winter months. We here in the other hemisphere are very much enjoying our extended summer weather, tanning away under the sun as we constantly reapply sunscreen and put on our sunglasses and thongs (Australian slang for sandals). As you all must have read from Katy’s blog entry we had an adventurous and exciting weekend at the Blue Mountains. Back in Sydney, we are preparing for our next big excursion, which will take us north to Wollombi Aboriginal camp for a few days. I am sure you all are as unfamiliar with the topic of Aboriginal culture and history as we were before heading down under. Over the past three days, we received lectures on Aboriginal culture from two different Aboriginal women. One of them emphasized that being Aboriginal is not about the way one looks but about culture and where you come from. But before I get into the contemporary life of Aboriginal Australians, I would like to rewind and highlight some historical facts that have made Aboriginals what they are today.

A little over two hundred years ago, the first fleet of European convicts and marines arrived in Australia and claimed the land to be terra nullius (meaning land of no one). At that time, the Europeans did not even consider the Aboriginals living throughout the land to be humans! They justified their beliefs by claiming that they were uncivilized because they were unsettled nomads who never improved and conquered the land in which they lived. The Aboriginals were indeed nomads, but in no shape or form were they uncivilized. In fact, looking back on the way the European settlers violently treated their convicts for stealing a loaf of bread makes me feel that the “white fellahs” were the uncivilized ones.

We've learned that Aboriginals are deeply attached to the land. They do not wish to own the land for they believe that Mother Earth owns them. Throughout our classes I may not have agreed with their beliefs of a rainbow serpent coming out of the Milky Way and shedding its colors throughout the land, inhabiting it with its first people (which they believe are themselves). On the other hand, I can appreciate their respect for our Mother Earth. Much of what the Aboriginals abide by comes from the idea of living sustainably with the Earth, never taking more than you need, appreciating, respecting and living in balance with our world; that I can live by. The Aboriginals lived a nomadic life style in order to never over-harvest an area and to find more water once droughts hit. Because of the crude and unintelligent description of the inhabitants of this land, throughout Aboriginal history they were constantly being driven away from the settler sites. To make things worse, eventually Aboriginal children were taken from their families and sent to missions where whites tried to breed their beliefs and lifestyle out of them. This time in history was called the time of the Stolen Generations. Thousands of children were taken from their homes and families. They lived lives unloved and objectified by the new settlers, so understandably, some succumbed to alcohol and drug abuse. The discrimination and loneliness these people endured has been felt by every generation since, and it is because of this unsuccessful, illegitimate scientific experiment that many Aboriginals today are confused about who they are in society and where they come from.

It is not a happy history, but it is an interesting one. It was a fascinating topic to be discussed when Australia Day (January 26^th-the day the first fleet of convicts and marines arrived to Sydney lead by Captain Arthur Philip) was celebrated during this week. The day proved to be quite educational. In small groups we divided up to explore the many celebrations taking place throughout the city. Unlike the people who celebrate America’s 4^th of July, not everyone is eager to celebrate the “establishment” of this country. As you might guess, Aborigines have difficulty accepting this as a day of celebration. Instead they view this day as Survival Day or even better Invasion Day. Although they do not wish to rejoice in the day their land was brutally taken away and their people were abused, they do come together to celebrate their culture and history. At Victoria Park near our residence, their Aboriginal flags waved through the air. Music, traditional dancing, painting and more sprawled across the park creating a sense of happiness, community, and pride.

Wanting to catch the rest of the city’s celebration, many of us made our way down to places like Hyde Park and The Rocks. I made it to both venues, which were filled to the brim with happy Australians tattooed with temporary flags on their cheeks and arms, waving their flag proudly as we all danced to free music. My group made it to The Rocks as the sun began to set, and with the Sydney Opera house glowing a hint of orange in the background of the concert stage, we relaxed in the grass and took in the moment together. With smiles everywhere, it seemed everyone was out of their houses and offices to barbeque with friends or venture to the endless free events taking place everywhere you went. As the night came to an end, we all (and when I say “we”, I don’t just mean us LC students, but EVERYONE living near or around Sydney) managed to make our way down to Sydney’s Darling Harbor, filling up every nook and cranny. Down at the pier, we were bedazzled by a light show with sailboats and a spectacular performance of fireworks! I’m telling you, the colors of the rockets were everywhere. The sky was filled with every color imaginable and I was blown away by every snap, crackle and pop. If you want to see a good fireworks show, you had best get out of the US and come to Oz. They know what they are doing here.

In all, it has been a wonderful last few days. The combination of the proud Australians and the resilient Aborigines touched a full range of emotions for me. I wish you all could be here to experience it with us, but since you can’t, here are some pictures for you all to enjoy. We may miss you guys over at the other end of the world but I can assure you all we are having lots of fun and learning a ton! Enjoy the pictures!