Indigenous Youth and their oppression in a modern white Australia
We may be living in a time where social and cultural equality is becoming an important issue and topic in many countries. However here in Australia Indigenous Australians are still being oppressed and marginalised by a dominant white culture. Aboriginal youth have been born into this dominance but arguably suffer from the stereotypes the most in today’s society. The films Yolngu Boy and Black Chicks Talking highlight these issues and how cultural issues can interplay with Indigenous youth’s influences growing up in contemporary Australia today. This essay explores the different stereotypes and their effects on Aboriginal youth, also looking at the main cultural influences on …show more content…
In Yolngu Boy the best example of Indigenous Australians being connected and influenced by traditional indigenous is Lorrpu who was determined to get his own ceremony to become a man. The skills he learns from his elder Dawu also helps the three boys when they go on their journey to Darwin as it is Lorrpu’s idea to build a boat out of trees and to make a rope to spear fish. He also paints himself when he goes hunting because he knows it is a sign of a man and he knows his families traditions and beliefs. In contrast Milika is almost the total opposite. He still cares about his culture and wants to make his community proud however he wants to do that by becoming a professional AFL player which is a predominately white dominated sport. Milika is also much more dependent on things Europeans have created and have filtered down to Aboriginal Australia. For example when the three boys run away to Darwin, instead of bringing useful things such as knives he brings his music player and headphones as well as chocolate and …show more content…
In this documentary eight indigenous women enjoyed a dinner party to discuss their lives. One of the women, Kathryn Hay believed she was ‘too influenced by western culture to be sitting at the same table as these women who were much darker in colour and had been brought up with more tradition’ (Hay, n.d.). She said she almost felt embarrassed to be filmed knowing people may think badly of her as she doesn’t know anything about the language, lifestyle or the terminology that goes along with being Aboriginal. Actress Deborah Mailman had a wonderful mix of pride in her Indigenous culture and a positive influence within Australia television and media. By Mailman having such a strong career in an industry where Indigenous Australians are a minority she has helped to begin to disregard those negative stereotypes of Aboriginals within Australia and has also given Indigenous youth a positive role model that associates with the same culture they
We may be living in a time where social and cultural equality is becoming an important issue and topic in many countries. However here in Australia Indigenous Australians are still being oppressed and marginalised by a dominant white culture. Aboriginal youth have been born into this dominance but arguably suffer from the stereotypes the most in today’s society. The films Yolngu Boy and Black Chicks Talking highlight these issues and how cultural issues can interplay with Indigenous youth’s influences growing up in contemporary Australia today. This essay explores the different stereotypes and their effects on Aboriginal youth, also looking at the main cultural influences on …show more content…
In Yolngu Boy the best example of Indigenous Australians being connected and influenced by traditional indigenous is Lorrpu who was determined to get his own ceremony to become a man. The skills he learns from his elder Dawu also helps the three boys when they go on their journey to Darwin as it is Lorrpu’s idea to build a boat out of trees and to make a rope to spear fish. He also paints himself when he goes hunting because he knows it is a sign of a man and he knows his families traditions and beliefs. In contrast Milika is almost the total opposite. He still cares about his culture and wants to make his community proud however he wants to do that by becoming a professional AFL player which is a predominately white dominated sport. Milika is also much more dependent on things Europeans have created and have filtered down to Aboriginal Australia. For example when the three boys run away to Darwin, instead of bringing useful things such as knives he brings his music player and headphones as well as chocolate and …show more content…
In this documentary eight indigenous women enjoyed a dinner party to discuss their lives. One of the women, Kathryn Hay believed she was ‘too influenced by western culture to be sitting at the same table as these women who were much darker in colour and had been brought up with more tradition’ (Hay, n.d.). She said she almost felt embarrassed to be filmed knowing people may think badly of her as she doesn’t know anything about the language, lifestyle or the terminology that goes along with being Aboriginal. Actress Deborah Mailman had a wonderful mix of pride in her Indigenous culture and a positive influence within Australia television and media. By Mailman having such a strong career in an industry where Indigenous Australians are a minority she has helped to begin to disregard those negative stereotypes of Aboriginals within Australia and has also given Indigenous youth a positive role model that associates with the same culture they