Participant Observation In Australia

Besides, as we have said above, it is a political protest in support of the rights of Australians natives, who have been suffering abuses and injustices since the XVIII century.

This essay briefly discusses the similarities and differences of the ‘Australian and American Freedom Rides’ history. Throughout the essay, there is a discussion on what the reasons were for the protest of the Freedom Rides. It also points out the duration of the protest and the major locations where they were held. The essay also shows the different reactions to the protest and the influential behaviour it results in.

Stan Grant’s speech ‘Racism and the Australian Dream’ (2015) effectively reminds the Australian population of the racism and harsh inequalities indigenous Australians have faced in the past and still face today. In reminding us of this reality, Grant engages us to discover issues of civic participation in Aboriginal people and in doing so perpetuates a need for social change. More?

In 1967, a landmark event occurred for the Indigenous Community of Australia. They were no longer declared Flora and Fauna This means that Aboriginal people would be considered a part of the landscape and not humans in their own right.. In 1967, a Referendum was held by all members of Australian society voting on the issue of allowing Indigenous Australian to be a part of the census and thereby able to vote and be counted as part of Australia’s population. This achieved not only citizenship for Aboriginal people, but put the issue of Indigenous Rights on both the political and social platforms. This essay will look at the lead up to the Referendum, how Aborigines and their supporters communicated their belief in their rights to the

and the context during that time. Entrapment, displacement and suffering are accentuated by the use

Aboriginal people struggled to uphold their traditional customs and rituals as they did not have the rights and access to their own land prior to and post federation in 1901. Healey ed. (2002), experienced editor and author states, when the British settlers arrived they overlooked the fact that Aboriginal people claimed and were sustaining the land of Australia. Britain had declared Terra Nullius despite their knowledge of the inhabitants of the land, the traditional owners. Throughout settlement, policies were put in place by the colonists to minimise land used for spiritual reasons by Aboriginal Australians (Korff, 2016). Hillman (2001), educator and author, infers that with this their culture was dramastically changed. Aboriginal people fought back for their rightful land, but their protests were insignificant

Government policies authorising the removal of Aboriginal children have caused extensive and unrepairable damage to every aspect of Indigenous culture. It could be argued that the emotional turmoil which occurred as a result of this policy, is greater than any physical abused ever faced by the Australian Aboriginal people. The act of child removal would be a scarring experience for parents and children of any race or culture. This policy had a particularly damaging impact on the Indigenous people as their identity is based within a set of strong traditional guides and teachings. These lessons are not recorded, but can only be taught through speaking with elders and learning through a connection to others within the mob, connection to art forms

INM originated when four women — Nina Wilson, Sylvia Mcadam, Jessica Goredon and Sheelah Mclean — organized a work shop focused on how the conservative omnibus bill, Bill C-45, would affect first nations people. This bill proposed changes to various acts and regulations that would directly affect Aboriginal sovereignty. These include; the Indian Act, the Navigable waters protection act, the environmental assessment Act and the Fisheries Act (Graveline, 2013: 293). These proposed changes mobilized aboriginals and non-aboriginals across Canada to come together in solidarity and form the largest movement for indigenous rights in Canada since Oka in 2002. With an excellent campaign strategy involving social media such as Facebook and Twitter, the INM movement has been inspiring youth and women to come together collectively to demand change. Through rallies, protests, round dancing and road blocks, the INM movement has gained national coverage in the news media (not all of which has been sympathetic to the INM cause). In particular, the six week hunger strike of Chief Theresa Spence gained immense news coverage, and put pressure on the Prime Minister to quickly organize meetings with chiefs of first nation tribes (Graveline 2013: 293). While exposure in the news media, is necessary in order to win the

Aboriginal people did not have access to amenities, such as cinemas, hotels, cafés and swimming pools, and suffered prejudice and suspicion as well as verbal and sometimes physical abuse (**). In the town of Walgett they decided to picket the Walgett Returned Service League Club (RSL) as a protest against the treatment of Aboriginal people. The media covered the Walgett RSL protest. The central role of the film camera in this campaign demonstrated the growing sophistication of activists who recognized the need to show city dwellers what was happening in country towns. Also captured on tape was the vice-president of the RSL who said he would never allow an Aboriginal to become a member (Curthoys, 2011, 12). Such evidence was beamed into the living rooms of Australians with the evening news and exposed an endemic racism. This film footage shocked city viewers and added to the mounting pressure on the government.

The Eureka stockade was a turning point for Australian democracy. It was a rebellion against the police and government and it was a fight for justice. The Eureka stockade is seen by some to be the birthplace of Australian democracy (Evatt, 2010). It was destined to fail, yet it is probably the most widely known rebellion in Australian History. The Rebellion against authority started with unfair taxes and policing, and it resulted in a change in the political stance of people in the middle and lower classes. It is an important part of the development of Australia as a nation, as it demonstrates the values of mateship, determination, persistence and the Aussie ‘Give-it-a-go’ attitude, all of which are key parts of the Australian Identity and culture.

Throughout history, many solutions to a problem was protesting at where the official government or leader headquarters are without necessarily involving physical violence. Instead, verbal actions are used in this method of protesting. The purpose of this movement without actions is to stand up for what they believe in and try their best to put their country in the best conditions a environment could be. This can be interpreted as a peaceful movement that is aiming for a change in a restriction that can benefit the citizens in the community.

Speeches are an iconic and widely used means of expression for our political leaders, particularly when discussing issues of importance such as Indigenous Australia. Paul Keating’s ‘Redfern Speech’ and Kevin Rudd’s ‘Apology to Australia’s Indigenous Peoples’ are the two political speeches which I will be analysing in this paper.

This photo emphasizes the importance of silent protest and the power of gesture, political climates experience incredible shifts with movements such as these.

“When individuals choose to participate in these kinds of political demonstration, they commit themselves to physical action, whatever form it takes.”

A cultural event that I have attended in the past that has had a memorable affect on my life was a Native American Powwow. This event takes place every year, Thanksgiving weekend in Tucson, AZ. I arrived in the late afternoon, as the sun was going down. I remember seeing many different types of people, from tourists to the different Native American performers. The physical setting of this particular celebration was outside, and based around, one main circle. Drums were beating so loud, you could feel the pound inside your chest. Different activities were going on all around, such as dancers, vendors, and a huge variety of foods to choose from. The circular dancing arena is known as the arbor, this area is blessed before any of the events