Saturday, December 26, 2015

Indigenous?

This news story caught my eye. Specifically the photo of the two indigenous students.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/indigenous/indigenous-graduates-get-this-parity-started/news-story/ca2751e325d8cea1134f27b9ae294dd2


I don't know what the average person has in their mind's eye when they see the word "indigenous" but I can tell you, for me, it is nothing like the two young people in this photo.

Here is something of what I have in my mind when I see the word "indigenous".

That's because, at some point I became confused, thinking that "indigenous" and "aboriginal" were interchangeable terms.

I must have missed that class at school.

Anyway, I'm sitting here, scratching my head trying to understand and empathize with the aboriginal people, because when I read about prejudice, indigenous disadvantage (google it), loss of aboriginal culture, the stolen generation, secret women's business, dreamtime mythology etc. the image of these two students(above) is far from my mind.


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