I saw Rabbit-Proof Fence last night, and it has me curious about native Australian* culture. Specifically, I’m curious to know if saying “thank you” is as small a part of that culture as it comes across in this movie.
The movie tells the story of three young “half-caste” girls who are taken from their mothers by the Australian government in 1931. They are taken to a training camp from which they promptly escape to walk some 1500 miles back to their home. Over this journey, they encounter several people who assist them, some white, some native, some “half-caste” (the white/black/colored racism is a central point of the film). Most of the people they encounter help them by giving them food, shelter, and/or clothing. Yet, I do not once remember them ever saying “thank you” or anything that could reasonably be construed as “thank you.” And yet, the only people who make any issue of this (or seem to notice, even) are the whites at the training camp.
So, ignorant as I am of native Australian culture, I come before you to ask of those who might know.
Oh, and by the way, it’s an excellent film.
I have no idea what the correct term here is. I have a vague sense that “aboriginal” and its related terms are about as welcome as “savage” would be in describing a native American, but I confess total ignorance as to what the preferred term is. Feel free to educate me on this point, as well.
I can’t answer your main question, but “Aboriginal Australian”, at least in the absence of any knowledge of the specific people (Koorie, Noongar etc) would not be offensive. The peak representaive body for such people is ATSIC, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission.
I haven’t seen the film, but I’d suggest searching for the term “stolen generations” if you want to learn more about the policy of taking children from their parents (which ended depressingly recently). As for the “thank-you” business, like I said I can’t answer your question, but I can give a little anecdotal evidence. A while ago I volunteered in a programme which was supposed to help Aboriginal students from way, way out in the bush adjust to university life. What I noticed amongst people I met was an extremely strong ethic of sharing. It was expected that if you had a slab of beer that you shared it with all those who were friends to you. If a slab was being shared it would be rude not to partake.
Sadly, the most well-known organization for African-Americans is the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, so even if I had known that name of that organization, I’d have been hesitant!
Yeah, that’s the kind of thing I’m wondering about: I can certainly imagine a culture in which sharing is so deeply ingrained that the idea of expressing thanks is completely alien.
The other group that makes me do a double take every time they have a commercial on tv is the United Negro College Fund. Which makes me wonder at what point does embarrasment outweigh brand recognition when dealing with outdated ethnic terms used in an organization’s name?
I had an anthropology professor who spent a lot of time living with an Australian coastal tribe and eventually became one of the few white-skinned outsiders fully indoctrinated into their cultural and religious practices. Once he offically and cerimonially joined the group, he quickly experienced first hand their concept of sharing and group owership. People would walk into his tent and take whatever they needed from him. They never asked permission, never said thanks, and he was not allowed to protest. Within a few days he was out of food and most of his clothes were gone. When he sat by himself at mealtime with nothing to eat, no one offered him any food. He soon learned that he had to just walk up to people during mealtime and take what food he wanted. This was totally acceptable to them, and in fact made him further accepted by the group, but he had a hard time with it. He could never bring himself to totally clean somebody out, and had happened to him.
Sorry for not having cites, I tossed my notes once I passed that class.
I suspect that mcbiggins answer is correct, although whether that is the reason the girls in the film didn’t offer thanks I’m not sure. I must admit I put it down to them being very frightened.
“Aboriginal” is a bit out of vogue amongst sympathetic Australians. Around here, they are sometimes referred to as “Murris”, but I have a suspicion that Murri refers to the locals from around Brisbane rather than to native Australians altogether (I’ve never been quite sure).
The preferred terminology amongst politically correct Australians seems to be “indigenous Australians”.
By the way, I thought the film was terrible. I mean, interesting story and compelling subject matter, but as a film, terrible. The girls could have been made of wood for all the character they were allowed to show. And the most amazing thing of all (how they survived the trek in the desert) is simply not described.
I haven’t seen the movie, but I have read a review that says that the movie takes a lot of liberties with the truth. One of the women who the story is based on reportedly said “That’s not my story” after watching it. The children were handed over to authorities, they weren’t stolen from their home. They travelled in a carriage of the train like everyone else, they weren’t put in the cargo section. At the home, they were given normal clothing not the uniforms depicted in the movie, etc. All in all, I gather this is not a movie to use as an accurate guide to anything, despite being “based” on a true story. It’s a shame they had to muck up an incredible story by throwing in a heap of fiction that added nothing.
Princhester, our local native population goes by “Koori” and I’ve never heard of “Murris” before. It does seem to be a regional thing. I’ve never encountered anyone locally who had a problem with the word “Aboriginal”, and know a native girl in the neighbouring town who used to refer to her people as “Abos”.
The Murri belong to northern NSW and Queensland. cazzle has already supplied us with Koori, meaning the native people of south-eastern Australia; “Nyoongar” is the term applied to the Aborigines of my region, the south-west of WA.
I’ve never heard of any politically correct objections to the term “Aboriginal”. Indeed, my university – a bastion of PCness – has an Aboriginal Studies department; there is a Federal Minister for Aboriginal Affairs; and the term is used on the census.
Interesting note about the aboriginal concept of property (real estate specifically). Do aboriginal peoples have inherent property rights over territory if the system that engulfs them insists on the existence of these rights, or will this engulfing system gobble up land that they trod upon for millenia because the native peoples will not make this claim?
– has an Aboriginal Studies department; there is a Federal Minister for Aboriginal Affairs; and the term is used on the census.