Spirits of the Red Sand

Spirits of the Red Sand

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Posted 2019-04-25 by Alison Muirheadfollow
It was not until the referendum of 1967 that indigenous Australians were included in the population Census and the Federal government was prohibited from specifically making laws for the Indigenous people of any State. Indigenous entitlement to social security benefits, war pensions, child endowments and children's pensions were very real outcomes of the referendum. Most States (except Queensland and Western Australia) had given indigenous people the right to vote from the 1850s, but many were not aware of their rights. They seem such simple gestures, but were a long time coming. From the earliest times of white men coming to Australia, life for the indigenous population was not easy, and continues to be the same for many today.



There is so much debate today about the terms "invasion", "settlement" and "history wars". "" puts those debates to rest with a storyline that some audience members have described as "confrontational". Perhaps this is what is required for Australians to understand their history and that of the peoples displaced with the arrival of the white man. Many eyes would have been opened by this performance.

It begins with a glimpse of the culture of Aboriginal people, with audience participation that is so natural that all audience members joined in willingly. At no time during the evening did I get the feeling that I was being force-fed history or culture or made to feel that I was in any way to blame for the actions of my forebears.



The story was told by the descendants of the mob that lived in the Beenleigh area, and is based on fact. How appropriate that it is performed amongst the buildings of the Beenleigh Historical Village and Museum, with buildings of the nineteenth century, and a genuine Aboriginal village of gunyahs, as the sets.





The story is based on the lives of three brothers from the local mob and their descendants, and how each one's story is intertwined. From the start the cultural differences caused much friction. The Aboriginal custom of share and share alike did not sit well with the newcomers. The Storyteller interweaves the tales.



Then there were the descendants of mixed relationships, the "half castes", who were seen as potential trouble makers and subsequently removed from their parents under the Aboriginal Protection Acts. I was appalled to learn recently that while I was enjoying the benefits of a free public high school education in the '60s, young women who had been removed from their families under the Queensland Act, had been enslaved in the kitchens of a prominent Catholic school.



The story moves from the welcome to a very moving audio-visual presentation. From here we went to church, where the pastor makes it plain that the Aboriginal people are of a lower class than the white parishioners. Not all whites are happy to go along with this, and some speak up against it, but they are in the minority.




We are welcomed to the village by a traditional smoking ceremony where we become aware of the differences of opinion amongst the Aboriginal people as to their attitudes towards their white oppressors. Amongst the Aboriginal people there are warriors who wish to fight the system, but as evidenced by the massacres that have taken place all over Australia, they are no match for the might of the white population. There is reference to the poisonings that took place under the guise of food handouts.





The story ends on a highlight of the indigenous people singing the national anthem whilst waving the Australian and Aboriginal flags. We are one, but we are many.



At the meal table we were treated to some musical entertainment before enjoying some delicious native foods. There was much food for thought after such an engrossing drama, and as a volunteer in the tourism industry, and one who travels widely throughout Australia, I have no hesitation in recommending this wonderful performance to locals and visitors alike. Nowhere else in Australia will they experience such a privilege.







Alison Muirhead was a guest of Great Australian Experiences.

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106081 - 2023-06-12 12:17:19

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