Question:What is Aboriginal / Indigenous Law?

What is Aboriginal / Indigenous Law?

The aboriginal / indigenous law of Australia is intended to protect the rights of both the aboriginal and indigenous communities of Australia, such as their rights to heritage and culture, and race. The aboriginal / indigenous law covers th...

What do you think about people appropriating Indigenous iconography for performance?

Q: A Russian ice dancing duo has just won bronze at the Vancouver Olympics doing an 'Aboriginal dance' that they had previously ditched. Is it an shameless appropriation of Indigenous culture and racist generalisation of everything 'other' as the first example would argue, or a harmless contribution to the cultural melting pot, even honour for Aboriginal people as the second example would insist?Example 1:"At times, Shabalin led Domnina around by her ponytail. They mugged, stuck out their tongues and mimicked the hand over mouth gesture that was once associated with American Indians. (See it here and judge for yourself.) After the dance ended, the crowd gave the Russians what could generously be called a lukewarm reception. After seeing the dance Sunday night, an Aboriginal dancer wrote in Australia's Herald Sun newspaper:The dance is certainly unlike anything I've seen, and other than a few complex lifts, the performance didn't really entertain me. It looked wrong on so many levels. ... When creating a dance or theatre work, even as contemporary indigenous dancers, it is a part of our practice to follow cultural protocols and consult with traditional elders who understand the meaning behind the movement. It is respect for our traditional cultural laws, language groups and elders for this information to be passed on correctly."http://sports.yahoo.com/olympics/vancouver/blog/fourth_place_medal/post/Aboriginal-leaders-Russian-ice-dancers-routine?urn=oly,221290Example 2:This is pathetic. Other countries than Russia have been doing their own inept versions of the Russian ballet like 'The Nutcracker Suite' which clearly originated with Russian/Germanic ideas in mind. ...Since when is a cultural idea or style such a nazi thing that only one group 'owns' it? The costumes look fine and the Russian duo should have been permitted to go ahead with it as a creative notion based on Aboriginal artistic and musical motifs. Red Indians have had their costume and war dances repeated endlessly from cartoons, comedies to serious movies. All not authentic but nonetheless enjoyable to the masses and drawn into everyone's culture. Cultural chauvinism should be ignored. If everyone took back their cultural contribution from the melting pot of the world we would be left with nothing. Could the English please take back the English language? Good idea except they stole many words from other Europeans.""Oh FFS. GET over it! How pathetic is political correctness in the modern age. IF there was any intended link between this pair of ice skaters and the aboriginal culture/industry that has permeated Australian society over the past few decades, the aboriginals should be honoured and flattered that they are being recognised on the world stage."http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/russians-ditch-aboriginal-routine/story-e6frf9if-1225828113753?from=public_rsshttp://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/sport/loin-cloths-and-rubbed-noses-why-would-anyone-be-offended/story-e6frg7mf-1225833194654http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=103512469&blogId=529746667Just found more commentary on Newspaper Rock.http://www.bluecorncomics.com/2010/01/russian-skaters-should-rethink-routine.htm

A: " Red Indians have had their costume and war dances repeated endlessly from cartoons, comedies to serious movies. All not authentic but nonetheless enjoyable to the masses "and for as long as they have been doing that we have been saying we are NOT honored and it is insulting. there is an unspoken attitude behind all of the appropriation of indigenous cultures that i hear loud and clear. those who think it is no big deal actually think.."we won. you lost. YOU do not get to tell US what to do."so fine. if it is no big deal to mock another cultures beliefs and traditions, then i am sure every christian out there will love the following. i hope you feel honored that we give you such attention.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0LTKY6Wc7g&NR=1&feature=fvwphttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jYSCY08u944&feature=relatedhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ykkFJZnddG4so obviously this is just funny and christians aren't offended at all right? yeah. thought so. i guess its only harmless when its someone else's beliefs and culture being mocked. hypocrites.