Reconciliation is a topic that I do not have a great understanding of and neither do I personally know any Aboriginal people. Reconciliation for me meant saying that we are sorry for the stolen generation and I thought that we had done that already. So I did not understand why there is still so much hostility between the indigenous community and the white community, then I did some research. I began to realise that reconciliation is more than just saying that we are sorry it is about understanding and acknowledgement of the aboriginal communities past and offering assistance and support for their future.I began thinking that if this is how I saw 'reconciliation' then there would definitely be others who had the same idea.
It was for this reason that I decided to base my reconciliation piece on someone I consider to be a role model for the Aboriginal community and this woman is Deborah Mailman. Through a number of different mediums Deborah has been gaining awareness for the rights of the black community and has been showing the country that just because she's an Aboriginal woman doesn't mean that she can not be the best at what she does.Many of the roles that Deborah plays are pivotal roles that depict life in an Aboriginal community and it is these roles that are seen by the general public that will begin to change society's views regarding Australia's indigenous people. Deborah however is not alone in her success. There are many other successful aboriginal people involved also in the arts whether they are involved in directing, acting or being part of the film crew, it is the success of these people that is going to gain aboriginal people the respect that they deserve.Reconciliation is a word now used frequently by Australians especially in reference to the Aboriginal community.
One might be mistaken for thinking that this relates solely to being 'sorry' for our ancestors actions, however reconciliation is more than an acknowledgement it is an understanding of their past, present and future. When asked about her views on reconciliation Deborah Mailman answers with an unbiased and intuitive response 'Reconciliation needs to filter through every sense of our living day, from education systems through to our own individual self... ( Miler, 2001).
Consider for a moment the image that the word Aboriginal conjures up. Does the harsh Australian outback, campfires, body paint, didgeridoos and tribes come to mind? For many people this is how Aboriginals are viewed and quiet rightly too if our only knowledge about Australia's indigenous race comes from their portrayal in films and other forms of media. These images are their past but what about their future.There has been a substantial development in the way that Aboriginals are portrayed in Australian films from their first appearance in the 1950's although there is a long way to go. Leading this transformation is a young Aboriginal woman known to many for her role as Kelly on a The Secret Life of us, and by using her popularity she is changing the way society views the Aboriginal community.
Known affectionately as Kelly to Australian youth, Deborah Mailman is an aboriginal woman who is taking the country by storm and breaking the typical Aboriginal stereotype.Deborah grew up in the rural town of Mount Isa with her Aboriginal father, Maori mother and her four siblings (Prior, 2002). Although her childhood was spent in a somewhat segregated community Deborah claims that she and her siblings "all pretty much had the same opportunities as everyone else" (Prior, 2002). So when she decided to pursue a career in acting she admits that she may have been "a bit naive" for thinking that she "would not be pushed back because of the colour of her (my) skin (Prior, 2002).
Since those early days Deborah's career has gone from strength to strength and although it was The Secret Life of Us that launched her into the public arena, Deborah has an even larger role as being the National Aboriginal and Islander Day Observance Committee (NAIDOC) Person of the Year, such an honor highlights Deborah's important position of being a role model for other indigenous women (Williams, 2004). Although now considered a prominent aboriginal woman by the white community Deborah has not always been an active member of her Aboriginal community.As a child Deborah's aboriginal background was not acknowledged, it was not until she began university that she took an interest in her culture and began to understand why her parents did not involve her in the Aboriginal community. "Dad and the family wanted the best out of life.
What they were seeing around them, in their time, from society in general, or what was being portrayed of black communities in the media, was not positive. " (Taffel, 2002). Now an active member in the Aboriginal community Deborah sees herself as a role model for many other indigenous people especially women.When I was growing up in Mount Isa, there weren't many role models to be honest. It's nice to be part of a group that is changing that, all over the place" (Illawarra Mercury, 2003). Through a number of different mediums Deborah is gaining awareness for Aboriginal rights especially in regards to their involvement in film and television.
Rather than standing back and enjoying her new found fame Deborah has found many reasons why she should stand up and speak out for the Aboriginal community.Deborah's role on the Secret Life of Us is one that has been criticized for its lack of acknowledgment about the Aboriginal culture. Deborah however finds "it odd that people criticize the fact that her Aboriginality is so subtle" (Prior, 2002) she believes this to be a breakthrough for the Aboriginal community. "It's fantastic that suddenly they are not presenting Aboriginal people as social problems" (Miller, 2001).
Deborah however identifies that there is still a lack of Aboriginals in mainstream television "In commercial television its ridiculous representation. It's still Ernie Dingo and I.Two actors" (Darby, 2003b). A recent report about community attitudes revealed that Aboriginal people are still not considered marketable and that there are very few aboriginals in existence. Of these reports Deborah responds "It's pretty hard to overcome these sorts of perceptions.
There's still a wall there. ' (Darby,2003a) and it is this wall she is working hard to eradicate through her presence in the media. This is a view that is shared by other Australian Aboriginal actors Aaron Pederson is one that thinks that "there is a necessity for indigenous actors in this country, and especially women actors.In the past they have been portrayed as subservient and in real life indigenous and non indigenous women in Australia are strong and expressive and very individual, and that is what Deb is" (Miller, 2001).
Throughout her career Deborah has been very conscious of the roles she accepts "It's important that each choice I make shows a successful black woman, not only to the younger kids but to the community in general, not only my community but to the wider community" (Miller, 2001). Deborah's film debut in Radiance, an Aboriginal film directed by fellow Aborigine Rachel Perkins, was based on a screenplay by Louis Nowra.The film tells the tale of three sisters who return home for their mother's funeral and in doing so learn about the hardships their mother faced as an Aboriginal single mother. The films intention is to inform the audience of the suffering endured by Aboriginals when their children were taken from their families and placed in missions and other white families (Zubic and Phillips, 1998). Similarly Deborah's more recent film Rabbit Proof Fence also deals with the anguish of the stolen generation whilst following the journey of three young girls and their attempts to escape from the settlement in which they were placed.These are just two of the many films that have recently depicted Australia's indigenous community.
It seems as though Deborah is just one of the first in a long line of new up and coming talent that will soon be representing Aboriginal talent. Although it is her success in film and television that Deborah is most recognised for, her career began in the theatre, another medium in which she has used to promote Indigenous issues. The most popular and longest running play being The 7 Stages of Grieving, which was directed and co written by Wesley Enoch.In this play Deborah who is not only the solo performer but also a co-writer attempts to illustrate the grieving process in the Aboriginal community, politically and individually (Miller, 2001).
Using the five stages of dying by Elisabeth Kubler Ross as a starting point the pair created the seven stages of Aboriginal history - dreaming, invasion, genocide, protection, assimilation, self-determination and reconciliation (Taffel, 2002). The purpose of the play Deborah says is to "avoid campfire/boomerang/didgeridoo cliche " (Taffel, 2002). It is through works of art such as this play that Deborah and her friends are starting to change the way in which Australian society view the Indigenous people. The 7 Stages of Grieving is now on the New South Wales Syllabus for high school students ensuring that they will be given the opportunity to gain an insight into the Aboriginal culture. In addition to all of these other accomplishments, Deborah has also just been apart of a book come documentary by Leah Purcell entitled 'Black Chicks Talking'.The book explores the lives of nine aboriginal women under the age of 35 through a series of in-depth interviews of which Purcell comments "These women have come from negativeness and have capitalized on it" (Eniar, 2002).
During an interview with Purcell she mentions her theory on her generation: "There was a generation where you had to have the protest. Then came the generation which had the stories of the past which had to be told. There's a new generation now looking at our stories and who we are today.They will empower the generation that comes through and when they come through, look out" (Eniar, 2002).
This is the theory of the Aboriginals future. It seems as though Australian films and other forms of artistic expression are on the right track but still have a way to go. The future however is promising. A review of the film Rabbit Proof Fence by Fiona Villella (2002) comments on the films decision to avoid focusing on the oppression and violence endured in this time but to rather depict a story based on optimism, survival and hope.
Villella concludes the review by encouraging future film makers to portray events involving the aboriginal culture in a way that matches the actual events. In accordance, Hickling-Hudson (1990) concludes a review of older aboriginal films by stating 'It is only the definition of black reality from a conscious black perspective that will lend more dignity, more humanity and ... positivness .
.. to the portrayal of black experience'. As a society we are just beginning to embark on this process.Actors such as Deborah Mailman and the many other Aboriginal artists who through their work in film, television, and music are starting to help the Australian community both black and white gain a greater understanding of what is meant by being an Aboriginal. No longer are the days where Aboriginals are categorized as tribal, didgeridoo playing, boomerang throwing, black fellas but as productive and important members of society.
This is the true meaning of reconciliation, understanding their past and looking towards and supporting the present and future.
