Week 8

Half Cast Act:

In particular, the 1886 act started to remove Aboriginal people of mixed descent, known as 'half-castes', from the Aboriginal stations or reserves to force them to assimilate into European society. These expulsions separated families and communities, causing distress and leading to protest. Nevertheless the Board refused to assist the expelled people. It was assumed that the expulsions would lead to the decline in the population of the reserves and their eventual closure. The failure of this policy and its inhumanity led to Victoria's Aborigines Act of 1910 and Aboriginal Lands Act of 1970, which abandoned this policy In two of my classes we recently discussed the term Half Cast and the life of a half cast human being. In my Australian Film, Theater, and Learning class we watched the movie Australia and our teacher emphasized the role of the half cast character. In the film the sheriffs and cattle drivers are constantly trying to move the half cast child to mission island in order to inevitably have the race die out. The child was treated and looked upon as less than a second class citizen. Mrs. Boss, the female protagonist in the film adopted the half cast child and members of the community viewed her as inferior for doing such a thing. It is disturbing to learn about the harsh living situations and aggressive tactics used in order to exterminate the race. Earlier today in my history lecture we had a guest lecturer who discussed many instances in which aboriginals were separated from their families and communities. In 2 of the 5 examples provided, the aboriginal women were taking advantage of, raped, and mistreated in a variety of ways. The more I learn about Australia the more I hate the countries origins. For a land of no worries, and everything is all good, there is an enormous stain in its history. Australians need to take a step back and realize how disgusting their past is.

Week 7

NASCA

NASCA is an organization which specializes in efforts to enable Aboriginal equality and cultural pride. NASCA works with Aboriginal young people to empower them through health, education, sport and cultural programs. Through their activities and programs, NASCA places heavy emphasis on integrity, professionalism, and cultural pride. They aim for the highest quality in everything they do and cater towards diverse needs and learning abilities. NASCA's main purpose is to create a more equitable playing field. They belive its achievable and its the right thing to do. Statistics show that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians are more likely to live in disadvantaged areas, less likely to complete school and enter into employment, and have high incarceration, morbidity and mortality rates. The gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people is wide and deep. NASCA’s activities are aligned to the Australian Government’s ‘Closing the Gap’ strategy. Our organisation initially focused on sport as a vehicle to achieve our aims as it reflects a number of values held in high esteem in the community, such as fair play, teamwork, cooperation and inclusion. Sport also focuses on what’s possible to achieve while showcasing people’s capabilities, rather than dwelling on the negatives. NASCA has evolved to broaden its scope and now includes educational and cultural initiatives, personal development activities and community involvement programs. These are delivered mainly through schools, camps and other channels in contact with young Aboriginal people. We continue to use sport as a vehicle for engagement on our journey to inspire Aboriginal youth. NASCA is a great program and is very similar to a program which I have worked with in the past called Big Brothers Big Sisters. Big Brothers Big Sisters is an organization which provides sponsors or role models for children through time times. Sponsors are free to chose which outlette they think will worst best for their little. It is a great program which helps build confidence, intelligence, and trust. NASCA is doing a great thing by having so many different outlets to connect and help the children. I hope the organization continues to grow.

Week 6

Field Trip Gone Confused:

Last week we were scheduled to meet to observe a Rugby match between Coogee and La Perouse. Our objective was to monitor and observe Indigenous or Aboriginal Culture and presence at the match. The day before I went to the Blue Mountains and went abseiling, I was incredibly exhausted when I returned likely because I never realized how terrified of heights I and the panic surely caused exhaustion. Either way it was a great experience and loved my time in the Bush. I returned late Saturday night in order to be on time for the match. Woke up Sunday, checked Blackboard and saw we needed to report at 1.20PM. Showed up at Coogee at 1:00PM and thats when the confusion began. First: 20 minutes early (eventually learn there was an email saying 1:45) confused as to what to do, not necessarily enough time to do an activity but to much time to sit and wait without getting bored. Decide to walk over to the oval. Second: little kids and families all over the oval, do not see any signs of a rugby match. Continue to walk around for any signs of a match. None. Decide to phone one of my mates to have them check my mail, their internet stopped working, couldnt figure out what was going on. Third: After a few laps around the oval, finally run into other students. Learn that it was 1:45PM, so that explained part of the confusion. However, another student arrives and explains that he believes the game has changed locations. Now do we move to another location or do we wait and see. Still no signs of any rugby, at least any rugby which I have seen which was limited, also led to more confusion. Fourth: Professor arrives, on time,ultimate confusion begins. He was not exactly sure what was going on. Now I absolutely have no idea what happened. Eventually we learn their is field maintenance and the game has been postponed. Crazy day, however I met some new people. END RESULT: A completely unexpected day with new encounters and a beautiful day at the beach.