Introduction
Going into my study abroad program at the University of Notre Dame Australia, I knew very little of the Aboriginal culture. Having said that, I was uncertain what to expect by immersing myself in an unfamiliar culture. Although I have been all across the United States meeting many different people, I was truly looking forward to my time “experiencing the people” of Australia.
When I first arrived in Fremantle I met two fascinating female backpackers. While we were walking about Fremantle in the evening, we saw many shops and historical sites, such as the Round House and Town Hall. Taking in all of the sights, my two friends pointed out a group of dark skinned individuals making a ruckus on the sidewalk. They went on to say, “See those people? Those are Aborigines. Watch out for them. All they do is get drunk and randomly yell at white people.” This first impression of the Aboriginal culture was not ideal. Unfortunately this first negative encounter tainted my initial view of such a rich culture.
Along with learning more about myself, my experience in Broome in the West Kimberly truly gave me a better understanding and appreciation of the rich tradition of the Aboriginal culture. Without a doubt, it is quite difficult to put my emotional experiences into words.
Defeating the Stereotype
From my little time in Fremantle, I noticed a rather negative view towards the Aboriginal culture. Many of my Australian classmates, as well as my current manager, see the Aboriginal people as obnoxious, drunk, and, at times, dangerous. Because of my initial ignorance about Australia as a whole, I decided to listen and consider the negative viewpoints of the Aboriginal tradition. These negative perceptions were only reinforced when I saw drunken Aborigines yelling obscenities in the street. Although I saw many of these drunken individuals in Fremantle, I knew all Aborigines were not like this. I saw my Broome excursion as an opportunity to defeat the negative stereotype.
I wanted to meet the Morgan family with an open mind. First meeting Colin and Maria, I knew I was in for a special experience with some fascinating Aboriginals. Talking with Colin, I noticed his tremendous amount of knowledge. Right from the beginning, the drunken stereotype of Aboriginals began to dwindle. Being very proud of his rich Aboriginal tradition, I could tell Colin was more than willing to share his experiences and insights with us. Quite frankly I felt privileged to hear his testimony and be accepted into the Aboriginal community.
Not only did the Morgan family defeat the negative stereotype of the Aboriginal culture, they taught me many positive traditions of their lifestyle. Colin enlightened us with the rich tradition of the Aboriginal dreamtime, which ultimately made me understand how interesting their culture really was. They made us look past the initial perceptions and not judge by skin colour and lifestyle. They acknowledged that actions speak louder than words, proclaiming that whites and blacks ought to come together to create peace. Even though I have always been taught to work together as one human race to create peace, the Morgan family’s rich words really made me realise the importance of just this. The Morgan family’s willingness to listen and reach out to the white community really showed their desire to achieve societal tranquility among all.
Reflecting on this experience with an Aboriginal community, I learned many things about myself. For example, my first encounter with Aborigines in Fremantle made me quite reluctant to associate with the Aboriginal culture. Although I knew all Aboriginals were not like this, I still decided to take extreme caution around them. Looking back at this, I was wrong to stereotype the Aboriginal people as such. Because of this initial reaction to the Aboriginal actions, I see myself as susceptible to outside influences attempting to mold my ideologies, which in turn I hope to work on in the future.
Interacting with the Americans in the group, I realised that we all have some very different viewpoints about immersing ourselves in different cultures. I believe some people took far more out of this experience than others because of their willingness to try new things. As expected, I believe some peoples’ close-mindedness really inhibited their chances of really experiencing and understanding the Aboriginal culture.
On the contrary I believe I tried to immerse myself in the culture as much as I could. First meeting the elders at Whistle Creek, I knew we were going to have a very insightful afternoon. During the first ten minutes there, I decided to sit down and fish with Kathleen, one of the elders. After some brief informal conversation, Kathleen decided to discuss how the Stolen Generations affected her. Simple because I sat down and talked with her, I was able to really “experience the people” of the Aboriginal culture. In my opinion, I was able to get a lot out of this experience because of my willingness to extend past my comfort zone. My interactions with the Aboriginals reinforced my desire to meet and understand different groups of people. I feel extremely privileged to have the opportunity to meet such fascinating people. Having said that, I aim at taking advantage of all of these opportunities in order to make the most out of my experiences here in Australia.
Conclusion
All of us clearly had different experiences in Broome. Without a doubt, I believed I was able to really experience as much as I possible could. Because I aimed at immersing myself in such an unfamiliar culture, I believe I broadened my viewpoints about Aboriginal people, as Colin hoped for us to do. Prior to the Broome experience, I had very little background of the Aboriginal culture. After this meaningful experience in the West Kimberly, although I hope to still learn more about such a rich culture, I have a better idea of the cultural diversity of Australia, as well as myself as a person.
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