BUSM 1074 : Reflective Paper

Summary

In the given study, I found that anthropologists are the people who would venture around to gain the field of knowledge with their materials and their work would be relevant to the westernized notion of the society. The anthropologists gained this specific knowledge by understanding the close relationships with people by living and interacting with them, eat their food, learn their cultures, enjoy their food, and be a part of their lives from every aspect (Povinelli, 200 2). This may be a notion of an ethnographer to benefit themselves by entering into the lives of others and understand about how they live. I have also gained an insight on the fate of the Australian Aboriginal society and their step towards identifying their own identity and social acceptance so that they can gain access to the public sympathy and state resources. I believe that that the Aboriginal law is an ancient law which the westernized society should be aware. The importance and  the need for a multicultural society in Australia and the ways in which the cultural differences can be avoided in order to respect each and every culture form a base for all the cultures to breathe in the land of Australia (O'Connor, 2017).

In the further study I understood about that the Australian nation-building and how people should remember the according to whose perspective the nation-building was done. I also came to know about the Aboriginal history and the nation-building process from the Aboriginal history perspective. It was also understood that a common law will give recognition to all the multi-cultures prevailing in Australia and it will form a base for their failed history (Povinelli, 2002). This study also helped me to understand that the Mabo and Wik courts are no longer only for the Aboriginal society, their beliefs and their cultures. It made me clear that the Mabo and Wik are serving the needs of the common law and not only the Aboriginal society and their people. Mabo and Wik court decisions entirely focused on the protection and advancement of the Australian common law practices and principles rather than focusing only on the Aboriginal people (Richardson, 2017). This also focuses on the liberal laws that Aboriginals should follow.

I came across the ethnology Kamilaroi and Kunai which was introduced in the year 1880. It stated the inter-sexual relationships between the people of Australia. In the ethnology, the people of Australia refer to the indigenous Australians (Fison, 2017). I understood about the importance of the ancient Aboriginal cultures and the reason for non-Aboriginals to understand their importance too. The dilemma of the urban Aboriginals is to manage the discursive gap and become an indigenous Aboriginal (Povinelli, 2002). I also understood the fact that Aboriginals need to foster their own identity by accepting it as an authentic and valuable asset for their people and their group. This would not risk their identity in any way as they are adapting to the common laws and their shared values as a community.

References:

Fison, L. (2017). Kamilaroi and Kurnai: Group-Marriage and Relationship, and Marriage by Elopement. Nordestedt: BoD–Books on Demand.

O'Connor, S. (2017). 30,000 Years of Aboriginal Occupation: Kimberley, North West Australia. Canberra, ACT: Dept. of Archaeology and Natural History, The Australian National University.

Povinelli, E. A. (2002). The cunning of recognition: Indigenous alterities and the making of Australian multiculturalism. Durham, USA: Duke University Press.

Richardson, B. (2017). Paul G. McHugh, Aboriginal Societies and the Common Law: A History of Sovereignty, Status and Self-Determination. Indigenous Law Journal, 4(1).