Student NET204 Curtin Univesity
Acknowledgement of Country
I respectfully acknowledge the Elders and custodians of the Whadjuk Nyungar nation, past and present, their descendants and kin. The Curtin University Bentley Campus enjoys the privilege of being located on the site where the Derbal Yerrigan (Swan River) and the Djarlgarra (Canning River) meet. The area is of great cultural significance and sustains the life and well-being of the traditional custodians past and present. As representative of Curtin University I am proud to honour the Nyungar people and value this place of shared learning. I recognise the impacts of colonisation on Indigenous Australians and am committed to moving forward together in a spirit of mutual honour and respect.
Abstract
This paper discusses the efficacy of Web 2.0 technologies to encourage individuals spread across time and space to unite into virtual activist communities, campaigning for Indigenous Australian recognition through the creation of alternative narratives to the traditional colonialist discourse. It considers the ephemeral and unstable nature of virtual communities, and the value to activism of the weak ties they produce. The paper examines the creation of “resistance hashtags” (Petray & Collin, 2017, p.7) employed for the #SOSBLAKAUSTRALIA, #IndigenousDads, #InvasionDay, #SurvivalDay and #WhiteProverbs campaigns to determine the level of success achieved through virtual community activism, and explores the possible risks and vulnerabilities attached to social media activism for Indigenous Australian people. It concludes that, despite the acrimony these communities attract, Web 2.0 technologies facilitate the effective formation of virtual activist communities which unite to empower Indigenous Australian voices.
Keywords: Indigenous Australian, activism, community, hashtag, social media, Web2.0
Introduction
Web 2.0 technologies, primarily social media, offers Indigenous activists unprecedented opportunities to connect and interact with other people both locally and across the globe, and campaigns organised by Indigenous Australians have dotted the social media landscape in recent years (Carlson & Dreher, 2018, p.17). However, there appears a dearth of research specifically exploring Indigenous Australian online activism and the virtual communities which emerge from the campaigns they support. Over time, Indigenous Australians have creatively repurposed social media to deliver a contemporary space in which to form virtual communities of activists (Wilson, Carlson & Sciascia, 2017, p.1), providing these communities with both a place for, and an instrument of protest, shaping the way they structure and model online campaigns (Petray, 2013, p.7). This enables Indigenous activist communities to resourcefully employ new ways of challenging colonialist discourse (Carlson & Dreher, 2018, p.17) and invoke innovative strategies to dislocate dominant power structures and agitate for alternatives to replace them (Carlson & Frazer, 2018, p.45). However, social media are not balanced or unprejudiced milieus, instead remaining embedded with hierarchies and cultural and social norms (Petray & Collin, 2017, p.1). Indigenous Australians often experience the online activist space as malicious, suffering trolling, racism, abuse and violent threats (Carlson & Frazer, 2018, p.50). In addition, virtual community protest voices often remain unheard by governments and policymakers (Carlson & Dreher, 2018, p.17). This paper focuses on several Indigenous campaigns and the communities that unite around them in support, challenging mainstream discourse and essentialist rhetoric. It argues that, despite the acrimony these communities attract, Web 2.0 technologies facilitate the effective formation of virtual activist communities which unite to empower Indigenous Australian voices.
Ephemeral Communities
The affordances of social media and the weak ties they generate encourage the creation and development of Indigenous activist communities, encompassing people from different geographical locations, cultures and nations connected in a common purpose (Carlson & Frazer, 2016, p.90). Petray (2013) describes these communities as containing a “collective identity” (p.4), a shared space essential for providing activists with a sense of unity and determination, thereby maintaining the endurance of a movement (Petray, 2013, p.4). Online activist communities emerge through “shared interests” rather than “shared place or ancestry” (Wellman, & Gulia, 1999 p.171) and they develop organically, creating themselves (Katz, Rice, Acord, Dasgupta & David, 2004, p.321) by forming “intimate secondary relationships: informal, frequent and supportive community ties that …operate only in one specialized domain” (Wellman & Gulia, 1999 p.180). Described by Katz et al (2004) as “neo-tribes” (p.342) and defined as “unstable, self-defined communities marked by fluidity and dispersal” (Katz et al, 2004, p.342), online communities and the weak ties they produce present as more evanescent, difficult to maintain and volatile in comparison to ties in a physical community (Katz et al, 2004, p.336). However, the affordances of Web 2.0 also facilitate the expansion of the “’virtual we’ of Indigenous solidarity” (Petray, 2010, p.11) embodying both Indigenous and non-Indigenous advocates and sympathisers from across the globe (Petray, 2010, p.11), and Indigenous activists manifest this solidarity through online “resistance hashtags” (Petray & Collin, 2017, p.7).
Resistance hashtags
Web 2.0 affordances create and activate virtual communities much faster and across larger geographical spaces than communities which develop offline (Katz et al, 2004, p.319). One vital social media tool, employed by online Indigenous activists to organise protests and rapidly form communities of weak ties to further resistance to the colonialist dogma, is the hashtag (Carlson & Dreher, 2018, p.17). As Fransen-Taylor and Narayan (2018) observe, “the speed with which hashtags can come into being in response to emerging issues allows them to facilitate the formation of ad hoc publics” (p.312). The plethora of information on social media suggests “access and visibility is particularly transient in cyberspace” (Fransen-Taylor, & Narayan, 2018, p.319) and Petray (2010) argues that the increase in “push-button activism” (p.2), while encouraging participation by the activist community, “also changes the notion of participation as marches and demonstrations give way to electronic petitions and Facebook fan pages” (Petray, 2010, p.2). Within the space of a few minutes, individuals can sign petitions, share information, write an email or join an online campaign, creating the perception of involvement in a cause with nominal participation (Petray, 2010, p.13). Therefore, “resistance hashtags” (Petray & Collin, 2017, p.7) provide an effective campaign tool to grow online communities consisting of previously unconnected individuals who gather information, engage in conversations and share strategies under a specific banner (Fransen-Taylor, & Narayan, 2018, p.312).
#SOSBLAKAUSTRALIA
One of the most successful “resistance hashtags” (Petray & Collin, 2017, p.7), employed to agitate an online activist community, was #SOSBLAKAUSTRALIA. In a move reminiscent of the forced removal of Indigenous Australians from their land during colonisation, the West Australian government, in 2014, proposed closing 274 remote Indigenous communities (Carlson & Frazer, 2018, p.45), potentially displacing as many as 12,000 people from their homes (Carlson & Frazer, 2016, p.84). Then Prime Minister Abbott’s ill-advised comments further incensed Indigenous Australians when he suggested the “notion of Indigenous people living in the country as a ‘lifestyle choice’” (Carlson & Frazer, 2016, p.89). Carlson and Frazer (2016) refer to this as a “critical event”, infuriating both Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians enough to spurn them into united protest (p.90). The Bieundurry family from the Wangkatjungka community took to the internet to connect with kin across the country via a private Facebook group and from here; an international movement began (Carlson & Frazer, 2016, p.89).
Web 2.0 activism achieves greater community participation when it works in conjunction with offline physical demonstrations (Petray, 2010, p.13). The #SOSBLAKAUSTRALIA campaign sent out a call to action, and over 4000 members of this online community took to the streets in united offline protests (Carlson & Frazer, 2016, p.90). Response from mainstream media was less than supportive, referring to the protesters as “selfish rabble” (Carlson & Frazer, 2016, p.90). Undeterred, the #SOSBLAKAUSTRALIA community responded by appropriating the phrase and applying the tag #selfishrabble to tweets, photos and memes which they shared on Twitter and Facebook. Social media provided creative avenues for the #SOSBLAKAUSTRALIA community to voice alternative perspectives and responses to mainstream media attacks (Carlson & Frazer, 2016, p.90).
The burgeoning community mobilized once again and online protests spilled over into offline spaces culminating in much larger numbers of Indigenous and non-Indigenous people demonstrating at rallies across Australia and the world (McCallum, Waller & Dreher, 2016, p.33). Their communal message: “Stop the forced closures of Aboriginal communities” (#SOSBLAKAUSTRALIA website). The former West Australian Premier Colin Barnett questioned the legitimacy of the protests, intimating most of the activists were not part of the communities involved and therefore should not have a say in the matter, reflecting “an homogenous, unified set of values, to the notion that only ‘remote’ Aboriginal people could have a say in this particular case” (Carlson & Frazer, 2016, p.91). Furthermore, rather than reporting the facts behind the demonstrations, mainstream media again preferred to demonise the protesters (McCallum et al., 2016, p.33). The #SOSBLAKAUSTRALIA community employed social media again to ridicule the hegemonic discourse “amplifying the voices of those ignored by mainstream media” (Carlson & Frazer, 2016, p.91). The outcome of the #SOSBLAKAUSTRALIA movement in regards to funding remains contentious, however the West Australian government eventually shelved plans to close communities (Perpitch, 2018). The #SOSBLAKAUSTRALIA movement demonstrates “community-level social media activism of national significance and international reach” (McCallum et al., 2016, p.32). #SOSBLAKAUSTRALIA provides an example of social media as a powerful tool for gathering activist communities under a single banner and propelling them into action. It offers creative opportunities to challenge the government and mainstream media narrative which labours to silence Indigenous Australian voices (Carlson & Frazer, 2016, p.92).
#IndigenousDads
The “resistance hashtag” (Petray & Collin, 2017, p.7) #IndigenousDads was created to collate messages on social media of dignity and love for Indigenous Australian fathers. The activist community was responding to a cartoon drawn by Bill Leak and published in The Australian characterizing Indigenous fathers as abusive (Carlson & Frazer, 2018, p.45). The cartoon was shared on social media, replete with derogatory remarks aimed at Indigenous fathers (Carlson, Jones, Harris, Quezada & Frazer, 2017, p.3). Community anger towards the cartoon instigated the #IndigenousDads campaign, encouraging Indigenous children and parents to post images and comments applauding fathers as loving role models and inspirations (Carlson et al., 2017, p.5). The Australian Press Council determined that the cartoon did not cause “substantial offence, distress or prejudice” (Carlson et al., 2017, p.3), however this was not the lived experience for Indigenous Australians, who turned to social media to voice their exasperation and resentment in a “shared recognition” of the trauma they experienced (Carlson et al., 2017, p.3). The term “shared recognition” describes a “collective sense of anger and frustration experienced by Indigenous people when traumatic events in the public domain act as reminders of the enduring-ness of colonial violence” (Carlson et al., 2017, p.1). This term acknowledges a communal rejection of racism directed at Indigenous Australians on social media platforms (Carlson et al., 2017, p.1). The #IndigenousDads campaign functioned to challenge the essentialist narrative of Leak’s cartoon, creating an online space for the community to celebrate Indigenous men and their contribution to family care. (Carlson et al., 2017, p.13)
#InvasionDay
The ‘Australia Day You Way’ campaign began in 2014, encouraging Australians to post individual celebrations under the hashtag #AustraliaDay, the intention to encapsulate the festivities “to an annual time capsule stored by the National Museum of Australia” (Fransen-Taylor, & Narayan, 2018, p.311). For Indigenous Australians however, the symbolism of this day represents decades of dispossession, persecution and anguish and demonstrates “the tension between the mainstream Australian discourse and the hurt and anger felt by Australian Indigenous people in regard to Australia Day” (Fransen-Taylor, & Narayan, 2018, p.315). The Indigenous community turned to social media again, employing the “resistance hashtags” (Petray & Collin, 2017, p.7) #Invasion Day and #SurvivalDay to counteract the Australia Day celebratory discourse. The hashtags gathered together an ad hoc virtual community that sought to resist the essentialist rhetoric of commemoration in the ‘Australia Day Your Way’ campaign, providing instead alternative representations and voices of dissent (Fransen-Taylor, & Narayan, 2018, p.316). The results from research conducted by Fransen-Taylor and Narayan (2018) noted “this alternate narrative was excluded from the official time capsule” (Fransen-Taylor, & Narayan, 2018, p.311), indicating that alternative perspectives which contest dominant narratives suffer similar treatment to public graffiti in that they are expunged from public spaces (Fransen-Taylor, & Narayan, 2018, p.313).
#WhiteProverbs
Indigenous online activism operates not just nationally but internationally, uniting Indigenous people on a global scale. From its creation in 2014, the “resistance hashtag” (Petray & Collin, 2017, p.7) #WhiteProverbs produced a virtual activist community as it trended across the world (Petray & Collin, 2017, p.1). The goal of #WhiteProverbs is to challenge racism and White privilege through a series of satirical memes and tweets (Petray & Collin, 2017, p.2) which draw “attention to racist and ethnocentric comments used to justify or mask White privilege” (Petray & Collin, 2017, p.1). A vital part of defeating racism is for non-Indigenous people to recognise and confront their own White privilege, however, Petray and Collin (2017) note the difficulty of holding up a mirror to non-Indigenous people and reflecting back their White privilege and associated benefits, amassed at the expense of Indigenous Australians (p.3). While memes may be used to counter racist and essentialist discourse, they may also work to perpetuate existing stereotypes, a narrative often excused by colonial discourse as protecting free speech and humour (Frazer & Carlson, 2017, p.5) which demonstrates the tensions that exist for Indigenous people in overcoming mainstream racist narratives and representations.
Indigenous activist challenges
Each of these activist movements, although varied in their purpose, exploits the affordances of Web 2.0 to establish virtual communities designed to deliver an alternative narrative and challenge dominant culture (Frazer & Carlson, 2017, p.2). However, although social media provide the opportunities for activist communities to unite across geographical boundaries, this doesn’t necessarily produce positive political or social outcomes for Indigenous Australians (Carlson & Frazer, 2016, p.88). Doubts exist as to the effectiveness of this space in ensuring Indigenous voices are heard by policy makers. The inability of “influential players to listen sits at the heart of the failure of Indigenous policy in Australia” (McCallum et al., 2016, p.24), and “a voice that is not heard or recognized cannot fully achieve the promise of democratic participation or media justice” (McCallum et al., 2016, p.27). Petray (2011) argues that although social media platforms offer innovative ways for communities to engage in activist protests, they may also generate a “digital subaltern” (p.935), a group concealed and ignored in society due to their inability to participate in Web 2.0 activist movements (Petray, 2011, p.935). Online community activists may experience a kind of “connected solitude” (Carlson & Frazer, 2018, p.44) due to the ephemeral nature of virtual communities (Carlson & Frazer, 2018, p.44) and the discourse of colonialism is formidable, therefore protesting often results in pain and a sense of defeat (Carlson & Frazer, 2018, p.44) when “colonial normativities invariably position Indigenous people as the strange ‘other’ necessitating homogenisation” (Carlson & Frazer, 2018, p.51). These challenges highlight the continuing biases which exist within online spaces however further research into Indigenous Australian online activism and the virtual communities which emerge from the campaigns they support may assist in refining activist participation, thereby improving outcomes for Indigenous Australians.
Conclusion
Web 2.0 presents unprecedented opportunities for Indigenous Australian activists to form virtual communities across time and space under a united banner, and social media platforms offer innovative ways for these communities to engage in activist protests. However, online Indigenous activists continue to suffer racism, trolling, violence and a persistent struggle against mainstream Australia’s essentialist notions of colonialism. By amassing support through a hashtag community Indigenous Australians create opportunities to provide an alternative narrative to predominant discourse and racial vilification. In this way, despite the acrimony they attract, Web 2.0 technologies facilitate the effective formation of virtual activist communities which unite to empower Indigenous Australian voices.
References
Carlson, B., & Dreher, T. (2018). Introduction: Indigenous innovation in social media. Media International Australia, 169(1), 16–20. https://doi.org/10.1177/1329878X18803798
Carlson, B. & Frazer, R. (2016). Indigenous activism and social media: a global response to #SOSBLAKAUSTRALIA. In: McCosker A, Vivienne S and Johns A (eds) Negotiating Digital Citizenship: Control, Contest and Culture. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield, pp.115–130. Retrieved from https://slideblast.com/negotiating-digital-citizenship_5ab18c2e1723dd2d20d90d6f.html#page=84
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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
* “the expansion of the “’virtual we’ of Indigenous solidarity” (Petray, 2010, p.11) embodying both Indigenous and non-Indigenous advocates and sympathisers from across the globe”- this sounds like it could be a problem when mixing actual Indigenous activists with sympathisers who may not be Indigenous themselves. That could be a whole ‘nother essay though! However, the section on the soblack hashtag was interesting – I like how you mentioned that the hashtags allowed for mainstream people to potentially see ‘alternative perspectives and responses’. Positive and helpful uses for social media are not highlighted as much as they could be in mainstream media.
*
Your section on activist challenges draws parallels with thinking about communities online in general I think. Sometimes they’re effective (people connect and continue their communications), and sometimes they fizzle out. I guess this is why I feel that activism online is easier to get started compared to offline, but then activity all balances out once the ball is rolling. I think you need both online and offline to operate, as Petray suggested.
Hi Ineke
Thank you for taking the time to comment on my paper.
It is interesting you suggest there may be a problem mixing Indigenous activists with non-Indigenous sympathisers, and while I agree that this type of inclusion may not be the view of some Indigenous activists, in my opinion, the #SOSBLAKAUSTRALIA campaign would not have been as successful in mobilising support without the participation of non-Indigenous sympathisers. They assisted in moving the campaign into mainstream discourse, allowing the closure of Indigenous communities to become a collective issue which could no longer be ignored by policy makers.
In another example, the activist Facebook page Blackfulla Revolution openly encourages non-Indigenous sympathisers who “value the knowledge, custodianship, spirituality, culture and perspectives of First Nations people” (Frazer & Carlson, 2017, p.5) to contribute and support Indigenous protest movements (Frazer & Carlson, 2017, p.5). I believe the participation of both Indigenous and non-Indigenous people in activist communities not only contributes to the success of the campaign but assists in the move toward meaningful reconciliation.
I think it is notoriously difficult to maintain a continuous level of participation in activist campaigns, both on and offline. Certainly, the ease with which we can like, share, sign a petition and send an email makes online activism appear easy and gives us the illusion of being part of a bigger movement. However, I agree with you and Petray (2010) that due to the ephemeral nature of online activist communities, these campaigns are more effective and sustained when they spill over into the offline environment.
Thank you for your thoughts
J
Frazer, R., & Carlson, B. (2017). Indigenous memes and the invention of a people. Social Media + Society. 3(4), 1-12. https://doi.org/10.1177/2056305117738993
Petray, T. (2010). Push-button activism: the use of technology by Townsville Aboriginal activists. Paper presented at The Australian Sociological Association conference; social causes, private lives. Sydney, NSW, Australia. Retrieved from https://tasa.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/Petray-Teresa.pdf
Great point regarding online relationships being weak ties – I do wonder however if this is always case as some virtual relationships can often be quite strong. For example, if you are continuously engaging in the same content and sharing views, this relationship could potentially be more valued than say a relationship with a colleague whom you may only have your work place in common with – just a thought. Enjoyed reading your paper!
Hi Krystal
Thank you for taking the time to comment on my paper.
I agree that many virtual relationships do create strong ties which are often more valued and lasting than some of those we form offline. However, from my research, it appears the weak ties created within activist communities are both ephemeral and volatile. (Katz et al, 2004, p.336) Participants in these communities are often connected through quite specific common causes and once the campaign either succeeds or fails, the tie to the community no longer exists and members fall away. (Wellman & Gulia, 1999, p.180) In saying this, however, there is nothing to preclude relationships formed during an online activist campaign continuing in another online space or moving to an offline environment.
Thank you for your thoughts
J
Katz, J., Rice, R., Acord, S., Dasgupta, K., & David, K. (2004). Personal mediated communication and the concept of community in theory and practice. In P. Kalbfleisch (Ed.), Communication and Community: Communication Yearbook 28 (pp. 315-371). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum. Retrieved from http://www.comm.ucsb.edu/faculty/rrice/A80KatzRiceAcordDasguptaDavid2004.pdf
Wellman, B., & Gulia, M. (1999). Net Surfers Don’t Ride Alone: Virtual Communities as Communities. In P. Kollock, & M. Smith (Eds.), Communities and Cyberspace. New York: Routledge. http://groups.chass.utoronto.ca/netlab/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Net-Surfers-Dont-Ride-Alone-Virtual-Community-as-Community.pdf
Hi J
A well-written paper based on solid research on Web 2.0 Indigenous activism.
The examples of resistance hashtags employed by Indigenous Australian groups were insightful. I certainly do recall reading about the uproar that the Bill Leaks cartoon caused. Therefore, it was interesting how this particular hashtag, #IndigenousDads, was fueled by the ‘shared’ public outrage over this derogatory cartoon.
The manner in which the Australia Day campaign chose to respond to, or ignore, the protests that were sparked with the resistant hashtags #InvasionDay and #SurvivalDay was appalling.
It is such as shame that essentialist attitudes still linger post-colonialism.
Thank you for a great read, J! A bit surprised, though, that your paper has not garnered more interest and commentary.
Hi K
Thank you for taking the time to comment on my paper.
Throughout my research into these movements I was impressed by the way Indigenous Australians grabbed hold of the tools of Web 2.0, in particular hashtags and memes and successfully turned them into positive community messages of solidarity and resistance.
The Facebook page Blackfulla Revolution is another good example. It encourages the creation of memes which contest the fabrication of peaceful colonisation to instead highlight a system which “operates in a way that perpetuates violence upon the continent’s original inhabitants, erasing their rights to land, culture, and community.” (Frazer & Carlson, 2017, p.6) These memes provide an alternative snapshot of Australia’s colonial history from an Indigenous perspective in defiance of those lingering essentialist post-colonialist attitudes you mention.
I was interested to discover that research into Indigenous Australians social media use suggests their activities on the various platforms is 20% higher than non-Indigenous people and more than 60% of them actively use Facebook (Carlson & Frazer, 2016, p.86) This being the case, and I have made the point several times, it still appears Indigenous voices are not being heard by governments and policy makers. In my opinion one of the more recent and most disgraceful examples of this was the complete disregard of the Uluru Statement from the Heart by then Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull. This document was dismissed without any consultation with the rest of the Australian population. There seems little point in asking ATIS peoples how they would like to advance reconciliation if the government has no intention of acting on or even discussing their recommendations.
In pondering your last statement about interest in my paper, and whilst I am certainly not pointing fingers at any conference participants, perhaps the fact that papers in this stream may not have received as much attention reflects again the lack of power of the Indigenous voice as a whole. Just a thought.
Thanks for your thoughts
J
Blackfulla Revolution Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/ourcountryourchoice/
Carlson, B. & Frazer, R. (2016). Indigenous activism and social media: a global response to #SOSBLAKAUSTRALIA. In: McCosker A, Vivienne S and Johns A (eds) Negotiating Digital Citizenship: Control, Contest and Culture. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield, pp.115–130. Retrieved from https://slideblast.com/negotiating-digital-citizenship_5ab18c2e1723dd2d20d90d6f.html#page=84
Frazer, R., & Carlson, B. (2017). Indigenous memes and the invention of a people. Social Media + Society. 3(4), 1-12. https://doi.org/10.1177/2056305117738993
Uluru Statement from the Heart https://www.clc.org.au/files/pdf/Uluru-Statement-3.pdf
Hi J
In your comment, “it still appears Indigenous voices are not being heard by governments and policymakers” is absolutely spot on with your example.
This also couldn’t ring truer in light of the article that appeared in the Guardian today, which highlights the climate change issues that the Torres Strait Islanders face. They allege that because of the government’s inaction on reducing emissions or pursuing adaptation measures on the low-lying islands off the northern coast of Australia, they are now lodging a complaint with the UN’s human rights committee. I wonder if this included an online campaign too.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/may/13/torres-strait-islanders-take-climate-change-complaint-to-the-united-nations
Your final remark is precisely why I made that comment J, sad but true.
Hi K
Thank you for sharing The Guardian article. Putting aside the issue of climate change and the fact that the whole world should be taking governments and industry to the human rights committee for continuing to threaten our planet, in my opinion this story also demonstrates a complete lack of understanding or concern by policy makers regarding Indigenous Australian’s connection to country.
I recently became aware of another example of this indifference when I was sent a Facebook link desperately calling for people to join a protest on site in Victoria to stand in the way of bulldozers about to remove 800 year-old sacred birthing trees to make way for a highway extension. The go-ahead was given by our ‘missing-in-action’ Environment Minister Melissa Price, but this decision has since been suspended after Djab Wurrung community members took their concerns to the Federal Court last year. https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/they-won-t-listen-to-us-blackfellas-push-to-save-ancient-sacred-trees-20190420-p51fsn.html
I have yet to discover an online campaign attached to the Torres Strait Islander’s submission to the UN Human Rights Committee however the online community @IndigenousX https://indigenousx.com.au/ operates in partnership with The Guardian so hopefully any campaigns will receive mainstream media attention.
J
Hi J
I concur with the sentiment that “this story also demonstrates a complete lack of understanding or concern by policymakers regarding Indigenous Australian’s connection to country”.
Thanks for reminding me about this particular incident. I have previously read this article on the ancient sacred trees, J.
I also recall reading an article in 2016 which appeared in the Guardian, highlighting that “The problem was, Europeans often didn’t know what they were looking at when observing Indigenous people in their culture. Often blinded by their confident belief in their own racial superiority and their arrogant perception of the inferiority of all other races, it seemed impossible that other cultures could have any insights to offer”.
Furthermore, “A part of the dominant narrative, echoing the ethnocentrism of colonial thinking, is that Aboriginal culture is violent and uncivilised. Current social problems that are the result of dispossession, marginalisation and intergenerational trauma often deflects attention away from what remains the ancient wisdom of the world’s oldest living culture. Governments in particular have been quick to use the rhetoric that Indigenous culture is part of the problem not part of the solution” (https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/sep/22/indigenous-australians-know-were-the-oldest-living-culture-its-in-our-dreamtime).
Another great read is the following article
https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2019/apr/23/theyre-not-property-the-people-who-want-their-ancestors-back-from-british-museums
K
Hi K
Thank you again for The Guardian links (it’s such a wonderful and credible online news source and must be supported particularly in view of the many discussions taking place throughout the conference re ‘fake news’).
The quote about Indigenous culture being part of the problem not part of the solution also highlights the treatment of Indigenous Australians as one homogenous group instead of recognising that different mobs may have different stories, languages, cultural practices, etc. The type of language employed in the introduction alone of the ‘Closing the Gap 2019 Report’ https://ctgreport.pmc.gov.au/sites/default/files/ctg-report-2019.pdf?a=1 is a perfect demonstration of the two excerpts from the Guardian article you provided.
After reading so many articles both here in the conference and through researching my paper, I began thinking about Paul Keating’s Redfern Speech of 1992, in particular the following:
“…the starting point might be to recognise that the problem starts with us non-Aboriginal Australians.
It begins, I think, with that act of recognition.
Recognition that it was we who did the dispossessing.
We took the traditional lands and smashed the traditional way of life.
We brought the diseases. The alcohol.
We committed the murders.
We took the children from their mothers.
We practised discrimination and exclusion.
It was our ignorance and our prejudice. And our failure to imagine these things being done to us.
With some noble exceptions, we failed to make the most basic human response and enter into their hearts and minds.
We failed to ask – how would I feel if this were done to me?
As a consequence, we failed to see that what we were doing degraded all of us.”
https://antar.org.au/sites/default/files/paul_keating_speech_transcript.pdf
I cannot think of a better example of the despair I feel about how little, if anything, has changed in the last 27 years.
J
Hi J,
An excellent read thank you and it shows that activism should not always be grouped as negative which you do see coming from Governments and media. There is always a point of view that focuses on a person who does not live in a community is not part of that community and therefore should not have a say. Although it is a sad indictment that the individual who is on the fringe with not very informed comments does get the air time more than the people that are at the core of the message. The Bill Leak cartoon incident, rapidly became a Left vs Right issue in the media and not a debate about the cartoon itself.
Hi Graeme
Thanks for taking the time to comment on my paper and I couldn’t agree more about the negative light in which government and mainstream media portray activists agitating for social or political change.
Your comment about those who are not directly involved in a community not being entitled to have a voice rings true from both my research and from personal experience.
I am involved in the #StopAdani campaign and am constantly angered by those who disagree with our stance, insinuating anyone residing outside the area of the mine site has no business protesting against it. The bigger picture about the potential damage to the Great Barrier Reef and the environment in general, which in my opinion concerns every citizen on earth, has been lost amongst the clamour and clatter of a vocal few.
I agree that the Bill Leak cartoon became more debate about free speech rather than a consideration about the notion of essentialist representations of Indigenous identity no longer being provided with a platform. This is yet again another example of Indigenous voices being drowned out by the Left vs Right polarisation you describe, a schism which has invaded mainstream discourse making it seemingly impossible for serious issues to be debated in a rational and mature manner.
During the conference I have read a number of comments on other papers concerning social media echo chambers and in my opinion this type of division takes root in these ‘bubbles’ then continues to be energised by government and mainstream media, thereby ensuring the rift remains unreconciled.
Thanks for your thoughts
J
Hi J,
I found this to be an enjoyable and informative read. I am a member of many indigenous social media groups in an effort to show support and have witnessed many of the campaigns you have mentioned in your paper and even attended the rally here in Perth against the closure of the remote communities. It was great to get some more insight on how the hashtag campaigns came about and the extent of their reach. I have learned so much from being members of these online communities and think it has been a great opportunity, so far, for voices and facts to be shared around Australia. Hopefully they can help to educate and unite our communities so we can “close the gap”, for want of a better phrase.
Regan
Hi JDavis,
Great paper!
I really love that Web 2.0 has given a voice to the Indigenous community and a space in which they can connect with others to form visual communities of activists. It really allows them to create their own discourse without the fear of being censored or edited. It is unfortunate however that their voices are still unheard by the government and policy makers etc.
Your discussion on “push button activism” is particularly interesting. It is so easy for us to like a post or add a quick hash tag or sign a petition. While this may give us a temporary sense of morality – we are not really doing much to help a cause are we? As you state there is a perception of participation – but it is minimal. Do you think Web 2.0 perpetuates the notion of the lazy armchair activist?
Your example of the #SOBLAKAUSTRALIA protests is a great example of the connection between Indigenous and non Indigenous community coming together offline. I did find it dismaying that the mainstream media chose to demonise the protesters however. Do think Web 2.0 will one day overtake mainstream media to allow everyone to have an equal voice, not just the popular narrative?
I have to say I was shocked that ‘The Australian’ would stoop so low and publish such a derogatory cartoon! But I love the response with the #Indigenousdads hashtag! So great!
It’s fantastic that the Indigenous community have a new platform with which to communicate with others and create a new positive narrative, however I’m saddened by the fact that they have to still suffer so much! The fact that they have to be activists for themselves really speaks volumes about Australia’s current stance on the Aboriginal community.
Regards,
Andrea
Hi Andrea
Thanks for commenting on my paper and while it may appear from my other posts that I despair at the plight of Indigenous causes, I do agree that Web 2.0 and its tools have enabled Indigenous activists to connect and form communities in ways which would once have been virtually impossible.
I like your term ‘the lazy armchair activist’ and I have read debate on other posts about the existence or not of ‘slacktivism’. There seems little doubt that it is easier and simpler to show support for a campaign in the online space. It also appears online activism contains the potential to draw greater attention to a cause. However, opinions differ as to the effectiveness of “push button activism” or “click to like” campaigns in advancing activism to “achieve its most critical goals: to change the hearts and minds of the public and effect real change” (McCafferty, 2011). I believe successfully effecting change requires dedication to a movement and as I discuss in my paper, online activists create communities and a collective identity which assists in maintaining commitment to the cause. So while I acknowledge it may appear lazy to click/like/email to show support, if performing these actions keeps the activist community engaged in the campaign then let’s all recline in our armchairs.😃
In answer to your question do I think Web 2.0 will one day overtake mainstream media to allow everyone to have an equal voice, I don’t believe Web 2.0, and social media in particular, provide a platform for everyone to have an equal voice today, or is likely to in the future. In my opinion social media is often worse than mainstream media in suppressing alternative narratives because of the destructive algorithms these platforms employ which allow for only those voices to be heard that align with each individuals political, social and cultural views. And although you were dismayed that mainstream media demonised the protesters in the #SOSBLAKAUSTRALIA campaign, I believe the violent trolling and racism which takes place in the ‘comments section’ of online communication is worse. At least mainstream media are accountable for their vilification. Who holds the online abusers to account?
Thanks for your thoughts.
J
McCafferty, D. (2011) Activism vs. slacktivism.Communications of the ACM,. 54(12), 7-19. Retrieved from https://cacm-acm-org.dbgw.lis.curtin.edu.au/magazines/2011/12/142536-activism-vs-slacktivism/fulltext
Hi Regan
Thank you for taking the time to comment on my paper and I appreciate hearing the opinions of someone involved in the social media communities formed through the campaigns I discussed. I am interested to discover from your personal experience in these groups whether you feel frustrated by the apparent lack of attention Indigenous voices receive and whether you think the messages of these campaigns reach a wider audience, or do believe they remain circulating in the echo chambers created by social media?
In my opinion the phrase ‘close the gap’ has become almost meaningless when one considers the inaction by successive governments in areas of Indigenous incarceration, health, housing, education, etc. I believe one of the reasons for this is that colonialist governments and policy makers attempt to solve these issues from their perspectives instead of listening to and acting on Indigenous Australian’s ideas for solutions in these areas. I think these excerpts from the introduction to the 2019 ‘Closing the Gap Report’ https://ctgreport.pmc.gov.au/sites/default/files/ctg-report-2019.pdf?a=1 is a clear demonstration of this:
“Since the initiation of Closing the Gap in 2008, each successive Prime Minister has delivered a report on outcomes and efforts by the Australian government. Each year, the Prime Minister has delivered the message that the targets are not on track.”
“As we move into this next phase, Closing the Gap will be embraced as a whole of government agenda with all governments sharing accountability for progress and extending this shared accountability to include Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. We should not let our failure to meet targets overshadow the successful thriving lives of many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Australians.”
J
Hi J,
To some extent I do believe most social media posts circulate within their own echo-chambers, however they are able to find there way to newcomers like myself. Also, I feel frustrated from the lack of attention Indigenous voices receive everywhere, not just on social media. I do think that social media is another platform that offers greater potential for more voices to be heard.
As for closing the gap, I think the gap will never be closed as long as our government wants to keep free reign over the land for things such as mining.
Regan