Debating Communities and Networks XIV

Indigenous Agency on Instagram from Australia

Posted on

by

Veronica.Sparks

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are advised that this paper contains discussion about disturbing events and issues, and names of deceased persons, which may be distressing.

 

I acknowledge the ancient boodja (land) I am on today which has never been ceded by the Wadjuk people of the Noongar Nation. I offer respect to the Elders and traditional custodians, past and present, and acknowledge their continued connection to Country, community and culture.

 

Indigenous Agency on Instagram from Australia

 

 

Abstract

 

Various Indigenous people utilise Instagram as a site of agency, community and self-representation to challenge perceptions of them in Australia. The purpose of this paper is to draw from Indigenous scholar’s findings to show why this is occurring, and how their cultural agency is challenging narratives about their identity and culture and the issues they regularly face. This paper will show what three different Indigenous people and groups are doing on Instagram to disrupt mass media rhetoric, maintain agency, and build community understanding beyond their own communities.

 

 

#AboriginalandTorresStraitIslanderPeople #Indigenous #instagram #agency #selfrepresentation

 

 

Preamble

Whilst it’s difficult to talk about this socio-culturally complex topic in one paper, especially without my preference for having an Indigenous co-author, I will attempt to cover some Indigenous people who are dominant on Instagram for various reasons. Before I do, it is important to first acknowledge that as a wadjulla of colonial settler descent, my background inextricably affects ways in which I see and understand Indigenous experiences on this land. I do not speak for Indigenous people and the consistent request presented to non-Indigenous researchers is to not talk about them, without them. As I am not permitted to have an Indigenous co-author for this paper, I have based arguments on Indigenous academic findings which are complex and extensive. I continue to learn from and listen to Indigenous voices and walk alongside those who generously make space for my learning and co-design in their spaces. Always was, always will be, Aboriginal Land.

 

Introduction

Indigenous people utilise Instagram as a way to express and explore their identities, maintain agency, engage with other Indigenous people, resist and challenge Australian perceptions and structural violence “by the state and its various manifestations, the mass media, science, the arts and so on” (Carlson 2016, 84). Indigenous academic Bronwyn Lumby calls these expressions and explorations cyber-Indigeneity, which can cut across sociocultural differences to produce new political collectives (Lumby, 2010; Carlson and Frazer, 2018). Some of the ways various Indigenous people use Instagram for cyber-indigeneity are by sharing posts containing lived experience, humour, creativity and subversion (Maddison, 2003; Lumby, 2010; Carlson and Frazer, 2018; Carlson and Kennedy, 2021), to communicate their messages. Various Indigenous people utilise Instagram as a site of agency, a third space of community and self-representation to challenge perceptions of them in Australia.

 

Some maximise the agency that Instagram affords, to challenge mainstream media which consistently stereotypes them in numerous harmful and condescending ways (Carlson and Frazer, 2018; Kennedy, 2020; Carlson and Kennedy, 2021). Not all Indigenous people use Instagram in this way, but those who do, stand by their right to do so, as do many of the Indigenous online community who support them. Shortly, I will examine how various Indigenous people are utilising Instagram in these ways, but first, we must be self-reflective about the socio-political social media environment Indigenous people are expected to endure across this continent in particular, in order to understand why they are forced to take certain positions. Whilst it would be commonplace to argue solely about the racist vitriol Indigenous people are forced to contend with on Instagram as Ariadna Matamoros-Fernandez (2017) does, I aim to examine what Australia is silent about, and Australia avoids discussing (Stanner, 2011).

 

‘The great Australian silence’

If we accept that whilst Australian society considers itself to be getting better at including minority groups (Nakata, 2013), meaningful progress is slow. I argue this doesn’t explain the “great Australian silence” (Stanner, 2011, 140) and that Indigenous people are still treated as “a melancholy footnote” (Stanner, 2011, 139). We only need to turn to Australia’s mainstream media to see the ongoing harmful stereotyping Indigenous people are forced to contend with (Carlson and Frazer, 2018; Kennedy, 2020). In addition to this, the majority of the non-Indigenous Australian population rarely acknowledge or discuss our real history on Instagram, let alone in respectful, truthful and meaningful ways. The layers of trauma we non-Indigenous people actively place onto media platforms need to be questioned, and it is not surprising that social media platforms such as Instagram have become a place that represents staunch collective agency and survival (Carlson, 2017; Carlson and Kennedy, 2021). We only have to look at popular non-Indigenous Australian Instagram profiles will millions of followers such as Chris Hemsworth, Daniel Riccardo, Miranda Kerr, Kayla Itsines, and Celeste Barber to understand that acknowledging which traditional lands they’re from, or on, is not a priority neither is conversation or content about this, nor Indigenous people, culture or issues. They are silent.

 

In contrast, by knowing that “social media weakens the spiral of the silence” (Irfan Chaudhry and Anatoliy Gruzd, 2020), many Indigenous people engage in practices such as proudly placing identifying symbols, Country and language or mob names in the Biography section of their profiles to various degrees, such as Ngumpie Weaving (2023) and Nathan McGuire (2023). This is not to say that all Indigenous people embody their indigeneity on Instagram this way. Some highly respected community members such as Moju (2023), Briggs (2023) and Alicia Johnson (2023) consistently express their pride and position powerfully through their carefully curated content, rather than on their Instagram biographical description. Their pride about their cultural connection and heritage is irrefutable.

Non-Indigenous self-reflection

By using a self-reflective approach, we can begin to understand some of the reasons why various Indigenous people counteract and “disrupt the colonial algorithm” (Fredericks et. al 2022, 158) in their own ways. The spiral of silence theory is helpful in understanding that in online society, people are willing to conceal their views and stay silent on matters that are considered taboo, such as racist discourse, as they do not wish to become an outcast from their community online or offline (Chaudhry and Gruzd, 2020). The issue with consistently practising this type of silent social behaviour is that it restricts mutual conversation and public healing processes about Australia’s violent socio-political history (Carlson & Berglund, 2021). As a result, conversation on Instagram is similar to a monologue, where non-Indigenous people prefer to share highlight reels of their lives whilst ignoring the truths and realities of the land they live on and the avoidable and deplorable issues Indigenous people are facing every day due to ongoing contemporary colonialism (Carlson & Berglund, 2021).

 

In contrast to the spiral of silence theory, extreme racist vitriol is aimed at Australia’s First Peoples on Instagram (Carlson and Kennedy, 2021), which is one reason the platform has become a popular site for Indigenous “connected online activism” (Duarte 2017, 1), resistance, community and self-representation across the continent (Lumby, 2010; Carlson and Kennedy, 2021). The Indigenous online community is extensive, and social media is useful for staying connected with remote communities for example (Carlson and Kennedy, 2021). Whilst Facebook is one of the most popular platforms many Indigenous people use to stay connected with family and friends, I will focus on ways in which Instagram is meaningfully used as a tool for agency, community and self-representation which is challenging popular Australian perceptions about Aboriginal people, through examples of Indigenous personalities on Instagram.

 

Identity and cultural autonomy

Whilst social media can be seen as a way to remain anonymous and separate ourselves online from our true identity, this is rarely the case for many Indigenous people who prefer to embody rather than disembody their cultural identity online (Carlson and Kennedy, 2021). There are people however who identify in real life as Indigenous but for many different reasons do not wish to specifically identify this way on Instagram whose names I respectfully refrain from naming as I don’t believe it is my place to identify them in this paper for the sole purpose of providing the reader with evidence. In addition, this position deserves another paper entirely, which I will not discuss here. For those who choose to express their Indigenous identity for various reasons, it is risky in these socio-political times (Carlson and Kennedy, 2021). Therefore to do so, is “an exercise in agency and cultural autonomy” (Farrell 2021, 153), but understood as necessary in order to change the narratives.

 

Dwezy

One person who uses Instagram to show pride in himself through creativity, humour and reality, is Dwesmond Wiggan-Dann (2023), an Indigenous LGBTIQ+ advocate from the Kimberley, and former participant in the popular television program “The Amazing Race Australia” (Mogford, 2023). He is an advocate who doesn’t write extensively about what he stands for, but rather shows his pride through his associations with his culture, ideas, people, costumes, places, and monuments he’s photographed with (Dwezy, Carlson and Kennedy, 2021). For example, one of his favoured hashtags is #blackanddeadlyalldayeveryday (https://www.instagram.com/p/CpV1dDdyzjp/ Sydney Opera House March 4 2023). According to Andrew Farrell, “in Australia, Indigenous LGBTIQ+ peoples are working at the margins to identify and address significant social, cultural and political disparities that ignore the community’s existence and its complex and unique needs” (2021, 140). By expressing his association with the range of queer and Indigenous concepts, he maintains agency, disrupting public perceptions of his identity and using it to self-represent (Lumby, 2010, Fredericks et al., 2022). By expressing himself in these ways, cuts through the rhetoric of minority discourse and creates a sense of community for Indigenous queer folk, like safe a “third space” (Aaen and Dalsgaard, 2017, 162) where intersections overlap one another and are celebrated in this space through Instagram. Wiggan-Dann also regularly posts photos of himself laughing with the sense of humour that Indigenous people are known to embody, even during difficult times (Neville et al., 2014).

 

Isaac Compton

Indigenous cultural dancer, singer songwriter and comedian Isaac Compton uses humour with reality to get his messages across in his videos using “Blackfella humour which is just that little bit different, and a part of kinship” (Carlson and Berglund, 2021, p11). His videos range from jokes within his community to jokes about racism and other issues. For example he made a video using the meme “Tell me you’re Aboriginal without telling me you’re Aboriginal” (@the_isaac_compton 21 March 2023  https://www.instagram.com/reel/CqCraFjDwoq/ ), which is funny within his community but also sends a message to his non-Indigenous followers who may be unaware. It’s a way of maintaining agency and using blackfella humour to educate non-Indigenous followers beyond their preconceived ideas about Aboriginal people. In another video, he uses the meme “But you don’t look Aboriginal” (@the_isaac_compton 22 March 2023 https://www.instagram.com/reel/CqEmGK0BP7V/ to satirise this statement by doing a rain dance using shake-a-leg dance moves in the bathroom to make the water come out of the shower. Historically, this statement has been used by non-Indigenous people to question people’s knowledge about their own identity (Lumby, 2010; Neville et al., 2014; Bailey, 2020). Bronwyn Lumby explains this constant questioning of identity works to “regulate who can and who cannot be Indigenous, and indeed what it means to be Indigenous” (2010, 73; Langton, 2011; Nakata, 2013). Therefore Compton is using “humour to deal with the onslaught of violence experienced daily” (Carlson, 2021, 21) and by satirising these types of serious denigrations on Instagram, Compton is maintaining his agency and dignity, staying connected within the Indigenous collective survival community through the “networked self” (Papacharissi 2010, 304), whilst educating the silent, public gaze at the same time.

 

Justice for Walker

One incredible Instagram account that has harnessed the power of Instagram in recent years is Justice for Walker (2023). Family and friends of Kumanjayi Walker have been utilising Instagram to advocate for social and lawful justice for their beloved murdered family member by publishing factual posts such as “Timeline Summary” (https://www.instagram.com/p/Cj1XmIMhraU/ 18 Oct 2022), and pushing for Police officer Zachary Rolfe to be held accountable by Australian law “New alarming Zachary Rolfe texts revealed” (https://www.instagram.com/p/CjCu6ViL_SM/ 28 Sept 2022). By carefully releasing facts about the case on Instagram after matters have been dealt with in court, they take ownership of the narrative, in order to defy the mass media’s racist versions of the facts and empower the public to make their own conclusions, which ultimately point to a culture of racist police and systematic failures of the justice system.

 

Not only have they advocated for justice, but they have also generously shared personal videos about who they are, and what Kumanjayi was like as young man, in order to quash racist attacks and perceptions about them and their culture and identity. For example on the third anniversary of Walker’s murder, they released a video entitled “Justice for Walker” which detailed some of the family’s experiences about the day that Walker died (9 Nov 2022 https://www.instagram.com/p/CkvSZj5B34v/ ) In another video entitled “Get to know the real Kumanjayi Walker” (11 March 2023, https://www.instagram.com/p/CpoFs0QhGIk/) we hear some of his family members yarning (telling stories) about his personality and how they heard about his murder. These personal accounts work to maintain agency over the narratives about their family, their culture and Kumunjayi’s murder (IndigenousX, 2023); they work to connect with the national Indigenous community who are going through the same devastating common issues of murdered family members (IndigenousX, 2023); and they work to challenge perceptions about Indigenous people who are regularly and innocently murdered by non-Indigenous police officers (IndigenousX, 2023).

 

Conclusion

 

Various Indigenous people utilise Instagram as a site of agency, community and self-representation to challenge perceptions of them in Australia. The “great Australian silence” (Stanner, 2011, 140) about our violent colonial history is something Indigenous people recognise and use Instagram to challenge. They explore theirs and others identities in what Lumby calls cyber-Indigeneity, which can cut across sociocultural difference to produce new political collectives (Carlson and Frazer, 2018, 45). I have shown how Wiggan-Dann, Compton and the Justice for Walker group are successfully doing this through humour, creativity and subversion. This paper fits within the Indigenous Communities stream of the conference because it discusses Indigenous experiences on Instagram, based on arguments from Indigenous perspectives.

 

 

References

Aaen, J., and Christian Dalsgaard. (2016). Student Facebook groups as a third space: between social life and schoolwork, Learning, Media and Technology, 41(1); 160-186. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/1369118X.2017.1293130

Bailey, K. A. (2020). Indigenous students: resilient and empowered in the midst of racism and lateral violence. Ethnic and Racial Studies, 43(6), 1032-1051. DOI: 10.1080/01419870.2019.1626015

Briggs. (@senatorbriggs). 2023. https://www.instagram.com/senatorbriggs/

Carlson, B. (2016). Politics of Identity: Who counts as Aboriginal today?, The. Aboriginal Studies Press.

https://search.informit.org/doi/book/10.3316/informit.9781922059963

Carlson, B. (2021). Indigenous Internet Users: Learning to Trust Ourselves. Australian Feminist Studies, 36(107), 9-25. DOI: 10.1080/08164649.2021.1929064

Carlson, B. & Berglund, J. (2021). Indigenous People Rise Up: The Global Ascendency of Social Media Activism. Rutgers University Press. https://web.p.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail/detail?vid=0&sid=3a6ba963-8b12-42f7-8137-605796565b12%40redis&bdata=JkF1dGhUeXBlPXNzbyZzaXRlPWVob3N0LWxpdmU%3d#AN=2649466&db=nlebk

Carlson, B., & Frazer, R. (2018). Social media mob: being Indigenous online. Macquarie University.https://researchers.mq.edu.au/en/publications/social-media-mob-being-indigenous-online

Carlson, B., & Frazer, R. (2018). Yarning circles and social media activism. Media International Australia, 169(1), 43–53. https://doi.org/10.1177/1329878X18803762

Carlson, B., Jones, L. V., Harris, M., Quezada, N., & Frazer, R. (2017). Trauma, Shared Recognition and Indigenous Resistance on Social media. Australasian Journal of Information Systems, 21. https://doi.org/10.3127/ajis.v21i0.1570

Carlson, B. & Kennedy, T. (2021). Us Mob Online: The Perils of Identifying as Indigenous on Social Media. Genealogy, 5(2), 52. https://doi.org/10.3390/genealogy5020052

Chaudhry, I. & Gruzd, A. (2020), Expressing and Challenging Racist Discourse on Facebook: How Social Media Weaken the “Spiral of Silence” Theory. Policy & Internet, 12: 88-108. https://doi.org/10.1002/poi3.197

Compton, I. (@the_isaac_compton). 2023. https://www.instagram.com/the_isaac_compton/

Duarte, M. E. (2017). Connected Activism: Indigenous Uses of Social Media for Shaping Political Change. Australasian Journal of Information Systems, 21 https://doi.org/10.3127/ajis.v21i0.1525

Farrell, A. (2021). The Rise of Black Rainbow: Queering and Indigenizing Digital Media Strategies, resistance and change. In B. Carlson, and J. Berglund (Eds.), Indigenous Peoples Rise Up: The Global Ascendency of Social Media Activism pp140-156). Rutgers University Press.

Fredericks, B., Bradfield, A., Nguyen, J., & Ansell, S. (2022). Disrupting the colonial algorithm: Indigenous Australia and social media. Media International Australia, 183(1), 158–178. https://doi.org/10.1177/1329878X211038286

IndigenousX. (2023, April, 5). Justice For Walker #IStandWithYuendumu. IndigenousX.

https://indigenousx.com.au/justice-for-walker/

Johnson, A. (@8983aj). 2023. https://www.instagram.com/8983aj/

Justice for Walker. (@justiceforwalker_). 2023. https://www.instagram.com/justiceforwalker_/

Kennedy, T. (2020). Indigenous Peoples’ Experiences of Harmful Content on Social Media. Macquarie University. https://research-management.mq.edu.au/ws/portalfiles/portal/135775224/MQU_HarmfulContentonSocialMedia_

report_201202.pdf

Langton, M. (2011). Anthropology, Politics and the Changing World of Aboriginal Australians. Anthropological Forum, 21(1), 1-22, DOI: 10.1080/00664677.2011.549447

Lumby, B. (2010). Cyber-Indigeneity: Urban Indigenous Identity on Facebook. The Australian Journal of Indigenous Education, Suppl.1, 39, 68-75. https://doi.org/10.1375/S1326011100001150

Maddison, S. (2013). Indigenous identity, ‘authenticity’ and the structural violence of settler colonialism. Identities, 20(3), 288-303, DOI: 10.1080/1070289X.2013.806267

Matamoros-Fernandez, A. (2017). Platformed racism: the mediation and circulation of an Australian race-based controversy on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. Information, Communication and Society, 20(6); 930-946. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/1369118X.2017.1293130

McGuire, N. (@nathan.mcguire). 2023. https://www.instagram.com/nathan.mcguire/

Mogford, S. (2022). The Amazing Race Australia [TV Series]. Eureka Productions. https://10play.com.au/the-amazing-race-australia

Moju. (@moju_music). 2023. https://www.instagram.com/moju_music/

Nakata, N. M. (2013). IDENTITY POLITICS: WHO CAN COUNT AS INDIGENOUS? In M. Harris, M. Nakata, & B. Carlson (Eds.), The Politics of Identity: Emerging Indigeneity (Vol. 4, pp. 125–146). UTS ePRESS. http://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctv1w36pb6.11

Ngumpie Weaving. (@ngumpie_weaving). 2023. https://www.instagram.com/ngumpie_weaving/

Neville, H. A. , Oyama, K. E. , Odunewu, L. O. & Huggins, J. G.  (2014).  Dimensions of Belonging as an Aspect of Racial-Ethnic-Cultural Identity: An Exploration of Indigenous Australians. Journal of Counseling Psychology,  61 (3),  414-426. https://oce.ovid.com/article/00001192-201407000-00012/HTML

Papacharissi, Z. (Ed.). (2010). A networked self : Identity, community, and culture on social network sites. Taylor & Francis Group.

Stanner, W. E. H. (2011). The dreaming and other essays. Black Inc.

Wiggan-Dann, D. (@dwezy88). 2023. https://www.instagram.com/dwezy88/

 

, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Search Site

Categories

Tags

"Identity" "Social Media" "Teenagers" #communitiesandsocialmedia #MeToo #social change activism adolescents change communities communities and social media community conference COVID-19 curtin Cyber Bullying Empowerment Facebook Gaming health influencer influencers instagram marginalised communities Marketing media Mental Health Misinformation. Misogyny Networked Individualism Networked Public Networked Self networks online Online Communities online community online self-presentation privacy socialmedia Social Network Sites Third Place TikTok Twitter Web 2.0 youtube

Recent Comments

Your Experience

We would love to hear about your experience at our conference this year via our DCN XIV Feedback Form.

Provide Feedback

Comments

28 responses to “Indigenous Agency on Instagram from Australia”

  1. Mitchell.Broadbent Avatar
    Mitchell.Broadbent

    Hi Veronica,

    I really enjoyed reading your paper, thank you for posting it. Some of the examples of humour you posted were quite funny and I’m glad that people are able to express their identity and have fun with it while utilising it to increase and normalise indigenous presence online and draw attention to specific issues that most non-indigenous people are unaware of.

    As someone very interested around the discussion of colonisation and the frontier wars, there’s certainly a noticeable absence of acknowledgement and honest reflection in the mainstream, which as you say, delays the healing process. I’m glad that so many indigenous people feel pride in their heritage enough to make it part of their online identity, even when sometimes it invites challenges to do so.

    As part of that silence, you include large instagram influencers, but I would ask what you would like them to discuss and why they should as it’s neither part of their identity or relevant to their online niche (fitness, modelling, etc.). Do you think that discussing aboriginal issues on their page could invite accusations of co-opting indigenous struggles for influence if that were the case? I’m interested to hear your thoughts.

    Thanks

    1. Veronica Sparks Avatar
      Veronica Sparks

      Hi Mitchell

      Thank you for reading my paper, and for engaging in conversation about this. As someone who spends a substantial amount of time leaning into Indigenous perspectives on human rights each day, I’m so pleased that you’re aware of the lack of acknowledgement on a number of levels, this spatial awareness is critical as we walk towards a process of local and national healing.

      In answer to your question, I think you’re referring to the large Instagram influencers such as Chris Hemsworth and Miranda Kerr and what they need to do differently. As you’re probably aware through your learnings about colonisation and frontier wars, Indigenous people have been ignored and spoken for, for centuries. We need to take this into deep consideration when approaching this topic. Some things Chris, Miranda, and every single one of us can do differently is share Indigenous social media posts on our Instagram Stories and Posts for example, without changing any words or adding our views and opinions ontop of it. This way we are being respectful and we are not speaking for Indigenous people, but we are using our platforms to amplify their voices, in their words, from their perspectives. This is something all of us can be doing on a regular basis – not just when we attend a special cultural event for example (I encourage everyone to read up about Tokenism). Sharing their posts about different issues they speak about, from their Instagram accounts, in their words, on a regular basis, is an act of amplifying their voices, and it helps more people to see issues from their perspectives. The more people who share their original posts, the more people will talk about it. As we do this more and more, we will realise how much we non-Indigenous people actually just need to be quiet, and let them lead the conversation. They know what they need.

      I have a request – please pay it forward and extend the healing process by talking about the content within my paper with friends and family and… attend Indigenous cultural events and talk with them afterwards – knowing when to ask them questions is really important, and a cultural event is a perfect time to ask! We need to be mindful that so many of them lead busy lives, and answering questions isn’t something we should expect from them when it suits us. If you haven’t already, check out some Indigenous books such as The Dreaming Path: Indigenous Thinking to Change Your Life by Paul Callaghan and Uncle Paul Gordon (https://www.panterapress.com.au/product/the-dreaming-path/ , and Stan Grant’s many books such as Australia Day https://www.harpercollins.com.au/9781460707807/australia-day/

      I’m free to talk more about this within our cohort communications, let’s chat.

      Veronica Sparks

  2. Mickey.Dichiera Avatar
    Mickey.Dichiera

    Hi Veronica.

    I really enjoyed this read. I appreciate the way you have sensitively and respectfully delivered your research.

    I am so thrilled that social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok have become a powerful tools in supporting the voice and education expressed by indigenous people.

    I’m curious to know your thoughts on the following statement mentioned in your paper:
    “there are people however who identify in real life as Indigenous but for many different reasons do not wish to specifically identify this way on Instagram. For those who choose to express their Indigenous identity for various reasons, it is risky in these socio-political times (Carlson and Kennedy, 2021). Therefore to do so, is “an exercise in agency and cultural autonomy” (Farrell 2021, 153), but understood as necessary in order to change the narratives.”

    In your opinion, do you agree with indigenous individuals who refraim from identifying their culture on Instagram? Could this be viewed as a step back and/or counteractive to the indigenous people who are fighting for the expression of their culture?

    Kind Regards,
    Mickey

    1. Veronica Sparks Avatar
      Veronica Sparks

      Hi Mickey

      Thank you for reading my paper, and for engaging in conversation about this. In answer to your first question, I agree with all people who wish to self represent they way they wish. Infact, most of us do this anyway on social media, we show the parts of ourselves that we want people to see – whether we admit it or not. People don’t see every minute of our lives on social media – we leave parts out, quite deliberately, so I don’t see this as being any different. We all deserve the basic human right of identifying any which way we wish, in any space, at any time. In answer to your second question, I’m not sure if this could be viewed as counteractive to Indigenous people as I don’t speak for them. However, when we get to know Indigenous people, we realise how deeply they understand one another on levels I never even knew about.

      Veronica Sparks

  3. natalie.champion Avatar
    natalie.champion

    Hi Veronica!

    Really awesome paper, I highly agree that Australia has a problem in regards to the acknowledgement of Aboriginal history and current sociocultural issues.

    I would like to build off of Mitchell’s argument however as I believe it needs to be explored in more detail, particularly in regards to non-indigenous silence on social media.

    There are Australian celebrities like Hugh Jackman and Nicole Kidman who have publicly acknowledged the traditional owners of the land they are on and have actively supported Indigenous causes and organisations through their philanthropic work. Therefore, it is not accurate to generalise all non-Indigenous Australian celebrities as being apathetic towards Indigenous issues. 

    As someone who is not part of the indigenous community, it’s important to recognise that discussing Aboriginal issues on social media can be a sensitive topic. While it’s important to raise awareness and educate others on these issues, it’s crucial to do so in a respectful and informed manner. If non-indigenous people are not well-versed in the history and current struggles of Indigenous peoples (which most unfortunately are not), they may choose to stay silent as they do not wish to contribute to misinformation. And as Mitchell states, they may also face accusations of co-opting Indigenous struggles for influence, which can be damaging and hurtful to both parties.

    As someone from an Indigenous background, what are your thoughts on this? And how would you like non-indigenous people to show support?

    Nat

    1. Veronica Sparks Avatar
      Veronica Sparks

      Hi Nat

      Thank you for your comments, bold statements, and questions. I’m non-Indigenous, a “wadjulla” as I stated in my paper. I’ve done a lot of work on myself around ‘white fragility’ and I encourage all fellow non-Indigenous people to do the same. I’ve learned alot. And it’s ongoing. I’m a student for life, and it’s a step towards healing something much bigger than me and my opinions. You’ve made many bold statements which you will find counter arguments to in my reply to Mitchell above.

      Here however, I will stick to your pressing question about how we can show Indigenous people support. As I said to Mitchell, some things every single one of us can do differently is share Indigenous posts on our accounts, without changing any words or adding our views and opinions ontop of it. This way we are being respectful and we are not speaking for Indigenous people, but we are using our platforms to amplify their voices, in their words, from their perspectives. What’s key is that we do this on a regular basis – not just when we attend a special cultural event for example (I encourage everyone to read up about Tokenism). Sharing their posts about different issues they speak about, from their Instagram accounts, in their words, on a regular basis, is an act of amplifying their voices, and it helps more people to see issues from their perspectives. The more people who share their original posts, the more people will talk about it. As we do this more and more, we will realise how much we non-Indigenous people actually just need to be quiet, and let them lead the conversation, in order to walk together.

      I also want to reiterate that allowing Indigenous people to lead the conversation doesn’t take away our opinions, we can have our opinions and make space for theirs at the same time, and…. many of them already know how we think and move! So many of them are 10 steps ahead of us, and it takes deep listening on our behalf to move into a new space of walking together.

      Veronica Sparks

      1. natalie.champion Avatar
        natalie.champion

        Hi Veronica!

        Thanks for getting back to me, apologies for the mix up regarding your identity.

        I see what you are saying and agree that non-indigenous people should make a more active effort in supporting indigenous voices and self-educating.

        My only remaining question is how. How would you convince non-Indigenous people to attend cultural events and seminars, read literature written by Indigenous authors, and participate in community initiatives that support Indigenous people? How would you encourage individuals to do so? I believe that if you are not directly involved in indigenous issues or work with indigenous peoples, it can be difficult to comprehend the necessity of getting involved, especially considering how occupied most people are. As posed by Mitchell “As part of that silence, you include large instagram influencers, but I would ask what you would like them to discuss and why they should as it’s neither part of their identity or relevant to their online niche (fitness, modelling, etc.)” How would you get people to participate in something that does not (or at least hardly) effects them?

        Love hearing your thoughts
        Nat

  4. Alisha.Hiscox Avatar
    Alisha.Hiscox

    Hi Veronica!

    I really enjoyed your paper and found the in-depth discussion regarding the “great Australian silence” really interesting and informative. Reading the other comments on your paper, I find myself asking the same questions as both Mitchell and Natalie. I find it a struggle as a non-Indigenous person to discuss this topic, even in my inner circles, as it can be quite a sensitive topic and I feel I do not have a right to discuss such issues as they do not impact me. From this, I can understand why Australian celebrities with bigger platforms, do not discuss these issues too. As Mitchell put it, “discussing aboriginal issues on their page could invite accusations of co-opting indigenous struggles for influence”. I do agree though putting an acknowledgement of which traditional lands they are from/live on in their Instagram bio could be done. However, does this encroach on their personal rights of what they choose to say or do? Just because they are celebrities with a large platform, does this mean we have a right to tell them what to say? It would be nice if they did this out of wanting to acknowledge the traditional owners of the land, but if they are forced to, it will lack genuine intent.

    Overall though, I found your paper super interesting. If you see this comment before the conference closes, I would love any recommendations you have that will help me to further educate myself on this topic. I have watched the documentary, “The Final Quarter”, and really enjoyed it. I will keep looking for other media creations to watch/engage with, but just thought I would ask if you had any personal recommendations 🙂

    Thanks,
    Alisha

    1. Veronica Sparks Avatar
      Veronica Sparks

      Hi Alisha

      Thanks for reading my paper and engaging in conversation about this topic. It’s a hard one and I respect you for being here! I hear your concerns and one thing I always say is that spending time with Indigenous people is one of the best things we can do – I highly recommend it. Like I said to Mitchell, I think you’re referring to the large Instagram influencers such as Chris Hemsworth and Miranda Kerr and what they need to do differently. Indigenous people have been ignored and spoken for, for centuries. We need to take this into deep consideration when approaching this topic. Some things Chris, Miranda, and every single one of us can do differently is share Indigenous posts on our accounts, without changing any words or adding our views and opinions ontop of it. This way we are being respectful and we are not speaking for Indigenous people, but we are using our platforms to amplify their voices, in their words, from their perspectives. This is something all of us can be doing on a regular basis – not just when we attend a special cultural event for example (I encourage everyone to read up about Tokenism). Sharing their posts about different issues they speak about, from their Instagram accounts, in their words, on a regular basis, is an act of amplifying their voices, and it helps more people to see issues from their perspectives. The more people who share their original posts, the more people will talk about it. As we do this more and more, we will realise how much we non-Indigenous people actually just need to be quiet, and let them lead the conversation.

      You might like to read the reply I wrote to Nat aswell, as it covers some other important things. I also want to reiterate that allowing Indigenous people to lead the conversation doesn’t take away our opinions, we can have our opinions and makes space for theirs at the same time, and…. many of them already know how we think and move! So many of them are 10 steps ahead of us, and it takes deep listening on our behalf to realise this.

      I have a request – please pay it forward and extend the healing process by talking about the content within my paper with friends and family and… attend Indigenous cultural events and talk with them afterwards – knowing when to ask them questions is really important, and a cultural event is a perfect time to ask! We need to be mindful that so many of them lead busy lives and that our questions can wait. Patience is a virtue….

      Check out these Indigenous books such as:
      The Dreaming Path: Indigenous Thinking to Change Your Life by Paul Callaghan and Uncle Paul Gordon (https://www.panterapress.com.au/product/the-dreaming-path/
      and Stan Grant’s books such as Australia Day https://www.harpercollins.com.au/9781460707807/australia-day/

      There are so many incredible Indigenous resources out there, that it can get a tad overwhelming. So…go slowly, Rome wasn’t built in a day 🙂

      I’m free to talk more about this within our cohort communications, let’s chat.

      Veronica Sparks

  5. LongHin.Yeung Avatar
    LongHin.Yeung

    Hi Veronica,
    Thank you for the paper. This paper was really helpful that since I am not from Australia, but I can know more about indigenous people use instagram as a platform to challenge how they are perceived in Australia.
    I know there must have some conflict between indigenous and non-indigenous. Therefore, How can non-indigenous support indigenous thoughts on instagram and become a good promoter between two sides of people or understanding of indigenous culture and traditions?
    I would be happy to know more about it.
    Best regards,
    Long Hin

    1. Veronica Sparks Avatar
      Veronica Sparks

      Hi Long Hin

      Thank you for reading my paper. Some things we can do differently is share Indigenous posts on our accounts, without changing any words or adding our views and opinions ontop of it. This way we are being respectful and we are not speaking for Indigenous people, but we are using our platforms to amplify their voices, in their words, from their perspectives. This is something all of us can be doing on a regular basis – not just when we attend a special cultural event for example (I encourage everyone to read up about Tokenism). Sharing their posts about different issues they speak about, from their Instagram accounts, in their words, on a regular basis, is an act of amplifying their voices, and it helps more people to see issues from their perspectives. The more people who share their original posts, the more people will talk about it. As we do this more and more, we will realise how much we non-Indigenous people actually just need to be quiet, and let them lead the conversation. This doesn’t mean our opinions don’t matter, it just means we can make space for their voices so that we can walk together.

      Veronica Sparks

  6. L.Foolee Avatar
    L.Foolee

    Hi Veronica
    I am not really familiar with the terms used, there it was a great read as it really gave an insight on so many things the voice of the Indigenous people being supported through online communities has really changed the whole game in a way. The example that you’ve posted is very funny, I also enjoyed it. How would people react if people outside the indigenous community, that is people who are non-indigenous showed support for you?

    Do check my paper whenever you have time
    https://networkconference.netstudies.org/2023/csm/815/the-impact-of-influencers-on-social-media-instagram-users-through-online-marketing/

    Thanks
    L.Foolee

    1. Veronica Sparks Avatar
      Veronica Sparks

      Hi L.Foolee

      Thank you for reading my paper. I’m not sure I fully understand your question, so I will answer the best way I can. As a non-Indigenous person myself, I don’t speak for how Indigenous people feel about support from the non-Indigenous community. What I can say.. is that as someone who does support and share their posts on my platforms, that they show me a great deal of respect and friendship.

      Hope this helps.

      Veronica Sparks

  7. L.Foolee Avatar
    L.Foolee

    I missed a word in the first sentence
    (not there but therefore).
    Thank you

  8. Amit.Munjal Avatar
    Amit.Munjal

    Hi Veronica,

    Thank you, for writing this paper and sharing this with us. It is well structured with appropriate content and value your point of views. I understand your position especially not being able to exercise your preference for having an Indigenous co-author. I am in a similar situation and I do not speak for my Indigenous brothers and sisters, though I hope for the best outcome and stand corrected if required.

    In your paper I was drawn to topic ‘The great Australian silence’ (Stanner, 2011, 140) and that Indigenous people are still treated as “a melancholy footnote” (Stanner, 2011, 139). Australians, at their boastful best, are immensely proud of their nation’s ”fair go” spirit. But this ideal, of a country where any person can expect to be taken just as they are, only has meaning when everybody is treated with equal respect (TSMH, 2014). Are we not game enough to give our Indigenous brothers and sisters a fair go. What is the best way to ensure that the issues raised by the first nation people on Instagram are also heard in the parliament and rest of the community.

    While we keep acknowledging traditional owners of the land- past , present and emerging, when will we start behaving in the same manner.

    Regards

    Amit

    Ref:
    Stanner, W. E. (2011). The dreaming & other essays. Black.

    A fair go means just that – for all. (2014, July 14). The Sydney Morning Herald. https://www.smh.com.au/national/a-fair-go-means-just-that–for-all-20140714-3bx3z.html

    1. Veronica Sparks Avatar
      Veronica Sparks

      Hi Amit

      Thank you for reading my paper, and for sharing your similar feels about co-writing research with Indigenous people. It’s so important isn’t it! Yes… I hear you, the acknowlgements only go so far don’t they. They don’t change things in parliament. Speaking for myself, I see the silence across Australia as being the first thing that needs to change. Once Australia addresses the white elephant in the room, we will be able to make much greater progress for all of us!

      Veronica Sparks

  9. Finch.Assadoullaev Avatar
    Finch.Assadoullaev

    Hi Veronica,
    Thank you for your sensitive and succinct presentation of such powerful information and experiences. As a Canadian on exchange here in Perth, I’ve been particularly interested in the cultures and relations of the Indigenous people here. It’s been eye-opening especially in comparison to those of Canada – our countries practiced similar mistreatment and genocidal practices towards our respective Indigenous cultures.
    As a non-Indigenous person and a non-Australian, I am finding it difficult to have & elaborate my thoughts – I often opt to listen more regarding these topics, especially due to my lack of knowledge. In ideal situations, the individuals within the marginalized communities would be those describing their experiences. Speaking from my experience within a marginalized community – the LGBT community – and based on discourse in which I’ve partook, this has often been described as a huge burden/large amount of work for individuals who may already be traumatized by their experiences. As someone who is attempting to amplify marginalized voices, in this case of Indigenous creators, how do you feel about this? How do you strike a balance between amplifying & talking over? Is it anyone’s specific responsibility to have these discussions/present these experiences? Any further thoughts in that vein?

    Thanks again,
    Finch

    1. Veronica Sparks Avatar
      Veronica Sparks

      Hi Finch

      Thanks for reading my paper and for sharing your experiences. Big respect! I hear you on so many levels.

      Yes I agree, Canada and Australian histories are similar in this sense, I wonder though… is Australia further behind in terms of conversation about the white elephant in the room? Many of my learnings are coming out of Canada as an example of what Australia should be doing, but I’m not fully across it all.

      Yes, I agree and understand about the retraumatization aspect of this healing process that marginalized people are burdened with by those who are wanting to know more. It’s so complex and I feel it’s unfair. Indigenous people for example are expected to not only heal themselves but to help the nation heal at the same time by teaching everyone. It’s literally a crazy expectation. Speaking for myself, one of the ways I tackle this as a learner, is to seek resources that are readily available to the public and I’m always asking people to do this aswell, and to really be mindful about when to ask questions if I feel it’s absolutely necessary. I learn way more from listening and watching than I do from asking questions. I’ve learned what sort of questions are better than others, when and when not to ask them, and to figure out if someone is prepared to talk about certain things or not. Everyone is different and you never know what someone has been through on any given day, so it really is about paying attention and practising deep listening.

      In terms of amplifying, I take their lead. If they’ve written something that they feel strongly about, I share it, as it is, without changing it or adding to it. In terms of conversation, I do this offline. Speaking for myself, social media is not the place for genuine discussion. Short sentences can be taken the wrong way, and people use the keyboard as an outlet for all sorts of things that they would likely never say to someone sitting across from them. I think balance is the key. Balance between listening, making space, amplifying, balance between when and where genuine discussions happen, and just a genuine consideration for other human beings is really helpful!

      Hope I’ve answered your questions.

      Veronica Sparks

  10. Dane Goulter Avatar
    Dane Goulter

    I was really glad to see you wrote your paper on this topic.

    I have had the chance to look at Instagram images, reels, and documentaries on YouTube made by indigenous people more recently. One particular aspect I like is that they are made by indigenous people, so I think the experiences and authenticity are very genuine. It is I guess a version of the current debate around the voice to parliament, but something like Instgram gives agency to indigenous people as your title suggests. A voice for many indigenous people, as opposed to the few.

    It is a shame that the worlds oldest living culture remains somewhat unknown to many people. I hope this trend continues of indigenous people using these platforms to spread their culture that is very unknown to many, even people in Australia let alone international people.

    Dane

    1. Veronica.Sparks Avatar
      Veronica.Sparks

      Hi Dane

      Thanks for reading my paper, and for engaging in conversation about it. Yes, authentic perspectives are important for so many reasons aren’t they? There are many Indigenous perspectives out there, and speaking for myself, the more time I spend with Indigenous people, the more I realise how much I have to learn!

      I appreciate your worry about Indigenous people continuing to use platforms to spread their culture, but it really is a two way street. There’s no point creating content to an audience of nobody – as an audience, we have a genuine role to play in their progression in this place, that historically has tried to stop them for generations. It really is up to us to listen each day, to learn from them each day, to talk about it with others each day. Otherwise, the great Australian silence remains.

      Veronica Sparks

  11. Ishan.Thanasekaran Avatar
    Ishan.Thanasekaran

    Hey Veronica,

    This was an amazing paper to read. I can’t say I can see how the Indigenous community are affected in Australia (overall), but being an international in the country I grew up in and being an international here I can see where you’re coming form and I totally agree where you’re coming from (Not saying I relate to any of this) but with having Indigenous friends myself the examples are not too far off.

    The use of humour definitely played well with your writing.

    I’ve asked more or less a similar question on another paper, but what are your thoughts on allowing the community on spreading their voice on every social media platform (not limiting to just a few) and hypothetically without the censorship, how do you think that will change the world.

    Regards,
    Ishan

    1. Veronica.Sparks Avatar
      Veronica.Sparks

      Hi Ishan

      A kindred spirit! Awesome to have you here.

      Thanks for your words and for reading my paper, I value the time you’ve taken to comment aswell.

      I’m not sure I fully understand your question, but I’ll try and answer the best way I can. I think what you’re eluding to is truthtelling, and how Indigenous people’s uncensored truthtelling can change the world. Truthtelling is an important one – as you know – judging by your question. In this place, I see it as something that is already impactful, eg. IndigenousX. At the same time, there is alot of hesitancy on both Indigenous and non-Indigenous areas of the conversation for lots of differing reasons. At the same time, censorship is controlled on social media by billionaires who set the rules as they please. Very dangerous for lots of reasons, as we have seen in unfold in recent years about several issues. There are platforms currently rolling out that are Indigenous owned and operated – keep your eyes peeled – it’s very exciting times!

      Veronica Sparks

  12. Pauline Pacifique Avatar
    Pauline Pacifique

    Hello Veronica,
    your work is very insightful and reflects on an important topic.

    As you mentioned, a substantial amount of stereotypical representations of Indigenous communities are promoted by Australian mass media. According to you, how does the mainstream media’s stereotyping of Indigenous people contribute to the “great Australian silence” despite society’s efforts to include minority groups?

    Regards,
    Pauline.

    1. Veronica.Sparks Avatar
      Veronica.Sparks

      Hi Pauline

      Thanks for stopping by and reading and commenting on my paper. In answer to your question, I have a recent specific example for you….

      ** Please be aware that this reply may trigger sexual abuse survivors from all cultures ** Please do not read any further if this is you **

      In the last year, the mainstream media have reported on the abduction of Cleo Smith in WA from one perspective only. This event is infact about 2 people. The abductor and the abductee. Each person in this case has a story – like it or not. Acknowledging this simple fact does not diminish the pain and suffering experienced by people and contained in this incident. This is about something much bigger. Acknowledging this is infact an emotionally mature way to analyse what the government systems and the media do to commit “the great Australian silence.” Acknowledging this highlights failures of government systems and media bias – which Australians turn a blind eye to. Also known as the great Australian silence.

      I have some questions for you, that will lead you more deep answers:
      Search for news articles and videos about ‘The Cleo Smith case’ as it is called by mass media. You will notice the media companies have focussed all their energy on distributing one version of the story. What version do you see? Do you see the focus of the reports being about the abductor’s life story, and how he got to this point – which triggered this tragic event? Do you see considered, well researched, mature journalism that takes the time to explore systematic failures that lead to the abductor acting out? Do you see any media focus on what systematic failures need to change in order to prevent this from ever happening again? Do you see the imprisonment of the abductor as being the end of this story? This is problematic on so many levels.

      Kind regards,
      Veronica Sparks

      1. Pauline Pacifique Avatar
        Pauline Pacifique

        Hi again Veronica,
        thank you for your response.

        As I went through the articles about the Cleo Smith case I could observe similar storytelling patterns, portraying minorities in stereotypical ways, I would even say reducing ones. The abductor being described as having “methamphetamine in his veins” and coming from an alcoholic and abusive family. I believe journalists mainly focused on his actions and criminal records rather than evaluating him for psychological disorders or humanly observing his life events which led to this abduction. This is a prominent issue regarding lower social classes and minorities, often marginalised by their own nation, which blames its population for their systematic problems rather than trying to find ways to pull them out of this poverty cycle and generational trauma. Maybe you would agree, or not, that the Australian media field has the power to disrupt the diminishing portrayals of such communities, and that would already be a first step forward to break ‘the great Australian silence’. On the one hand, I believe that this is a general issue, regardless of race, social and historical background. Yet, other marginalised groups, similarly to the ‘Elizabeth Smart’ case, are being sentenced life in prison, which I believe could be fair only to some extent. From this perspective, I think it’s a matter of justice; why is a Yamatji person being incarcerated for so many years while white, powerful and wealthy men are getting away from the system, without any consequences ? I could highly relate to this case with my own country, ‘the great Mauritian silence’ also exists unfortunately, and although people are talking, there is little to no changes in the system.

        It was nice sharing with you !
        -Pauline.

  13. Mia.Benzie-Drayton Avatar
    Mia.Benzie-Drayton

    Hi Veronica,

    I really enjoyed reading your paper, and all the comments discussing the topic above. I found myself going to write a question to ask you then realised someone else has already addressed all my questions above! I found your paper extremely well-written and researched, and I appreciate how respectful your writing was when addressing Kumanjayi Walker, this part of your paper made me emotional, and I have now followed this page.

    A lot of how I feel regarding this subject aligns with Alisha’s comment. I found it interesting that you described the “spiral of silence” as people staying silent in order to not become an “outcast” online. I find that a lot of the time I stay “silent” online or offline regarding these topics because of fear that I will speak insensitively, or disrespectfully unknowingly. I wanted to ask if when you said “outcast” was it regarding the idea that the person spoke on these issues in the first place? Or was it that they spoke on these issues in the wrong manner? Or both?

    Your paper allowed me to understand that the only way I can get past this fear is by educating myself. I loved that in the comments above you mentioned that you will always be a student and always learning. I completely agree with this statement and will continue to educate myself by following Indigenous influencers as mentioned in your paper on Instagram, and sharing these posts with family and friends.

    Thanks again,

    Mia

  14. Nicholas.Mamone Avatar
    Nicholas.Mamone

    Hey Veronica,

    Thanks for sharing your paper, it was an interesting read with some quite humorous examples. I think that it is great to see people using humour to normalise indigenous representation online. I am a little out of touch when it comes to this topic, so please excuse me, but what is cyber-indigeneity? From your research, why do you think that indigenous people use Instagram as medium to challenge the mainstream media? Is it the only platform that their voices can be heard without being censored maybe!

    You mentioned in your paper how Indigenous people are utilising Instagram to support one another, how do Indigenous people initially find one another and connect on Instagram? I would imagine on platforms such as Facebook it would be as easy as finding an indigenous group and joining it but obviously instagram works a little differently. Is it mainly through hashtags, and if so, how does a newcomer on instagram know what hashtags or accounts to search for?

    Nicholas

  15. Jayson Pye Avatar
    Jayson Pye

    Hey Veronica,

    This is a really interesting topic. Thank you very much for these insights, as someone born and raised in Australia it is surprising to me just how little I know about Aboriginal culture.
    I really enjoyed the funny stories that you pointed out, and I think it’s great that people are using humor to promote issues on social media like Instagram. Is this happening on all social media? Is Instagram the best place for it or could this be getting spread to things like Twitter, Reddit or TikTok?

    Thanks,

    Jayson

Skip to content