Cultural appropriation and First Nations people

Wendy Johnston

Director of Marketing and Communications

What is cultural appropriation?

Can non-Indigenous writers incorporate Indigenous issues/themes/characters into their work without appropriating their culture?

Cultural appropriation is the act of taking/using things from a culture not your own without showing you understand or respect this culture (Hamilton n.d.). It can happen when an author from one culture reduces people from another to stereotypes, or a writer from a dominant culture writes from the perspective of a minority background, for example, a white Australian writing from the perspective of a disadvantaged Indigenous person (Proofed 2022), potentially reinforcing power imbalances and inflicting offense and humiliation. This complex issue can paralyse writers. This paper barely scratches the surface in relation to First Nations people, whose history is littered with misrepresentation, but it introduces some key considerations. Examples of real and perceived cultural appropriation abound. As Alex Turner-Cohen (2020) laments, politically correct audiences accuse writers of ‘literary appropriation whenever they represent a minority group, no matter how they do so’, referencing Latino-American author E.E. Charlton-Trujillo, whose critics claimed her novel, When We Was Fierce, appropriated a black teen voice, based on the title alone. Yet, the words of English author Hari Hunzru (2016) echo that of many writers: ‘Trespassing into otherness is a foundation of the novelist’s work ... If writers were barred from creating characters with attributes that we do not “own” (gender, ethnicity, etc), fiction would be impossible.’ Hunzru qualifies his stance: ‘Should the artist go forth boldly, without fear? Of course, but he or she should also tread with humility … Good writers transgress without transgressing, in part because they are humble about what they do not know… They research. They engage in reciprocal relationships.’ If non-Indigenous writers wish to incorporate Indigenous themes into their writing, it is vitally important they go about it the right way. When researching cultural appropriation in regards First Nations people, the words research, relationships, permissions, and protocols feature prominently.

The way forward

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Getting it right

Many First Nations writers will defend any writer’s freedom to write, while also warning there are areas where a nonIndigenous person should not tread, and others where great caution should be exercised.

Indigenous writer Anita Heiss acknowledges there is nervousness about getting it right, as there should be, as First Nations people have either long been misrepresented, or left out altogether. She says motive is important. ‘If you are just going to slot in an Indigenous character to “tick the box”, then you really are better off leaving them out altogether’ (SheldonCollins 2014). Indigenous writer Auntie Julie Jansen in a Queensland Writers Centre (QWC) webinar entitled ‘Writing Indigenous Characters and Themes’ agrees it is a dilemma. While it might appear racist to not incorporate Indigenous characters into a story, it can be seen as tokenism and a new form of exploitation (QWC 2022). Also presenting at the QWC webinar was Indigenous author Yvette Holt, who stressed even Indigenous people writing about areas not of their own country should engage in conversation with that area’s Elders, going through appropriate channels and making a genuine effort to connect with the local people and understand about whom and what they are writing. Both authors cautioned against non-Indigenous writers retelling creation or dreaming stories, and, in particular, inventing a Dreamtime story, which is a temptation more so in children’s literature and verges on insulting for First Nations people. Further, a non-Indigenous person using the term ‘black fella’ appropriates the inner cultural language only Indigenous people should use. Likewise, Angelina Hurley (2017) pleads, ‘stop trying to use and steal colloquial Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander language ... I’m not your sis. You’re not my bro.’ Aboriginal children’s author Ambelin Kwaymullina (2015) says first-person narratives should be left for Indigenous authors to occupy, and most commentators also echo this sentiment about writing from an Indigenous perspective. Thomas Keneally says if he wrote his 1972 novel The Chant of Jimmy Blacksmith today, he would not write in Blacksmith’s voice but from a white perspective, because ‘the two cultures are so different in their maps of the world that it was reckless to do it’ (Whispering Gums 2014). This statement goes to the heart of cultural appropriation of First Nations people. Their storytelling, connection to the land, belonging to a clan, and ancient culture are so unique and complex that without seeking permissions and understanding protocols great harm can be done. Holt and Jansen visibly struggled to talk about instances of the retelling of massacre stories by non-Indigenous writers, which for many Indigenous people is ‘harrowing ... beyond digestible’. They said when a subsequent play based on a novel that told of Indigenous massacres was performed ‘the people wept’ (QWC 2022).

While First Nations writers defend non-Indigenous writers’ right to include Indigenous people/themes in their stories, there are considerations before taking pen to paper. Blak Business (2022) urges writers to ask: ‘Is this the best way I can show respect to First Nations peoples and culture?’ Kwaymullina (2015) says she understands a non-Indigenous writer hoping to fill the gap in literature where Indigenous people are not speaking, but says ‘are you sure we’re not speaking?’ She asserts Indigenous voices are speaking but are too often not heard, saying it’s the job of everyone to promote Indigenous voices – festival organisers, teachers, librarians, and publishers.

Conversely, Turner-Cohen (2020) contends that mainstream authors correctly representing diverse characters can reach a wide audience and challenge misconceptions. If a reader is less likely to pick up a First Nations-authored book but will consume a non-Indigenous writer’s story which respectfully portrays First Nations people, this could encourage further interest in accessing Indigenous authors’ work – voices we surely need to hear to truly know our nation. The road forward would appear to be a combination of encouraging and promoting Indigenous authors, while nonIndigenous authors commit to writing more inclusively about Australia while following established permissions and protocols and building respectful relationships. Easily accessed resources abound to commence this journey.

Resources

As a starting point, there are excellent resources available, which encompass writing as well as areas such as art, performance and music; however, all readings surrounding this topic emphasise communication and consultation with, and permissions from, an area's First Nations people. Dr Terri Janke’s 2021 book True Tracks: Respecting Indigenous knowledge and culture has been hailed as the book you need if you want to ‘write, talk about, illustrate or in any other way intersect with First Nations peoples and culture’ (New South Books 2021). Dr Janke’s work can also been seen in other resources including the following: Janke T 2021, More Than Words: Writing, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Culture and Copyright in Australia, Australia Council for the Arts (purchase from the Australian Society of Authors). Australia Council 2019, Protocols for using First Nations Cultural and Intellectual Property in the Arts (Downloadable resource from https://australiacouncil.gov.au/investment-anddevelopment/protocols-and-resources/protocols-for-usingfirst-nations-cultural-and-intellectual-property-in-the-arts/)

References

Blak Business 2022, Cultural appropriation and cultural appreciation: an introductory guide, viewed 20 April 2022, https://www. blakbusiness.com.au/naidoc-2021-survey Hamilton F n.d., Avoiding Misappropriating Indigenous Cultural Heritage, State Library of Queensland: Design Online, viewed 20 April 2022, http://designonline.org.au/avoiding-misappropriatingindigenous-cultural-heritage/ Hunzru H 2016, Whose life is it anyway? Novelists have their say on cultural appropriation, The Guardian, 1 October, viewed 19 April 2022, https://www.theguardian.com/books/2016/oct/01/novelistscultural-appropriation-literature-lionel-shriver Hurley A 2017, Indigenous cultural appropriation: what not to do, The Conversation: Arts + Culture, viewed 24 April 2022, https:// theconversation.com/indigenous-cultural-appropriation-what-notto-do-86679 Kwaymullina A 2015, ‘We Need Diverse Books Because’: An Indigenous perspective on diversity in young adult and children’s literature in Australia, The Wheeler Centre, viewed 19 April 2022, https://www. wheelercentre.com/notes/we-need-diverse-books-because-anindigenous-perspective-on-diversity-in-young-adult-and-children-sliterature-in-australia New South Books 2021, True Tracks: Respecting Indigenous knowledge and culture, viewed 6 May 2022, https://www.newsouthbooks.com.au/ books/true-tracks/ Proofed 2022, Writing Tips: What Is Cultural Appropriation?, viewed 25 April 2022, https://getproofed.com.au/writing-tips/writing-tipswhat-is-cultural-appropriation/ Queensland Writers Centre 2022, ‘Writing Indigenous Characters and Themes’, online webinar, 19 April, viewed 19 April 2022. Sheldon-Collins D 2014, Getting it Right: Anita Heiss on Indigenous Characters, The Wheeler Centre, viewed 20 April 2022, https://www. wheelercentre.com/notes/221927959a6b Turner-Cohen A 2020, The cultural appropriation debate in literature, UTS Society of Communications, viewed 15 April 2022, http://www. utsoc.com.au/thecomma/2020/2/28/the-cultural-appropriationdebate-in-literature Whispering Gums 2014, Monday musings on Australian literature: White writers on Indigenous Australians, viewed 24 April 2022, https:// whisperinggums.com/2014/02/17/monday-musings-on-australianliterature-white-writers-on-indigenous-australians/ SUNATA 39