A ritual

In the little waiting room that's somewhat between the shared kitchen and my group's office is a small waiting room. In that waiting room is a piece of Indigenous art.

I like it.

As you can see from the close-up (below) of the accompanying sign, it's supposed to be a dry river bed with a wilderness camp and windbreaks. (The painting is by Leemoo Pareeyt; I've added that to the text, just in case the artist ever does a self-Google.)



Whenever I pass by it, I do a kung fu fist at it --

-- and exclaim "Indigenous Fist of Power!" Because that's what I think it looks like. Scroll back up to the painting, to see what I mean.


I don't mean it in a disrespectful way. Rather, it's like the Black Power salute:


Power to the Indigenous Australians!


In fact, I think Indigenous Australians should adopt the Black Power salute.


BTW -- in Queensland, at least, the preferred term is "Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders". To lump them all under "Indigenous" is seen as ignoring the cultural differences between Aboriginal Australians and Australians from the Torres Strait Islands (who are more Polynesian). Personally, though, I prefer the term "Indigenous": the term "Aboriginal" has overtones of "primitive-ness", whereas "Indigenous" means "the original folks". And is lumping all the different Indigenous cultures under one term any worse than the term "European" or "South American"?


But, the main point: Indigenous Fist of Power!!!


--GG