Date: Wed, 9 Aug 1995 11:45:23 +0930
From: pstewart-AT-arts.adelaide.edu.au (Peter Stewart)
Subject: Re: Time zone cow sounds


Well on the other hand maybe this is good. Maybe it is up to others outside
of North America to use this splendid list for discussion of issues
originating in other localities.

I am puzzled nevertheless.

I wrote recently in response to a post concerning Aboriginal Deaths in
Custody in Australia. I also flagged a new matter which I consider to be an
issue of international concern, the current South Australian Hindmarsh
Bridge Royal Commission (a paranoid deranged reading of which might include
such propositions as  "an anglophile establishment enqiry into Aboriginal
women's religious beliefs, an attack on feminist anthropology, the
persistence of imperialism, evidence of a new contest of frontiers,
evidence of hegemony forming like a volano creating a new land, the
reconstruction of national memory, revisionist history in production that
might make Uncle Jo proud?  ).  Neither matter raised any dust in
Cyberspace.  I presume this means something? Are the only post/colonial
issues of import by definition North American issues? Could it be that
everything is right with the world? Has the new world order invaded the
post colonnial group?Have all the North American academics got their
reading lists in shape and have their teaching to attend to? Do other
countries eg Africa, Asia, Australia really exist?

Is the French desire to radiate  Pacific peoples and ecology an  invention?

A little story from the Royal Commission
In the heart of the CBD, I catch  a lift to the sixth floor,to the
"hearing" room.  The corridors bristle with bicep security officers with
short hair and uniforms, I remember an Aboriginal curse has placed on the
commission, I enter a rectangular room set up like a court room, matriarch
judge, witness box, two lines of silk (barristers/lawyers
defending/prosecuting) estimated cost $35,000 a day, third row back
reserved for the press, fourth row  a few anthropoligists
fourth row back three senior Aboriginal women. A male anthropologist in the
witness box denying the existence of Ngarrindjeri Womens sacred/secret
religion,bibilography and methodology being interrogated, and then:
the "court" is "cleared" as interrogation of Women's religous beliefs gets
specific.  Cleared that is of all but twenty white male lawyers. Cleared
also were the Aboriginal women, the Commissioner/judge giving the reason
that it would set a precedent that would mean that any Aboriginal women
might then argue a right to attend closesd sesssions on their beliefs.
They laughed.

What year is this?








     --- from list postcolonial-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu ---

     ------------------