Beyond the Future: Papers from the Third Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art

NO PLACE LIKE HOME Brenda L.Croft Firstly, I wish to acknowledge that I am honoured to be a visitor on Jagera land. The starting point for Indigenous people is always country, first and foremost it is our foundation . Regardless of where we as Ind igenous people live, the acknowledgment of our links with our traditional lands is paramount. Remove that, displace us from those links and you remove the foundation from under our feet, refusing to allow us connection with a base, setting us adrift. I recently participated on a panel at the Col lege Art Association Conference in Los Angeles (February 1 999) with Carol ine Turner, Deputy Director, of the Queensland Art Gallery, and Director of the Asia-Pacific Triennial. I was concerned when , during her presentation , Caroline located renowned a rtist Michael Nelson Jagamara with his country and language/clan group, yet described equally renowned artist Judy Watson as an 'urban artist', thus negating her connection with her country, or her language - Waanyi , from the northwest of Queensland. With all due respect to Caroline, when I challenged her on this matter my concerns were publicly dismissed . I expected more from the representative of an institution that helps to organ ise and host a major cultural event such as the Asia-Pacific Trienn ial, particularly when speaking in an international context. I was further concerned when a member of the audience queried the Australian Indigenous content of the APT, and Caroline prefaced her response with words to the effect: 'Leaving aside the Ind igenous issue for the moment . . . ' and continued to address the APT model and its successes.* For myself, and many present at that talk, this response was unacceptable in that it den ied the core issue of any major cultural event held on Indigenous land, i.e., I nd igenous issues must be the central focus from which such an event is developed . Not the major focus, but the core focus. To g ive Caroline fair due, I know that her comments were not meant with malice nor intended to offend . Nonetheless in their naivete they only served to reinforce ignorant attitudes 'back home' that we { I nd igenous ind ividuals and communities) are peripheral, little more than an addendum. This attitude is reflected throughout all aspects of Austral ian society and culture : how the country is marketed locally and globally. Enjoy the product but not the producer, except in certain , acceptable environments. Think of the Olympics overkill w�ere a styl ised boomerang has been neatly appropriated for the logo. Some years ago, I was a panel member on the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Arts Advisory Committee, when a SOCOG representative informed the Committee that, of course, Indigenous people would be represented during the Games . I clearly remember his choice of words : 'they'll provide a bit of flavour at key events such as the open ing and closing ceremonies.' Like salt and pepper perhaps, a bit of seasoning on the side, waiting to be added to a particu lar cultural d ish? The image that came to mind was of Ind igenous people being present at these ceremonies, doing a bit of performance in trad itional garb aimed squarely at the tourist aud ience, adding some spectacle to an otherwise lack-lustre and seemingly doomed event, if the lead-up to date is any indication . Just think back to those cavorting plastic, hot air fil led kangaroos hovering menacingly above young schoolboys cycling frantically around the arena at the Atlanta Games. But there was more! The SOCOG representative went on to state that Ind igenous people would be employed as security guards and in other menial positions. I could not help but think that our own mob would end up having to confront each other since it is highly probable that protesters will almost certainly use the event as an international platform to highlight Indigenous concerns . 1 23