Resistance + Colonisation
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Lola Greeno, Pakana people, collecting shells from Low Head beach at the approach to kanamaluka (the Tamar River)
‘The works in Resistance + Colonisation reclaim, reveal, retell, contest, and rewrite the colonial history and nation-building narrative of Australia. Artists also use humour and satire to undermine the often traumatising colonial narrative and as a means of expressing their pride, defiance, and strength.’
Since colonisation, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have continued to fight for their voices to be heard and their history to be acknowledged. Art is a way that First Nations people are able to reclaim their stories, doing so by defying Australia’s colonial history and creating works of art that show continuation of culture and strength.
The Nips Are Getting Bigger
‘From first contact until the present day, introduced drugs such as tobacco, alcohol and other illicit substances have had a devastating effect on Australia's Indigenous people.’
Karla Dickens, Wiradjuri people, has a multidisciplinary practice that often combines various mediums to create one work of art. Karla creates work reflecting on Australia’s history, addressing topics like race, gender and sexuality using found objects or materials.
The nips are getting bigger, 2014, is made from a selection of recycled whiskey and beer bottles. The beer bottles have been left brown and given a hat resembling Captain Cook’s naval cap, the remaining bottles are special edition Captain Cook whiskey bottles.
Karla has used alcohol bottles to represent the impacts that introduced alcohol, tobacco and disease have had on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples since colonisation. To emphasise that the naval officers were on Aboriginal land, there are feathers, bones and organic matter attached to and drawn onto the bottles.
The idea for The nips are getting bigger, 2014 came about when Karla discovered it was common practice for Aboriginal workers to be paid in alcohol for their work in the colonies, leading to a lot of excessive drinking and repercussions on their bodies and minds.
‘I don’t set out to make political statements. I am political, simply because I am who I am—a single mother, a lesbian, a first Australian. I am at a point in my life where I have a hell of a lot to say. Art is my voice—art is how I protest.’
Reflect
What are some other ways colonisation impacted First Nations people’s lives negatively?
Have these things had continued negative effects?
Maireener Shell Necklaces
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Lola Greeno, Pakana people, Artist Portrait
‘There were a lot of women who were a part of stolen generation that didn’t get to do this… I wanted to see baskets and necklaces revived.’
Lola Greeno, Pakana people, is an artist, curator and arts worker. Lola mostly creates shell necklaces, a cultural practice she has played a large part in reviving for Pakana women.
Blue Ceremonial King Maireener necklace, 2020, is made with large blue maireener shells and smaller maireener shells. The necklaces are made with endemic shells that can be found on four types of kelp; the shells go through a process of being cleaned and once cleaned, they need to be pierced and threaded in a certain way.
Previously, shells would have been pierced with the eye tooth of a kangaroo bone and threaded onto sinew from a kangaroo or wallaby tail. Now, Lola uses a tailor’s awl to pierce the shell on a soft piece of pine and threads the shells together with beading cotton.
Shell necklaces are a symbol of cultural practice being revived and a continuation of knowledge being passed through new generations, Lola learnt from her mother and mother-in-law. Unfortunately, many generations of women in Lutruwita missed out on learning how to create shell necklaces. The continuation of the practice has been threatened by the risk of cultural knowledge being lost. The practice continues to be under threat due to the climate change and the risk of the shells becoming endangered. . The knowledge of areas where the kelp is being revived has been shared and kept amongst the women so that the practice can continue.
Reflect
Why is it important for the Pakana women to continue the cultural practice of shell necklace making?
Can you think of knowledge that has been passed down to you by someone older than you?