Dear Chrissiejoy, uhm - I'm confused of what I have said that upsets you. Maybe you are thinking I have said what was written on the website - I'm not sure? My point was that I 'didn't' agree with the personal opinion that was on the website. I didn't 'guess' what they were saying - I'd saved the page to the hard drive, I offered a sample of it - copied and pasted it.
I didn't say I was insulted by the Dharawhal Elders, I said I was insulted by the author of the words on the webpage - the sample that I pasted. How the heck am I to know if it's a Dharawal Elder? I think it said a Geoff someone - a non-Aboriginal author. anyway, I'd still take offense at what was written, no matter who wrote it. I'm still confused, unsure if you are crediting me with saying those nasty things in the first place. I need to read this several times to work out what you're mad at. Have we got a misunderstanding happening here? Suze > -----Original Message----- > From: cj marsh [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] > Sent: Friday, 2 November 2001 2:42 AM > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subject: Re: [recoznettwo] Secret Business > > > Suze, > I don�t often answer e-mails on this forum, but every now and > then something > upsets me enough to jump in�this is one of those times. > > From one who grew up with my country�s language, spirituality and > culture, > YOU too, are harming and insulting. How is that you have the monopoly on > knowing what people are �REALLY SAYING�. There are probably none of us > who are naive enough not to know that once in a while there are > those with > more greed behind their request or information, then genuine longing, > needing or sharing. However, there are also a vast majority of > us who will > never seek land rights, or even ask respect for spiritually significant > areas of land. And, if we did, we would not only have to confront > government bureaucracy, the people who believe they OWN the land, > the media > etc, etc, but also people like yourself. > > I am an older woman now, Suze, have been through most stages of > my cultural > learning, or what you would probably call �initiations� and Yes, there is > much information that is secret and sacred that I can not and would not > speak of. So would you also put me in this box of yours: that > �they OFTEN > retreat to saying: 'that's secret business'. What they are really > saying, is > they don't know. Or can't think of a plausible explanation or rational > argument to support their assertions.� > > Where in your being, is all this coming from? > > And then: > <snip> > �But the phrase 'secret business' is often used today as a > cop-out. Perhaps > analogous to the 'mysteries' of some religions. In other words, a > fall-back > position when cornered to support statements is to say: that's a > mystery or > secret business.� > > You too, are taking a �personal opinion� and serving out to the public. > What makes that better then Elders speaking of their own culture on the > stated website? > <snip> > �I found the website which is titled "Australian Aborigines - History and > Culture, Research Project: 20th Century HISTORICAL FACTS" with > the paragraph > above. I feel hurt and insulted at this personal opinion that the author > chooses to serve out to the public.� > > "This site records Modern Australian History, Aboriginal Culture and > Contemporary issues with particular focus on the Aboriginals of the > south-east coast of New South Wales. The site is maintained by > the Dharawal > Aboriginal Tribal Elders Assoc. Inc. and also includes their > newsletters in > which they print the full text of some relevant media articles, available > at: http://www.aaa.com.au/hrh/aboriginal > > You are insulted by the Dharawal Aboriginal Elders? Why?? Perhaps like > many, you have fallen into the trend of thinking that there is only ONE > Aboriginal culture. There are literally hundreds of so-called > �Aboriginal > Internet Sites�, where generalisations and sweeping statements > are made, why > is this one so different for you? > > Not impressed either > Chrissiejoy, > > > > > > > > > >http://www.aaa.com.au/hrh/aboriginal/hist5.shtml#Radicalism > >Secrets: > >When Aboriginal people make demands for land rights, or seek respect for > >spiritually significant areas of land and are questioned about the basis > >for > >this, they often retreat to saying: 'that's secret business'. > What they are > >really saying, is they don't know. Or can't think of a plausible > >explanation > >or rational argument to support their assertions. > >It is true that there was a clear demarcation traditional Aboriginal > >society > >between some of the things men and women did. For example women were not > >allowed to attend initiation ceremonies and both sexes were > excluded by the > >other from certain knowledge and practices. But the phrase 'secret > >business' > >is often used today as a cop-out. Perhaps analogous to the 'mysteries' of > >some religions. In other words, a fall-back position when cornered to > >support statements is to say: that's a mystery or secret business. > > > >********** > >A friend in the USA sent me the url above. He was given this url from a > >friend who said it was the *best* to grab info from when doing any > >assignments on Australian Aborigines. > > > >I found the website which is titled "Australian Aborigines - History and > >Culture, Research Project: 20th Century HISTORICAL FACTS" with the > >paragraph > >above. I feel hurt and insulted at this personal opinion that the author > >chooses to serve out to the public. > > > >The term "Secret Business" means exactly that...ergo...no further details > >can be divulged to people who are not properly initiated into > our spiritual > >teachings. > > > >If other people have the impression that this website is a good source of > >information - I feel even more upset. What recourse do I have to stop the > >publishing of misleading and insulting information? Any suggestions? > > > >Suze (not impressed) > > > _________________________________________________________________ > Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp > > --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] --------------------------------------------------------------------- RecOzNet2 has a page @ http://www.green.net.au/recoznet2 and is archived at http://www.mail-archive.com/recoznet2%40paradigm4.com.au/ until 11 March, 2001 and Recoznettwo is archived at http://www.mail-archive.com/recoznettwo%40green.net.au/ from that date. This posting is provided to the individual members of this group without permission from the copyright owner for purposes of criticism, comment, scholarship and research under the "fair use" provisions of the Federal copyright laws and it may not be distributed further without permission of the copyright owner, except for "fair use."
