Northern Territory Intervention Threatens Australian Tourism
September 28, 2007
Dr. Jan Turek Today Dr. Jan Turek, (Institute of Archaeological Heritage, Czech Republic) in his Ian Potter Foundation Keynote Address, likened the Australian government's treatment of its Aboriginal citizens to the genocidal excesses of Stalinist Russia. Juxtaposing photos of historic Jewish Ghettos and Gypsy poverty in the modern Czech Republic with illustrations of the current plight of Australian Aborigines, Dr. Turek convincingly argued that the glossy guidebook representations of Native Australians are reminiscent of the infamous Potemkin Villages erected in Russia during WW II to conceal the truly appalling conditions of Russian Villages. According to Turek, recent legislation places Aboriginal communities at such risk that government whitewashing will no longer be able to convince foreign visitors to overlook the reality of suffering to enjoy a carefree Australian vacation.
Summarizing his reactions Turek commented, "If Stalin were alive today he would probably say his actions were intended to improve people's lives; the same thing Australian politicians are claiming about the intent of the Federal intervention in the Northern Territories" Symposium convener Claire Smith, President of the World Archaeological Congress and Associate Professor at Flinders University, said "Such publicity will be a terrible blow to the tourist industry, and rightly so. If our country allows this sort of abuse of its citizens we all deserve a hit in our hip pockets."
Turek's speech kicked off a two day conference on Cultural Heritage, Social Justice, and Ethical Globalization with participants from ten countries around the world. Representatives from Argentina, Poland, USA, South Africa, Nigeria, Poland, New Zealand, and Ireland have come together to consider how globalization and tourism affect both heritage sites, but also what UNESCO has called "intangible heritage" referring to vulnerable cultural knowledge. Although not originally aimed at discussing Australian politics, the situation resonated so strongly with the visiting participants that they spontaneously folded their symposium into a meeting of the grassroots Women for Wik movement. "Just look at what has happened to the tourist industry in New Orleans as a result of the terrible publicity surrounding the Bush Administration's failure to respond to the misery heaped on poor African Americans by Hurricane Katrina" commented Anne Pyburn, a conference delegate from the US. "Vacationers are slowly beginning to go back to what was one of the most popular tourist sites in the US, but its reputation as a carefree pleasure destination will never be regained."
Dr. Turek's talk followed a powerful performance by Steve Goldsmith who explained that to be Aboriginal in today's Australia is to be political. He underscored his points with a moving performance by the Kaurna dancers, exposing the audience to exquisite Aboriginal dancing but also to rarely noted Aboriginal achievements in technology and medicine. Friday's program included impassioned speeches by both community activists and ordinary people who are victims of the new government policies. The symposium continues another full day tomorrow (Saturday) in the State Library with increased emphasis on international heritage issues.
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Archeologists with an interest in social justice and ethics gathered in Adelaide in late September for a symposium run by the World Archeological Congress.
They heard from four Aboriginal women from the Northern Territory -- Olga Havnen, Rachel Willika, Raylene Rosas and Eileen Cummings - who were there to let people know about the impact of the Federal Governments 'intervention in the Northern Territory.
The international guests were struck by the great difference between the real experiences and fears of Aboriginal communities and the australia they read about in the tourist brochures. The international guests, who include Jan Turek, from the institute of Archeological Heritage in the Czech Republic, Anne Pyburn from Indiana University in the USA and Gabriel Cooney, from University College, Dublin in Ireland spoke to Paris Dean on Radio Adelaide's program Represent, Friday September 28.
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