 |
Poh Yuen | Wing Yan | Gavin | Yi Chen
and Adelyn | Sue and Dian
Sing Thai and Victor | Teh Deng Zui and Geoh
Peng | Wai San
Yoon Sing and Xiao Zhang | Inar and Clara
| Kenneth and Jillian
Throughout the Cultural Narratives module, Summer School participants
explored the issues arising a Sally Morgan extract entitled: "A
Black Grandmother".
The story begins with Sally identifying that her family was very important
to her at a time when school was problematic. Her teacher has made fun
of her artwork, one of the only subjects where she thought she was excelling.
She is failing almost everything at school when she arrives home to
find Nan crying about being black and knowing that her grandchildren
want her to be white. Sally begins to pester her Nan and Mum about whether
they are Aboriginal. No one except her sister Jill confirms this information
but her memory of drawing with Nan confirms the importance of her identify.
After which she begins to succeed at her school.
As a way for Summer school students to appreciate and understand Sally's
situation with more imagination, students wrote a variety of responses
from being a family member deciding how to help to writing in the diary
of a character.
Dear Diary,
I had a very bad day. Today my art teacher pointed out all the wrongs
in my drawing. Why did he wanna do this to me? I am only trying to express
my feelings through drawing. Am I in the wrong? The drawing looks better
without a horizon line, my people were flat and floating because I just
wanna bring out the feeling of the people. I thought art is all about
expressing our own feelings but now, I am not very sure of what art
really is. .I really feel like crying and I did. I think I might all
well give up drawing - it seems there will be no hope if I continue
drawing. I am going to burn all my collection of drawings and paintings.
That's the only thing I can think of doing. But I guess Nan will be
disappointed. Mum did not really like me drawing, did she? Drawing was
my only talent and now I have to give it up, I guess I am good at nothing
at all. That's all for today, I just hope things will get better tomorrow.
By Poh Yuen
-----
The Art Teacher's Diary
Dear diary,
I have a student in my class named Sally. I think she's Aboriginal,
but I'm not very sure if she realises it. Ha! Ha! She thought she was
a very good artist.....and today, I just got a chance to wake her up
from her dream. I held up her drawing in front of the class and started
to point out everything that was wrong with it. Her drawing was just
so weird, there were no perspective and she was the only one with no
horizon line.......and the most weird thing is, all her people were
flat and floating. They were so funny and looked like pancakes. I actually
had to turn her picture to the side to see what half the picture was
about. Just as I thought, the whole class burst into laughter and started
adding more criticisms. Just then, I felt that maybe I had gone too
much as I just had to make her realize that she isn't really a good
artist after all.
By Wing Yan
-----
Meng Kuang chose to be a black uncle of Sally and he thought of a lot
of ways to help solve the issue that became a major problem for her.
Equipped with psychology methods and injected with feelings of love,
I would first speak to Nan and asked her why she behaved strangely to
Sally. It will be difficult to make her talk and Nan would be reluctant
to reveal anything, therefore this will take a long time because I will
have to slowly brainwash her and make her speak to me. From the conversation
I would have with her, I would have to seek the answers the question
of why she cried and claimed that the kids didn't like her. From there
I will have to clarify her background and history so that I can explain
it to Sally.
With the correct and precise explanation to Nan's behaviour, I would
then talk to Sally and answer her questions that have been confusing
her. By using this method which is universally recognised by all psychiatrists
around the world, the issue would then be solved by brining everyone
to voice out their opinions and questions. Honesty is a vital value
in families and by applying this value, Sally and her family will be
able to exchange words, each of them will be able to practice understanding,
and hence the issue will be solved when they clarify everything and
bring the matter to a solution.
There may be a possibility that the technique above will not work. If
this happens, then I would have to help them financially. Nan and Mum
had been collecting money for Sally's welfare and, I assume that they
may be facing a financial problem. According to psychiatrists, financial
difficulties can lead to family problems and I believe this is happening
o Sally's family. Financially, I would try to provide Sally's education
needs and prepare her for excellence in her examinations. By using this
method, I believe that Nan and MuM can free themselves from any frustrations
or difficulties. Furthermore, it could motivate Sally and to avoid disappointing
me, she will strive for success in her studies. Even though the confusion
of whether she's black or white is not solved yet, it might still push
Sally to overcome the obstacles and to achieve her goal.
There is discrimination jeopardizing Sally's family ties. Nan had been
thinking that the kids didn't like their black grandma and this was
the cause of the honesty issue. I believe to solve a problem is to solve
the cause first. Therefore I would have to fight for Aboriginal's rights
and appeal to he government accept us more openly. Truly inspired by
Martin Luther King, I would seek ways, ranging from staging a demonstration
to hiring a lawyer, to persuade the government to stop the discrimination.
Once this is successful, Nan will feel accepted in her family - then
the issue will be solved.
-----
Gavin imagined what some of Sally's though processes:
Dear Diary,
Dark clouds loomed over the town today, often bringing short showers,
defying the expectance of hot, bright and dry summer days it being late
summer. I write to you, as usual, not happily nor sadly but in curiosity.
It's been about three days now since the government decided upon changing
the currency to the new dollars and cents. This, as expected, raised
mixed reactions. While most of the nation praises our leaders' efforts
and hail the changes and advancements to our society, mum and Nan somehow
seem to have contrasting opinions. Nan now keeps a jar full of two-shilling
pieces. It looks as though the jar will be overflowing in no time. But
why? Why does she do that? Honestly, the old money wouldn't be of much
use now. Instead, mum and Nan insist that it's for my own good. They
say I'm too young to see, to young to understand its "hidden"
value or potential. Eventually, my curiosity overwhelmed my patience
and at lunch today, I asked Nan what she's saving up for? I didn't get
what I was looking for, but I did get one heck of a shelling. Mum and
Nan told me off, warning to never question them about it again and never
to mention about this money to anyone else. They also said not to trust
the government whole-heartedly, claiming they can just turn their backs
on you any moment. Once again, I ask why? Why would anyone speak so
negatively of the government? And why must it be my family who does
so? I turn to you oh dear diary to answer my questions. Fill the missing
pieces of this "jigsaw" for me…
-----
Yi Chen and Adelyn imagined what it would have been like to be Sally's
sister Jill who has a very different outlook on life.
Dear Diary,
Talked to Sally last night. I have a lot on my mind now. Apparently,
Sally has absolutely no idea that we are boongs. She is so lost in her
own world.
Anyway, that is not important. More importantly, I told Sally that we
were aboriginal when she asked. I do not know why I told Sally. All
this while, I truly believed that I was not aboriginal. I told people
or tried to convince them that we were Indian
when I did blurt out the fact that we were aboriginal, I felt a rush
of emotions. I do not know whether to feel happy or not. Last night,
when I said it felt so though I was admitting it myself. Pulling off
the mask to see the truth, t almost felt as though I had accepted it
deep down inside but I hate the idea! I hate being looked down upon.
I need acceptance. Acceptance from my best friend Lee and everyone else
in school.
I WANT THE ACCEPTANCE.
I NEED THE ACCEPTANCE.
ACCEPTANCE REQUIRES CONFORMITY.
I should just stick to my stand that I am Indian and continue living
my life, but something Sally said last night is bugging me.
Sally said that since we were aboriginals, we might well accept it,
especially since we cannot change the fact that we are aboriginal.
Last night's conversation keeps replaying in my mind. .I feel so confused,
so caught in between. I do acknowledge the fact it is important to recognise
my roots, but what are the consequences after I do?
I will lose Lee, I will lose acceptance from everyone else. Do I really
want that? Or do I want to lose my culture identify, being aboriginal
and be accepted?
Lost and drifting...
By Yi Chen and Adelyn
-----
Dian and Sue created three diary entries from Jill's friend Lee's point-of-view:
1st February 1964
Dear diary, today was the first week of school after the long holidays.
There was a new girl in my class, her name is Jill. She told me she
was an Indian, but somehow my sixth sense told me that that wasn't true
because whenever I were to ask her for her last name, she never got
to tell me.
6th October 1964
Dear diary, it's been about 8 months since I've known Jill and ever
since then, she has become my best friend. As we are so close, I've
been going to her house ever so often, that I've started to love and
treat her grandmother as my own. But because of the frequent visits,
mother wasn't too happy about it and has always tried to convince me
in not to mix with her as she is bad influence. Yet, she has never explained
exactly why she wanted me to do so. But being a true friend that I am,
I still mixed around with her and enjoyed her company, as well as her
family's. But I did cut down a little on my visits to her house, as
to avoid my mother from lecturing me.
1st February 1965,
Dear diary, it's now a year since the first time I made friends with
Jill. She's very nice to me, but this friendship wasn't the best I've
thought it would be - my mother was very much against our friendship.
She has tried and said everything possible, even saying that she was
an Aboriginal, who is the worst type of people to be mixing around with
and can bring bad luck. I of course did not believe mother as I've learnt
about the Aboriginals in school earlier, and that they are very nice
and talented people. But out of curiosity, I confronted Jill and asked
her if she was really and Aboriginal, and she denied it with a worried
face. Since then, she has always been trying to convince me that she
is an Indian. Even though so, I still felt as if she was keeping something
away from me. But if it was true, that she is an Aboriginal, I'd understand
why she would keep it away from me, as she is afraid of being rejected
by my other friends and by me. So, I'd just let her confront me in her
own time as I do not want to pressurize her.
Sue and Dian
--------
Victor and Sing Thai imagined what caused Nan to break down and cry
about being a black grandmother:
Dear Diary,
I woke up today expecting a great day with sunshine . All I saw was
rain . The clouds were very dark and dull. It was when I was making
my coffee in the kitchen that I saw an Aboriginal child playing with
a white child. Flashback suddenly appeared in my head it reminded me
the time I was stolen from my family by the government. .It was a painful
memory that I had to bear. At that very moment Sally came in, without
knowing I had tears running down my cheek, she asked me why I was crying.
I replied, "nothing ".She asked me the question again which
got on my nerves. I was embarrassed about the truth and unconsciously
I shouted, "Can't you see I'm black ".I hurried back to my
room angrily.
I sat down in my chair trying not to think about the past. But whenever
I closed my eyes, the picture of an Aboriginal child among a white family
was seen in my mind .I was very ashamed .I didn't want Sally to share
the same fate as mine. From today onwards, I decided not to answer anything
regarding our past.
Sometimes I have a picture in my mind about a white people storming
into my parent's house taking me away from them.......
Sing Thai and Victor
-----
Dear diary,
I feel like I am not doing a good job as a mother. I mean I still can't
convince Sally to change her mind about being an artist and leaving
school. In the process.I have sleepless nights worrying about her future.
I can't bear to see my little daughter ruining her life just like that.
Lately, Sally's been pestering Nan about the truth on her background.
It's not that I want to hide anything from her but revealing the truth
might only just hurt her. she still has a long way to go. .She'll be
better off not knowing that we are Aboriginal. .I think she is still
too young to understand and accept it. I will tell her when the time
is right.
There are times when I feel like giving in to her demands. However my
conscience refuses to let me act according to my emotions .I hope one
day she will understand I am doing this for her own good.
Mum
Prepared by, Teh Deng Zui and Geoh Peng
-----
I think that this family has very serious problem. As a matter of fact,
it takes more than 1 person to play a game. The grandmother has too
many assumptions about her family not wanting her. The mother wants
to force Sally to do something she does not want to do. Jill, ,the sister,is
not only ashamed about herself, but she kind of hates herself. I,as
an uncle, would like to help by giving Sally moral support as she doesn't
have much. .I would also want to bring her out more often to see the
outside world to gain more knowledge and become successful.. About Jill,
I would like to motivate her into not only accept herself and become
mentally stronger, but also make the best of herself
by Yoon Sing and Xiao Zhang
-----
5 May 1967
Dear Diary,
It is my first day at my new school. It seems that I'm
the only Aboriginal in my class. I felt strange initially, but I felt
a
strong spirit in me saying that I should prove that I can be better
than the
rest. My classmates, as well as the teachers ignored me, but I didn't
really
care at all. I guess it was my pride again.
By,
Inar's and Clara :
Dear diary,
Today was a day I will never forget. It started out like any other
day except that it was the end of the school year. Many of my classmates
and schoolmates were throwing parties everywhere. Maybe it's just me
but I felt as if I wasn't welcome into any of these parties. So, I decided
to head home early.
When I reached home, I was surprised to see Nan crying. You wouldn't
believe how weird and not to mention scary was it to see Nan crying
because I normally see her as the tough type. Her eyes were all red
and teary and I asked her what was wrong. She lifted her arm and hit
the table while shouting something about black. It was shocking to see
Nan acting this way. She stormed out and suddenly occurred to me that
we; Nan, me and you, diary, are Black! It never dawned to me in fifteen
years of my life that there were actually differences in the colour
of our skins. A thousand questions started to fill my head. Was I black
like Nan said? If I was black, what does that make me? the more I thought
about it, the more confused I became. I stayed in my room thinking about
it not realising I even skipped dinner.
When Jill came in, I stared asking her about Nan's colour. She seemed
really unhappy and told me that we were Boongs which I found out is
slang for Aboriginal. At that moment, I suddenly understood why I was
always alienated in class, always uninvited to any occasions and why
I felt different from others. I started asking more, curious to find
out my heritage but Jill kept beating around the bush but it was clear
the she thinks being a Boong is a bad thing. I don't really understand
why and what she means by that so I continued to pester her but again
Jill criticised everything about being Aboriginal and she ended the
conversation abruptly by pulling the covers over her face and slept.
I know she was pretending to sleep as you know dear diary how I complained
so much about her snoring and today it seems there was none.
Jill's answers provided me with even more questions. Well, it's been
a long day and I am too tired to think anymore.
Hopefully, we, diary, will find out the truth sooner than later. Maybe
I will ask mum and Nan. Just hope that they don't break down or react
indifferently. Well, goodnight diary...
By Kenneth and Jillian
-----
Dear Magarita,
Fear has overpowered me as much as I have tried to hide it from my grand-daughter.
My past is back to haunt me. I see a reflection of myself in Sally and
I dread the day when she would walk down the same path as I did
Even though I had tried to protect Sally from our past nevertheless,
the truth has shown itself. And as we both know, the truth hurts. Sally,
through her own insistence, has discovered that we are different, that
we are what we are Koories!
Sally and I have always been close but recently I have been giving her
the cold shoulder .she has asking me questions that I can never bring
myself to answer. I never wanted to break the bond that holds us together
but was it decades ago that we were kidnapped from our parents? If so,
why then, is the memory so vivid to me?
How I can ever broach this subject deep inside when I myself can`t answer
my own question? Sally needs guidance .Please just as I need you.
Till another day.
Yours truly,
Nan
By Wai San imagining being Nan writing to her sister Magarita.
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