How Do Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Creative Cultural Practitioners in the South East Assert the Multiple Values of Their Culture and Practice to Challenge the Discourse of Indigenous Authenticity Within the Arts and Cultural Ecologies?

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art, or creative cultural practices, are valuable to Australia, not just in terms of the contribution to the economy but also for the cultural and social benefits being generated. The arts and cultural ecologies have also featured in policy initiatives to address systemic Indigenous disadvantage. However, the Indigenous art that is lauded both nationally and internationally includes very little of the art produced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders living and working in the south-east of Australia. The art of the south-east has been characterised in the literature as inauthentic, and this perception of inauthenticity appears to relate to colonial perspectives regarding who should be considered an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person. The purpose of this research is to understand whether there is a discourse of Indigenous authenticity circulating within the Australian arts and cultural ecologies and if so, what its effects are on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander creative cultural practitioners in the south-east. Operating at the intersection of the disciplines of Indigenous studies, cultural policy and cultural economics I considered a broad range of literature, and although Indigenous academics and artists, cultural economists and cultural policy theorists have commented on aspects of the arts and cultural ecologies, there has been no comprehensive review of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander engagement with the arts and cultural ecologies through an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander lens. Informed by Indigenous standpoint theory and using Indigenous methodologies and grounded theory, I yarned with 20 knowledge holders including creative cultural practitioners producing contemporary Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art in south-east Australia, as well as some of their community Elders and art industry allies. Together we considered how they and their communities engage with the established art markets and the broader arts and cultural ecologies. Considering the arts and cultural ecologies from an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspective gives primacy to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander view of the discourse of Indigenous authenticity circulating within the arts and cultural ecologies and the impact on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander creative cultural practitioners and their communities. The study shows that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander creative cultural practitioners in the south-east have, since the beginning of colonisation, used their creative cultural practices to maintain and innovate culture and to talk back to the coloniser, and in this way demonstrate Gerald Vizenor’s concept of survivance. The research revealed that whilst racism and the frequently encountered perception that there are no creative cultural practitioners in the south-east remain persistent, there is a vibrant and dedicated community of creative cultural practitioners in the south-east. These practitioners are ensuring that, far from being lost, our creative cultural practices have been nurtured and strengthened. A need for greater education regarding the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population in the south-east and our creative cultural practices within the arts and cultural ecologies, and more broadly, is required to make the community and their practice more visible and recognised. In addition, the knowledge holders identified a need to improve the understanding within the arts and cultural ecologies of the resourcing requirements needed to facilitate the relational engagements involved in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander creative cultural practices. In particular, relational practices consistent with a value-based approach emerged as being crucial. For instance, the need to talk with Elders, and to consult with community, may require longer lead times and additional funding to ensure the relational responsibilities which are often at the core of our practice, can be fully honoured. In giving a voice to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledge holders, this research shines a light on how creative cultural practice is a crucial element of survivance and creates value that exists beyond the narrow context of the Indigenous art market. While value in purely economic terms, that is, income and financial support for creative cultural practices, was not the key motivation for the practitioners I yarned with, it was clear that their practices were a way to enrich the lives of their community, to honour their Indigenous knowledge and heritage and to revive and reinvigorate their culture.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people should be aware that this thesis and associated project files may contain the images, voices or names of people who have since passed away.