Creative Spirits is evolving

Creative Spirits is on its way towards an Aboriginal-owned and run organisation. Read why

It is a big process and I need all the help I can get. One of the very first steps is to find Aboriginal people interested in joining and to hire an Aboriginal designer and an editor. If you are interested, or know anyone that might be, please get in touch.

Cultural respect for First Peoples

Writing about Aboriginal culture as a person with no Aboriginal heritage requires steps that show that I'm serious about it and do my best to respect culture, customs and Country.

I took guidance from recommendations published by the Australian Council for the Arts ^[1] and Wiradjuri writer Dr Anita Heiss. ^[2] Specifically, I

• acknowledge Country (see bottom of each page),
• focus on a contemporary understanding of the complexities of Aboriginal culture and histories,
• prefer to give voice to authentic Aboriginal points of view (via quotes and poems),
• pay attention to cultural protocols and sensitivities (e.g. accepted terms, requests not to publish),
• list all my sources at the end of each article,
• prefer reputable sources,
• actively combat stereotypes,
• cite material that has already been published or where I received permission to do so, and that material is not confidential, personal or sacred,
• ensure the site does not have communally-owned material (e.g. ritual knowledge, creation stories, songs, or traditional or tribal communal designs), and
• give back to Aboriginal communities via a donation program.

I am aware that, as a member of the dominant culture, I can enjoy more privileges than others. As a human I make mistakes and have unconscious bias.

Giving back

An important part of being an ally is to give back to Aboriginal communities. Healing and learning are close to my heart and have informed my selection of Aboriginal organisations to give back to.

Creative Spirits has supported the following organisations with donations:

• The Healing Foundation, an Aboriginal-owned and operated organisation that supports the healing of Stolen Generations survivors, families and communities by connecting them back to their culture and spirit.
• Tranby National Indigenous Adult Education and Training, Australia’s oldest not-for-profit independent Aboriginal education provider. It offers its program to Aboriginal adults from across Australia in a culturally supportive environment.
• Yalari, a not-for-profit organisation that offers full boarding school scholarships for Aboriginal children from regional, rural and remote communities for their entire secondary education.
• Darkinjung Barker School for Aboriginal students at Yarramalong on the Central Coast. The school focuses on strong foundational skills in literacy and numeracy for Aboriginal students from Kindergarten to Year 6.

I've spent hundreds of dollars supporting Aboriginal events, artists, filmmakers and musicians by attending their performances or buying their products and artworks. From my critics I know that giving back is important, and I'm working on doing more in this area.

What do Aboriginal people say?

Aboriginal peoples and their views are as diverse as in any other group. And the overwhelming majority of my Aboriginal visitors recognise my intention to work and support as a non-Aboriginal ally and help readers learn about Aboriginal culture.

Here is what some of them have said:

"Thanks for spreading the word," says Wamba Wamba woman Laura, "and thank you for your cultural sensitivity which I feel lately has been very lacking from the general public."

And Coralie, an Aboriginal poet, writes: "As an Aborigine I thank you for your well researched contribution to Aboriginal culture. May your Creative Spirits linger forever more."

"Thank you for the deadly site – it is the one of the best most honest sites for info I reckon,” says Trevor Walker from the Walbunja and Brinja people, Yuin nation (south coast NSW).

Gamilaraay man Dave thinks that this website "is truthful and current and reflects the beauty and sacredness of my people's culture and history."

"Good looking site. Must confess I was initially nervous to see a non-Indigenous created site but your information looks great and you show great respect,” admits Denise Freeman from koorikullas.com.

Craig from Melbourne shares: "I commend you on your work and understanding of our culture as l wish that many more people would take your lead and have understanding."

Truth-telling

The Uluru Statement From the Heart, written by Aboriginal people from all over Australia in 2017, is, among other things, a call to ordinary Australians to acknowledge and embrace Aboriginal history and help others about it. I understand this website as a contribution to that truth-telling process.

I would very much like to see through local government and civil society, both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal, a true process of national truth-telling. [It] is going to be so transformative for Australia, and I know that Australia wants it to happen.

— Linda Burney, Wiradjuri woman and Member of the Australian House of Representatives ^[3]

Since several years the National Library of Australia, via their Pandora service, periodically archives this site, because they consider it “to be an important component of the national documentary heritage”.

Go and have fun exploring!

I hope you feel confident exploring Creative Spirits.

Enjoy this website.

Join my Smart Owls community and sign up below.

If you feel you should tell me something, just drop me an email to the address provided below. Be curious. Always. It’s a spice of life.

Thank you for listening.

Cheers,
Jens

Contact me

What do you want to contact me about?

Terminology

There is no universally agreed upon term for referring to the many diverse groups who comprise the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples of Australia. For this website, and without intending to be disrespectful, I have decided to use the term ‘Aboriginal people’ to refer to all peoples and groups whose ancestors pre-date colonisation and who identify as such.

Links

At present I use a variety of ways to help finance this website. One is via affiliate links, for example to Amazon. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Creative Spirits® is a registered trademark.