1. Define the following key term with examplesa.

Stolen Generations (2 marks)

b. Great Chain of Being (2 marks)
c. Material Culture

Representation 1
Possum Skins Cloaks: tradition, continuity and change
Helen Gibbins
VERY FEW POSSUM SKIN cloaks or rugs made by the Indigenous people of southeastern
Australia in the nineteenth century have survived to the present day. Fifteen are documented in
the collections of museums throughout the world, including two in the Melbourne
Museum.1Archaeological studies undertaken at various locations throughout south eastern
Australia have sought to shed light on the lifeways of Indigenous people that related to possum
skin cloaks before the arrival of the Europeans. The journals and memoirs of nineteenth century
settlers, missionaries and administrators make frequent mention of possum skin cloaks and
rugs. Many record observing that possums were hunted, the skins pegged onto pieces of bark,
scraped clean of flesh and incised with markings using sharp implements of shell or bone, and
then sewn together. Before European settlement led to a disruption of traditional lifeways, the
making of possum skin cloaks was part of a material culture that contributed to and expressed
the emplacement of the Indigenous people on country. The removal of the Indigenous people
from country onto missions and stations and the catastrophic population decline that followed
led to many aspects of culture that relied on living on country falling into abeyance. The oral
transmission of cultural knowledge from one generation to the next was difficult in the
fragmented communities that survived. Yet the practice of making possum skin cloaks has
survived.
The Koorie Heritage Trust in Melbourne has in its archives several possum skin cloaks made and
decorated by artists in the 1980s and1990s. However, cloak making experienced a resurgence
more broadly after two Indigenous artists, Vicki Couzens (Kirrae Wurrong/Gunditjmara) and Lee
Darroch (Yorta Yorta), saw two deteriorating cloaks in the Melbourne Museum. The Lake Condah
cloak had been collected from south western Victoria in 1872 and the Maiden's Punt cloak from
near Echuca in 1853.2 Vicki Couzens worked with Debra Couzens (Kirrae Wurrong/Gunditjmara)
to research and remake the Lake Condah cloak and Treahna Hamm (Yorta Yorta) joined with Lee
Darroch to remake the Maiden's Punt cloak. A detailed account of the journey of discovery made
by these artists as they researched the old ways of cloak making and found new techniques
when the old ways could not be replicated is given by Amanda Reynolds who documents the
close connection the artists felt between the old cloaks and country.3 These artists went on to
make cloaks that are significant for their families and communities. Their knowledge of cloak
making was shared with Indigenous communities throughout southeastern Australia through
the Possum Skin Cloak Project

2. Describe the major components of culture. In your response,

refer to the representation and other material that you have
studied this year. (4 marks)

Representation 2

Turnbull under pressure to condemn MP over 'noble savage' speech on

Indigenous communities
TurnbullunderpressuretocondemnMPover'noblesavage'speechonIndigenouscommunitiesBy
politicalreporterAnnaHendersonPostedWed24Feb2016,5:16pmGovernmentbackbencherDennis
JensenisfacingintensecriticismfromLaborandtheGreensoverhiscommentsaboutremote
Aboriginalcommunities,withbothpartiescallingonthePrimeMinistertopubliclycondemnhim.Ina
speechtoparliamentonMondaynight,MrJensensaidhedidnotthinktheGovernmentshouldbe
fundingpeopletolivea"noblesavage"lifestyleinremoteIndigenouscommunities.Whenhewas
primeministerTonyAbbottarguedtheFederalGovernmentcouldnot"endlesslysubsidiselifestyle
choices".MrAbbottwasspeakinginrelationtoaWestAustralianGovernmentplantoshutdowna
numberofremoteIndigenouscommunities.MrJensen,aWestAustralianMP,saidheendorsedthat
positionanddidnotthinkthereshouldbespecificpoliciessinglingoutIndigenousAustralians."In
essence,ifthenoblesavagelifestyle,laJeanJacquesRousseau,thesameoneofteneulogised,istrue,
thenthereisnothingstoppinganyIndigenousmenorwomenfrompursuingsuchanexistenceontheir
own,"MrJensensaid."Justdonotexpectthetaxpayerstosubsidiseit."OppositionLeaderBill
ShortenrespondedtothecommentbysayingMrJensenwas"awaywiththepixies".MrJensenfired

backimmediatelyonsocialmedia,describingtheOppositionLeaderas"gutless"andchallenginghim
toadebate"anytime".Labor'sspokesmanforIndigenousAffairsShayneNeumannhasnowcalledon
thePrimeMinistertostepin."ThePrimeMinisterandIndigenousAffairsMinistershouldcondemn
andrepudiatethestance,"MrNeumanntoldtheABC.Hedescribedthecommentsasevidenceofthe
"rightwingextremistelementsoftheLiberalParty".TheGreensIndigenousaffairsspokeswoman
RachelSiewertisalsocallingontheCoalitionleadertoact."MalcolmTurnbullshouldshow
leadership,"SenatorSiewertsaid."WeneedanunreservedapologyfromMrJensen."MrJensenhas
displayedhisextremeignoranceofAboriginalculture,oftheeffectsofcolonisation,disadvantageand
ofourinternationalobligationsundervariousconventions."JensencallsforanendtoIndigenousonly
policiesMrJensen'sfullspeechwasdeliveredinParliamentaspartofhiscontributiontothedebateon
AppropriationBills.MAP:AustraliaTheSouthAfricanbornMPsaidhefoughtagainsttheracist
policiesofapartheid,and"racism,whetherpositiveornegativeinintent,isstillracism"."Iwillbe
blunt:inmyview,thereshouldbenospecificIndigenouspolicy.Thereshouldbenoracedescriptors,"
hesaid."ThereshouldbenodefinitionofwhatitistobeAboriginal,anymorethan,say,anIrish
AustralianshouldhaveadefinitionandapercentageofIrishbloodthatheorsheshouldhaveinorder
tobedescribedasIrishAustralian."Selfidentificationisthekeytothispuzzle.Indeed,theonlyreason
thatthisisdoneisduetotheracistlawsthatwehavehereinAustralia."Theroadtohellispavedwith
goodintentions

3. Using representation 2 identify and explain Ethnocentric

elements in relation to the issue presented (4 marks)
4. Explain whether the use of the sociological imagination
supports an ethnocentric or culturally relativistic view of
Australian Indigenous culture (5 marks).