Friday, October 7th 2020.

 

Uluru, Aboriginal art and symbols

 

Kangaroos in the foreground

 

Uluru in the background

 

(A sunset which is represented with a sun and rays of light…)

 

Three main colours : orange, red / ochre, and yellow => warm colours

 

Landscape : a desert, red earth, a sanctuary, a dry land, burning hot temperatures, desolate / barren, very little vegetation.

 

Through the painting by Danny Eastwood and the picture given, we understand that this is a land with hot temperatures. It is represented through the colours, the sunset and the landscape. The colours are warm colours, mainly red or ochre, orange and yellow. The sunset is represented with the sun and rays of light. It’s quite majestic above Uluru. This place has been listed as a UNESCO world heritage site because it is a huge magnificent rock, also called Ayers Rock. And it’s a sacred place. This is also a special place because there are kangaroos which are the ultimate symbols of Australia.

 

The artist is kneeling on the ground, he is surely an Aborigine, painting in the middle of the desert.

 

Let’s try to decipher his painting !

 

It can represent the communication by smoke signals between different campsites. Indeed the symbols he uses show different places : many campsites and many smoke signals.

 

All around the campsites, we can see emu and kangaroo tracks so this painting is about kangaroo living in the desert, moving along the travelers and their campsites.

 

 

Read the text carefully. What’s the English for…?

 

Allumé / illuminé = lit up / illuminated

 

Le coucher du soleil = sunset

 

Le lancement = the launch

 

Massivement = overwhelmingly

 

Diffuser = to broadcast

 

Montrer, diffuser = to feature

 

Un pont, une passerelle, un lien vers = a gateway to

 

Ouvrir la voie à = to pave the way for

 

La reconnaissance = the recognition

 

La propriété foncière = land ownership

 

Hisser un Drapeau = to raise a flag

 

Une cérémonie de purification = a cleansing ceremony

 

Un écart = a gap

 

L’espérance de vie = life expectancy

 

Garanti (e) = enshrined

 

 

 

Why and how is the Sydney Opera House to be illuminated?

 

The “sails” of the roof of the Sydney Opera House will be illuminated to commemorate an anniversary : 50 years ago, Aboriginal peoples were first counted as part of the Australian population. So as to pay tribute to their culture, the sails will be illuminated in a seven-minute show every evening at sunset with aboriginal art.

 

On which land was the Opera House built?

 

It was built on Bennelong Point which belonged to the Gadigal people.

 

Why is this event important?

 

It is a step further in recognizing and accepting the culture of Australia's First Nations.

 

What other event occurred as a tribute to Aboriginal people?

 

It was decided to permanently raise indigenous flags over all public buildings.

 

How does the New South Wales Governor acknowledge / recognize Aboriginal people are Australian?

 

He recognizes / acknowledges the fact that they fought for Australia alongside Australians under the Australian flag.

 

Yet, how different are Aboriginal people compared to Australians? Quote 3 figures.

 

Aboriginal people only represent 2.8% of Australia's population.

 

Their life expectancy is 10 years shorter.

 

And they represent 27 per cent of the prison population.

 

These symbols of recognition are important but what would Aboriginal people like?

 

They would like the constitution to state that indigenous people can have a seat and a voice in parliament.

 

What does the Aboriginal flag represent for Aborigines?

 

It stands for their connection to the land, their culture and the strength of their peoples.

 

Watch the badu Light Show at Sydney Opera House:

Tuesday, September 29th 2020

 

This document is a photography / a photo, taken by Matthew Abbott, an Australian photographer. It was taken in 2011 in Australia. It shows / deals with / presents / depicts / it is a portrait of … a young Aborigene / a young Aboriginal boy who is a frog hunter. He is about ten years old / he is tenish. We can imagine he is hunting to eat or to survive / because it’s a matter of survival. This boy is called Damien Wurrkidj, so he is probably half Australian and half Aborigene.

This photo was taken near a swamp / marsh. In Australia, such a place is called a billabong.

The boy is holding a blowpipe to kill frogs. He is standing in the water. This could be dangerous because of the animals that live there but when we look at him, we understand he is determined, we can see his determination in the way he is looking at the camera : straight in the eye. So he is not afraid, and not shy.

 

We use BE+V-ing when we are describing something happening in front of our eyes.

S + BE + V-ing => he is holding a blowpipe, he is hunting frogs.

 

4. How does the portrait represent « the independence Aboriginal kids have » ?

This portrait is a good representation of the independence of Aboriginal kids because …

-        In this portrait we can see a boy who is on his own… = he is alone.

-        He built / created his blowpipe all alone, out of what he found : a hose and other stuff…

-        He uses the frogs he hunts to make baits to catch catfish, so as to eat the fish.

-        This portrait shows a boy who fends for himself = he manages to survive on his own.