Thread by @IndigenousX

One of the main issues with the way our culture is represented is that men are seen as Aboriginal, while we are always Aboriginal women. Unless something is specified as a female object it is likely to have an image of a man next to it as an example. So here we have...

...a case which shows women's objects from the south-east on one side and mens on the other. I particularly like this case because it holds clubs, something that would generally be viewed as male, but is actually used by women.

This is because women hunt as well. There were no distinctions between who did what, we are both capable of hunting animals so why wouldn't we? In Tasmania in particular, Aboriginal women were expert seal hunters and used clubs like this to catch them.

Next we have Ivarityi, who was the person we named the trail in honour of. Her story is quite long but I'll provide a link to where you can learn more about her. But she lived in what is known as Adelaides CBD. Her family were continually pushed out of the area...

....First to Port Adelaide, then down to Noarlunga. She moved around to more places but eventually stayed in Moonta, SA.
I always like to talk about the image. When I look at it appears as though she is wearing her wallaby skin cloak and is outside...

But she is actually wearing a cloak that was kept in the collections and the photo was taken in the police barracks, located at the back of the museum. It's a deceptive photo because it is clearly constructed to make you see Ivarityi a certain way, it may not have been how she...

...wanted to be depicted. If you would like to read her full story, you can via this link which will take you to a pdf: bit.ly/2J4heus

As someone who has studied archaeology this is one of my favourite parts to talk about. One of the cases is all about stone tools. But when you look closer you see something that most people would miss...

The information about the stone tools are provided by April Belair. April is an Aboriginal woman who worked here and was an archaeologist!
Meaning that something that is so often framed as mens knowledge and even a discipline that is dominated by men (at that time)...

...is actually being presented to visitors by an Aboriginal woman!

This is another case that shows women. Both sides of the case are filled with things made by women. The only reason for this is because a female anthropologist collected them from Wik women.

Next up we have boomerangs. Now... there's always one person who questions me when I have taken them on a tour and showed them this...people really don't believe women had any part in boomerangs.

But there are two on display that were made by a woman. But they are a little bit difficult to find. You see, they are located in these drawers...

But I think these need to be paid attention to. They were made by Adnyamathanha woman, Nanna Pearl McKenzie. She made these with her husband. I love to show these because I have always known the women in my life to be carvers....

So if you do come to the museum, look for them!

If you go through the museum in the order that it is set up you arrive in this section. It is gendered with women on the left and men on the right. But in the middle their are objects that demonstrate the connections between men and women in the community....

But the very the last thing you will see is this. I think it's a beautiful representation of our culture and our relationship to each other. Especially how women relate to each other.

But that's not it!

The museum has gone through immense changes in the past couple of years. Including how women are represented. So if you haven't been here recently you would not have seen these new additions. Firstly, these paintings were a part of the #Ngurra exhibition and..

...were all made by women.

But their even newer addition are the Batiks. I mean, look at that labelling. This is how you acknowledge past practices and how you actively change.

Hopefully we'll see more accurate representations in the future!