#aboriginal writer

[indigenousidentitytheft]

Eating to Extinction credits Bruce Pascoe as an Aboriginal writer and farmer for introducing him to Murnong. (Correct your errs, Dan Saladino)

In actuality, he is evidently white - as per his ancestry, ie. all four of his grandparents were English. Yet he goes so far in his claim to aboriginal identity that he wrote an award winning booking on indigenous history and practices and operates a huge farm and company selling indigenous produce that he refers to in said book.

If you want to learn more about indigenous food culture, ie. more sustainable and nutritious eating -- look to actually indigenous people. That requires some work, but here's one example: Karlos Baca, an Indigenous Foods Activist from the Southern Ute Nation

https://www.instagram.com/tasteofn8vcuisine/?hl=en

Karlos Baca, formerly a chef, and now a teacher says his students travel from places where there are more gas stations than grocery stores.

"'Here I'm teaching them how to survive the American food system.' Baca is on the front line of a food war, one being waged against indigenous people. The way he sees it, the first casualty is health. 'That's why we need to decolonise our diets,' he says."

"During the class, he took a handful of blue maize flour and mixed in some water, turning the grey-white powder into a deep purple porridge. To this, he added a pinch of burnt wood ash that made the colour of the maize more intense. With a small blade, he sliced tiny slivers from what looked like a gnarled and blackened piece of wood. 'I can tell you my life story through this one bowl,' Baca said, 'and this food can also show you what happened to my people.'"

[dk-thrive]

So, because they say it is urgent... I'm taking pen to paper to pass on everything that was ever remembered. All the words I found on the wind.

— Tara June Winch, The Yield: A Novel (Harper, June 2, 2020)

[gay-little-treat-wizard]

Elrya: The New World By T. A. Onkọwe (Me)

6 - Illuka

Water is for those who take it and I do and will. - An excerpt from a transcript of the late Empress Tinai's coronation speech.

Illuka walked through the Unukapi[1] camp, wading through the chaos of training rebel soldiers and opportunistic hawkers selling goods and water replacements. Illuka ignored them all and approached the command tent. The two "people'' guarding the entrance let him in with little fanfare. Illuka didn't look at them, didn't meet their dead gazes or see the pulsing dark veins that criss crossed their grey skin.

The command tent was heavy with the scent of exotic spices and cactus wine. Maps and intel decorated the tent walls, and in the centre sat Menlor. He was a rotund lump of flesh, a former war hero reduced to a despot sat at the end of the table. The table was almost bent and broken by the weight of the feast laid out on it. More food than anyone else in the camp had seen in a year.

"The little godling deigns to grace us with his presence," Menlor spoke between nasty bites of soggy mutton. "What do you have to report?"

"The empress' Oracle has detected the presence of other demigods from the unknown lands beyond the North Sea."

Menlor paused, bird leg in hand. For just a moment, Illuka saw the shrewdness that impressed many to come to his side.

"I assume I don't need to tell you to keep an eye on the situation."

"Of course."

Menlor snapped his fingers, and a grey-skinned attendant shambled forward, balancing a bound scroll on a trey. Illuka tried his best to ignore Menlor's enslaved drones, but he recognized this drone.

Maris stumbled up to him, face blank as he picked up the scroll. She shuffled backwards, standing slumped over at the back of the tent.

"This is evidence of the Empress's water reclamation project in the Westland. She's hiding it for some reason. Find out why."

Illuka left the camp behind and climbed on his steed: a feathery Griffin-Chimera mutt. She was adorable in a hideous way: She was two-headed, with a goat head and eagle, and had a headless neck stump. Her skin was feathery, scaly and furry with several bald patches, and her four eyes bugged out of her skull like a frog's. She was also blind in one of her eyes, though Illuka isn't sure which one it was again.

"Hey, Betti," Illuka muttered, giving her several under-ear scratches. "It's time to go back. Are you ready?"

The beast snorted, exhaling an eye-watering toxic gas. Illuka laughed and hopped onto her back, strapping himself into the saddle. He tugged her reins gently, and Betti looked up to the sky and began to bound forward. She spread her tattered, massive wings out once she gained momentum and flung herself ungracefully into the air.

The ground below was a dusty, sunburnt orange, pockmarked with dried out wells and lakes. The desert stretched out for miles, randomly interrupted by spatterings of barely living and heavily guarded green.

Soon, the city of Karenth came into view, a brilliant stark black against the bright desert. Betti swooped down over the city's concentric ringed moats and speckled amphibolite spires. The city's archers ignored him; they were used to his method of entry by now. They began to descend as Betti approached the ostentatious castle that lay in the city's centre. She landed in front of the castle gates, and Illuka unstrapped and disembarked, then tied Betti to a post outside, leaving her with a pat on one of her heads.

He was searched by suspicious guards and ushered into the Empress's throne room, followed by two guards. The Empress sat, fully submerged in a pool of crystal clear water as her raven hair and black spider silk gown floated to the top of the pool.

"Welcome back, godling," The empress purred, swimming towards the pool's edge. "What's your report?"

"Menlor is planning to approach from the southwest with Chimera riders. He plans to take the Serash outpost," Illuka explained. "He's coming through the Weri dead plains."

"We'll fortify the outpost and intercept his army," The empress swam back and climbed onto her amphibolite throne. "I assume you want the same payment as last time?"

Illuka nodded, and the Empress gestured towards one of her guards. "Have some of your men share 100 rubies worth of water in the outlands," She turned her attention back to Illuka. 

"Now, little altruist, I want you to make yourself acquainted with the soon to arrive demigods."

Illuka bowed and left the room, winding his way through the castle. He stopped at his room and changed out of his Unukapi rebel gear and into the light linen customary to the court. Leaving his room, he walked out of the castle to find Betti again.

"Hey sweetheart," He combed his hand through her grey-green feathers as a mildly disgusted soldier untied her.

Illuka ignored them and climbed on her back. He tugged her reins and took to the air, flying towards the eastern outer wall of Karneth. He landed on a parapet and fed Betti some sugar cane treats. He watched the desert sun set. From his vantage point, he could see the dense, swirling sandstorms that had been raging for days on the horizon. He could also see some of the empress guards following her orders and sharing barrels of water out to waiting desert dwellers. The sandstorms were getting worse, stronger, and more frequent. The sun was getting hotter and hotter, and the land beyond the walls was getting dryer.

How long till it was impossible for them to eke out a living in the barren plains? Till the people beyond the walls began to die out?

How long till he needed to make a choice? Betray Menlor or the Empress? Aid Menlor’s dubiously altruistic desire to conquer Karenth and force the city to share its abundance? Help such a glutinous, power-hungry despot and a slaver for the chance of helping the desert dwellers? The empress was hardly a better choice. She was an equally brutal leader; she and her dynasty were the reason the unnamed land was dying out, but she promised change, a way for desert dwellers to earn their way into Karenth. They both held something over his head: The Empress knowledge and Menlor family.

Maris, you would know what to do.

[1] Ash water in Pitjantjatjara

A.N- @sewi-li-suwi, @sinharder, @reiki-tsubetai@concoctionboy and @hummbirb if you're interested. Let me know if you don't want to be @'ed.

[theosyrette]

Moan-A-Lisa

Moan-a Lisa Smile Watching people view a portrait of me  painted by Kent Monkman at the Royal  Ontario Museum is both voyeuristic and  creepy.  And. I. Don’t. Care. People took photos of me while I watched.  Passerbys wondering what the exhibit of portraits means. To them. To the community. To art.  I asked an older couple to take my photo standing beside the portrait.  “It’s not…

[bathroomrenovationsgoldcoast]

Bathroom renovation Gold Coast 0756463736 1 we are proud to be sponsoring Steve and this Awesome song. Subscribe or better still support their next project....https://steveturner-global.com/donations/donation-form/

[triumph-of-adaptation]

[akajustmerry]

hi, friends. i've had to have a surprise surgery to remove a pre-cancerous mole on my foot. unfortunately, I'm still unemployed with no income after I lost my job due to workplace bullying and speaking up about Palestine back in december. I need help covering follow up Doctors appointments. honestly, I would appreciate immensely anything anyone's willing to give your favourite Lebanese non-binary bisexual during Pride. No pressure, if you can't. Thank you. 🌈❤️

EDIT: So, in addition to the above, a few days ago (9 July 2024) my laptop fried and I lost all my work from the last 4 years because my cloud backup failed. It's going to cost between 500 and 600 dollars to fix. As a teacher and writer and podcaster, my laptop is vital for my livelihood. Especially while I'm still healing from surgery. I hate to ask but if youse can help your beloved Lebanese/Aboriginal nonbinary out anyway you can, thank you. And thank you so much to people who already have donated 🙂‍↕️

KO-FI / PAYPAL

[finishwhatyoustarted-event]

Finish What You Started 2024 - Event Rules

[ID copied from alt: Event Rules on a blue background. ⬒ No new projects ◨ Any medium and any fandom welcome ⬓ NSFW inclusive, warnings must be tagged ◧ Tag #FinishWhatYouStarted2024; boosting/retweeting starts September 13th ◼ Event ends October 31st, 2024]

The goal of this event is to get things done that you’ve already started. We all have unfinished projects whose incomplete status haunts us. Those are what we want to tackle!

The structure is loose, as this is a multimedia event. While primarily aimed at writers, this event is open to any kind of creative fanwork. Fics, translations, podfics, fanart, animations, cosplay - if you started it and never got it done, it qualifies. There is no sign-up required. I will not assign beta readers for writers, but I can boost requests for those who want them! And I can boost messages of those who would like to beta read.

The mod is a danmei fan mainly, but your work can be any fandom. Maybe something you started before your current fandom excitement took over, or one you keep putting off in favor of compelling new ideas.

Feel free to pass this event info along! The more the merrier!

Further rules and clarifications:

Alt text is very encouraged, especially for boost posts or artwork!

If your work is NSFW, I will only boost it if it has appropriate content warnings. Spoilering images is recommended but not required as long as it’s tagged. Do not letter-swap or abbreviate content warnings. These are so people can mute them as needed. Example: "gore" not "g0re"

Remember Tumblr can mute phrases, but each warning should be its own tag as well as in the body.

Please use genderbend or genderswap for characters depicted not as canon genders. Example: "#NSFW #genderbend #gore”

Please use Omegaverse or A/O/B for that content. The original letter order is a slur against Aboriginal peoples and will not be tolerated here, even with the slashes. It, like other racial or identity-based slurs, fall under hate speech and are thus not permitted.

This account will post weekly morale-boosting messages and helpful resources. Every Friday, starting September 13th, will be Finished It Friday. All the completed works posted that week will be boosted together in a big thread, so we can celebrate your accomplishment!

Halfway-point check-in is October 1st. Final event deadline is October 31st. The last Finished It Friday is November 1st.

FAQ:

Q: Are original works acceptable?

A: This is primarily a fanwork-focused event. If original work is the only WIP you have to work on, it's certainly fine to work on it during the time frame of the event. If it is posted publicly when finished, you may tag it for boosting.

Q: Are there any restrictions on topics?

A: No, so long as your event # post is properly & fully tagged for content (see rules about tagging above). "Dead Dove" topics are allowed. Some submissions will be 18+. For me, this is less about the content and more about finishing it. 

The usual restrictions based on laws and Community Guidelines of course apply, so you may need to tailor how you post to which event space your interacting with. Twitter, Tumblr, and Discord all have their own rules. There are also some topics that are in poor taste to make fanworks around. The event organizer and mods reserve the right to not boost your work if they decide it is rage-baiting or trolling. They are not responsible for negative reactions to your works. Please be respectful of those you share a digital space with. 

Keep in mind that when I link to your finished work during a Finished It Friday, it may reach a wider audience than you may be used to.

Q: Are there any restrictions on media that can be submitted?

A: Machine Generated or "AI" images and writing are not permitted. If you are found in violation of this rule, you will be removed from the event. All images, writing, or other works must be your own.

This is a positive, shared space. Do not belittle other creators' medium of choice. Please no fandom/character/ship/creator bashing, and don't berate artists or authors for not being done with something, even if they don't finish by the end of the event. Also, please don't passive-aggressively send this event to the author of an unfinished fic you want to see done faster. 😥 Be cool, respect each other, and keep any interpersonal disagreements to your own tumblrsphere.

All posts and boosts will be crossposted to the event Twitter (finishwatustart) and Discord. Expanded rules, explanations, and Dead Dove guidelines can also be found on the Discord. (invite link in pinned post) 

Fics can be posted to the AO3 collection (archiveofourown(dot)org /collections /FinishWhatYouStarted2024_Fall)

Work-in-progress posts should be tagged #FinishWhatYouStarted2024 . If you complete a wip within the event, tag it #IFinishedWhatIStarted2024 for boosting so we can all celebrate!

Find more information and community on the Discord, if you want! Joining the Discord is not required for the event. As always, if you have questions, don't hesitate to reach out!

[haggishlyhagging]

The evidence marshaled by anthropologists showing the effects of Western colonialism on traditional female power and authority is impressive. The work of some writers has led to the conclusion that "the penetration of Western colonialism, and with it Western practices and attitudes regarding women, have so widely influenced women's role in aboriginal societies as to depress women's status almost everywhere in the world." In this chapter two case studies showing the manner in which European influence eroded the bases of traditional female authority are presented.

In one case, the Igbo of southeastern Nigeria, the struggle was between Igbo women and British administrators, with Igbo men playing a passive but supportive role. In the other case, the Iroquois, the struggle was between Iroquoian women and the followers of a charismatic Iroquoian male who, aided by Quaker missionaries, sought to revitalize Iroquoian life and institute a new sex-role plan. In both cases women resisted the forces of change. Igbo female resistance led to the "women's war," in which thousands of women marched against the British and destroyed property. Iroquoian female resistance led to witchcraft accusations, resulting in the execution of some women for following traditional female patterns. The killing and wounding of approximately 100 Igbo women and the token executions among the Iroquois broke the spirit of resistance.

-Peggy Reeves Sanday, Female Power and Male Dominance: On the Origins of Sexual Inequality

[wildissylupus]

You know what I think is wasted potential? The Junkers and Junkertown. Specifically in the fact of them being the foil group to Vishkar. Cause in my opinion the way Australia and Junkertown were implemented into Overwatch's story is the weakest to me, especially since I myself am Australian and actually know how Australians act.

The biggest thing to me is the wishy washy attitude the writers have with Roadhog being Maori, he has a skin and his name, that's it. The thing is though, I have never met a Maori or Aboriginal person that didn't show a significant amount of pride in their heritage. Now this also comes into my favorite part of Junkertown and the Junkers implementation, and that is the history.

Part of the reason why Junkertown exists is because of the fact that the Australian government did consult the Aboriginal people in the area about giving the Omnium to the Omnics. Inherently Junkertowns formation was partially because people had pride in their indigenous heritage, so there being basically nothing for Roadhog other then his name and a skin name genuinely makes me mad.

The voice acting would also make me mad in this wasn't just a thing that happened to Australians and New Zealanders in general, I have hardly ever seen an Australian character be played by an Australian, the same goes for New Zealand characters. Hell even Junker Queens voice actor feels like she's being told to play up her accent, and she's actually Australian.

Not only that but to me the Junkers fail at being a foil to Vishkar. The thing about Vishkar is that they pose as a benevolent organization when what they're really doing is gentrifying poor neighborhoods, practicing child labor, and are literally working with a terrorist organization. Junker town is supposed to be the opposite to that, but they're not, not in the way that makes them a foil to Vishkar. To be a foil to Vishkar Junkertown and the Junkers would need to be treated as the complete opposite, basically being this place of complete freedom and chaos, a place of equal intelligence but opposite morals to Vishkar. It has the foundations of that don't get me wrong, but it's not enough to make me see them as foils.

Story wise there also isn't an obvious conflict between the two groups. Overwatch and Talon have a rich history together, Null Sector and the Shambali monks have Ramattra and Zenyatta to represent both groups, there is basically nothing for Vishkar and the Junkers. Hell if there was history for those groups it would give the Junker characters more of a reason to join the fight and leave Australia other then "there's a fight". Cause right now the only Junker character to actually have stakes in the current lore is Hammond because of his connection to Winston.

Environmentally I would have loved to see more vibrant colors and Aboriginal art in Junkertown, I would love it to be more the "Mad Max but Overwatch", I would love for the Junkers to feel like complete opposite of Viskar cause so far we have the other two group rivalries be explored, Talon and Overwatch are mirror foils, there are a lot of similarities between the two groups but their goals are polar opposites, Null Sector and the Shambali monks are philosophical foils they have the same end goal but opposite methods to get to that goal. Vishkar and Junkertown are very obviously supposed to be complete opposites, yet they have none of the nuance that the other groups do have. Vishkar erases the culture of places they go, yet Junkertown isn't that culturally rich, Vishkar pretends to do good but is very much bad, Junkertown is just bad, Vishkar is control and order, Junkertown runs on chaos and freedom yet also has rules that got Junkrat exiled, taxes and harasses it's citizens and is just as elitist as Vishkar? This would make sense if this is how Junkertown worked before JQ's rule but fundamentally, nothing is different from Junker Queen and Howl's rule. They could have still done this plot line, just with Vishkar trying to take over and tax Junkertown rather then JQ.

Basically, Junkertown would be much more interesting to me if they had gone fully into Vishkar and Junkertown being complete opposites. Instead they get a faction that doesn't have any depth and characters who hold little to no stakes of the plot.

[stalkedbytrains]

“Cheryl? Where is the file for the next appointment? I can’t find it anywhere.”

“It’s the folder with the green tab,” Cheryl called from her desk at the front of the tiny office.

There was the sound of many papers shuffling around and finally an “aha!”

“The Rainbow Snake?” Came the voice from the office. Cheryl’s boss often read out loud when they were studying a client. Just a weird quirk of theirs. “Australian Aboriginal Deity. Oh I do remember them. We were at a party together… 2,000 years ago give or take. I don’t think they’ll remember me, ah well thems the breaks. Let’s see… hmm… I can see that this is going to be a problem Cheryl. Damn colonialists. I wish we could make the British gods fade away. Fucking King Arthur deserves to be relegated to the dust bin. I can tell that we’re going to need some deep cuts on this one. Start making a list of Australians we can contact, I have a feeling.”

Cheryl did as she was told. Her boss was almost always right about these things. She knew what the gods wanted before they even got here.

Several minutes later there was a knock at the office door. Cheryl got up to open it and invited in the dark skinned person and the beautiful snake they wore like jewelry but that might have only been because the snake itself was a living work of art. Like living breathing stained glass.

As Cheryl escorted the Rainbow Snake in, her boss came out and bowed deeply to their guest.

The chipper woman had tied back her full brown hair and smiled widely at the Snake and their human escort.

“A pleasure to meet you again,” the boss said, “it’s been many centuries but I am glad to see you once more. Please come in to my office. Would you care for any refreshments?”

After settling and getting water for the Rainbow Snake, Cheryl sat back down outside the office and listened to the pitch. She never got tired of listening to it.

“How can I help you?” Her boss asked.

“We heard that you can help us gods. Stop us from fading. We need faith. We need followers. The people are dying, the language is dying,” said a dual voice. The voice from the snake, and the voice from the human.

“We can do that. Sort of. I am sorry to say that it’s not a direct thing. I don’t just snap my fingers and make you some new believers. Human beings a wonderful little creatures. They crave us. They need us even if they don’t believe in us anymore. They want our stories and our myths. And that is what I provide. Stories.”

“How does that help us?”

“Do you know how down bad the Norse were? The Christian’s basically destroyed their religion, all we know of it is this bastard version of what was left after the Jesus freaks invaded. But then the comics happened. The Mighty Thor! And don’t get me started on Neil Gaiman and his Sandman and American Gods stories. I send that man a fruit basket every year. I love him. Have you seen how well the Norse pantheon is doing? Loki has seventeen penthouses, and more belief than he knows what to do with.”

“Bah. Western religion. White religion.”

“You are right. I am sorry that was a poor example. Perhaps I should have started with Māui and how well he’s doing with that Disney film Moana. I set that up.”

“You did all of that?”

“Well. Not directly. You know how us gods work. I gave some inspiration here and there. Got a writer to have an idea. Got a director and a bunch of executives to see the bigger picture and how it could be a hit. They did the rest themselves. Like I said, whether or not they know it, humans want us.”

“You can make me a hit movie?”

“Or a TV show or a video game. Those are hard though. Movies are kind of easy now a days, TV is having a resurgence now but you run the risk of cancelation and things like that, video games can be hit or miss honestly. Only the Greeks and Norse really pulled that one off and hoo let me tell you they paid for that one. Great games but still. I don’t want to look at those God of War games ever again. Books are easy. Worked really well for the Greeks and some of the Egyptians. Rick Riordan does great stuff. It all depends on what you want.”

“I can have anything?”

“Sure. Internet stories are easy. Quick and cheap but you are really gambling with the payoff. Could be either a total wash or go viral. Not something I can really recommend but if you need something now it can be done. Movies or tv can be great but there are also risks. It might be two or three years before you see anything.”

“Do I get to choose who does the work?”

“A little. I can influence certain people but sometimes the best person for the job is some down on his luck writer in a hovel in LA. Sometimes it’s Neil. But Neil is expensive.”

“I want a movie, I want it to be written by one of my people.”

“I can do that. But the problem is that reach might be very tiny. There are plenty of Aboriginal writers, I’m sure some can even be extremely talented, but something big and grand and bringing in all the faith and worship and stories you may way may be limited. If you want the Disney treatment you have to give up a whole lot of control.”

“No. I want it to be of the people.”

“Very well. Now, I can influence and give inspiration all over. I can even get this in the right people’s hands. But it is always a crap shoot. All I need to do is channel some of your power into the right person when I find it. Then creativity takes over, they do their work, I nudge some agents and companies their way and if we’re lucky you see some return on investment in a couple of years.”

“What do you get out of this process?”

“My dear, I’m the Muse. I feed off the creativity. These artists come to me most of the time. I just set them up with gods who need a little faith. And six points on the back end. I have a lot of alimony to pay.”

[zahri-melitor]

Reading Digger Harkness as an Aussie: why he’s specifically written to wind me up, the undercurrents of many of his appearances, and why he’s voting No in the Voice referendum.

(Okay if you know ANYTHING about Digger and about the Voice you already knew that, but making this current-relevant!)

George “Digger” Harkness is Captain Boomerang. He’s traditionally written by DC to be specifically, deliberately annoying and disliked. Due to this he’s simultaneously quite cleverly written while also being the laziest character stereotype imaginable.

One of the things that drives me up the wall every time I read him in a book is that due to a clash of a few things in his character design, the subtext he’s evolved over time is remarkably complex, but also geared to make me despise him. Also I can’t tell how much of it is deliberate on the writer’s part.

The first thing you need to understand is that Harkness is very specifically putting on a level of Australianness for his audience (the usually American characters around him). The fascinating thing in this is that, unusually for this trope, his writers are often aware he’s doing this. The common term for this is ‘ocker’. You can notice this in the language he uses: it’s specifically peppered with ‘Australian’ words and phrases.

Now this is a pretty common thing for writers to do to demonstrate a character is Australian. It sounds like someone trying to write Crocodile Dundee or Steve Irwin. However, to my ear (and years of putting up with this), the way it’s done for Digger is…off. It’s not the standard terrible way it’s used in American media, but it’s equally not written naturally for how an Australian who natively speaks ocker/broad would use it. Digger’s playing it up, and he’s playing it up badly. (the closest comparison I can make than an Australian might understand is he sounds more like Russell Coight than Steve Irwin, with all that implies) He wants people to think he’s an Australian stereotype.

Heck, let’s break down his name for a demonstration of this.

Captain Boomerang: this is a very, very, loaded name. Digger’s specifically racist, and he’s racist in a very White Australia Policy sort of way. The writers are aware he’s racist. He uses a boomerang as a symbol as he’s Australian (surface level) but they’re also specifically drawn as white a lot of the time, both in his costume and in the weapons themselves. They’re not plain wood or decorated with traditional art. They’re white. He has a history of making boomerangs and promoting them in Australia for sale, as a white guy, which is uhhhh Not Great. He’s assumed a traditional piece of Australian Aboriginal weaponry and culture as his own, and he’s painted it white. He’s asserting that it’s his culture now and has stripped it of its traditional meaning. (Also his boomerangs often don’t come back, and have sharpened edges and are used wrongly). He doesn’t like Black People ™ but also uses a weapon specifically associated with an oppressed minority in his place of origin. The white supremacy attitude is very much coded in.

“Digger” as a nickname: oh the way this clashes and interacts with the fact he uses ‘Captain’ as a title! Digger as a term is a general nickname for Australian Army soldiers. It comes from the Gallipoli landings and the trenches of World War I. By using it as his nickname, Harkness is evoking a whole HOST of imagery and specifically nationalist cultural imagery surrounding Gallipoli as a ‘birthplace’ of Australian identity, something that’s been weaponised particularly by the Australian political right for the past 30 years as a national symbol. In the stories that a country tells itself about who they are, Harkness is evoking a very major one and also one that can read as quite toxic if not done carefully. (if you need a quick entry to the way the nickname makes me wince, look up ‘Cronulla Riots’. That’s the sort of person his name is evoking for me) The other problem on top of this – this is a soldier’s nickname. Harkness has never been in the Australian military (as far as I can tell). Combined with the fact he uses the title of ‘Captain’, he’s suggesting he’s got a military background that he 100% does not have. He’s a giant hypocrite. Now being part of the military in Australia reads differently to being part of the military in the USA, in how society sees it, but this is still not on. It’s not a natural nickname for an Australian to have, in his circumstances. It doesn’t even make sense as a traditional ironic nickname given by his friends. Which means he picked it himself. And for that style of nickname…choosing your own? That’s considered to be poor form and trying way too hard. (And nicknames are culturally important! For the personality Harkness is trying to present to his audience, he SHOULD have a nickname like this. My father’s is ‘Bones’, for instance. But choosing your own, and choosing one that implies traits that are not yours to display? Really really bad form)

Basically in summary, Harkness is very much coded in a lot of ways to essentially be the Australian equivalent of someone who stormed the Capitol on January 6, 2021. With that sort of view of his home country.

What is fascinating is that when Harkness interacts with other Australian characters, they do not like him, so the writers are aware that he’s been written to be this level of objectionable.

Now, some of this coding in his character has just accumulated over 60+ years as stereotypes have evolved and things have become ever more socially unacceptable. But the interesting thing here is that the writers ACKNOWLEDGE that unacceptable behaviour from Harkness.

I hate him so much. And I also want to fix his dialogue, which suffers from being written by Americans, to include a bunch more extremely country ocker sayings. He NEEDS to be saying things like “stone the flaming crows” and “fair shake of the sauce bottle” and “flat out like a lizard drinking” and “I didn’t come here to fuck spiders”. Because he’s putting it on. And these are the sort of things he’d lean in to to convey that level of “oh I’m not from around here, I am quoting Crocodile Dundee at you but you didn’t even realise” that he’s written to have.

[total-feminism-takes]

Will never forgive the writers for what they did to Leshawna

The one black girl in the entire cast until the REBOOT with nichelle (jasmine is an aboriginal Australian not black) and she’s so consistently done dirty by the cast that I’d believe she was cursed much easier over whatever happened with dj in world tour

-📺

- 🧡

[kimyoonmiauthor]

Naming Conventions—Side note to worldbuilding

This is one of those, you don't *have* to do it, but if you *did* do it it might add flavor to your world. It's like adding chocolate chips to ice cream. Do you need the chocolate chips to make it ice cream? No, but it still gives a different dimension.

Quick note:

AI fails at listing naming conventions so DO YOUR RESEARCH. And if you think I didn't test it... of course I did. I want to know what we writers are up against with the lazy writers out there.

Yeah, so gets the naming conventions, but misses some key ones (I did a doc on that), And then gets the list of names from the Three Kingdoms period completely wrong.

This is missing nuances.

So I tested it... "Who is Haemosu?"

See the problem?

Sometimes three Kingdoms names were 3-5 syllables. Ijinasi (i-ji-na-si)

BTW, I is not his surname. That is his complete name, no surname.

The point is when even using baby name books and looking at meanings, do your research on the following things:

Graphemes

Elements (like fire, etc) in the name.

meaning

Combined name meaning with surname?

Naming conventions

Name prohibitions

Sound gendering?

Sounds like therefore prohibited? (Sounds like the word for death for example)

Name meaning prohibitions by gender and names in general

Class differences in names (which is missing in the Joseon period)

Ancestral prohibitions

Who gets to name the baby? (Elders, parents, community, specialist?)

Where are you pulling the name from?

Does the name change over time and who gets to decide what the name is? (Some Christians do this, BTW, it's not just one of those Chinese/Korean/Indigenous things)

Do you name them after a relative?

Do you not name them after a relative? For how many generations?

Can you name them after a living person?

number of syllables?

Diminutives?

Sounds like therefore prohibited?

Generational naming

Naming by generational type (This is more an Aboriginal Australian thing—I forgot the tribe, but I have it in my notes.)

Naming by astrology

Naming by elements (Make them up)

Naming by gender

Are names of Gods prohibited or encouraged?

Are names the hopes of the parents/namer ? Or are they the opposite of what you hope?

Naming by totem/rotating totem?

etc... but these are some I've encountered. Some names can and cannot be used by outsiders, so keep that in mind as well.

Usually you kinda get a sense of the name prohibitions and rules once you look it up. But again, Korean names has the longest list of rules and exceptions I've ever come across... but it still is missing some I added to this list.

This list should be useful for worldbuilding too... What is in a name? Welp, for some cultures, it is everything.

[richincolor]

Book Review: Liar's Test

Title: Liar’s Test

Author:  Ambling Kwaymullina

Genres:  Fantasy

Pages: 257

Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers

Review Copy: ARC by publisher

Availability: Available May 21st

Summary: A gripping YA fantasy with a deadly contest to win a crown, a fierce heroine determined to right the wrongs done to her people, and a smoldering love story that could change everything...

I didn’t want to rule the Risen. Wreak a little havoc upon them, though? That was something else entirely.

Bell Silverleaf is a liar.

It’s how she’s survived. It’s how all Treesingers have survived, after they were invaded by the Risen and their gods. But now—thanks to some political maneuvering—Bell is in the Queen’s Test. She’s one of seven girls competing in deadly challenges to determine who rules for the next twenty-five years. If Bell wins, she’ll use the power to help her people and get her revenge on the Risen.

But Bell doesn’t know how much she’s been lied to. She’s part of a conspiracy stretching back generations, and she’s facing much bigger dangers than the Queen’s Test. She’s up against the gods themselves.

Getting hold of that crown might just be the least of her problems.

Aboriginal writer Ambelin Kwaymullina has created a fast-paced, twisty narrative and an unforgettable heroine inspired by the strength and power of Aboriginal women.

Review: If you’ve been around Rich in Color for a while you know that I love reading books from around the globe, so when the request to read a YA novel by an Aboriginal writer came, I jumped at the chance. The story sounded interesting and as a fan of fantasy I was looking forward to it. I was not disappointed. The story drew me in and with its fast paced storytelling kept me intrigued right up to the end. 

The highlight of the book, aside from an awesome and likable character in Bell, is the worldbuilding. It was very clear that Kwaymullina took her time creating Bell’s world as the rules of her society, the different religions, the mythologies, and even the supernatural aspects of the world was so clear that Risen society felt completely real. I fully understood Treesinger beliefs and their ways of life which gave Bell her strength to survive in such a hostile environment. What also was impressive to me was the complete history of the world that was slowly revealed through the story as Bell figured out the truth behind her own personal heritage. Each chapter was a mix of revealing more of this complex world while mixing it with a story that had political intrigue, a mystery that needed to be solved, and an overthrow the government type of thriller. 

The heart of the novel is Bell Silverleaf, who when we meet her is dying but is brought back to life through a supernatural power. We realize she is someone special but because she is trapped inside a temple, she has been oppressed for much of her childhood.  Bell survives by lying to who oppressors, pretending to share their religious beliefs, but by holding fast to the beliefs of her Treesinger people. She is courageous and thoughtful and really rises to the occasion when she is entered into the Queen’s Test against her will. Since she is such a survivor, she leans on those skills in the test but also discovers how much of a leader she can truly be and how much she actually really cares not just for her Treesinger people but for people as a whole. The growth that Bell went on as she learned to lean into her power was what really connected me to her. I enjoyed going on the journey with Bell and wanted to continue on her journey after the end of the novel (I don’t know if there is a sequel, but I hope there will be). 

I really enjoyed Liar’s Test as it was a fun, immersive read that allowed me to escape into to another complex world for a brief moment. The story was full of plot twists that kept me guessing and drew me deeper into the story. This novel was so different than so much other fantasy and it is a world that I would love to visit again and again. 

[akajustmerry]

hey merry! i noticed you just started the show, so how're you liking dark winds so far?

I started and finished it in less than a week. suffice to say, I really enjoyed it! here's some quickfire thoughts (note: I'm Aboriginal/First Nations "Australian" so I'm speaking as a non-Native to the so called US) <3

Something I loved about it as an Indigenous person is that every character has a different relationship to their ceremony and cultural beliefs. You have Bern who's totally immersed, Joe who wants to but struggles because of his grief, and Jim who's skeptical af. I liked that so much because it's very real. at least in my family and community. Everyone's degree of belief is different for different reasons!!

Bern and Jim oh my FUCKING God. I was GIGGLING and KICKING MY FEET. a+ culturally specific slowburn. when he asked her about her tribe?? when she gave him the protection medicine? when he says there's nothing on the rez for him and she says "I'm here"? WHEN SHE LEAVES AND HE RETURNS THE PROTECTIVE JEWELLERY??? 🥹🥰🥹🥰

I preferred the first season to the second. I think it was shot better and had a better executed mystery. The cinematography in season one was so gorgeous. It had a very distinctive almost sunny yet gothic feel, but the second season was shot more conventionally. I hated the colour splash sequences.

Emma's sub-plot of helping other women avoid forced sterilisation was so awesome. Deserves its own show to be honest. That sequence where she tells the patient in Dineʼ (under the guise of translating for the white doc) that she should not have her baby in hospital because the white doctors will sterilise her? One of the best character intros I've ever seen, and I love how it tails off in season 2 with her agreeing to go public with what's happening.

I love Bern so MUCH. Jess Mattern is so GOOD. her encounters with the witch are CHILLING. Her pure dedication to her cultural beliefs is so inspiring. She's also one of the most beautiful women I've ever seen and I'm so gay. My only thing is......in WHAT universe is becoming a BORDER PATROL officer gonna mean you encounter LESS injustice. smh!!!

Kiowa Gordon as a 1970s suave FBI deserter turned hire out of a highway hotel private eye full of love for his community?? That's my dream gender!!!!!!! Also......it must be said....i need him.

Finally, even though I could tell Graham Roland and the writers made HUGE efforts to shift the white gaze of the novels Dark Winds was based on, there was just some moments/attitudes in the series that felt Off. maybe I'm over sensitive to copaganda idk but yeah there was just a little too much.......rampant individual American heroism and pro-cop/military stuff at times that made me roll my eyes as a non-usAmerican viewer

anyways, looking forward to having a reason to stay alive until 2025 (when season 3 comes out!)