Our Contemporary Past
Understanding the Significance of Aboriginal Elders in Our Community
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About the Book
Our Contemporary Past is a book written to help us know about the origins of the Dharug community. It will also help us understand the significance of aboriginal elders in their community.
About the Author
My name is Georgah Foote, I am 17 years old and from the Kamilaroi nation. I’ve always wanted to learn and understand more about my Aboriginality although my family has always been left in the dark due to the intergenerational trauma caused by Racism. My biggest aspiration in life is to be able to largely understand my personal Aboriginal identity and the collective identity of my people. I have always been stereotyped through casual racism because of the colour of my skin and this has always made me feel like I don’t belong. A very common example is “You’re not Aboriginal, you’re not dark skinned” and “you’re barely Aboriginal”. Until two years ago, I was almost completely unaware of my culture and more so unaware of how disrespectful and insulting these comments are towards not only myself but all Aboriginal people. Through being able to consult with my Aboriginal community, majorly Uncle Charlie, Aunty Mavis and Aunty Nita, I have been able to open my perspectives of the things Aboriginal people have experienced for over 200 years and the true extent of how this has caused repercussions for my people. I will never forget the conversations I had with my elders, as they have taught me about the importance of persevering through negative comments and ultimately proving that our people can and will achieve success and greatness. Stereotypes hurt but my elders led me to understand that being able to prove these stereotypes wrong can be such a blessing in disguise. I hope to extend the knowledge I have on my people by working with my people after Year 12. I have always wanted to work in racial prejudice for not only Aboriginal people, but all cultures that have suffered discrimination and racism. This will support myself in Understanding as much as I possibly can of my Aboriginal identity.