Say on skibidi Indigenous people are real

Will Modern Dreaming ever become Reality? 

*sniff*

Life is nothing like ©High School Musical.

*sob*

Yes, it hit little 12-year-old Leah hard when the ground-breaking realisation that highschool would be nothing like dancing on a basketball court with Zac Efron finally settled in.

*sigh*

There was a flurry of emotions and feelings within her little head, but the biggest one?

Betrayal

Why had this false image, this unrealistic expectation, this naive hope, been planted in her heart from her wee little beginnings? Who had the right to be spreading misinformation, leading little children astray in the harsh, cruel world of PowerPoints™ without transitions between slides, overpriced canteen food and *gasp*... ugly school uniforms...

I'd like to think that my good friend Samuel Wagan Watson had the same unpleasant realisation on the eve of the 2000 Olympics, when he realised that maybe Australia wasn't everything it saw itself to be.

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In the vast expanse of the Australian literary canon, the postmodernist works of Samuel Wagan Watson, hailing from ancestors of the Birri-Gubba, Mununjali, Germanic and Gaelic peoples, resonates deeply on the current day population of Australia in his poignant portrayal of human experiences in the Modern Dreaming. One of Watson's pieces "jaded olympic moments" is one that spoke deeply to me, and prompted me to consider the ways in which my own cultural experiences have been impacted by colonisation and forced assimilation, as 21st century desi gal (😜), through his skilful capturing of the essence of disillusionment, longing and the search for an identity in a world seemingly overrun by superficiality.

🎵 Getcha' Head in the Game - Zac Efron

Watson sets the scene - it's the eve of the 2000 Olympics and cult-fave Cathy Freeman is set to run the 400m representing Australia, when he finds out that "they" (whoever that could be 🙄) have broken into the house and stolen some of his possession. Including his son's piggy bank and his literary award. That's low.

It's salt on the wound after the passing of a young cousin, the unfortunate 'fate' or 'luck' of the Indigenous people once again made clear - the final nail on the casket (haha get it, passing, casket... yeah nvm...)

Not exactly the best pre-game snack to say the least.

At its core, the poem grapples with the themes of alienation and disillusionment, as Watson navigates the aftermath of shattered dreams and unfulfilled aspirations - and its opening scene just goes on to paint the portrait of a world where the pursuit of excellence is overshadowed by cynicism and apathy towards the Indigenous people of Australia.

Not too different from how I feeling handing in an essay for feedback nowadays 😭

Even the title of the poem adds onto this sullen thought. The use of the word "jaded", meaning bored, or lacking enthusiasm, typically after having too much of something, contrasts the positive connotations associated with the olympic games, and reflects the number frustration felt by Indigenous people to the synthetic image of unity that is projected to the eyes of the world in stark contrast to the harsh reality of discrimination and prejudice they still face in their own country. Yowch. The juxtaposition within the title of "jaded" and "olympic moments" hints at the dichotomy between the idealised image of the Olympics and the bitter reality of Modern Dreaming that is hidden behind Australia's label as a reconciled nation.

🎵 We're All in This Together - High School Musical Cast, Walt Disney

Australia is a team! Sorta...?

Sitting together on Jen's couch they watch as the "ochre-kissed women came out and did their thing in the centre of the stadium", Watson's use of vivid visual imagery creating a sense of pride and patriotism in seeing their skin colour represented. In describing the earth-tones of Indigenous skin as "ochre-kissed" Watson incorporates a representation of past traditions in the present as a way for readers, especially First Nations readers, to relate and see themselves and their culture reflected in the text.

This scene is a heart-warming display of Modern Dreaming idealism - Indigenous peoples walking, working and growing alongside non-Indigenous Australia for a common cause, and the significance of this development is emphasised by the "tears in ur eyes thinking, that's our mob!", utilising discourse familiar to Indigenous ways of speaking and thinking about family (we love our mob 🥰) in order o reflect the sense of pride and belonging felt within the Indigenous community, affirming the speaker's connection to their cultural heritage and ancestral roots. In these moments, Watson reminds us of the power of poetry to transcend the limitations of language and connect us to our shared humanity.

It asserts the belonging identity within a broader Indigenous collective, emphasising the shared experiences, values and struggles that unit them. Watson engages in discourse surrounding Indigenous identity and solidarity, challenging mainstream narratives that tend to overlook or marginalise Indigenous perspectives - foreground the strength and resilience of Indigenous communities, even in contemporary times, in countering stereotypes and misconceptions through a celebration of culture and bonding.

High School Musical could never.

Walt Disney would be proud.

For a bit...

Good old Sammy has to go on and give us a slap back into reality because, "-no, only a romantic would think that", implying that it is naive, wishful thinking to feel as though Indigenous Australia is really included in Australia's grand, united image - highlighting the real need for meaningful reconciliation and inclusion in the Modern Dreaming.

🎵 I Can't Take My Eyes Off of You - Sharpay, Gabriella, Troy and Ryan

My favourite line in the entire poem comes to this:

"it's still very much an US and THEM kind of deal in this modern dreaming"

CRACK.

Did you hear that?

That was my heart breaking lol. There's a lot to unpack.

Who is "US"???

Who is "THEM"???

They (the Indigenous people) are "US" and we (non-Indigenous people) are "THEM".

Watson uses such exclusive language in order to highlight the divide that is so deeply-entrenched in Australia - the experience of 'otherness' (is that a word?) that the First Nations people experience in their own country through rampant marginalisation and exclusion, under the guise of unity.

There's a big fat sign saying "LOOK THE OTHER WAY" whenever Indigenous people speak up when and Australia doesn't want to listen.

And Watson admits this truth of Australia's current mentality - one which isolates and denies the existence of Indigenous Australians unless there is something to gain - an unsettling parallel to Australia's colonial days.

Not Australia's best look.

In Indigenous culture, dreaming narratives are foundational to Indigenous identity and worldview, providing a framework for understanding the interconnectedness and relationship between the past, present, and future. Big stuff.

Watson's use of the term "modern dreaming" goes big too = bridging the gap between traditional indigenous perspectives and contemporary experiences, suggesting a continuation of the dreaming tradition. Watson fosters a sense of connection and solidarity among Indigenous readers and invites them to see themselves reflected in the poem's themes of identity, alienation and resilience.

And in being denied a part in their own Modern Dreaming, well, you can guess what happens...

🎵 I Want it All - Ashley, High School Musical Cast, Walt Disney

Haven't you taken enough colonial Australia 

(cough cough stolen generation cough)

As if the forceful colonisation and assimilation of Australia in the 19th and 20th century wasn't bad enough, even today, contemporary Australia continues to be the selfish bastard as always, but Watson subtly calls out and critiques the commodification of athleticism and the exploitation of athletes for commercial gain.

The shade is crazy, Watson (deserved).

We rarely see Indigenous athletes nearly as glorified as their non-Indigenous counterparts once the games are over, ang through stark imagery and biting commentary, Watson exposes the dark underbelly of the Olympic Games, were monetary interests overtake priority over the benefit of the athletes themselves. Really makes you question the values and priorities of a society that places profit above all else, huh? 😒

In the concluding lines of the poem we found out that the coppers caught the burglars! A relief right.

Three smack-head white boys - 18, 19 and 20.

Checks out 🙄

"because if blackfellas had broken into the house, they would've taken Dad's 10ft Landrights flag"

The white boys didn't see the value in the Landrights flag, they only took things with monetary value - the piggy bank, the literary award... its clicking isn't it?

But, you know what's even sadder?

This is real shit.

This is what Australia has come to.

What has taken place in this one house is representative of how all of Australia views Indigenous people and Indigenous culture - as something to make money off.

Because although the rest of us are stuck up our own bums, too ignorant to care, to the First Nations people, the Landrights flag is worth just as much as an Olympic Gold.

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At the end of the day, maybe it didn't come to Watson as a shocking revelation, in the form of a dove, coming out from parting clouds, on a random humid Tuesday.

Maybe he already knew.

The Modern Dreaming is one that didn't include them.

Still.

I'd be jaded too.

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ANYWAYS, MAKE SURE TO SMASH THAT LIKE BUTTON AND HIT SUBSCRIBE, CAN'T WAIT TO SEE YOU NEXT WEEK BYEEEEEEEEEEEEEE