Some people only have love for Aboriginal culture and people in the most shallow way. And there are degrees to this superficiality, too. 

Like, they get all warm and fuzzy with us when it comes to nature and being one with the Land because they have this view of our coexistence with the Land as being primitive and unsophisticated etc. and they can feel good about their ideal of  the Noble Savage. Yet, when we assert our sovereignty, we’re seen as troublemakers who don’t have a connection with Country anymore. Troublemakers who are asked to prove our connection. Troublemakers who want to take their family farm.

When it comes to the political side of being Aboriginal, that love some people have falls to the wayside. Like with our art, it’s all nice and pretty and abstract; it makes nice gifts; it looks good on merchandise. But when we add a political lens to it, we’re being too political (because art isn’t political, yeah?). It isn’t marketable. It’s not what audiences want to see. It’s not ‘sanitised’ to be palatable to those who love our art, but only superficially.

Some people love us until we open our mouths and speak about the ways we want to dismantle oppressive systems. When we point out that the colonial state has ravaged the Land, and how those who are non-Aboriginal actually benefit from colonialism. When we say these things, suddenly that love that some people have for us dwindles.

Some people love Aboriginal culture and people when they get to feel comfortable and nice about us; when they get to give themselves a pat on the back for ‘loving’ and ‘supporting’ us because it is so radical, right? 

Well, truth be told, I am not interested in making some people feel comfortable and I damn sure don’t need their love.