This “blog” is with all due respect to the indigenous
custodians of this land and their spirits.
When someone close to us passes away, prematurely or after a
long illness, and we have the time to reflect on their contribution to our own
life do we consider that the ‘mind’, ’spirit’ and ‘body’ are one and the same
as the aborigines do. “To a blackfellow, a
man’s name, spirit, and shadow are ‘him’. (The Dreaming.1953. P.25)
Earth has a commonality in faiths, whether we are fashioned
by a single entity or we created ourselves
as the Aborigines believed, we know that after living comes ashes or dust but
does it end when we do or does the spirit survive. “The earth gave life to a man; gave him his food, language and
intelligence; and the earth took him back when he died.” (Chatwin.1987)
In a time before social networks the western world would
gather at a grave site or wake and lament the passing of a loved one followed by
a period of quiet reflection but now it seems appropriate to continue the
memorial by posting on their Facebook wall (Elaine Kasket. Facebook Follies)
extending the biography of our lives beyond the final chapter.
In September 2011 the introduction of Timeline to Facebook
and the revamped profile as Zuckerberg proclaims, “is the story of your life” and
Samuel Lessin notes that you, your family and friends are able to tell the
different parts of your story, (McNeill.2012. P.107) but I would like my story
to end when I do as I would hate for the algorithms to continue suggesting ‘new
friends’ after I’m gone or that my ‘settings be changed’ to allow for others to
“connect with me” however spiritually enlightened or profound that sounds.
Stanner.W.E.H. 1979. White
Man got no Dreaming. Canberra. Australia National University Press.
Chatwin.B.1987. The
Songlines. London. Jonathan Cape Ltd
Elaine Kasket. Facebook Follies. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSZ81m6MEgQ
McNeill.L. Biography 35.1 (Winter 2012). Social Networking
Sites and Posthuman Auto/Biography.
I really like how you have highlighted the differences between Indigenous and European outlooks on spirituality with reference to seemingly obscure "Facebook follies". It stirs thoughts about division of sacred and profane space as a western construct (Luyn, 2013). This contrasts and extends the depiction of sacred holistic Indigenous thought you mentioned in your reference to Aboriginal peoples connection of 'body' 'mind' and 'spirit'. I would add that the divining of intentions and created reality through dreaming furthers this idea of interconnected 'body' 'mind' and 'spirit' (Stanner, 1979, pp. 25-27).
ReplyDeleteReferences
Luyn, VA. (2013a). BA1002: Our Space; Networks Narratives and the making of space, week 4 notes. [mp4]. Retrieved from http://learnjcu.edu.au
Stanner, W> E. H (1979). The dreaming (1953), in White man got no dreaming: Essays 1938- 1973 (pp. 23- 30). Canberra, Australia: Australian National University Press.