The Elephant In The QVMAG: ESSAY: Seeing Truganini

FORWORD

Gunna, Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda are the cries that have been heard around the QVMAG, and serially, whenever the subject of, or subjects related to, Tasmanian Aboriginality and programming come up.

In the 21^st Century and long after so many ghost have been laid to rest, so many myths have been busted and so many furphys discredited it, seems that within at least the QVMAG it still not possible to handle the issue with maturity and sensitivity.

On the occasion of the institution’s 125^th birthday one might have thought that the time might have arrived for The First Tasmanians to be invited to the party and included in the conversations. But it seems not!

There should be no need to recount the dark histories of genocide, dispossession and exclusion over and over but it seems unless one does the conversation typically gets side tracked into some conversational cul-de-sac that causes tempers to fray.

It need not be like that. It should not be like that and public musingplaces should be places where such positive inclusive conversations might be accommodated and encouraged. One wonders!

There are so many positive stories to be heard, so many mysteries to be solved, so much to discover and celebrate. Just what's getting in the way?

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ESSAY: Seeing Truganini

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