The 7 Stages of Grieving

by

Wesley Enoch and Deborah Mailman

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples/First Nations Peoples Term Analysis

These are the preferred terms for referring to Australia’s indigenous people. The text of the play refers to “Aboriginal culture” and names its main character as “an Aboriginal Woman,” but the term Aboriginal excludes Torres Straits Islander people, which is a distinct group, and vice versa. “First Nations Peoples” is a term that has gained popularity in recent years to signal that both groups are the sovereign, original inhabitants of the land now known as Australia. Because the terms Aboriginal, indigenous Australian, and Torres Strait Islander do not account for an individual’s specific heritage, many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander use local terms to describe their particular region.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples/First Nations Peoples Quotes in The 7 Stages of Grieving

The The 7 Stages of Grieving quotes below are all either spoken by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples/First Nations Peoples or refer to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples/First Nations Peoples. For each quote, you can also see the other terms and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Colonialism and Oppression Theme Icon
).
Scene 14: March Quotes

‘Defiant Aboriginal March’
‘Aboriginal March, Traffic Stopper’

No one said that about the fucken Santa Parade the week before!

Related Characters: The Woman (speaker)
Page Number: 290
Explanation and Analysis:
Get the entire The 7 Stages of Grieving LitChart as a printable PDF.
The 7 Stages of Grieving PDF

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples/First Nations Peoples Term Timeline in The 7 Stages of Grieving

The timeline below shows where the term Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples/First Nations Peoples appears in The 7 Stages of Grieving. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Scene 1: Prologue
Colonialism and Oppression Theme Icon
Aboriginal Identity, Pride, and Resilience Theme Icon
...warns that the material to follow depicts the names and visual representations of recently dead Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. The message promises that proper respect will be shown to... (full context)
Scene 4: Nana’s Story
Memory and Family Trauma Theme Icon
Feeling vs. Numbness  Theme Icon
Aboriginal Identity, Pride, and Resilience Theme Icon
...family would “paint up and dance,” or don traditional clothing and body paint and perform Aboriginal songs and dances. The girls of the family would sometimes participate and put on their... (full context)
Scene 13: Mugshot
Colonialism and Oppression Theme Icon
Feeling vs. Numbness  Theme Icon
...an incident which takes place on November 7th, 1993, when a group of nine young Aboriginal men go out together in Southbank, a populous area of Brisbane. One of the men,... (full context)
Colonialism and Oppression Theme Icon
Feeling vs. Numbness  Theme Icon
As the group of Aboriginal men enter the park, the officers follow them. At this point in the story, the... (full context)
Scene 14: March
Colonialism and Oppression Theme Icon
Memory and Family Trauma Theme Icon
Feeling vs. Numbness  Theme Icon
Aboriginal Identity, Pride, and Resilience Theme Icon
...Woman describes the news reports about the march. The news called the gathering a “Defiant Aboriginal March” and a “Traffic Stopper.” No one, she says, reported such things about a “Santa... (full context)
Scene 18: Gallery of Sorrow
Colonialism and Oppression Theme Icon
Memory and Family Trauma Theme Icon
Feeling vs. Numbness  Theme Icon
Aboriginal Identity, Pride, and Resilience Theme Icon
...is projected on the projection spaces across the stage. The images depict the phases of Aboriginal History: Dreaming, Invasion, Genocide, Protection, Assimilation, Self-determination, and, finally, Reconciliation. (full context)