Can I use indigenous symbols if I’m white?
Hey everyone I have some questions I wanna ask to Indigenous peoples that aren’t my family.
I am fostered/ adopted by an aboriginal family, I’ve been with them for almost 10 years now, so I’ve been involved with the community for ages. I’m seen as family and they don’t think of me any differently for having a different race/ skin colour. I dont know if it makes a difference with my question, but I am Irish, pale as they come.
I love art, I’ve been panting and doing all kinds of crafts for my whole entire life. I do a craft class within the community, nothing intense, just simple relaxing things we do while we yap.
My foster mum and her friends in the community have been asking me to paint a mural with their mobs art signs/ symbols for awhile now. I always point out that, as a whitey I don’t think it’s ok for me to do that, and maybe they should outsource an indigenous artist. But they don’t exactly have a budget, everything is voluntary based.
Thankfully they stoped asking me. (They could probably tell I was awkward about it) but it’s come up again, this time for a different project but still the same concept.
I would totally ask the people in my community on what’s their thoughts on me using their symbols for an artwork, but as I’ve said they don’t see me as different so their opinion is clouded with the fact they know me and see me as family.
So I wasn’t to ask those who don’t know me. Can I use indigenous symbols if I’m white?