Introduction
For this blog I have to imagine that I have
been hired to design a logo and promotional materials for an Aboriginal
community based football team. The following is a description of how I would go
about the design to insure that it stays within the guidelines and protocols of
the aboriginal communities.
Functions and Responsibilities
Protocols
When dealing with Indigenous cultural material
there are certain protocols that must be met. This includes the way in which
you interact with the community whilst respecting their knowledge, expressions
and preservation of their culture.
It is important to remember the diversity
and complexity of the various aboriginal cultures and that they can vary from
once community to the next.
Principles
The protocols of the indigenous community
are shaped around the nine principles and are listed below.
1.
Respect
Refers to the rights of
Aboriginal people to over see their heritage in all areas such as images,
designs, art, etc.
Some of the protocols that are associated
with the principle Respect are…
Acknowledgement of country
The indigenous Australians
and Aboriginal Torres Strait Islanders are the original owners of the land in
Australia. It is because of this they have a very strong bond with the country and
the land their ancestors lived on.
It is a common protocol
for the organising of an exhibition, installation, etc. That the original land
owners of that part of country are invited to attend and have a representative
present a ‘welcome to country’ address.
2.
Indigenous control
Refers to the right indigenous
people have in the control of cultural affairs and the presentation of cultural
material.
3.
Communication, consultation and
consent
It is important to
continuously communicate and consult the Indigenous people in regard to visual
projects. It is also important that all necessary consent has been given if
traditional works are to be used.
4.
Interpretation, integrity and
authenticity
Refers to how the Indigenous
artist and the communities have control of how their heritage is to be
displayed in a manner that doesn’t undermined their integrity.
5.
Secrecy and confidentiality
Some of the material within
Indigenous culture is not suitable for release to the general public in any
format given they are matters that should remain confidential. It is
recommended anyone who is putting something together to be displaying to the
public should discuss the restrictions with the ingenious community.
6.
Attribution and copyright
Refers to the relevant
indigenous groups being attributed for the usage of the heritage and culture in
any format e.g. Paintings, etc. It also refers to indigenous people being
recognised for the work along with anyone who has contributed to it.
Protocol for this principle is to abide by
the current copyright laws where it is very specific in the acknowledging of
the creators and what rights they are entitled to. The copyright laws cover a
wide range of scenarios such as licensing, the use within certain institutions
such as libraries and conditions for the reproductions of works.
Another set of laws that applies to these
work and is covered in the copyright act is the moral rights laws. These are a
set of laws allows for more fairer to be made whilst giving the creator more
right over the content.
7.
Proper returns and royalties
Refers to the rights in
which the indigenous people have a right to receive royalties and combination
for the use of their cultural heritage. This usually comes in the form of money
but other items can be arranged as an alternative method of payment.
8.
Continuing cultures
Refers to the continual
process of consulting the various communities in order to maintain an ongoing
working relationship that allow for easier communicating with any other jobs
present or future.
9.
Recognition and protection.
Refers to the ownership of
the copyright to the artwork by the artist and the various conditions it has
set upon it.
Moral Rights and Issues
This is a subject that should not be taken
lightly as there are a vast amount of restrictions placed ton the reproduction
of indigenous heritage and their culture.
The use of motifs such as earthy coloured
dots characters such as the rainbow serpent are all protected under copyright
and the moral laws listed above. If such motifs were to be used with a design
that I was undertaking this is something that I would have to seek approval
from the custodians of the community and work close with the various groups in
order to be able to produce works that maintain their culture and heritage in a
way that was not detrimental or offensive to the indigenous community.
I would also have to attribute any artist
that helped me on this project and or works that were used. At not stage could
I claim ownership of the artwork unless some arrangement had been made that was
deemed to be fair by both parties.
It would also be essential to maintain a
good line of communication between the various groups throughout the project so
that any issues or concerns can be raised and fixed in the timely and
appropriate fashion. The on going communication between the parties also aid in
the creation of a positive working relationship that could be carried on to
other jobs later on should they arise.
Personal Note
I would like to add that regardless of the
client would always do these things and abide by any cultural rules or laws
that they may have. I see these issues as something this should be treated with
a great deal of respect.
As for the condition of copyright I find it
very good practice to constantly refresh my knowledge, as there are always new
things to learn. When comes to these laws most if not all come naturally to me
as this is something that I deem to be fair and the correct course of action in
any job.
It is the process that I would expect have
done to me should someone want to use my work for one of their projects.
I see these laws as something that should
be well respected as it can lead to serious implications if they are not
followed.
Bibliography
Web
Protocols for producing Indigenous
Australian visual arts (PDF)
Australian Council for the Arts
372 Elizabeth Street, Surry Hills NSW 2012
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