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Yesterday, 07:45 PM
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Vikingsword Staff
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: The Aussie Bush
Posts: 4,654
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Overview of Materials on this Forum
THE WEAPONS OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLES OF AUSTRALASIA AND OCEANIA HOW THIS PROJECT IS CONSTRUCTED This page provides an overview for a systematic approach to describing the weapons made and used by indigenous peoples of Australasia and Oceania. The information will be presented as a series of “Museum Pages” that provide descriptions and pictures of the various weapons. Also, the geography of the country, a brief background of the indigenous people of the country, and a summary of colonial influences will be presented. The Museum Pages will be closed for discussion to preserve a focus on the items themselves. To discuss an item presented in a Museum Page, members should create a new thread that provides a link to the relevant item in the respective Museum Page. SENSITIVE ISSUES The term “Indigenous People(s)” (IP) is used to designate the groups who occupied these regions prior to thre arrival of Europeans. “Indigenous peoples” is preferred to the term “First Nations,” with the latter having overtones of political disputes around land ownership. Such controversy is out of place on this Forum. Colonialism The long period before European contact is described as “pre-contact,” a term that is used in the historical and anthropological literature, and obviously varies for each nation. Dating of indigenous artefacts is sometimes referred to as “post-contact,” “first contact,” or “pre-contact” as reference points. These terms are self-explanatory. A host of Western countries have been influential in the region at various times, including the Netherlands, Spain, Portugal, France, Britain, Germany, and the United States. The indigenous peoples of Australasia and Oceania have often had a troubled colonial past. This raises political sensitivities that persist today around a history of slavery, indentured servitude and exploitation, loss of land ownership, lack of political rights, historical acts of genocide, ongoing racism, etc. These are difficult contemporary issues. From the outset, this Forum will not become a sounding board for political views on contentious matters — attempts to pursue such topics will result in the removal of the offending material and bans imposed on members who attempt to publish such views here. The Forum does, however, recognize the adverse impact of colonialism in these regions, injustices that have resulted, and the lasting effects such trauma has had. From the viewpoint of weapons collection and identification, foreign involvement in these regions has contributed to the preservation of many indigenous weapons and other artefacts that might otherwise have been lost. Although an unintended consequence of colonialism, the collection and study of the material culture of these regions has been enhanced and preserved. Images of Dead People Some cultures in the region have great sensitivity to displaying and viewing images of people who have died. Pictures of people who have died may be present on the proposed museum pages. A warning statement will be placed on pages where such images may occur, consistent with similar warnings used by public media (such as television and films). MATERIALS TO BE DEVELOPED FOR EACH COUNTRY IN AUSTRALASIA AND OCEANIA The purpose of this project is to provide a resource for those who are interested in the indigenous weapons of Australasia and Oceania. The information is not intended to be an anthropological treatise on the material culture of these nations. However, some background information is provided in an attempt to place the weapons discussed in a cultural and historical context. An "artificial intelligence" program (ChatGPT) has been used in some places to facilitate narratives. The places where this has been used are identified. Country Name A. Background 1. GeographyB. Weapons, Shields, Armor 1. Projectilesa. Spears 2. Clubs a. Throwing 3. Hafted weaponsa. Axes 4. Shields and armor 5. Other items adapted for fightingC. References and Online Resources Additional features may be added to this outline. Suggestions for changes/additions should be directed to a Moderator. —————————— The various levels of discussion will appear as shown below. 0. AUSTRALASIA AND OCEANIA 1. AUSTRALASIA 2. AUSTRALASIA>AUSTRALIA & TERRITORIES3. AUSTRALASIA>AUSTRALIA & TERRITORIES>WEAPONS>PROJECTILES>SPEARS 1. OCEANIA SIMILAR TO ABOVE FOR VARIOUS COUNTRIES IN OCEANIA Last edited by Ian; Yesterday at 08:20 PM. |
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