From the friendly caves of Pixie Hollow.

Today's email is about Sorry Business.

Sorry Business is the term for grief and mourning among Aboriginal Australians.

If you're not an Australian, you might not realise that naming a deceased indigenous person is verboten.

Traditional law across Australia says that you can't say the dead person's name because it recalls and disturbs their spirit. 

Thus it is that today I'm not going to name the significant actor and dancer who transformed Australian film. He died on 29 November. If you're in Australia, you know who I'm talking about. If you're not in Australia, you've got enough information to find out with a quick search.

You'll find it because the vast majority of people don't know about Sorry Business and many others simply disregard it as irrelevant.

While you might know this kingfisher from Storm Boy, you might not know that he was in both the original Storm Boy and the remake.

Weirdly, I haven't seen Storm Boy.

But I have had the story read to me.

When I was in grade six, Mrs Berry read novels to us. It might seem odd, as seniors in primary school, to have stories read to us. But it was such a beautiful way to have a restful break during the day. She would read stories to us, and we could just rest our heads on our desks and listen.

Mrs Berry, though, could never read stories in their fullness.

She cried.

She couldn't read aloud when she cried.

And almost every story she chose to read to us was an emotional one, so she cried a lot.

While it was a source of hilarity for many in the class, it was a display of vulnerability that we saw so rarely in adults.

When Mrs Berry was reading Storm Boy, she valiantly soldiered on through the sad parts until she couldn't see the page. Then she'd hand the book to the nearest boy and ask him to continue reading for her. 

I don't know if that was an intentional thing, that she handed the book to the nearest boy? Maybe she was just handing it off. But it always happened during very emotional parts of books. The boys would puff themselves up, proud to be asked to come to the rescue of this diminutive woman, and would read calmly, loudly, and respectfully. Even the boys who were rubbish at reading aloud really got it together to help her out.

On reflection, it was a beautiful thing for her to have done. Such a simple act achieved so much.

Cultural appropriateness was never a thing in the '80s (yeah, I've been on the Earth in this body a while).

And much of what is now taken as cultural appropriateness - meaning, a rage against cultural appropriation - is often both ridiculous and misapplied.

It's important in your content, however, to be respectful according to the laws of Country.

Especially in central Australia (where I am).

If you're in Melbin, the chances of you ever randomly walking past an indigenous person from way up country is as likely as seeing a cow walking down Burke Street Mall.

But here? In Adelaide? 

Daily, mate.

Daily.

I've had some wonderful conversations on buses with people heading to Flinders Hospital when other wealthy white travellers have sat as far forward in the bus as possible away from these folk. Those whitefellas are the first woke idiots to lisp about indigenouth righths but they'll never take the time to hear a story. They sit forwards, ignore their brothers and sisters and jump off as soon as they can.

Otherness is too frightening, apparently.

ANYWAY.

If you're going to be culturally appropriate in Australia, you won't mention the name of the deceased. Or publish a photograph. Or you'll at least allow those who are indigenous folk to be warned, so they can make a decision about their actions.

That's all cultural appropriateness is.

It's being respectful.

It's allowing decisions to be made by those human critters who are affected by Sorry Business.

Yet if you haven't even thought about it?

Lift your game, mate.

xx Leticia 'learn the Sorry Business' Mooney

PS. I've got 2 mentoring (or coaching, if you prefer) places available right now. And I'm in discussion with two people about that. If you want one, sign up ASAP so you don't miss out. Reply to book yourself in.