Australia @ MindSay

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I came across an article in the Herald Sun football section yesterday:

"Shane proud of his blood"
Shane Edwards is proud of his indigenous heritage, but the catch is his club Richmond did not know about his lineage.

Only recently the Tigers became aware that Edwards' great-grandmother was Aboriginal.

"I've always known, I didn't know the football club didn't know," Edwards said.

"It's on my Mum's side, her grandmother was from the Northern Territory, in the Simpson Desert.

"It's a weird one. I didn't tell the club, but just thought they knew."

The fact was uncovered when Edwards' Adelaide primary school contacted the club.

The 19-year-old has played 21 games after being drafted at pick 26 in the 2006 national draft.

"All my mates back home know (about my background) and my old club, North Adelaide, knew," Edwards said.

"But (Richmond) didn't know and I played in the Dreamtime game [an annual fixture played between Essendon and Richmond that celebrates Indigenous footballers] last year.

"I don't really have the same upbringing as what (teammate) Richard (Tambling) has, nevertheless I've got some (Aboriginal heritage).

"I'm proud of my heritage and it makes this round [the AFL's 'indigenous round'] extra special."

There are 72 Aboriginal players on AFL lists and Edwards is included among them. He has a younger brother, Kym, 16, who is playing football in Adelaide.

Elsewhere, the Canberra Times yesterday referred to him in their match summary as a "zippy Aboriginal half-forward" - Shane Edwards is clearly, for all intents and purposes, now considered Aboriginal.

But what exactly does this mean? A photo of Edwards shows that he in no way looks Aboriginal, and the article certainly implies that Aboriginal culture or traditions played little role in his upbringing. His only connection with Australia's indigenous people is the fact that his great-grandmother (who he may well not have even ever met) was Aboriginal. Is this really enough for him to be labelled 'Aboriginal'?

Like Shane Edwards, I too share part of my ancestry with non-Anglo-Saxons. On my Dad's side, I am 1/8th Greek. Frankly, this is not something that has had any relevance to my life, and, like my Dad, I was not raised according to Greek cultural traditions in any way, shape or form. I have no knowledge of, or interest in, the Greek language, and if any Greek racial origin is evident in my physical features, it is minor enough to be insignificant.

So then, what importance is it exactly that my great-grandfather, who I never met, was Greek? That I share a 1/8 Greek ancestry with my 7/8 British ancestry?

When exactly is racial background or ancestry relevant to one's life?

I am going to make a somewhat audacious suggestion: never.

I am of the school of thought that race plays no part in one's personality, intelligence, or behaviour. The only people that I am aware of that openly disagree with this are white supremacists. I believe people are people - perhaps slightly different according to their genes, but mostly according to their life experience, environments, upbringing, etc.

True, there are people who believe race is important, and those people can make life hell for those who belong to other races - not so much in Australia in the 21st century, but certainly in America, in Zimbabwe, in Japan, and other such countries where race is still a major point of division. So in that regard, I can see how your race could influence who you are, by the actions and beliefs of others. But, in Edwards' case, I find it very difficult to believe anyone would have known he was Aboriginal if he hadn't told them (and the Richmond football club's 'oversight' seems to back this point up). I know I was unaware that one of my good friends at school, Ben, was 1/4 Aboriginal, until he mentioned it.

What really separates Aborigines from the white invaders, now and back in 1788, was not skin colour. It is, and was, as always, culture - and that was something that inherently belonged to Australia's Aboriginal people, their culture. That culture is not necessarily passed on to your descendants. Just as I am not Greek simply because my great grandfather was, Edwards is not Aboriginal. We are both Australian, and when it comes to races and cultures, that is the only thing that has any relation to who we are.

So, what is the point of all this? Why do I have a problem with Edwards simply noting part of his racial ancestry, and the fact that this qualifies him for a mention in a round designed for Indigenous people, and that the adjective 'Aboriginal' will now frequently precede his name?

My problem is, it perpetuates the lie that races are different. That we are not, indeed, all the same. That it matters whether your great grandmother was of a certain race. To me, it's not relevant whether this is racial discrimination, or 'positive' racism, or even a celebration of a race. It keeps race on the agenda, and ensures that society continues to view it as an important part of who we are... when it so utterly isn't.

Mike's base will be in Karratha, Australia, and one of the stats I read is that there is one pub for every 1000 people. Wow! Must not be much to do there. Mike says it is like a goldrush town, and they charge exorbitant rates for food and whatever else you need. I'm sure I'll have some interesting anecdotes to share as the month progresses.

Here is a link for Karratha in case anyone wants to check it out. http://www.auinfo.com/Karratha-western-australia.html  There is actually a picture of an oil rig on the page, and you can see where my husband may be flying once he starts the hitch there. He will be flying an S-76 C++ model helicopter.