Aborigines Offended
Source: Agencies |
January 22, 2010, Friday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
AUSTRALIAN Aboriginal elders accused Russian world figure skating champions Oksana Domnina and Maxim Shabalin on Thursday of stealing an Aboriginal dance idea and causing serious cultural offense.
The Russian pair, favorites to win gold at next month's Vancouver Winter Olympic Games, unveiled an Aboriginal-themed dance at a performance in St Petersburg three weeks ago.
The performance included ceremonial dance steps and dark bodysuits adorned with indigenous painted swirls in white, red loin cloths and eucalyptus-style leaves in bunches.
"It's very offensive. We see it as stealing Aboriginal culture, and it is yet another example of the Aboriginal people of Australia being exploited," Sol Bellear of the New South Wales state Aboriginal Land Council said.
"It's been absolutely stolen without our permission and without consultation of the relevant dance groups within Aboriginal Australia."
Domnina, 25, and Shabalin, 27, were world champions in 2009 and European champions in 2008. They recently told the ice skating Website Golden Skate that they created the new dance routine as something different after watching Aboriginal dance routines over the Internet.
"We did not want to create another Slavic dance and have considered a lot of options," Domnina said. "Eventually we settled on this one."
The Russian pair, favorites to win gold at next month's Vancouver Winter Olympic Games, unveiled an Aboriginal-themed dance at a performance in St Petersburg three weeks ago.
The performance included ceremonial dance steps and dark bodysuits adorned with indigenous painted swirls in white, red loin cloths and eucalyptus-style leaves in bunches.
"It's very offensive. We see it as stealing Aboriginal culture, and it is yet another example of the Aboriginal people of Australia being exploited," Sol Bellear of the New South Wales state Aboriginal Land Council said.
"It's been absolutely stolen without our permission and without consultation of the relevant dance groups within Aboriginal Australia."
Domnina, 25, and Shabalin, 27, were world champions in 2009 and European champions in 2008. They recently told the ice skating Website Golden Skate that they created the new dance routine as something different after watching Aboriginal dance routines over the Internet.
"We did not want to create another Slavic dance and have considered a lot of options," Domnina said. "Eventually we settled on this one."
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