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"Australia is importing large quantities of cheap copied Aboriginal arts and crafts from countries like Indonesia, India and China to sell to tourists (often as genuine Aboriginal art). Do you agree or disagree with this practice?"

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Name and Country

Do you agree or disagree with this practice?

Please provide your reasons for agreeing or disagreeing with imports of Aboriginal arts and crafts into Australia

Alexander from Australia I disagree with imports I personally was not aware that this was true though I'm not surprised. If this is the case it would clearly be taking a substantial amount of business away from Aboriginal Australians which should be rightfully in their control. Aboriginal Australians should be the only purveyors of their own arts and culture. Though I would not support banning such imports I do think an effort should be made to identify them to buyers who hopefully will make the right choice.
Philip Downer from USA I strongly disagree with imports Because although the crafts might be good copies of the aboriginal art they don't have the soul of the real thing
Abad Enriquez from Mexico I don't care People should buy original and those who want to buy cheap stuff can do it too...
Anonymous I strongly disagree with imports The arts and crafts are not authentic. It is wrong to claim that cheap rip offs of art work modeled after a culture as real and authentic just to make money.
Derek from USA I strongly disagree with imports They are not genuine aboriginal arts and crafts and should not be sold as such!!
Anonymous from Canada I strongly disagree with imports The money should go directly to the aboriginal people and who wants to buy copies from other copies. This means the products are not real but copies or fakes.
Giacomo from Italy I strongly disagree with imports The traditional didgeridoo is one of the few forms of subsistence of the australian aboriginal
Koleen from France I strongly disagree with imports ...capitalism is the ruin of the planet!!! fake and ersatz we don't want them...
Anonymous I strongly disagree with imports I find that everywhere I look more and more people are diluting cultures. The sale of artificial culture for personal gain or any other reason is robbing you me and our ancestors of our heritage and birth right.
Brandon Barnard from USA I strongly disagree with imports I believe in buying locally to support the local economy. Particularly where art and craft is being practiced in a Traditional fashion. I am an artist/musician as well and have a deep appreciation for anything that is authentic and hand made. Peace
Adrrian Levisman from USA I strongly disagree with imports Because Didjes are very sacred instruments
Dan from Canada I strongly disagree with imports It doesn't support the Aboriginal people
Nathan from USA I strongly disagree with imports Aboriginal people deserve to produce and sell their own art.
Anonymous from Mexico I strongly agree with imports I agree with imports because the beautiful art that in mexico and other countries are not known. Aboriginal arts&crafts are rare and should be provided and know by many people
Andrew Fister from USA I strongly disagree with imports This import practice degrades the authenticity of a very important indigenous culture. It also hinders the livelihood of many aboriginal artists and craftspeople.
Lawrence from Ireland I strongly disagree with imports Its unjust to ruin an ancient culture with cheap rip-offs.
James from USA I strongly agree with imports Not the real thing
Krishna from USA I strongly disagree with imports Fraudulently selling cheap knock-offs is disgraceful and morally wrong in my opinion. It takes money from the makers and the buyers while peddling second rate mass produced junk.
Susan from USA I strongly disagree with imports It undermines the cultural and traditional continuum of aboriginal history basically polluting it with copies from a totally different culture. In addition it cheats the consumer of these items from obtaining a genuine (not copied for profit) article.
Anonymous from USA I disagree with imports How can you say its original if it'd not
Anonymous from USA I strongly agree with imports TRADE IS GOOD ROR ALL COUNTRIES
Wayne Freeman from USA I strongly disagree with imports We all need to support the Aboriginal heritage and assure that it is alive and well for many generations to come.
Juliet from USA I strongly disagree with imports The aboriginal people invented didgeridoos and need the chance for an income by making them for sale.
Michael from USA I strongly disagree with imports Cheap copied aboriginal arts shouldn't be imported and sold to tourists because it is dishonest also I believe it is disrespectful to the Aboriginal people
Anonymous from Australia I strongly disagree with imports Imports degrade the quality and authenticity of aboriginal arts. By sourcing from Aboriginals it supports their community as well as ensuring that this dying culture is passed on and kept alive.
Kyle Cochran from USA I don't care They have to make a living somehow
Marc Om from Spain I strongly disagree with imports It leaves the aboriginal people without an important incoming of money that I believe it is important for them for surviving in a modern world.
Anonymous from USA I strongly disagree with imports With out even mentioning any economical impact it is a gross cheapening of a culture.
Randy Schuster from Canada I strongly disagree with imports I think that they should only sell what mother nature gave them to share with the world and not allow other places to profit off their wonderful culture and art
Andrew from Canada I disagree with imports If they are not genuine but are being sold as genuine it's just not right. However is someone purchased a didj they new was imported and it gave them a chance to own one due to a lower cost at least they have the opportunity to own one. I have one from indonesia that cost me $20 canadian. I played a genuine eucalyptus didj once in a shop here and can see that it is worth the money though as the sound quality and ease of playing was outstanding for $160 can.
Jennifer from USA I disagree with imports I feel that by importing "traditional" Aboriginal arts and selling them to tourists is like painting a Mona Lisa then selling it as the real thing. I feel that there's a sense of pride and respect when a clan makes their crafts themselves versus having people from other countries export them.
Jeremy from USA I strongly disagree with imports Authenticity respect
Alek Taylor from Canada I disagree with imports Its important to support the real aboriginals of Australia!
Anonymous I disagree with imports It's deceptive and not genuine!
Anonymous from USA I disagree with imports Dilutes the creativity of the Aboriginal People and is a deceptive practice.
Anonymous I disagree with imports I believe culture produced should be from the original country of designation..
Matt from USA I disagree with imports I feel that Aboriginal artwork and the people themselves deserve more respect than to get copied and sold out and to other countries besides Australia. If someone wants to experience Aborigines they should take the time to travel to Australia and buy the real thing.
Victor from USA I disagree with imports It is an art form created by the aboriginal people. So it is like selling fake works of art by master painters or writers.
Matthew from USA I strongly disagree with imports The crafts are the traditional products of the culture; a new set of outsiders coming in and stealing the heritage of the Aboriginal people. Especially if they are presenting their imitations as genuine!
Anonymous I strongly disagree with imports Myself n my kids r all black fellas trying to keep it real
Chris Leslie from USA I strongly disagree with imports It's not genuine!
George from USA I strongly agree with imports It seems to be a way of deceiving buyers.
Ross from USA I disagree with imports Aborigines should profit from the sales. If cheap imitations are made might as well make them in Australia. However the quality arts & crafts should be genuine & made by Aborigines.
Nate from USA I strongly disagree with imports This art is a creation of the Aboriginal People. The major problem is not the importing but the fact that as a consuming people we have such low standards and such high consumption/disposal rates we are sacrificing quality culture and history for cheap satisfaction. If this were not the case there would be no market for the imports. From a business standpoint selling the imports as 'Aboriginal Art' should be considered criminal not just unethical. That constitutes misrepresentation and theft.
Anonymous from USA I strongly disagree with imports They aren't aboriginal crafts. They are sweat shop laborers from Indonesia copying them.
Nevin Fisher from USA I strongly disagree with imports The false representation of any item weather for sale or trade is not only deceiving and dishonest but in many countries illegal. This is especially true in cases of misrepresenting artworks and artifacts. Also the exploitation of foreign workforces not only leads to lower quality products but also damages the economy and reputation of the nation importing the forged goods (current state of the USA is a good example of this.) Further more the practice of this is simply a bad business practice. The best way of ending deceit such as this is exposing these peddlers for what they are simply crooks.
Robert Whitten from USA I strongly disagree with imports If it ain' t Aussie it ain't Aussie!
Anonymous I strongly disagree with imports In my belief it is done by aboriginal people to tell a story. you can't do that with mass produced products and it doesn't mean anything. it also takes away from the earning capacity of our local aborigines who need the income to live in modern society.
Anonymous from USA I don't care If it doesn't hurt aboriginal nations or australia it shouldn't matter.
Beverley from USA I strongly disagree with imports On this particular item I disagree with imports. Students should see and use the authentic items. Your prices made the instruments attainable. The instruments shown online are beautiful.
Steve Barrett from United Kingdom I strongly disagree with imports I think that "genuine" aboriginal art should be done by the aboriginals themselves they have had enough troubles over the years now people are stealing their culture and selling them back.
Gary Lockwood from USA I strongly disagree with imports The local artist need to be supported. Otherwise how can the survive.
Anonymous I disagree with imports I disagree because: 1) buyers can be mislead 2) quality can be inferior 3) actual Aboriginal people are deprived of opportunities to sell their own products
James Miller from USA I disagree with imports Imports hurts the native cultures in revenue and lifestyle.
Anonymous I strongly disagree with imports Local artists should be supported besides it is more authentic
Kristina from Finland I strongly disagree with imports We must honour the only and genuine arts of aboriginals.. everybody haves a right to their own reserving cultural heritage..everybody who wants cheap trash will get it from their own stores etc.
Matthew from USA I strongly disagree with imports I feel that in the case of cultural instruments or goods that they should remain as such or people will lose sight of the entire culture from which they came. You can't truly appreciate a culture without supporting or at the very least understanding it.
Kenneth Brown from USA I strongly disagree with imports My main reason for disagreeing with this practice is the fact that didgeridoos made in other countries are being sold as authentic. This is unfair to the real australian didgeridoo makers and to tourists trying to buy an authentic Australian didge.
Liam Poucher from Canada I strongly disagree with imports By importing mass quantities of cheap imitation didjes from other countries money is being taken from the aboriginal people who are making true and valuable instruments. It's not just the money though as the didgeridoo is becoming more mass produced every day the cultural and historical heritage of the didj is being forgotten. The day that the world sees WalMart selling a didj is the day the music dies.
Kevin from USA I strongly disagree with imports Importing goods from other countries is not always a bad thing but if the imported goods are cheaply made and claim to be genuine it will not only take revenue away from the true aboriginals but may also misrepresent their culture.
Anonymous I don't care I think imports are a way to exploit a culture as well as make money. I think there are both good and bad qualities to imports.
Thomas Buchanan from USA I strongly disagree with imports Its unique to them and they invented it its part of there culture any other countries selling copies is stealing
Cody from Canada I strongly disagree with imports When I finally get enough money to buy an original Australian instrument - I absolutely only want something that has been made by Australian crafts people. This practice should be totally banned by the government in order to insure the continuation of the art culture there.
Xanthe from Australia I strongly disagree with imports Aboriginal arts and crafts is an important part of the aboriginal culture. By allowing cheap imports Australia as a nation is cheapening the importance of that culture and devaluing the important historical role of the Aboriginal people.
Jessica from USA I disagree with imports I think that it's wrong to sell something we don't necessarily have property of (or ownership). This is their culture we are selling as if it's nothing but a product. I mean they have interesting things but I think there's nothing like an original.
Anonymous I strongly disagree with imports It is important to preserve native art forms for future generations.
Michael Murphy from USA I strongly disagree with imports It's not part of the land and aboriginal culture. It's a matter of truth.
Roy Ross from USA I disagree with imports Because it's a lie it's not aboriginal unless aboriginal are making it. It would be like buying a American made Fender or Gibson guitar and found out it was made in Mexico or Canada.
Alex from USA I strongly agree with imports If it helps the economy in Australia or around the world then I don't have a problem with it.
Anonymous I disagree with imports If it states that it is aboriginal it should be authentic. It also takes away from the aboriginal people.
Anonymous I disagree with imports It's false advertising to claim it as genuine and the cheap crap takes away from real people making genuine art.

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GENERAL DIDGERIDOO ISSUES

DIDGERIDOO AUTHENTICITY

DIDJSHOP COMMENTS

TRADITIONAL DIDGERIDOO PLAYING

EFFECTS OF DIDGERIDOO PLAYING & LISTENING

ABORIGINAL ISSUES

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