Madison Auten

Professor Katsanos
That Deadman Dance
1 May, 2016

That Deadman Dance Essay Questions

The Noongar indigenous group is a group that is native to Australia and occupied
the land before European colonist settled on the land. The Noongar and colonist had very
different ways of living. For example, Noongars lived in peace with nature, were in touch
with spirits, and lived as hunter gathers. The settlers, however, did not live this way. They
lived a life of owning, power, trade, and lived the ways Europeans lived. One of the first
differences that I noticed between the Noongar and the British colonist was the Noongars
openness to the colonist culture. The Noongar people decided to befriend the deadman,
learn their language, and willingly allowed room for the Europeans culture to intertwine
with their own indigenous culture. The Europeans however took no time to learn the
Noongar language, culture, or ways of life. The way the two opposing groups of people
treat one another is different from almost the start. Another difference that is between the
Noongar and the colonist is the authoritative role the colonist start to adapt. The Noongar
would not have tried to be a greater form of power because that is not something the
Noongars were familiar with. For example, once with colonist started to spread and the
areas become more populated, the colonist set forth laws that become more stricter on the
Noongars. The colonist also just take the Noongars food, supplies, etc. because they
believe they are in greater power of the Noongars. Once this happens, the Noongars
believe it to be normal and okay to walk into shops owned by colonist and take what they
need. They soon are punished or imprisoned for this act. The colonist use terms such as
private property when defending themselves over what the Noongars do, put this term
is something they have never heard before. To the Noongars, owning land was not
something a human could do. People were apart of the earth, and used the land to live on,

not to own and take control over. This ownership of land was just another differentiating
way of life that was between the colonist and the Noongars. Within the colonist ways of
life, people were considered powerful by the amount of money, what gender they were,
and how much land they owned. European women did not own land, or have power, and
was only as good as her husband, basically. It was noticeable that this way of living,
being determined by class status, and possessions, was not a way of life among the
Noongars. The Noongars were pretty much all somewhat equal in wealth and social
status, and the women were respected better than the women who belonged to the
colonist. This shows that a major difference between the Noongars and colonist that the
Noongars do not know material possession, greed, and desire for wealth like the colonist
do. All of the differences that are among the colonist and aboriginal Noongar people
result in the inability to coexist peacefully. The colonist eventually take Noongar women,
create strict laws for the Noongar, kill Noongar men, and take over their ways of life.
This novel is a good representation of what globalization is. The European settlers are
expanding into different parts of the earth, spreading their race as well as their ways of
life; religion, laws, trade system, technologies, and so many other ways of life- this
process of expansion is considered globalization. It also causes indigenous peoples to
adapt the settlers new ideas, ways, and tools; causing the native ways of life to change
into the western way.
The colonist and the Noongars view landscapes differently. Noongars cultivate the
land for specific needs of life. Noongars see the landscapes more in depth, and appreciate
the beauty and resources it provides as well as the balance everything on the earth has
with one another. The colonist see the foreign landscape as a place to expand their
settlements, and they abase the land of its resources. They dont appreciate the land like
the Noongars do and do not have the same perspective of the importance/balance the land
needs. They see certain landscapes solely as opportunity to expand their colonies and
build. They were not as in touch with nature, and ignorant of the ways of the land and the
resources offered. Since the colonist were not aware of resources and how/where to get
them, they relied heavily on the help of the Noongars. The Noongars helped the colonist,

befriended them, and taught them many valuable skills needed to live on the land. In
exchange for their help, and also to bribe, the colonist would give the Noongars clothing
such as trousers, versus animal skin. The Noongars shared their knowledge, accepted the
colonist culture, and learned their ways only to be treated with disrespect and disgrace. A
memorable description of landscape in this book, among many poetically written
descriptions, is when the colonist are coming into shore and the passage describes the
land as what they, the colonist. see. ...trees of stone, forever bent by the wind forever
sweeping across the headland, or -moving further into shelter- how rock rose majestically
from the sea, or boulders balanced high above, some perversely shaped, some rounded
and ready to roll, and huge slabs sloped to the very waters edge. The passengers looked
around nervously wanting to recognize the scent of land, the soil and earth. Smelled only
salt and eucalyptus oil.
The dark figure of a boy in the rigging.
They anchored in a great, and protected bay, close to one of its high arems of land.
Had entered its embrace. This description was memorable because it was describing
how foreign the place appeared to the colonist and it captured the intensity of the scenery.
It made me imagine the land from the eyes of the colonist, and I felt as if it was seen as
very exotic and intimidating. This description shows the difference they Noongar and the
Colonist have because it shows the reader how new and different the land was to the
colonist. Among the opposing perspectives of land are differences in the way Noongars
and the settlers view and treat animals, as well. The Noongars respect the lives of
animals, and they only hunt animals at certain times of the year when they know that
certain animal is abundant. They respect the animals, and care about their existence. They
also live among them, they cherish animals and have a more respectful manner towards
them. Throughout the book, there is many descriptions of Bobby, and other Noongars,
comparing things or situations to the way an animal live. For example, the way Menak
views the incoming ships as birds. There are many other comparisons to animals. At one
point in the novel, Bobby remembers being told that everything is like family, including
all the animals. This shows the importance and appreciation the Noongars had toward

animals. The colonist, however, do not have the same mindset as the Noongar people.
They kill animals no matter their abundance, and they eventually cause the food supply to
be shortened due to this attitude toward hunting animals. The colonist, in contrast to the
Noongar, do not recognize the balance that the ecosystem needs to have in order to thrive,
and they throw this off by bringing in new animals, killing off others, and not wanting to
live among them.
This novel has many perspectives, and jumps from time periods as well. The effect
that multiple points of view have on the narrative is that the reader is able to get a sense
of the perspective of many characters. Bobby, who has grown up knowing colonist and
battles with this native people and the white people, the colonist who seek to gain labour
and use out of the native people, and the Noongar characters who view the colonist as
living very different than them. Due to the changing perspectives, the reader is able to get
a look inside the British minds, that Bobby is unable to see. The reader sees that the
British dont care to acquire any culture from the Noongars, and the reader sees that the
British are not as good friends to the Noongars as the Noongars are to them. The reader
learns from the Noongars that they view life differently, and more respectfully. The
reader is able to see the intentions of both the British, and the Noongars which makes the
reading a unique one, and one that fills you in on all sides of the story making you see the
big picture more easily.

This novel is different than an imperial narrative because,

although it describes colonist taking over, it doesnt do it in a way that the Columbus
reading in class did. It didnt glorify the colonist taking over.
The deadman dance was a dance among the Noongars that they practice
together. Bobby adds to the dance mimick like movement of the white people. He moves
stiftly and mocks the way the white men dance, and talk, and he even comes up with a
dance where he mocks them at sea. The significance of the dance is to remember this act
of injustice that was put upon the Noongars by the colonist. They call this dance the
deadman because this is how the Noongars perceive the colonist, as humans that are
not alive as they are. It is symbolic of the colonist movements, and ways of life and
treatment to the Noongars, and their home. Bobby changes the dance to represent new

ideas about the colonist, and to embrace the damage that the colonist have put upon the
Noongars. This ties into the ability indigenous people have to change rituals in order to
accommodate to new experiences and life's challenges because the Noongars did just this,
the deadman dance now represents the harm and degrading that was caused due to the
colonist. Just like Native American conducted a rain dance to remember the hardships put
upon them and their culture, the deadman dance acted in the same way. Bobby, who
changed the dance, was extremely appreciated for his actions. He had grown up among
the colonist, befriended them, lived with them, and could mimic the white men very well.
He acted as an agent of change and like a trickster because he could go into one culture
and into the other and blend in well. This novel was somewhat difficult to read, but is
extremely symbolic, descriptive, and creative. I enjoyed reading the story of colonist and
Noongars and the hardships that went on. It was interesting to be able to tie my
knowledge of indigenous rituals, shamans, beliefs, etc., into the novel. This reading was a
good way to end the year in Global Connections because it represented many aspects we
have covered such as globalization, poor treatment among indigenous people, ways of
life among indigenous people, environmental importance, and many more.