Indigenous Art of the Dreamtime
Foreword
Australian Mission to the United Nations
Indigenous Art of the Dreamtime
The
Australian Mission to the United Nations is proud to be associated with
the Indigenous Art of the Dreamtime exhibition - the first of it’s kind
at the United Nations.
This exhibition is timely. It marks the fifth year of the United Nations
International Decade of the World’s Indigenous People (1995-2004). The
Decade, under the theme “Indigenous people: partnership in action”,
aims to strengthen international cooperation in addressing problems
faced by indigenous people in such areas as human rights, the environment,
development, education and health. Over the past five years the United
Nations has initiated a wide range of programs to meet these goals,
including the establishment of a human rights fellowship for indigenous
individuals, the creation of a voluntary fund to support indigenous
community projects, and the staging of a number of seminars and workshops
on indigenous issues.
Indigenous Art of the Dreamtime is an important part of the United Nations’
work to promote public awareness of indigenous peoples, their social
and cultural experiences and history. It offers us an opportunity to
celebrate the richness and diversity of indigenous art, and reminds
us of the important responsibility we all share - communities, governments
and organisations such as the United Nations - to ensure that this heritage
is preserved.
For Australia the exhibition represents a wonderful opportunity to share
the art and culture of Australia’s indigenous people with an ever widening
audience, and to proudly emphasise the significant ways in which Australian
Aboriginal cultural life continues to inform our national identity and
spirit.
We would like to thank the United Nations Department of Public Information
and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, for sponsoring
the exhibition. We would also like to express our gratitude to Ms Maryanne
Hollow and Mr Marcus Alexander for their efforts in bringing this important
collection of indigenous art to the United Nations in New York. Australian
Mission to the United Nations
Australian Mission to the United Nations