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appropriation of voice

Appropriations of voice always occur in many stories by many authors because the lack of information authors had gathered. Maybe writers want to make their stories more interesting. But it’s wrong. A writer cannot just make up a story about a culture that doesn’t exist. If writers keep on doing this act, many people and I mean by the audiences will be fed up with many lies just like my first image of Africa.

In Williams article, Keeshig-tobias said " I get really tired of doing it because we end up doing a lot of that work a very little of our own work." She meant by not doing research. If this what authors really think then why bother messing with other cultures. This will make the people from that culture really mad by just getting their books done and successful and not caring if the culture had been misrepresented.

If a writer of a filmmaker wants to work on another culture. They have to show respect to the culture. (William and Khan) According to Rukhsana Khan " you have to almost set aside your own feelings and completely identify with that culture, and you must adopt its values as your own". She also said that if writers do not adopt the story will stand a better chance of being true to the spirit of the people.

Stephen Foster is a popular musician in the 1800’s.(Stacey) His songs are about Black slaves people. Many people are still listening to his songs till these days. Many people admired his work because he shows respect to the people and to their culture. According to Ron Stacey " Foster wrote these songs in a positive and supportive manner.

The reason why I’m really arguing about appropriation of voice is because non-aboriginal writer and moviemaker had misrepresented our culture. This really annoyed me because I know that it’s a lie and maybe many readers believed it.

In a movie called "Nade and Hayes", was a story about some Pirates who came to Pohnpei and other islands in the Pacific. A ship belong to Bully Hayes arrived to Pohnpei, The image of Pohnpei in the movie was so different. There are some unfamiliar things about the Island of Pohnpei in the movie. Pohnpei was like a cursed Island, it look really strange. Smokes coming up around the Island and it really look kind of creepy and scary to me. It’s almost like a hunted Place. And the indigenous peoples (Pohnpeians) are described like savages. They eat people. This really upsets me. The Pohnpeians culture in that movie really misrepresented.

Here on our Island we are doing well. We have no things do worry about; cause we’re doing our culture like our ancestors did many years ago. I can talk about our culture on and on but I won’t. It leads me to an answer of a question, "should natives ignore this kind of situation?" Well we have do defend this kind of situation cause now I Know that many whites think that Pohnpei is like what had been shown in the movie "Nade and Hayes". It is so unreal that I even think that its totally about somewhere else. That is not Pohnpei and I know.

In a book; A Residence of Eleven Years in New Holland and the Caroline Island by James O’connell, claims the that he had been in Pohnpei for seven years. O’connell had misrepresented our culture. He said that there were two races in Pohnpei. (121) One race was the Mwohnsapw in which he wrongly present it as "Moonjobs" and also serihso in which he also misrepresent it as "Jerejohs" or the "free whites". And he called the commoners Nigurts refers to the word Negroes.

In Pohnpei, the word race does not exist. I believe that where O’Connell came has this kind of situation going on back where he’s from. The race that he mentioned was the clan names in Pohnpei. There are many clans in Pohnpei that O’Connell didn’t know. Well if he knows these clans he probably say that there were many races in Pohnpei. "Moonjobs" are and the "Jerejhos" are title names for our clans and these two names are the highest or most respectful ones.

And I as a Nigurt serve our leaders but we are not slaves, we are free. We do serve our two high clans once in a year. There’s a story about this incidence but this is not the point. He says that these "Nigurts are in effect slaves. I believe that O’Connell only judge a book by its cover but not inside because he only looks and not asked. He even mention that we the commoners (Nigurts) are " executioners-the butchers -of the only species of cattle killed dogs and the cooks. Well we are not.

My Point is Non-aboriginal writers and moviemakers can write about other cultures but they have do show respect do the culture they are writing about (Williams and Khan). According to Williams respect means do research. Has Khan says you have do adopt the culture as your own without judging them.

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