New virtual exhibit presents indigenous societies of Brazil and Australia
Images: Release/MCT-PUCRS
Fruit of the efforts between the Center of Internationalization of Education Brazil-Australia, the Association of Iberian and Latin American Studies of Australasia (AILASA) and the Laboratory of Archaeology of the Science and Technology Museum of PUCRS (MCT-PUCRS), the Cultural Adaptive Practices Brazil-Australia is a virtual exhibit showing the similarities and interesting facts about the traditions of indigenous populations of Australia and Brazil. In the end, visitors have the chance to interact with the games and talk to EuGênio, the Museum’s mascot.
Brazil’s and Australia’s humans have interacted with their unique and varied environments for tens of millions of years. The dynamics of these indigenous groups and the plurality of voices of their contemporary descendants are essential for us to understand the complex relationship between natural ecosystems, human adaptation and environmental changes, history and cosmology. Or, in other words: “how we see and take care of our spots in the world”.
By comparing two broad, unique and diverse narratives of indigenous interaction with the environments in Brazil and Australia, we can illustrate the complexity of human adaptation and learn about our relationship with the environment and contemporary society. Archaeology, Anthropology and History are essential disciplines for us to understand and explain how these dynamics occurred in specific parts of the world.
The following “adaptive” modules, in the form of case studies, seek to portray the indigenous societies of both countries. When comparing some details and unveiling some facts, the ways in which the different environmental conditions can influence cultural choices that were made and how they were made may be clearer to us. As a consequence, we can also see how cultural relationships may influence adaptive behaviors in the future. It is, without a doubt, a fascinating process that has been going on for a while, with the complex relationship between the most diverse agents taking place on our planet right now.
To check out the adaptive modules, please go to: www.pucrs.br/mct/brasil-e-australia.
