{"id":420308,"date":"2022-03-23T12:45:54","date_gmt":"2022-03-23T09:45:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/the-dreaming-indigenous-australians-are-making-an-embassy-in-the-metaverse\/"},"modified":"2022-03-23T12:45:54","modified_gmt":"2022-03-23T09:45:54","slug":"the-dreaming-indigenous-australians-are-making-an-embassy-in-the-metaverse","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/the-dreaming-indigenous-australians-are-making-an-embassy-in-the-metaverse\/","title":{"rendered":"# The dreaming: Indigenous Australians are making an embassy in the Metaverse"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_85 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a4141359e667\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a4141359e667\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/the-dreaming-indigenous-australians-are-making-an-embassy-in-the-metaverse\/#%E2%80%9D_The_dreaming_Indigenous_Australians_are_making_an_embassy_in_the_Metaverse_%E2%80%9C\" >&#8221; The dreaming: Indigenous Australians are making an embassy in the Metaverse &#8220;<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-2' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/the-dreaming-indigenous-australians-are-making-an-embassy-in-the-metaverse\/#Indigenous_culture_and_the_Metaverse\" >Indigenous culture and the Metaverse<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/the-dreaming-indigenous-australians-are-making-an-embassy-in-the-metaverse\/#Why_an_embassy_Native_land_title_in_the_real_world\" >Why an embassy? Native land title in the real world<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/the-dreaming-indigenous-australians-are-making-an-embassy-in-the-metaverse\/#Virtual_signaling_in_the_virtual_world\" >Virtual signaling in the virtual world<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/the-dreaming-indigenous-australians-are-making-an-embassy-in-the-metaverse\/#Crypto_Metaverse_versus_Metas_Metaverse\" >Crypto Metaverse versus Meta\u2019s Metaverse<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/the-dreaming-indigenous-australians-are-making-an-embassy-in-the-metaverse\/#Next_steps\" >Next steps<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h1><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"%E2%80%9D_The_dreaming_Indigenous_Australians_are_making_an_embassy_in_the_Metaverse_%E2%80%9C\"><\/span>&#8221; The dreaming: Indigenous Australians are making an embassy in the Metaverse &#8220;<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n<div class=\"post-content\" data-v-2a0745c6>One of the world\u2019s oldest living cultures is meeting the world\u2019s newest emerging tech as Indigenous Australians begin to take part in the Metaverse.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFirst movers need to be there. Indigenous Australians have a culture about dreaming. So, we need to do it.\u201d Professor Vanessa Lee-Ah Mat, a cultural broker focused on wellbeing through Australian Indigenous traditional culture, told Cointelegraph. Lee-Ah Mat and co-founder, cultural brokers, artist and lawyer Bibi Barba and lawyers Joni Pirovich and Angelina Gomez, publicly released a discussion paper this week entitled \u201cFirst Nations Culture in the Metaverse.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The group is seeking support to set up a pilot project to achieve the aims in the discussion paper and create a First Nations Cultural Embassy in the Metaverse.<\/p>\n<p>Lee-Ah Mat of the Yupungathi and Meriam Nations and Bibi Barba of the Darumbal, Biri Gubi, Gadigal and Yuin Nations are in the process of setting up an independent entity with First Nations ownership and governance to negotiate with relevant stakeholders and establish and run the operations of this pilot project.<\/p>\n<p>In November 2021, Barbados <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.coindesk.com\/business\/2021\/11\/15\/barbados-to-become-first-sovereign-nation-with-an-embassy-in-the-metaverse\/\">launched<\/a> its embassy in the Metaverse. In February, another Indigenous Australian group, the Sovereign Yidindji Government in Queensland \u2014 a first for the country \u2014 <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/forkast.news\/australian-aboriginal-sovereign-cbdc\/\">launched<\/a> its own digital currency as a way to further foster self-sovereignty that it has claimed since 2014 and plan its own policy planning priorities.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis Australian Indigenous Cultural Embassy is seen as an MVP,\u201d said Lee-Ah Mat. But, how do indigenous cultures view the Metaverse?<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Indigenous_culture_and_the_Metaverse\"><\/span>Indigenous culture and the Metaverse<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>At first, the connection seems tenuous: An ancient traditional culture deeply connected to the natural world and to the land and dreaming connected with a new virtual world built on computers with pixelated imagery, avatars and imagined places. But, the link is clear and logical.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe virtual world does impact the physical world. The Metaverse mirrors the earth, using the earth as the mirror in the gaming realm. The virtual world plays out features from the physical world,\u201d explained Lee-Ah Mat. These worlds are connected.<\/p>\n<p>Indigenous culture is built on the dreaming, as Lee-Ah Mat explained:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cThe dreaming is an inadequate English translation. The dreaming is a non-static and non-linear past, present and future and integrated in the ground of the earth itself. Part of the kinship system and lore, pivotal to identity.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/s3.cointelegraph.com\/uploads\/2022-03\/af2f8485-3ea5-43cf-bbd3-186f248ffb09.jpeg\"><figcaption style=\"text-align: center;\"><em>Rock art from Carnarvon Gorge that may <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/The_Dreaming#\/media\/File:Aboriginal_art_Carnarvon_Gorge.jpg\">portray <\/a>&#8220;memorials, signs from or <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>eals to totemic ancestors or records of Dreaming stories.&#8221;<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>She argued further that the Metaverse is a future deeply connected to the present, stating that \u201cthe process of creation gives identity and connection to people. During creation, the ancestors created sacred worlds between the land and the living. From birth, we are taught to connect with the physical and spiritual worlds, past the present, future \u2014 The Metaverse is a future realm.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>So, the Metaverse, according to Lee-Ah Mat, is a \u201cnew paradigm of digital living, which currently lacks <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/social-mediaa\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"1\" title=\"Social Media\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">social<\/a> structures but impacts the real world.\u201d Indigenous lore explains that past, present and emerging futures are connected. Lee-Ah Mat believes that the Metaverse is an emerging spirituality and meeting people must have a presence there as a symbol of welcome and recognition.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_an_embassy_Native_land_title_in_the_real_world\"><\/span>Why an embassy? Native land title in the real world<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>In Australia, the legal concept of \u201cTerra nullius,\u201d or an empty land before European settlement, has meant no native title land rights and no treaty with indigenous people. Lengthy legal land rights battles have ensued over the past few decades. Australia is the only Western country without a treaty with its indigenous people.<\/p>\n<p>So, for Lee-Ah Mat, it is important to \u201cunderstand custodianship and past and current approaches to native title. Regarding land claims in the physical world, there are 240 years of catch-up. Part of the motivation is cultural healing. It\u2019s also about identity and lost sovereignty for our culture. There is no playbook for empowering indigenous communities. New technologies can help us try to leapfrog a legal process.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Having a cultural embassy for the group is about \u201cusing the future to re-write the past. It\u2019s about leapfrogging the political process and making the cultural process part of that negotiation from the beginning \u2014 change from the get-go. Crypto allows us to be part of the conversation again by adopting the newest digital tech,\u201d Lee-Ah Mat said.<\/p>\n<p>A suicide prevention specialist, Lee-Ah Mat is also building an AI-powered application to measure depression, connecting to the Aboriginal community\u2019s health services. She believes \u201ceconomic empowerment in indigenous communities can reduce suicide.\u201d She is zealous about using tech to help her people.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Virtual_signaling_in_the_virtual_world\"><\/span>Virtual signaling in the virtual world<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Part of this project is a protest against existing political recognition \u2014 or lack thereof \u2014 as well as a statement of support in the Metaverse. According to Lee-Ah mat, it\u2019s about \u201ccreating a learning environment as the virtual land grab is on. So, someone can\u2019t buy an Indigenous sacred site or natural wonder Uluru in the Metaverse and not understand our spirituality and dreaming connected to that site.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/s3.cointelegraph.com\/uploads\/2022-03\/ab7a2929-0ac5-4cd2-9abf-255e03b37f99.jpeg\"><figcaption style=\"text-align: center;\"><em>Helicopter view of Uluru, also known as Ayer&#8217;s Rock.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The discussion paper writes that \u201cVirtual land that \u2018mirrors\u2019 the earth is being sold without acknowledgment or consent from existing land or Native Title owners.\u201d Further:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cVirtual land that is being created as part of imaginary worlds is also being sold with neither recognition of the cultural significance that ownership of land entails for First Nations peoples, nor acknowledgement of the spiritual connection that exists between a person, the virtual land and their participation in it.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>\u201cIndigenous culture has intellectual property,\u201d argued Lee-Ah Mat.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The educational aspect of the cultural embassy is about teaching early adopters. \u201cGaming treasures and loot could be breaching culture and lore. NFTs could be totems in first nations cultures.\u201d The discussion paper argued:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cVirtual land is being created as a basis for privileged and best access for virtual <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/game\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"7\" title=\"Game\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">game<\/a>s, work, leisure and learning environments. The \u2018virtual land grab\u2019 is on with companies and venture capital firms buying plots of virtual land ahead of the possible but largely unknown commercial opportunities and without any recognition or strategy to ensure equitable ownership of land. Play-to-earn gaming and immersive metaverse experiences present a new paradigm of digital living, which, more than ever, may have something to learn and benefit from rich Indigenous culture about identity and kinship.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Among its aims, the discussion paper stated that \u201cKinship is about having social responsibility to yourself, each other, and about inclusion within the physical and spiritual worlds.\u201d There are many references to an \u201cequitable metaverse.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>For example, images of deceased people should not be viewed in Aboriginal culture as a mark of respect. So, how does this play out with nonfungible tokens (NFTs) and avatars of deceased Indigenous Australians? \u201cWe need these conversations in the Metaverse to discuss cultural sensitivities, hence the embassy idea.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/s3.cointelegraph.com\/uploads\/2022-03\/4a2d8756-dfb4-4687-99e9-e32d68c19c0c.jpeg\"><figcaption style=\"text-align: center;\"><em>A map of Uluru by Tony Tjamiwa, a healer and elder of the\u00a0Pitjantjatjara people. Source: John Hill.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Crypto_Metaverse_versus_Metas_Metaverse\"><\/span>Crypto Metaverse versus Meta\u2019s Metaverse<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>There is obviously the danger of racism and sexism in the Metaverse. Nonfungible tokens, for example, have been <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/coinyuppie.com\/not-all-identities-are-equal-even-in-the-meta-universe\/\">accused<\/a> of being colorblind. Therefore, Lee-Ah Mat says Indigenous Australians and other minority groups need to \u201chave a say in the processes and protocols of the Metaverse.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>But, while centralized platforms like Facebook can at least claim to police inappropriate behavior, how this plays out in the Metaverse remains to be seen.<\/p>\n<p>Lee-Ah Mat said that \u201cin the Metaverse, we run the danger of recreating a system not working in the physical world, but with a cultural embassy we can have a presence.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She stated that they are only looking at decentralized Metaverse platforms due to a perceived kinship with crypto people and ideologies because \u201cwe don\u2019t want to be playing catch up as governments begin to regulate the Metaverse.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDecentralization already existed in indigenous cultures, as cultural lore is already decentralized and distributed to all of the people. The kinship structure is decentralized,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Next_steps\"><\/span>Next steps<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The project is currently in the design phase with a hexagonal dome cultural embassy providing \u201cmultiple doors for many conversations.\u201d They have received offers to donate some plots of land and hope to have virtual embassies on Metaverse platforms like Decentraland and the Sandbox.<\/p>\n<p>They are also looking at a special purpose decentralized autonomous organization designed to run the group and operate the planned Cultural Embassy missions.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBlockchain is about transparency and trust, as well as creating imaginary worlds. With no recognition of cultural significance, land or indigenous culture, there is a risk of repeating the mistakes of the past,\u201d noted Lee-Ah Mat.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cIndigenous lore on invitations is to treat someone else\u2019s land as if it were your own land. Imagine if we could make that part of the Metaverse.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><template data-name=\"subscription_form\" data-type=\"nifty_newsletter\"><\/template><\/div>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/news\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"2\" title=\"News\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">News<\/a> articles, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/general\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">General category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/cointelegraph.com\/news\/the-dreaming-indigenous-australians-are-making-an-embassy-in-the-metaverse\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8221; The dreaming: Indigenous Australians are making an embassy in the Metaverse &#8220; One of the world\u2019s oldest living cultures is meeting the world\u2019s newest emerging tech as Indigenous Australians begin to take part in the Metaverse. \u201cFirst movers need to be there. Indigenous Australians have a culture about dreaming. So, we need to do&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":420309,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/images.cointelegraph.com\/images\/1200_aHR0cHM6Ly9zMy5jb2ludGVsZWdyYXBoLmNvbS91cGxvYWRzLzIwMjItMDMvY2ZkMzM1MDQtNThlMS00MDQ5LWI3NWYtODZjN2FlMjFhYWY1LmpwZw==.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[74894,91498,95118,78234,74355,20358],"class_list":["post-420308","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-general","tag-blockchain","tag-metaverse","tag-nft","tag-virtual-property","tag-adoption","tag-australia"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/420308","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=420308"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/420308\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/420309"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=420308"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=420308"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=420308"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}