Legacy Magazine

By Paul Caputo

I consider it one of my most important responsibilities as a parent to provide a broad world view and expose my children to different cultures—not just in terms of language, food, and dress, but as a way of looking at the world. To that end, my wife and two children went with me when I attended NAI’s International Conference in Townsville, Australia, earlier this year. Before the trip, we anticipated kangaroos, koalas, beaches, and tropics, but it was an event at the Townsville Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultural Centre that provided one of the most memorable moments. The site features interpretive exhibits, a thoroughly thematic gift shop, and musical and dance performances by aboriginal people in traditional garb.

Our children watched the dancers and musicians with rapt attention. Joel, age 6, bobbed his head to the beat of the drums. Three-year-old Maya laughed and tried to emulate a traditional dance that mimicked the motions of a kangaroo. Then Joel’s and Maya’s eyes widened when the performers stepped off the stage to interact with visitors. After an initial hesitation—not just on the part of my children but of everyone in the audience—visitors crowded around to converse and take photos together. The seal had been broken, and the performer-audience relationship quickly shifted to one of human beings talking about everyday things like clothes and food. One group of performers was a family that included children only marginally older than Joel. Both sets of parents watched and smiled as the aboriginal children and Joel (barely) interacted. I snapped the photo here—one of my favorites—and encouraged Joel to ask questions, but he was overcome with shyness, perhaps because of the growing group of onlookers.

After the visit, Joel and Maya found their voices and peppered my wife and me with questions about the aboriginal culture. We certainly didn’t have every answer (who does?), but the fact that our kids were asking the questions told me that the site had achieved its goals. As my children grow up, I hope that there will continue to be places where they can go to ask questions and learn about cultures other than their own, not just abroad but at the many that exist here in the United States.