How does Eckerman’s poetry reveal (to show) both (two) individual and collective perspectives

(group’s pov) of culture ( traditions, values and Aboriginal culture) ?

Refer to the poem Trance

Language has the power to communicate individual and collective perspectives, by revealing
the beliefs and values that shape identity. Eckerman’s poetry show’s both individual and
collective perspectives of Aboriginal culture’s traditions, values and attitudes. “Trance” by Ali
Cobby Eckerman explores an old woman preparing to go into a trance, and the trance helps her
feel closer to the natural world and her poem. Eckerman's Identity has been influenced by many
different people: her biological family, her adoptive family, her Aboriginal ancestors, and her
German-descended adoptive parents. Her poem “Key” touches on these different influences,
showing Eckermann herself standing outside a door – on a threshold between different worlds.
Main ideas presented in the text are, the old woman’s connection to country, womanhood and
grief. The purpose of “Trance” was to express what Ali Cobby Eckermann sees as the untold
truth of Aboriginal people, both in terms of vital aspects of their culture, as well as regarding the
ongoing detrimental impact of European colonisation.

Texts serve as affirmations of the significance of culture in shaping identity by communicating

values and attitudes, thereby influencing both individual self-perceptions and collective
understandings. In the Aboriginal culture, they believe the glow of the Ghost Gum trees at night
was evidence of the presence of living spirits. This belief is communicated at the beginning of
“Trance”, which is evident in the line,“Ghost gums begin to dance.”, by describing the trees as
"dancing," Eckerman evokes a sense of life and movement, which suggests that the natural
world is alive, participating in a dance that reflects the spiritual essence of the land, personifying
the ghost gums as dancing entities not only emphasises the vitality of the environment, but also
symbolises a sacred connection between the old woman and the living spirits believed to inhabit
the trees in Aboriginal culture, which allows the audience to shape a deeper understanding of
the spiritual connection to the land, the significance of rituals like trance, and the importance of
nature in shaping identity. Furthermore, this idea is also conveyed in Eckerman’s poem “Key”.
The tree is often referred to throughout Eckerman’s poetry and using the natural landscape is a
reflection of the connection between culture and country. This is evident in the line,“Their time is
sparse like a dying tree.”, through the use of “ tree” being recurring motif Eckermann evokes a
sense of the fragility and impermanence of time, likening it to the sparse existence of a dying
tree, suggesting that just as the tree is rooted in the land, so too are individuals rooted in their
cultural heritage and environment, symbol meaning, which represents growth, strength,
resilience, and interconnectedness with nature, portraying the tree as a symbol of cultural
heritage and environmental interconnectedness raises awareness among the audience about
the importance of preserving indigenous cultures and the natural environment.