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'Racism not art': Anger at Truganini bust auction Updated 24 Aug 2009, 5:55pm ................... Tensions are rising over the auction tonight of busts depicting two renowned Tasmanian Aborigines. ................... The busts of chief Woureddy and his wife Truganini will go under the hammer in Melbourne. ................... They are expected to net about $700,000. ................... The Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery says it will not bid for the works as it already has one of each of 30 copies that were made. ................... Two women from the Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre allege they were verbally abused and threatened at the museum yesterday when they demanded the removal of the copies from public display. ................... The centre's legal director Michael Mansell says such images convey the extermination of Aboriginal people. "These images are held up to perpetuate the racist myth that unless you were so called full-blood, untainted by marrying with white people, you weren't a real aborigine," he said. ................... "The fact that the museum has been displaying a bust of Truganini, along with the busts of other people, is perpetuating the myth. ................... "Everybody knows that the image of Truganini conveys to the racist people of the world that she was the last something or other...either the last full blood or last aboriginal. ................... "That is a racist perpetuation of a myth and her image is being used to try to exterminate the aborignal people in Tasmania. ................... "For that reason her bust should not be sold just so people can make money out of it. ................... "These busts shoud be returned to the aboriginal community in Tasmania without any conditions so that aborigianl people are no longer hurt by the use of the images of a dead woman who can't protect herself and who, if is she had known about this, would have objected very strongly," Mr Mansell said. ................... A Tasmanian Museum denies the women were threatened. ................... The director, Bill Bleathman, says there is a good relationship with the Aboriginal Advisory Council and the pair were acting on their own. ................... "I've since spoken to members of our advisory council and found they weren't asked for their opinion on this matter before these two women confronted me." ................... The two women have flown to Melbourne to protest at tonight's auction. ................... The Tasmanian Premier David Bartlett says he feels sympathetic towards Aborigines protesting against the sale of the busts. ................... Greens leader Nick McKim has urged the State and Federal Governments to buy them and then return them to the Tasmanian Aboriginal community.
