Aboriginal didgeridoo sales to non-Aborigines


With the tourist trade didgeridoo sales experienced a very rapid growth. The popularity of the exotic, new-ancient instrument in Europe and North America lifted aboriginal didgeridoo sales from non-existent to the number one place amongst the musical instruments sales. The short period in which this change took place brought up some questions: Are aboriginal didgeridoo sales to white men ethical? Should white men (non-Aborigine) play or own didgeridoos?

The questions above can be re-phrazed: Is didgeridoo a sacred instrument? Yes and no. Some aboriginal didgeridoos are used only in sacred Ceremonies, Corroborees, where they represent (or in some legends they replace) the Rainbow Serpent. These didgeridoos are usually very long (about 2.5 m - 7-8 feet) instruments, they need an experienced and initiated didgeridoo player.

Other then these rare, special instruments, most of the didgeridoos are

  •   for entertainment as a solo or support instrument in a band or
  •   for someone's own entertainment, meditation or
  •   for healing both the body and the soul with its haunting sound and/or
  •   medium for aboriginal art.
As such, they can be in possession of everybody, whatever complexion he or she may be. Aboriginal didgeridoo is a free commodity and didgeridoo sales accounts for a large share in the tourist trade.

Branding all aboriginal didgeridoos as sacred is pretentious and malicious. Some (white) people cannot bear the fact, that the Aborigines can offer something of their own: the didgeridoo is an ancient aboriginal invention and it can be harvested, crafted, decorated entirely by Aborigines following the traditions of their forefathers. This does not mean that non-aborigines cannot venture into the didgeridoo sales business, if they follow and respect the traditions of the trade, just a bit of positive discrimination would be helpful, because it is still harder for an Aborigine to prosper in the harsh world of business. Didgeridoo sales give a decent livelihood to a couple of hardworking aboriginal families, making them target of envy by some aborigines and non-aborigines. (I think, the real motive behind the urban myth they envelop with their objections to own or play didgeridoos by non-aborigines, is this envy.)