SYDNEY (Reuters) - Aborigines invoked an ancient curse on Australian Prime Minister John Howard on Tuesday by "pointing the bone" at the conservative politician to protest against his decision to scrap a top aboriginal body.
Aborigines believe that to point a kangaroo bone at someone is to bring that person ill fortune, and the black magic is strong enough to cause death.
An aboriginal woman dressed in possum skin and traditional tribal makeup confronted Howard on Tuesday after he made a speech in a rural town and pointed a one-inch bone at the politician to place a silent curse on him.
The aboriginal woman, known only as Moopor, was not permitted to speak with the media, in line with aboriginal culture, but the head of the axed aboriginal body said the curse was a message to Howard to heed black Australians.
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20040420/od_nm/curse_dc_1&cid=573
Aborigines believe that to point a kangaroo bone at someone is to bring that person ill fortune, and the black magic is strong enough to cause death.
An aboriginal woman dressed in possum skin and traditional tribal makeup confronted Howard on Tuesday after he made a speech in a rural town and pointed a one-inch bone at the politician to place a silent curse on him.
The aboriginal woman, known only as Moopor, was not permitted to speak with the media, in line with aboriginal culture, but the head of the axed aboriginal body said the curse was a message to Howard to heed black Australians.
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20040420/od_nm/curse_dc_1&cid=573
