« A Sisyphean task: Indigenous rights and the Constitution
FROM LITTLE THINGS BIG THINGS GROW »

Bicultural Blackfella - a poem

Bicultural Blackfella

I am a Wiradjuri woman
Proud and strong.
Raised in white institutions,
Made to get along.
Socialised, educated, employed
The white-man’s way.
These have shaped who I am today.
But I never forget where I’m from,
Or what ancestry runs through my veins.

I am who I am –
I am a bicultural Blackfella
And I apologise to no one.

Gold Coast 1997

© Anita Heiss,
From I‘m not racist, but… a collection of social observations (Salt Publishing, 2007. im-not-racist-but.jpg


Anita HeissDr Anita Heiss is from the Wiradjuri nation of central NSW. She is an author, poet, social commentator and cultural activist. Her most recent books include Yirra and her deadly dog, Demon and Not Meeting Mr Right. Photo credit: Pedro de Almeida.


This entry was posted on Saturday, November 1st, 2008 at 2:12 pm and is filed under Poetry. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.

3 Responses to “Bicultural Blackfella - a poem”

  1. Dianne Says:
    November 1st, 2008 at 4:40 pm

    Thanks Anita.
    Feeling a bit touchy feely about reconciliation? Read more of Anita’s poems in this excellent collection. Brings the focus right back to the personal for individual responsibility and action.
    Dianne

  2. Anita Heiss Says:
    November 4th, 2008 at 6:46 am

    Thanks for the feedback Dianne. And I’m glad you got something from the collection. Much peace, Anita

  3. Ron Says:
    December 4th, 2008 at 1:39 pm

    I am an Aboriginal male and I can never support reconciliation. It seems to be just an Aboriginal Industry and white do-gooder movement with no support at the Aboriginal grassroots level.

About this blog

ANTaR's blog aims to facilitate Indigenous opinion online and encourage a diversity of perspectives. The common thread between blog posts from contributors is that they are written by Indigenous people with a commitment to Indigenous rights.

The blog posts from contributors is interspersed by an ANTaR commentary summarising recent news found on other blogs about current Australian Indigenous issues, to add some perspective to contributors' posts.