ANTaR (Australians for Native Title and Reconciliation)

Rottnest Island (Noongar name: Wadjemup) has a unique place in Western Australia’s history. Rottnest was an Aboriginal prison from 1833 to 1931, when the last prisoner left; previously hundreds of Aboriginal men died on the Island and were buried there.

Whilst Rottnest is a popular holiday and tourist destination, the Island also has a special status for every West Australian person of Aboriginal descent alive today. Hundreds of Aboriginal people from across the State gathered there in February 2009 for the launch of the Rottnest Island Authority’s Reconciliation Action Plan.

A gathering like this is a time to reflect on the suffering and pain imposed on our people, the Aboriginal people of Western Australia. On Sunday we had a national sacred ceremony that reminded us of the suffering of the victims of the Victorians bush fires. The thing that makes that event and the historical events that happened on this island the same, is, tragedy.

When human’s lives are lost in tragedy we are overcome with pain and suffering, we ask ‘why oh why?’ Aboriginal people continue in pain and suffering. Sadly there are two tragedies; one is ‘mother nature’ and what she dishes out to us; as the great human family, we are all vulnerable. The other tragedy is ‘us’ as human beings imposing suffering on our fellow humanity.

Mother Nature is a very powerful force, which our old people have known for many generations. In contrast, our people did not know about the force being imposed on them, through colonisation. They were vulnerable to exploitation, anguish, sickness and heart break. They were made to feel that they had no self-worth, they were treated as vermin, and our people were actually classified as Flora and Fauna. This sentiment still continues today due to a deep pain that buries us in a dark place, deep in the bosom of pain – ‘Psychological Inferiority’!

In tragedy we seem to overlook our differences with great conviction, as we should, and we all join together to make a difference. Sadly we have not completed that journey together in making a difference regarding this place; Wadjemup, or Rottnest, as it is more commonly known. We have been taking this up through very committed people, Nyoongar people, other Aboriginal people, non Aboriginal people who have been working in togetherness to get this right.

This island is a jigsaw of our state; it is a jigsaw of Aboriginal people in WA, this island has a history that belongs to all Australians.

Part of its history tells the sad story of how our Aboriginal men where rounded up and incarcerated in this place - some times for the most pettiness of crimes - living in harsh, cold conditions. The agenda was to remove our warriors out of regions and get them out of the way; this allowed the State to be conquered and developed. Our people had spears, the colonists had the law, the gun, and they imposed their own authority on Aboriginal people of this state. I am not here to make anyone feel guilty, but this history belongs to us all; black and white. We own it, our children own it and our future owns it. It is the truth.

We see the crows fly and carry out their role as hunters and we see the seagull carrying out their role being hunters. One is black the other is white. The crow knows its place and practices its role as being a great bird that is very astute and calculating. He remains a friend to us. We observe the seagulls who also knows its place and practices its role as being a bird that is also very astute and calculating. They are different, yet they are the same. They live together, survive together and respect each other.

Two different cultures, different colours, different ways and means, yet they live in harmony and in balance. Our community is moving towards this, in a very slow manner. But it is going there. We as a community, must, like the crow and the seagull respect each other, respect each other’s cultures, live amongst each other and celebrate in the great gift given to us, creatures of this land.

The quokkas are symbols of our people who died here, their sprits live in them, they patrol and care for this place now and we like the seagulls and the crows must respect the keepers of this island. Look deep into the eyes of a quokka and you will see yourself, looking deep into some ones glazed empty lost soul. This island of lost souls; hundreds of our men died and are buried here, never to return to their country. This is a very sacred place for our people. For all I know, I probably likely have direct blood buried here in the Rottnest Island sand. This place is part of me. Not my country, but a forced resting place of my people.

Let us respect it, less we forget, that as Australians we are the owners and custodians of our history together and we need to embrace each other so that our children can be very much the richer for the access to this place and its history. Many people, many different language groups, many men from different cultures, different age groups, but Aboriginal, who still remain here and we must, together, allow their spirits to be set free by doing the right thing and holding this place as a sacred place, to learn from and show our respects to the great loss of life. This place is neutral ground. This place is the heart of Reconciliation in Western Australia.

Let’s not dance over the remains of our people, their sacrifice must not be in vain. These people were heroes, not criminals! They stood for what they believed in; they stood for what they were, since time began – hunters, gathers, warriors, leaders – proud men; the native peoples of this land.

So let’s worship this place like a sacred site it is; a resting place of our dearly departed. Let’s build this place into a monument of respect; a testimonial to forgiveness, trust, respect and dignity.

Let’s embrace our Aboriginal community by acknowledging and recognizing their diverse cultures, languages, customs and nations. Let’s use this place, events and events to come, as tools to bring together our people and our community into a new beginning. A new beginning, that allows absolute respect, with sincerity, like the admiral respect, between the crow and the seagull, between black and white. Let’s together, lead the nation.

This week I am excited to be heading to Adelaide for the National Indigenous Representative body workshop.

Last year I made a submission to the initial Public consultation stage based on my doctoral research.  I strongly believe that we have the opportunity to be innovative in the design of a new representative body.  In particular, we should be imaginative in how we respond to the concerns of representation.  I am concerned with how we can adequately represent the voices of Indigenous youth who make up the significant portion of our population.  Also, I am concerned with how Elders voices can be better incorporated into the work of a representative body.  Former ATSIC Commissioner Brian Butler raised this as a critical issue for Elders during an ABC Radio National panel on the new representative body that I was a participant in. 

As my submission reflected, I also worry about the way in which Aboriginal women may become marginalized in any new political structure.  There is much evidence of the way in which mainstream political structures marginalise women and women’s issues. And certainly there is ample evidence to suggest ATSIC also marginalised Aboriginal women’s issues (as most minimalist “ballot box” structures do). But I do not believe establishing a “special” women’s council separate to a main representative body is enough to ensure that women’s needs and interests will be adequately met.  In fact “special” councils separate to a main decision-making body is already a clear concession to inadequate representation. 

Of course, all of this depends on the particular model that is chosen. At this stage it has been suggested by Tom Calma that there is no preference for any particular model.  I strongly believe that the work of the body should be underpinned by the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and international human rights law.  It is an appropriate foundation upon which the state should engage with Indigenous communities.  In particular the DRIP does provide that States shall takes measures to ensure that Indigenous women and children enjoy the full protection of the law and guarantees against all forms of violence and discrimination.  This would make the issue of violence against women and children central to the agenda of any future body’s work. 

One of the areas that has suffered in the absence of a representative body is law reform and international human rights law advocacy.  Law reform will be an important task of the new representative body in a number of areas.  For example, in terms of the states commitment to the rule of law and equality before the law, funding to Family Violence Prevention Legal Services and Aboriginal Legal Services is critical.  The unresolved issue of the Racial Discrimination Act and the measures under the Northern Territory Intervention will also be relevant.  Also, urgent coronial reform is required as advocated by the authors in the Indigenous Law Centre’s Australian Indigenous Law Review special edition on coronial reform and preventable Indigenous death. Native Title is also an area of law reform that requires leadership and an organized approach to put pressure on the state for more equitable outcomes to ameliorate the impact of the common law’s misinterpretation of native title.

One of the core objectives of a new body should be be constitutional reform and reconciliation which will be one of the most important aspects of the new body’s agenda.  Reconciliation Australia is playing an important and effective role in reconciliation and the representatives of this new body will be able to engage Indigenous communities across the country in an effective and meaningful way, taking the personalities and politics out of reconciliation as a national process.

The new body should have a review role to evaluate the progress of state and federal expenditure.  This is really crucial in terms of negotiating the complexities of the federal system and also redressing the inertia that federal departments and state governments exhibit when it comes to issues of Indigenous peoples. One thing everyone agrees on is that any future body should have no role in service delivery.  The hybrid structure of ATSIC that included service delivery allowed state and federal governments to pass the blame onto ATSIC for their own failings and for the problem of disadvantage in Aboriginal communities.

Finally, it is of vital importance that the activities and the decisions of the body are open and transparent. This is the only way to engender a sense of participation and ownership over a new body.  For any public institution to be successful, individuals and communities have to have faith in its objectives, processes and its leadership. 

Certainly, one hopes that this new body will offer up new and vibrant leadership from communities.  It is time for a new generation of male and female Indigenous leaders to have their voices and their ideas heard.  It is time for new approaches and a revitalized discourse that appeals to and engages the current generation of Indigenous children and young adults who walk between two worlds and who are as affected by popular culture as they are their own culture.  Not only are we a youthful community but we are a highly urbanized community.  Research showed that ATSIC representation was weighted in favour of regional and remote communities even though the majority of Aboriginal people live in urban areas.  And so it is hoped that the new leadership reflects fairly and equally the diversity of individuals who make up the Indigenous population in Australia.

But of course to do that one has to step up to the plate, make and effort and become actively involved. 

Lastly, congratulations to Queensland for winning the Imparja Cup for the second year in a row - special congratulations to my older brother Will Davis, the old man of the team.

Kargaru Productions - $23.95
ISBN: 9780646484228

Many of you reading this will have heard of the Wilcannia Mob – five young lads from the town in far west NSW, about 11 hours drive from Sydney and 200kms from Broken Hill. Out of nowhere in 2002, they became overnight sensations with their song Down River (recorded on a compilation All You Mob ) when it became a #1 hit on the Triple J airwaves after a series of hip-hop workshops in Wilcannia.

So, who are the deadly lads?
There’s Walter James Ebsworth, know as Wally. Buddy Stewart Blair, Lendal Isaac King, Colin Roy Johnson, known as Colroy and Keith John Dutton known as Keithy. They call themselves the Barkandji Boys, you see, Wilcannia is the land of the Barkandji people. Barka means river, and the Barkandji people are river people and the boys sing about the river and what they do there.

So impressive was their accidental debut hit that Midnight Oil asked to use Down River as a warm up track for their gigs for the rest of the year. They boys were also invited to perform at Homebake on the main stage in Sydney that year, making them the youngest ever to perform at what is Australia’s largest ‘Australian-only’ music festival.

Further success for the song and the lads included:
* The album All You Mob was listed in the top 10 alternative albums of the year in 2002 in the New York Times.
* Down River was included in the Triple J Hottest 100 in 2002.
* Down River was nominated for the Best New Single in the 2002 Deadlies, AND WON!

Now there is a book to tell the story of the journey. Down River: The Wilcannia Mob Story is a 48 page, full colour illustrated version of their group’s story, but it includes the important role of their families and their community. It traces their origins from a makeshift recording studio in a town long forgotten, to becoming over night celebrities with international acclaim. It is a story of hope, which shows us that when hearts are open and people work together, anything is possible.

I want to point out that projects like this in the book format, are always more than just a story. This book also tells the story of the history and language of the area.

According to Murray Butcher in the book, who teaches Barkandji at the Central School in Wilcannia, “The Barkandji language group spreads from down on the Murray-Darling Junction right up to about Bourke, half-way across to Cobar and Ivanhoe, down, right down across into South Australia, Broken Hill and over to White Cliffs.”

Down River: The Wilcannia Mob Story the book is a useful resource to share with your / our kids to inspire them and get them to do something together in their own communities – write raps, write poetry, take photos, make stories, keep a journal, act like roving reporters themselves and tell the news of their local area.

Down River: The Wilcannia Mob Story is made up of photos, bios and song lyrics and a timeline of how the journey has played out so far – somehow I think there’ll be another book in the future…

I’d like to encourage you all to go down to your local libraries today and ask them to order it in. When school goes back, tell the teachers to check out the website and order the book as well and to use the site in the classroom.

You can order the book on-line and also listen to and sing along to Down River with everything happening on the site: http://www.downriver.com.au/

I was absolutely thrilled to be asked to make a presentation to a group of new young authors in Sydney in early December. The event signalled the completion of the wordUP literacy program which was run during September and October 2008, and included participants from the Yurangai Learning Centre’s Out of School Program, which is operated by Barnardos at the Factory Community Centre in Waterloo.

The project involved writing books – and the books, you may be surprised to learn, were written by some of Australia’s youngest authors. I was excited to release my first book when I was 28, but the youngest author in this group was only five years old! Now that is inspiring and impressive, by anyone’s standards.

The range of ideas and stories in the wordUP project reflects the diversity of our lives in this city, and also the creative minds of the kids in the local area. And creativity and diversity are important to recognise and also celebrate.

The fact that these books were written in four weeks is astounding and I think that I could benefit from some workshops also given my books take between four months and four years to write.

The books were completed with the support and encouragement of the Social Work Students from the University of New South Wales who were given the broad task of creating a project related to the Close The Gap campaign. They designed the WordUp project and found a suitable partner in the Yuringai Learning Centre – and I congratulate them all for your efforts and for ensuring that we will have a generation of creative producers coming out of Waterloo and Redfern.

As the Chair of the Australian Society of Authors, and someone who loves to write and to read books, it was my pleasure to officially present the books to their authors.

Our youngest author is Ben Snaea at only 5 years old – and his book called Jet Li in the Jungle is about Jet Li and his brother Jack and cousin John fighting lions in the jungle.

Liam Thompson is only 6 years old and his book Ben Ten and his First Journey involves kangaroos and birds and also has photos of Liam in action! They’re great.

Isabella Redman is 8 years old, and her book King Kong was swinging through the Jungle uses bold coloured pages, and text and Isabella’s own handwriting to tell the story.

Belinda McDonnell is 8 years old and her book The Wicked Witch is about a witch with an evil dog called Sniffles and they live in a big castle made out of ice.

Serika Shillingsworth is 9 years old, and her book The Evil Queen Who Stole The Sky is a story about an evil queen who raises taxes so she can buy more dresses.

Kaleab Gavin is 9 years old and his book The Mystery Noise is about boys exploring the jungle.

Samantha Redman is 10 years old, and her book Sam’s Best Pictures is about fish, the moon and a serious Lego fight!

Jerome is 10 year old and he wrote a book called Columbia Tristar Pictures about a Kungfu Panda and dragon warriors.

Last but not least, Liam McDonnell is 11 years old and his book The Shotgun, is a suspense story about an FBI agent on a mission that includes saving hostages.

Congratulations to all these wonderful kids and the team that helped to bring their stories to life.

Speakin’ Out Blak: An examination of finding an “Urban” Indigenous “Voice” through contemporary Australian Theatre
By Ernie Blackmore

VDM Verlag GERMANY ISBN: 978-3-639-06884

I first read this work when I marked is a thesis for the Doctor of Philosophy – School of English Literatures, Philosophies & Languages, University of Wollongong a few years ago. To see it in print now, published by a German house, is a thrill.

To say Speakin’ Out Blak is a mixed bag of knowledge, analysis, information and insight, would be an understatement. Within these pages, Blackmore’s “ordinary, creative and academic voices” have cleverly woven his own life experiences with academic analysis and creative ideas, to uncover and unpack broad ranging topics and issues. These include: colonizing dramaturges, notions of truth, the reconciliation process, Indigenous voice, the Stolen Generations, perceptions of homogeneity, denial and creation of identities, the role of theatre, mutual obligations and shared responsibility agreements, HIV/AIDS, euthanasia, Indigenous protocols, DTW models for teaching and much more.

The range of issues and the way in which they are presented, takes this book way beyond the academic boundaries of English and Creative Writing, but into the areas of History, Social Work, Psychology and Cultural Studies.

Blackmore positions himself as an Indigenous writer and critic, so as a reader we are aware that his words are filtered through both those lenses, experiences, knowledges and realities. And he has set himself a difficult yet important task in considering Indigenous voice in contemporary Australian theatre - as theatre - of all the writing forms - is the least considered in academic circles; there is much critical analysis of Aboriginal poetry, life writing and more recently, fiction. Perhaps this is because theatre as performance, has been part of Aboriginal society since the beginning of time, and only in the last four decades has it taken on the role of demonstrating, showcasing, and explaining the realities of contemporary Aboriginal lives. Either way, Blackmore has invested his time and energy into consolidating existing material with significant input of his own analysis and creations, delivering for the academy a much needed injection into the discourse around Aboriginal Australian theatre.

Aboriginal Australians struggle daily with perceived notions of our society and culture being confined to remote and rural areas, where the real blackfellas are, where the real culture is, and where voice and representation must be sought. Contrary to this popular belief, the reality is that the bulk of Aboriginal Australia lives in urban centres.

Speakin’ Out Blak makes the statement that an urban Aboriginal voice at every level is needed in Australian theatre.

As an educational tool, particularly for Australian students, theatre is an engaging and non-confrontational way to deal with significant issues such as the stolen generations. For this reason I hope that the future seas a touring production of Blackmore’s own play Waiting for Ships. Blackmore’s Positive Expectations – also included in this publication -left me emotionally drained, the sign of powerful creative writing.

I’d like to congratulate Ernie Blackmore for his valuable contribution to the body of knowledge around Aboriginal politics, culture, the arts and academia. Speakin’ Out Blak will serve to generate new conversations not only around Aboriginal theatre in Australia, but around the notions of voice, representation, identity and the place of Aboriginal people in Australian society every day.