Anita Heiss's Blog, page 10

Why I’ll be marching on January 26…

 

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It’s that time of year again when I feel incredibly tired and anxious. January 26 is only days away and my social media timelines are full of the angst the date brings to those who know, understand and embrace the true history of this country. At the same time, many others are in full swing ready to barbie and party in the name of ‘Australia Day’ (and it’s attached public holiday).

I’m tired because every year we have to explain why January 26 is problematic as a national day of celebration. Every year we desperately seek leadership in bringing us together as a nation so we can celebrate as a collective.

January 26 is not that date. And if you don’t understand why, perhaps ask yourself a couple of questions: Is it appropriate to celebrate a day that relates to the colonisation a nation? Should we celebrate a date that is linked to the dispossession of land from its original owners and the displacement of those same people? Do you feel comfortable celebrating a date that marks an invasion that saw warfare across the continent? Also known as the Forgotten War as documented by Henry Reynolds.

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Take a breath before you say ‘Australia wasn’t invaded, it was colonised!’ Trust me, I’ve heard that argument at length. Australia was not discovered but it was both invaded and colonised.

If you’re not sure about the differences between the terms then have a look at the article Discovery, settlement or invasion? The power of language in Australia’s historical narrative.

To be blunt, January 26 is a date that marks the beginning of invasion – the warfare and the attempted genocide of Aboriginal people. It is a date that reminds many of us – of all cultural backgrounds – of the dark way in which this country was ‘founded’ by the British. It is a date that will never find us unified in a way that means we can celebrate together, and therefore it is date that must be changed.

It’s been a long, drawn out conversation

For many of us the idea of changing the date is not a new one. I think the first time I was asked to offer media comment about changing the date of ‘Australia Day’ was back in 1998 when I was at the then Survival Concert at Waverley Oval. Survival concerts began back in 1988 when Australia ‘celebrated’ the Bicentenary and sang along to the catchy tune ‘Celebration of a Nation’, while others sung ‘Celebration of Invasion’.

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Such concerts now held around the nation on January 26 continue to mark our extraordinary resilience and survival on what many still refer to as Invasion Day. In Sydney, the Yabun concert hosted by Gadigal Information Services sees Australians of all cultural backgrounds descend on Victoria Park in what is considered to be the largest ‘alternative’ event on the day.

Kooris, Murris, Noongars, Nungas and mobs around Australia are not that different to our brothers and sisters in North America, just as Native Americans don’t celebrate Christopher Columbus Day – because let’s face he, he didn’t discover America. In fact, in South Dakota, the official state holiday is known as Native Americans Day. The city of Berkeley in California has replace Columbus Day with Indigenous People’s Day since 1992 and this has been duplicated in other cities around the state.

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While our boycott of January 26 seems outrageous to some, we are no different to other colonised peoples wanting the respect to be considered when the nation is celebrating its national day. The sentiment to #changethedate today remains the same as it did back in 1988 and 1998, although the push  Treaty has also gained momentum through the Uluru Statement of the Heart.

Few might know that the “Draft treaty: Aboriginal sovereign position and legal entitlement: a draft written at the direction and after consultation with the Aboriginal Representative Members of the Sovereign Aboriginal Coalition”  was penned by the late Kevin Gilbert,  Wiradjuri poet at and playwright back in 1987.

Although not necessarily reported in the media, there is a lot community discourse around a Treaty, Sovereignty, Recognition and the symbolism that comes with days like January 26. There is a diversity of voice and opinion in our community as there is in the wider community, and many see it as an either /or position. For my part, I believe that symbolism and practicality go hand-in-hand; one allows for constant reminders, memorials and celebrations, another provides the structure and legal processes for much needed change to take place.

While this year there is a push to #AbolishTheDate I do think it’s possible to have one day that we can all celebrate in a way that says that we love our country. At its heart and in so many ways this is a wonderful landscape to live within. In every community, city and town I visit I am enriched learning about and from the original storytellers of Australia. But our country has debilitating elements of xenophobia and a racist underbelly that needs to be addressed, and these are compounded when a national day like January 26 completely dismisses the truth of how Australia was founded, rendering Aboriginal people as invisible, non-existent, not only back then but right now in 2020.

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Every year the Australia Day commercial triggers debate / conversation. I have only just watched this year’s ad online as I write this update this while traveling in India. The key message I hope viewers take away is offered uy one of the Elders who speaks of the need to listen.

There are many ways to tell our side of the  story, satire is one. BabaKiuera is a classic example that is still used in education circles to engage students in the conversation that the country needs to have as a whole. What would it be like if there was a Minister for White Affairs and how would white kids removed from their families cope in an alternative reality? It packs a political punch that makes audiences think, feel and GET IT!

Haven’t seen the video yet? Do yourself a favour! Watch it now on YouTube and let me know what you think?

Once you consider Babakiuaria you’ll understand that the problem with the lamb ad is that it fails to mention the actual reality of history, the violent invasion of Australia and the ongoing oppression of Aboriginal people over time. What it does well is showcase the diversity of our nation in a positive way, but simply not mentioning the words ‘Australia Day’ does not solve the issue. And a soft option is not the answer to a hard problem. Without discussing, engaging with and accepting the history that was our past, we cannot grow to be the country we should be now and in the future. And without that conversation and acceptance it doesn’t really matter what the new date is either.

It is this lack of education about the history, and about present diversity, that leads to racism and intolerance, which can in turn lead to violence, like the riots at Cronulla Beach in Sydney’s south on 11 December 2005. Following the assault of local lifeguards by ‘Lebanese- Australian’ men, locals retaliated. According to images in the media at the time, Anglo-Aussies were proudly wearing the Australian flag as a political statement, standing their ground against the Lebanese-Australians who had apparently ganged up. Placards by whitefellas claiming ‘We were here first’ completely ignored the 10s of 1000s of years of Aboriginal occupation before the First Fleet arrived.

Now more than ever we need leadership that brings us together rather than the Scott Morrison or Donald Trump divisive philosophies we are drowning in at the moment. Without it we stand to see more of the Cronulla experience in years to come.

Fremantle Council

In 2017 the #ChangeTheDate conversation made some serious ground with Fremantle Council in Western Australia deciding to hold its “One Day”  – culturally inclusive celebration two days after the rest of the nation.

Kudos to Fremantle Council for leading the way on what is possible. A true leader shows courage in forging a progressive path. And while the Council may be accused of playing ‘black politics’ I don’t believe that any government, at any level, could ever be accused of pandering to the wishes of Blackfellas because we don’t have the numbers to make any real difference to political outcomes or the local economy.

The decision Fremantle Council made back then told me that they were conscious of the fact that many of their constituents desire change, a day that is inclusive and that allows all citizens to participate together, as one community. As long as January 26 remains the national day to celebrate, the community will be divided and that’s not something that the citizens are doing to ourselves, it is something we are forced to do.

I often work on January 26 because in the main it is a day I’d rather not be part of. When I lived in Sydney I’d pop into the Yabun concert in Sydney after work and spend some time connecting with family and friends reminding myself that we have survived as a strong, determined, proud people.

This year I will be joining the march in Brisbane with 1000s of others. You can join me in this march – details here.  There are events happening around the country that you can be part of.  Here’s a list of some.

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My hope for the near future is that 2020 presents all Australians with a greater understanding of our shared history, a new date, a new opportunity for us all to celebrate with national pride, and yes, where we can all enjoy a public holiday with meaning and maybe even a roo snag or a prawn on the barbie too.

[This blog is a revised version of a blog I posted in January 2017. You can read it here!]

 

First Nations authors provide Oceans of Opportunities

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In June this year I had the privilege of delivering the keynote address at the Big Sky Readers and Writers Festival in Geraldton. When I thought about the theme of the year’s festival – Oceans of Opportunities – I immediately thought about the pioneers of First Nations writing and publishing in Australia, and the doors they opened for writers like me. In fact, I thought about the oceans of opportunities that they created for the generations that followed.

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When I think about those who paved the way across genres, I think about David Unaipon,   Oodgeroo Noonuccal, Ruby Langford Ginibi, Kevin Gilbert,  Jack Davis,  Doris Pilkington Gari Mara and more.

These are the writers whose works I have read in full. They were the reason I did my PhD on Aboriginal literature and publishing (published as Dhuuluu Yala). And I could talk about them for days on end with great ease and inspiration.

[image error]Through my address I wanted to acknowledge their contributions to the Australian literary landscape over time. And my goals was to raise awareness of our literary history which is incredibly rich and diverse, with a focus on what First Nations writers from Western Australian have produced.

I also talked about the oceans of opportunities that First Nations writers have provided to Australian readers – opportunities to engage, to learn, to understand, to enter aspects of our lives, our communities, of our diverse worlds. Opportunities to come together as lovers of books, of humans with shared experiences, and as readers who also love the opportunity to escape with a good story.

I started with a few stats to begin with thanks to Austlit’s BlackWords –

BlackWords is the most comprehensive record of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander publications available, covering all forms of creative writing, plus film, television, criticism and scholarship.

This is where you will find information, research, full text, exhibitions and literary trails, and teaching and learning resources.

To start with 594 authors from Western Australia identify as Aboriginal and /or Torres Strait Islander

 Western Australia is also home to Magabala Books, Australia’s leading Indigenous publisher. Based in the pearling town of Broome, and is one of the most remote publishing houses in the world. Since its incorporation in 1990, it has released more than two hundred titles from a range of genres. My first book Sacred Cows was published by Magabala Books.

In terms of gender, there are 292 female and 302 male writers, who are Indigenous from Western Australia.

There are 131 writers who identify as Noongar and 38 who identify as Yamatji.

The titles I mentioned through the rest of my talk included:

Sally Morgan’s My Place , Kim Scott’s Benang: from the Heart , Follow the Rabbit Proof Fence. 

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The works of Jack Davis:

The First Born, Jagardoo: Poems from Aboriginal Australial, John Pat and Other Poems,  No Sugar, Burungin, Honeyspot, Kullark and The Dreamers, Our Town and A Boy’s Life.

Books by Yamatji / Yamaji authors

The Budara Story Ross Boddington, Magabala Books, 1996

Waranygu Bayalgu : Ngatha Mayunggugundi Nyanya Digging For Food: What I Saw When I Was A Child; Waranygu Bayalgu : Digging For Food Dora Dann, Geraldton: Yamaji Language Centre, 2003

Yammatji: Aboriginal Memories of the Gascoyne anthology 

 Authors who identity as Aboriginal and list Geraldton as their birthplace:

Celine Thomson
Valmae Walley
Noel Nannup
Norma MacDonald
Gordon Blackwood
Millicent 

BlackWords writers in WA by genre

Novels: 59
Film/TV: 44
Plays: 75
Poems: 1176
Short stories: 232

Authors of Speculative fiction

Claire Coleman- Terra Nullius
Archie Weller – Land of the Golden Clouds
Children’s fantasy works by Sally Morgan, Ezekiel and Ambelin Kwaymullina

Children’s books include:

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Staircase to the Moon

Dingoes Tree

My Home Broome

  Autobiography includes:

Wandering Girl by Glenyse Ward https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/A23966

Ngay janijirr ngank: This Is My Word by Magdelene Williams edited by Pat Torres

Poetry includes:

Just Like That and other poems plus Nganajungu Yagu by Charmaine Papertalk Green 

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  Anthologies include:

Those Who Remain Will Always Remember, By (author)  Rosemary Van Den Berg , By (author)  Angeline O’Neill , Edited by  Anne Brewster

From Our Hearts: and Anthology of New Aborignal Writing from Southwest Western Australia 

Listen to the Old People: Oral Histories of the Pilbara Region of Western Australia 

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WA authors included in The Macquarie PEN Anthology of Aboriginal Literature 

Bessie Cameron, Jimmy Chi, Jack Davis, Graeme Dixon, Mick Dodson, Patrick Dodson, Norman Harris, Sally Morgan, Jimmy Pike, Doris Pilkington, Kim Scott, Alf Taylor, Pat Torres and Glenyse Ward.

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Growing Up Aboriginal in Australia – Western Australian contributors include: 

Ambelin Kwaymullina, Bebe Backhouse, Doreen Nelson, Carol Petterson, Aileen Walsh Pila Nguru.

** Please note these lists and names above are just snapshots of the number of voices in print from WA – please feel free to add others in the comments section below.

Kerry Reed-Gilbert: her eulogy from my heart

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Kerry Reed-Gilbert, also known as KEK, Noon and Dolly was a respected and much-loved Aboriginal Elder, Matriarch, and Warrior of the Wiradjuri Nation. Born on October 24, 1956, she grew up as the youngest of eight in a family that she says was blended sixty years before that term even became fashionable. Kerry was raised by Ned Hutchings and ‘Mummy’ her father Kevin Gilbert’s older sister, Joyce, after Goma, her biological mother, was murdered by her father in 1957. Kerry always said she was Mummy’s baby.

Kerry’s childhood was as a ward of the state, and as a cherry picker living mostly in Condobolin and Koorawatha. But also, in Orange and Leeton, the fruit-picking districts of central and southern New South Wales. Somewhere in there Kerry went to Young High and many years later she completed an Associate Diploma in Adult Education, and a BA in Adult Education from the University of Technology in Sydney. She had many careers throughout her life working with Tranby Aboriginal College, Telstra and running her own cultural awareness training programs through her business, Kuracca Consultancy. For many, many years, Kerry worked with Urbis, and the friendships she developed there meant so much to her.

Kerry as a Matriarch…

Kerry’s best work of course was as Matriarch, loving mother to her beautiful daughters, Lesa and Melanie, proud grandmother to Jirrima, Yarran, Tenisha, Kaylarnie and Yullara. And doting great-grandmother to Noah and Koa, Ashton and Alayna. Kerry also wrapped her arms around William, Jacob and Kat and their children –  Tikara, Ngalan, Dhani, Troy, Nakita, Cody, ChyChy and Didge and pulled them into her family too.  Kerry was also grandmother to so many other young ones.

Kerry’s pride in all the achievements of her family members was unquestionable and infectious. Her face would light up and there would be joy in her voice when she talked about any, and all of them. Many of us were blessed also to experience such pride in her Facebook feed on a regular basis.

Her most recent joy was knowing that in a few weeks’ time, baby Elijah would be coming into the world as Kaylarni became a mum for the first time.

Family loyalty, trust and being together was so important to Kerry and she had the capacity, right up to her final hours, to bring those she loved closer together – sharing stories, laughter and making more memories. Those final moments would have brought so much happiness to their Noon. I believe she could hear everything being said in that room because we could see her eyebrows raise when something questionable was being shared. You know, the kinds of things you wouldn’t normally say in from of your grandmother.

Kerry as a friend…

When I met Kerry in 1992, she was working on the Koori Youth Program in NSW and soon started her role with Telstra. It’s when we both got Motorola flip phones and set out up businesses. Kerry has the same phone number today that she had back then. That might explain why she has 10,000 – literally, 10,000 contacts in her phone. Lesa reckons the staff at Telstra couldn’t move the data over for her because there was so much of it. Kerry you see, never deleted a contact or blocked anyone unless it was absolutely necessary. That also demonstrated her enormous capacity to forgive, forget and remain connected.

Kerry was a strong supporter of mine on the advisory committee for Streetwise Comics back in 1993/94, and alongside Marjorie Anderson we became a naughty trio, having serious fun playing pool on school nights at the Britannia Hotel on Cleveland Street, Redfern, and doing Karaoke at the Convent Gardens on Thursday night. Kerry loved it most when the Tranby Block students were in town. These Boots Were Made for Walking by Nancy Sinatra was Kerry’s signature karaoke song, closely followed by D.I.V.O.R.C.E. by Tammy Wynette. Mine was Madonna’s Material Girl. You see, Kerry and I were so different, and yet, so much the same.

Things Kerry Loved…

There are things that I learned about Kerry back then that remained constant throughout her life:

Kerry loved bright red manicured nails. She loved lots of silver rings and bangles and bracelets. She loved dolphins, sometimes on her rings and bracelets. She liked wearing tight black jeans, short black skirts and wearing her flip phone on her belt.

Kerry was mad about Elvis and so I once sent her some Elvis coffee mugs for her birthday. The next time I visited her in Canberra I asked why she wasn’t using them, I was accused of sacrilege. You didn’t drink out of the Elvis mugs, what if someone broke one. When I mentioned using the mugs on the day of Kerry’s passing, her daughters responded quite adamantly with ‘No!’ I’m not sure it was out of their love for Elvis, but I am absolutely sure it was because Kerry had warned them. I’m sure the Elvis umbrella I gave her never got wet either. It was heart-warming to see photos of Kerry at Graceland when she was in the US at a writer’s residency outside of New York.

Kerry enjoyed a bubble bath, scented candles and the occasional Bacardi and coke – on occasion at the same time. But it was a sin to ever deliver a Bacardi without a slice of lemon, and a straw to stir it with. Earlier in the day, she’d opt for a weak cappuccino.

Kerry wasn’t a big eater (compared to me) and I rarely saw her consume a full meal, but she was mad about curried sausages. It was one of two meals she cooked, the other was savoury mince. I’m told she burned water as a kid but as a non-cook I would never mock her for that. Whenever we found ourselves in the same city we would sneak meal together. Kerry would order a steak – and insist that it was cremated! I started to order my meat the same way.

In recent months, I’m told, that Kerry become obsessed with the TV show Pitbulls and Parolees, setting her phone for 1.25pm for a 1.30pm start. Of course, her love for dogs came from her companion Tess, a red kelpie cross that protected her in the house with the blue fence in Downer. 

Kerry as a writer…

Kerry proudly defined herself as a writer, poet, artist and photographer. Some of us are content with having one skill, not Kerry, she wanted to be good at and do everything.  As a writer,  Kerry and I began our public readings together, I think the first was at the Harold Park Hotel, in Sydney in 1992 or 93. Nervous laughter subsided when Kerry performed what would be become her signature style – political, punchy, passionate poetry. She went on to give the Australian poetry scene a lot to think about, challenging the national white conscience through her collections Black Woman, Black Life  and Talkin’ About Country. But it was her work in supporting other writers that will probably be remembered most. She compiled and edited many anthologies including The Strength of Us as Women, Black Women Speak, Message Stick, and most recently, A Pocketful of Leadership.  Kerry was a highly awarded a poet and editor. In 2006 she received an ‘Outstanding Achievement in Poetry’ award and ‘Poet of Merit’ Award from the International Society of Poets. In 2005 she toured Aotearoa New Zealand as part of the Honouring Words 3rd International Indigenous Authors Celebration Tour. In 2003 she was awarded an International Residence from ATSIAB to attend Art Omi, New York, USA. In 1997 she toured South Africa performing in ‘ECHOES’, a national tour of the spoken word.

Her work has also been translated into French, Korean, Bengali, Dutch and other languages.

In her final hours Kerry finally got to hold a proof of her memoir, The Cherry Picker’s Daughter.  I read the first draft of the book in 2006, so I know the time, but more so, the emotional effort that Kerry put into a story that chronicles her memories of her childhood, and pays tribute most importantly, to Mummy – to whom the book is dedicated. The Cherry Picker’s Daughter will be out in October, and we will celebrate its release and Kerry’s life, as we should.

Kerry found collegiality with her local writing community here in Canberra, the Us Mob Writing Group. She loved the gatherings where stories were shared and writing dreams became reality. And Facebook friends will have seen the joy these moments brought to Kerry’s life through photo updates. As someone who lives so far away, I was always glad to see Kerry’s own writing blossom with her writing friends here.

Kerry and FNAWN…

Because Kerry put other’s writing dreams often before her own, she took on the role of Inaugural Chair of the First Nations Australia Writers Network with zeal and a commitment that never waned. Two days before she slipped into her deep sleep, she was STILL working on FNAWN things. It made me angry, because I wanted her to rest, to read or write, or just do something for herself. But working for the benefit of others was Kerry’s way. How many people here today are the beneficiary of Kerry’s generosity, if not once, many, many, times.

Kerry as an activist…

Many of the photos you will see of Kerry in the public domain are of her as a passionate protestor and activist -the strong, sovereign Wiradjuri woman she so proudly called herself.  One line in her LinkedIn profile sums her up completely: Treaty, human rights, self-determination and self-management for First Nations Australia.

Where there was a protest, Kerry marched. Where there was racism, Kerry called it out. Where there was injustice, Kerry raised awareness. From the Tent Embassy to social media, her methods may have changed, but her focus remained.

In recent months, Kerry cemented her sovereignty through Wiradjuri language lessons with her cousin, Aunty Elaine Lomas. She found joy and strength in learning with her family, speaking the tongue of her Ancestors and singing songs in language.

Kerry was and is loved…

When the news of Kerry’s passing hit the Koori grapevine, a wave of grief hit many – from all cultural backgrounds, from all corners of the country, but many abroad as well. Hearts were simultaneously broken, and tears were shed. By family, by friends and by strangers who had never met Kerry, but had heard her speak, had read her work, had been inspired and touched by her passion.

I asked some who knew Kerry, to tell me in one word how they would describe her – so in case you never knew the impact you had my friend, these are the many ways you are thought of:

As… Compassionate, spirited, nurturing, selfless, strong, culturally generous, solid, optimistic, warm-hearted, loving, fearless, inspirational, magic, nurturing, passionate, empowering, protective, astounding, yarruwala, tidda, beautiful, with deep roots, fierce, encouraging, proud, kind hearted, as a Warrior, sparkling, wicked sense of humour, dhuuluuyaldaany (straight talker) ngurrbul (love), and yindyamarra (respect).

Kerry’s favourite sayings…

I could talk about my mingaan for days. And I know everyone here has stories, but let’s just reflect on some of Kerry’s favourite sayings:

Kerry often used the word ‘Magic’ to describe something wonderful – an event, a moment, a feeling. She also used Wacko a lot – most of us heard her say it, and we read it in emails and texts. It is in her final text to me the night before she slipped into unconsciousness.

Whenever we talked about dramas that were far from funny, I was always astounded that Kerry could laugh, and she’d just say, ‘You’ve gotta laugh babe.’ I lost count of how many times I heard that over the 27 years of our friendship.

‘Fire in the belly’ was also a phrase Kerry would use to describe the passion that came from within. Any time I hear someone else say those words, they carry me back to her.

My final thoughts are around the phrase Kerry would use when posting photos of her family and friends on Facebook. She would often say, ‘How blessed / lcuky am I?’

Well, the thing is, it is we who are blessed and lucky, Kerry. To have had you in our lives, to have been gifted your strength and wisdom, your caring and kindness, your unconditional love, your laughter, your generosity of spirit, your fierce loyalty, your unbelievable capacity to forgive, and your unending generosity.

It’s a big wacko from me, from all of us, as we toast you with a Bacardi and coke and a slice of lemon, we know that you are with the Ancestors, with all those who have passed over, and you will be there when we arrive too. Wearing your mini-skirt, your Aboriginal flag t-shirt, and your hat. And wearing that beautiful, beaming smile.

Yindyamarra my beautiful mingaan, we love you, now and forever.

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Top photo credit: Marissa McDowell

Adam Goodes, The Final Quarter and a Call to Action

Last week I delivered the National Reconciliation Week Oration for the City of Melbourne. I spoke about my own truths as a reluctant recruit to the process, and why I write – to tell the truths of our past, and of our present.

I explained that the Reconciliation process is emotionally and mentally exhausting for many Aboriginal people, because by-and-large, we are still the ones doing all the work, when the heavy lifting is meant to be done by non-Indigenous Australians. And I asked the audience present, and watching via livestream – the ‘goodwill soldiers’ of the process – to be courageous in their conversations as we move forward.

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THE FINAL QUARTER

I put out a call to action about fighting racism, and talked about the film THE FINAL QUARTER which will premiere at the Sydney Film Festival tomorrow night.

I’ve seen the film. I’ve relived via the work of Ian Darling and his team, those final, shameful moments of Adam’s career. And doing so was heartbreaking, challenging, frightening and sad. Just as it was when it unfolded back when Adam was Australian of the Year, an elite Australian athlete, role model and a strong voice in the anti-racism campaign #RacismItStopsWithMe

As I sat in a private suite alone in the dark, I watched with tears in my eyes and a tremor in my heart.  When telling others of my reaction to the film afterwards, I struggled to find the word to describe the sadness and the fear I felt reliving that time for a friend, for a brother and for myself as an Aboriginal woman. I call that word: fearness.

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#ISTANDWITHADAM

Back then we did what we could to support Adam. To let him know that he was respected, admired and still the role model we needed. We created the #IStandWithAdam Statement supported by people from around the country, which read in part:

We the undersigned stand in unity alongside Adam Goodes as we did with Nicky Winmar (1993) and Cathy Freeman (1994). We condemn the fact that our gifted sporting heroes, our respected ambassadors, our treasured national icons continue to be ridiculed for demonstrating pride in their identity as First Australians.

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I think that blatant wave of public racism directed at Adam Goodes in the media and at football grounds, impacted all of us, and it is why I was in tears within the first few minutes of viewing and sobbed when it was over. I felt completely wiped out sitting through the collection of media reports and footage that demonstrated bad sportsmanship at best and public displays of ugly racism at worst. Can you imagine what it was like for Adam – national treasure and legend – back then.

Now my maths isn’t great and you may disagree with me. But there are 18 teams in the AFL. Eleven are Victorian. Commentators: Andrew Bolt, Eddie McGuire, Sam Newman and their audiences are by and large Victorians. Victoria is an AFL state. Victoria is the hub for the game because of its history. I don’t know many Victorians who don’t have an AFL team they follow. With that in mind, I think Victoria holds a huge amount of responsibility for dealing with, responding to and wiping out racism in the AFL.

CALL TO ACTION:

And so, my call to action to the audience that day who were mostly Victorians – but to anyone reading this right now, is this:

When you get the opportunity to see THE FINAL QUARTER (and you can view a trailer here), take someone with you, who you know doesn’t understand what the truth was around the ‘Adam Goodes affair’. Have the courage to insist they go, shout them the ticket if you need to. And have the courage to have the conversation necessary afterwards. It will not be easy. The doco is challenging for all, especially those who cannot see, and cannot understand the truth of what racism looks like and is.

Truth and courage – that’s what this country needs, and I think we can create a better future for all if we can be honest and brave in what needs to be said, and what needs to be heard, particularly around racism in sport.

[Images supplied by Shark Island Institute]

Karu: Growing Up Gurindji

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I was / am proud to endorse this significant cultural product, recently released through Spinifex Press. Karu: Growing Up Gurindji shares the cultural knowledge, language and experiences of some extraordinary women and their roles as matriarchs, aunties, sisters and health workers. Karu gives new meaning to the phrase ‘bedtime stories’ with Dreamtimes stories about Gurindji country, it’s creatures, and the morals followed to live a rich life. This book, accompanied by striking photos and artwork, is not only a gift to mothers, but everyone who values children.

Karu: Growing Up Gurindji is available now for $29.95. Buy it for yourself, for a friend, for your local school.

 

Review: Nganajungu Yagu by Charmaine Papertalk Green

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Since Charmaine Papertalk Green’s poetry was first published in The Penguin Book of Australian Women Poets in 1986, her voice on the page has been consistent: eloquently powerful, respectfully challenging and true to her role in life as a Yamatji Ngarlu. Nganajungu Yagu is no different, considering, as it does, respect for ancestors, connection to country, the role of the poet and Yamatji identity.

The writing in Nganajungu Yagu is dedication to the Papertalk Green’s mother, and is built around a series of selected correspondence between her and her mother; each provides a deeply personal insight into not only their relationship, but the cultural, political and social landscape of her Yamatji country during the 1970s.

As Papertalk Green writes, these are ‘Not just letters’. Rather, they create a tangible story and bond between Yagu and Daughter, and gently remind us of the sacrifices made by most of our matriarchs over time. Each letter and response provide not only a ‘mark of existence’ for the writer but a medium for mother / daughter to connect while at a distance. Her gift is one that makes us pause and reflect on our own behaviours. The love and respect penned here will inspire readers of any age and identity to think about the ways we engage people we love through words. Or, more importantly, the ways we should engage.

The revival of letters here not only reminds me of the nearly lost art of letter-writing, but the impact a letter has on its receiver. ‘I could feel the love hugs springing off the paper’, she writes in ‘Paper Love’. I challenge any reader to put this book down and not feel compelled to write a letter to someone in their life – past or present.

It is through the bilingual poem ‘Walgajunmanha All the Time’ that Papertalk Green clarifies her role as a First Nations writer, and I honour her for keeping our people, our stories, and the Yamatji language on the literary radar and accessible to all readers through her poetry. When the academy, the literati and festival directors discuss Australian poetry in the years to come, they should all have Nganajungu Yagu on the top of their lists and Papertalk Green as a key voice in the poetic landscape.

In the United Nations International Year of the Indigenous Languages, Nganajungu Yagu is a work of cultural significance and educational influence. As I closed this book for the first time, I found myself circling back in my mind to a number of phrases. Those that keep recurring are …

Yagu, I always remembered the beauty of our culture

Despite the racism seen in every step I took along years

Culture love was and is the anchor done for everything.

Nganajungu Yagu. Cordite Books . ISBN: 9780648511601 $20.00

(This review also appears as the Introduction to the book).

Daybreak on Darumbal Country

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I set my alarm for 6am, and as instructed, left for the Yeppoon waterfront before the anticipated 6.20am sunrise. It was a short walk from the Sail Inn and I passed by cafes setting up tables, and election volunteers preparing for the long day ahead as Australians were taking to the polls.

I breathed deeply when I reached the front of the Yeppoon Surf Life Saving Club, and was grateful that the dawn greeted me with open arms, over an ocean that looked more inviting than any I’d ever seen. I looked left and right and took photos like the typical tourist I guess. But how could I not capture the above images? I wanted the rest of the world to see how stunning this landscape / seascape is.

I wondered as I stood there, how many 10s of 1000s of years did the local Darumbal people stare out to the same sunrise?

And then I ran. Not far. Not fast. But I ran along the north for 2kms and then back again. Just far enough to see some of the coastline and smile at others, also doing their best to be healthy. I ran enough to make me feel less guilty about the donut I then ate for breakfast. ‘You must try the donuts at Whisk, you must, you must!’ I was told. And so I did. Hmmmm, I don’t think I actually burned enough calories running to deserve the below, but I always trust the advice of locals who know their town.

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Thank you Yeppoon!

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Who would’ve thought the small town of Yeppoon was the place to be on a Friday night? Well, turns out it was last Friday, when I was there for a wonderful evening with local readers and writers interested in talking about the writing journey.

I was overwhelmed by the gathering that included 25 enthusiastic women, two beautiful students and the Deputy Mayor, Graham Scott. A huge thanks to all the local Darumbal women, and Murris from further afield, who came along to make me feel welcomed and supported. It was so deadly to have you all there.

I owe my gratitude to Busi Women Inc who coordinated my visit (which included working with students at St . Brendan’s College earlier in the day), with particular mentions to Business Coach Naomi Arnold and to the owners of the Sail Inn, who not only provided me with a super comfy bed to rest my weary head and legs, but also left me some cheeky snacks to nibble on. I’ll be back!

Hawaiian Happiness

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I’m feeling a bit stressed today, anxious, and overwhelmed, and a having to check my mental well-being. It’s times like these that it’s important for me to think about peaceful places, happy spaces, times and events where I am full of energy and my spirit is strong.  Most recently, I felt most at peace after the half marathon in Hawaii.

And so, as I sat at the airport waiting for my 39th flight for 2019,  I flicked through photos of my phone and felt a sense of relief because I was reminded that moments of stress pass when I focus on the positive moments in my life. And the people who bring joy into my life.

The turquoise waters of Waikiki, the swaying palm trees, and the surf board that carried me out to meditate atop the water early one morning, straight after a beautiful shower – these images take me to a better place. These memories were all the medicine I needed before I walked to the gate to board my flight.

I’m just sharing these few photos with you today in the hope, that if your soul and mind need soothing, then perhaps they will help, or my words will remind you perhaps to think back to a beautiful memory of your own.

There’s nothing groundbreaking here, but sometimes the best medicine is simplicity.

XO

BlackWords on tour = I love my job

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I love my job! And I love that I can say that. Since 2006 I have worked with Kerry Kilner and the AustLit  team at the University of QLD to build a one-of-its-kind online resource called BlackWords. It’s a research community and database that documents the writing, publishing and storytelling activities of First Nations Australians. There is nothing else like it in the world. Even though my actually BlackWords work commitment only part-time it is full-time inspiration. Once you delve into what BlackWords offers I am sure that you too will also see how easy it is to lose yourself in the extraordinary information gathered there. Check it out right now here! 

Our most recent work is developing and delivering professional development to educators and librarians in QLD. Thanks to financial support from the Copyright Agency’s Cultural Fund  and support from UQs School of Communication and the Arts  and the State Library of QLD,  this past week has seen me, along with AustLit team members, Kerry, Emily McConachie and Lindsay Williams roll out Teaching and Learning with BlackWords in Brisbane, Waiben (Thursday Island) and Yarrabah.

There are a lot of shout outs to be had today… firstly to my colleagues Kerry, Emily and Lindsay for sharing my passion for First Nations writing and storytelling, and the desire to get as much of our content as possible into the classroom, via the most appropriate teaching methods possible!

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To the engaging Cassandra Tonga, the wise Melissa Lucashenko and the enthusiastic 60+ educators in Brisbane who threw themselves into the activities at The Edge on Monday, April 30 – I hope you left the event as fulfilled and inspired as I did.

On Wednesday we flew (and ferried) to Waiben (Thursday Island) to present to teachers and local mob at the local community centre, TRAWQ.  Thank you from the bottom of my very full heart to Uncle Milton and Aunty Louisa for the welcome to country and the beautiful gifts. You made us all feel at home and we can’t wait to return.

To the teachers from Tagai State High, Star of the Sea Catholic primary school and Bamaga, thank you for the ideas for more local content. Thank you to our guest author Samantha Faulkner for sharing the writing journey with us, and congrats on your latest book, Pamle.

Thank you also to local Elders who joined us for lunch and the afternoon yarning circle. We were / are so blessed to receive your time and knowledge and I hope we see some of your stories in print! See you all again soon (fingers crossed).

Our final stop on this leg of the tour was the Indigenous Knowledge Centre at Yarrabah.

Click to view slideshow.

It was my second visit to this deadly IKC and it was wonderful to see the warm smile of the super dedicated Pamela Mundraby, Coordinator of the welcoming, colourful and much used library space.

Thank you to Uncle Bryce for the welcome to country and your story which started our day off culturally and provided the perfect segue into why we were all there.

In Yarrabah we had educators from both primary and secondary schools, TAFE and Cairns Council, and I was inspired by the interest and commitment of all to ensure they got Indigenous voices into their classroom and office spaces. I left Yarrabah exhausted in the best possible way.

I love being able to giveaway books, so the very generous donations of books by UQP meant that quite a few delegates to our sessions went home with some deadly novels by Melissa Lucashenko,  Paul Collis, Tara June Winch and Ellen van Neerven.

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I’m looking forward to (hopefully) taking our sessions to Mt Isa, Cherbourg and Coolangatta in the months to come. In the meantime, please check out BlackWords and keep an eye out for what’s new in BlackWords here!