NAIDOC Week, MABO and self-determination at Sydney Girls High School

 

On Friday morning I stepped into the grounds of Sydney Girls High School  and felt a sense of peace immediately. I now know it was because of the enormously warm spirit of the 900+ students and progressive teachers that permeates the school. I was there to help celebrate NAIDOC Week, taking to the stage at their school assembly alongside Aunty Ali Golding (pictured to the left above) and Matthew Doyle who literally blew the girls away with his deadly didge playing.

As the assembly occurred only hours after the Australian Parliament passed legislation to roll out another ten years of the NT Intervention (now known as Stronger Futures), I was somewhat pre-occupied with what felt like someone standing on my heart. And my head was pounding with trying to understand how the media had let this significant political moment pass Australians by.

I therefore appreciated being able to share a positive moment of celebration with the students and especially grateful for the words of Year 11 Legal Students Ruby Lew and Isabella Olsson (pictured with me below) who delivered an address that demonstrated a better understanding of Aboriginal self-determination than  Australian politicians in the major parties. Also considering the history of Native Title following the recent release of MABO the movie, I pleaded with the articulate students for permission to post their speech here. And so below you’ll find their words. I hope you share them with others in your circle.

So, thank you SGHS for reminding me that the future is in good hands! And again, Happy NAIDOC Week!

NAIDOC WEEK SPEECH by Ruby Lew and Isabella Olsson

26 days ago, on the 3rd June, Aboriginal people all over the country celebrated the 20th anniversary of what is perhaps the most significant court case in Australian legal history. Unbeknownst to millions of non-Indigenous Australians, for whom the 3rd of June was just any other Sunday, the nation celebrated a decision that overturned the legal doctrine of terra nullius after 200 years.

The Mabo Decision of 1992 was the result of a 10 year long court case lodged initially by Eddie Mabo, David Passi and James Rice in 1982.

  

Eddie Mabo grew up in the Murray Islands, under the oppression of government instituted racism against the Aboriginal people, at the helm of which was QLD Premier Bjelke Petersen. Eddie Koiki Mabo grew up believing that despite all the government was intent on taking from his people, the Meriam people still rightfully owned the land upon which their ancestors had occupied for time immemorial- the Murray Island.

Eddie Mabo was working at the James Cook University in Townsville when he discovered that this was not true – the Murray Islands were owned by the Crown and the State of QLD.

Eddie Mabo, David Passi and James Rice lodged a claim in 1982 for native title over the Murray Islands. This claim was on behalf of all the Meriam people, or as Rice said:

I was not there for the Rice family but for all the world.

It was Mabo’s strength, perseverance and determination to win legal acknowledgement of the rights of his people that led the Mabo case to its victory.

 The impact of Mabo over the past 20 years has been far reaching. The Mabo Decision amended the constitution of Australia to acknowledge the Aboriginal people as the rightful and historic owners of this land. Firstly, and perhaps most importantly, the Mabo Decision was an official acknowledgement of the native ownership of the Aboriginal people over the Australian lands prior to colonization in 1788. It extinguished the ‘terra nullius’ doctrine that had been upheld in Australian law for 200 years upholding the fiction that upon colonization Australia was a ‘land belonging to noone’. Thus the Mabo decision provided, and continues to provide the Australian people with knowledge and acknowledgement of the history of our nation that stretches far, far back beyond 1788.

The Mabo Decision also threw open a gateway for Indigenous land rights claims where they had been previously denied under the ‘terra nullius’ doctrine. As a result of the Mabo decision, 30 Indigenous groups have so far formally established native title. A further 600 claims are pending. 225, 000 square kilometers have been successfully claimed.

 We were asked today to make a speech about the significance of Mabo. In all I have just said, the legal and practical implications of the Mabo decision are clear. But the true impact of the Mabo decision reaches far beyond the courtroom.

 It is important to understand that the acknowledgement of native title is unique under Australian law. It is not granted by the Crown like other titles, rather it is an acknowledgement of title that is inherent to Aboriginal peoples as the first owners and possessors of this land. Native title does not require a court case for its existence, but through Mabo it has acquired a method of recognition and enforcement.

Unfortunately, despite the immensity of reform brought about by the Mabo decision in the 1990s, little actual progress has been made since then. Aboriginal people still face serious challenges when trying to achieve the recognition of native title and in the wider picture, fighting for self determination.

Self-determination has been the goal of indigenous groups since even before Mabo, with the aim of it to have decisions regarding Aboriginal communities made by Aboriginal people rather than distant authorities. The Mabo decision and native title have been crucial elements in furthering self-determination and increasing the sense of pride and belonging in the Aboriginal community, but there are major barriers not only preventing progress for self-determination. For example, the Northern Territory intervention was a drastic and inhumane measure against the chronic issues facing Aboriginal communities in northern Australia that stripped many indigenous people of their basic human rights, and almost completely destroyed any concepts of self-determination worked for beforehand. It is one of many obstacles that are preventing aborigines and the wider community from achieving self-determination.

Whilst this policy has been officially instigated by both the government and the public, there have been several decisions made in relation to native title that inhibit rights of Aboriginal people and accessibility to legal recognition of their land. Australia went backward in terms of Aboriginal land rights in the early 2000s, and the ramifications of those laws are still being felt. Despite massive support from the Aboriginal community to legally restore native claims, initiatives such as the Howard government’s 10 Point Plan have made it increasingly difficult for this recognition to be achieved. In the last 20 years, only 30 of nearly 600 Aboriginal clans have had native title restored; a mere fraction of the land that has been occupied by their ancestors for thousands of years.

These policies instigated by Australian governments have really inhibited the power of the Mabo decision to bring about great positive change for Aboriginal people. Under the 10 Point Plan, it is up to the people seeking recognition to prove their connection with the land, and this is made extremely difficult under the current legislation. Not to mention, the groups against native title recognition are generally wealthy mining or agricultural companies who have the resources available to pursue lengthy court cases, for whom it is made all too easy to block native title claims in the interest of profits. So, we can see that the battle for land rights that Mabo established is far from over for the Aboriginal people.

Even so, the struggle Eddie Mabo fought to bring about change that was so needed in Australia has left a legacy that continues to influence not only the Aboriginal community, but Australia as a whole. Hundreds of people every year are fighting to be recognised as the original owners of their land, and even more are fighting to achieve self-determination in the eyes of the law and society. Their battles  began with Eddie Mabo, and it’s his legacy that spurs them on.

So next year, on Mabo Day, June 3rd, let us take a moment to remember and recognize the achievements of the Decision whose name bears the remembrance of Eddie Mabo. He was a man whose perseverance and determination changed the face of Australian land law forever, and whose will for change will endure. And let us remember our duty as Australians to strive to protect the millennia long history of this nation and its Indigenous people. 

Badgerys Creek, Books in Homes and beautiful children: I’m grateful

That headline pretty much sums up an afternoon that reminded me of all that is good in life. Yesterday, I headed out to Badgerys Creek – once known for the potential to become Sydney’s second airport. I cruised amid a sea of cars along the M5 as rain drizzled down on a chilly winter's day. I was however, feeling unusually warm inside; focused on my mission to assist a book-giving ceremony as part of Australia’s Books in Homes program.

As a proud Ambassador for BIH and the National Year of Reading my job is easy: I yarn with groups of school kids – often in low socio-economic areas – about the importance of reading, and then watch joy sweep across young faces as they are gifted with books of their choice, sponsored largely by local businesses.

As I approached Badgerys Creek Public School, leaving the city and then suburbia behind, I wondered what the school of twenty-four students might actually be like. Well dear readers, it was an oasis of positivity, high spirits, extraordinarily good behaviour, and to me, a reminder amongst all the darkness in the news every day, that we can have a bright future if we nurture our young people. 

These kids love to read, and were thrilled with their new titles, sponsored by the University of Western Sydney, my alma mater. Representing UWS yesterday was the lovely Laura Archibald, pictured below with the very eloquent school captains who MC’d the event, starting with a beautiful acknowledgement to country. Here's the words they used:

At Badgerys Creek PS we acknowledge the traditional custodians of this land - the Darug, Gandangara and Dhurawal people.  We pay our respects to elders both past, present and future and extend that respect to other Aboriginal present, as they hold the memories, the traditions, the culture and hopes of Aboriginal Australia.  We must always remember that under the asphalt this land is, was and always will be traditional Aboriginal land.

And they finished with their school creed, which I think should be a mantra for all:
This is our school
Let peace dwell here,
Let the rooms be full of contentment,
Let love abide here,
Love of our school,
Love of one another.
Love of self and love of god.
Let us remember that as many hands make a house
so many hearts make a school.

I was fortunate enough to be able to read with some of the kids after the official business was over and even though I promised not to sing, it was a bit difficult when reading There’s a hole in my bucket by Jenny Cooper. 

But wait - there was more! I was also presented with a book! That's right. 3-6's Spooky Adventures (cover below) is a collection of stories written by the students of BCPS. You are advised that the contents of this work will make you shiver and shake, give you genuine thrills, will stop you from sleeping and that it's  a petrifyingly teeth chattering read. There's scary, blood-chilling endings, spooky endings, and you are dared to read the work if you can handle the terrifyingly spooky, scary twists and dramatically horrifying stories. Now that's some warning!

I am truly grateful to BIH and to Badgerys Creek Public School for allowing me into their worlds and most importantly, to be able to share the joy of reading with such beautiful students. Kudos also to those organisations and community groups nationally who support the program finally, ensuring that all Australian kids can have their own books.

Last year I visited the cherubs at La Perouse Public School for a BIH presentation, and blogged about why I was / am grateful for the program. You can read about that experience here. 

Women (and children) of Letters...

Old-fashioned letters are rare these days, with much personal communication replaced by 140-character tweets, facebook status updates, and text messages that massacre standard English with acronyms and emoticons. So, it was a delightful start to the past week for me, being able to write a letter and then to my surprise, in unrelated circumstances, receive one.

Last Sunday I was part of the nationally famed fundraising event known as Women of Letters, curated and presented by the lovely Marieke Hardy and Michaela McGuire.

I took to the stage at the Red Rattler in Marrickville with a fabulous group of Australian women all working in the media. That’s us above, from left to right (back row): Annabel Crabbe, Leigh Sales, Charlotte Dawson, Tracey Spicer, (front row) Lucy Carter, Michaela McGuire and Jennifer Byrnes.  (Pic by Tarsha Hosking)

We were all asked to pen a letter ‘To the moment all the lights came on...’ and collectively the responses included  addresses to  misogynists, step-fathers, girls we could’ve been kinder to at school and my own, a personal note ‘To Dear Academia’ and our intimate relationship over the years. The afternoon was rich with emotions; we empathised, sympathised, we laughed and sometimes felt guilty.  Such is the power of a personal letter, penned to someone or something that has impacted on our life in some way.

A shout-out to the audience who hammed it up with us. I do believe as a performer, that sometimes I am only as good as the audience. So, if I was good on the day it was because I was feeding off a room full of positive energy.

During a short Q&A as part of the event, I mentioned the joy I experience when I receive letters from school kids who have read my novels (usually its Who Am I? The diary of Mary Talence, Sydney 1937) or after I have visited their classrooms. Sometimes the letters are handwritten, sometimes they are elaborately designed on the computer with colourful backgrounds and fancy text. Either way, I pay kudos to students and their teachers for taking the time to engage in the art form of letter writing, and giving something back to the authors they are studying.

Apropos of that, on Monday morning I toddled off to the post office and found a wonderful letter from the Year 5/6 students of Mirani State School in QLD. A few weeks back I Skyped into their class to talk about books and writing, and they grilled me with questions developed after reading Who Am I? and trawling through my website. I loved the time I spent yarning with them - and we laughed, A LOT. They were impressed with my ‘shiny jewellery collection’ and many commented on it in their letter to me. They also suggested I 'talk a lot and fast' and one student even questioned whether I was breathing when I was 'talking so fast and a lot'. Fair call!

Along with their beautiful letter full of reflections came a fabulous collection of photos of the students in different poses – included doing ‘The Scream’. As an added bonus I received a beautiful headband in the school colours, handmade by student Janine Marshall. And they were all packaged up in a trademark Mirani & Co blue box (see pic below). Who needs Tiffany’s? (Well I do, but not this week!)

Review: Marngrook the long-ago story of Aussie Rules

By Titta Secombe / Illustrated by Grace Fielding

Magabala Books  RRP $12.95 ISBN: 978-1-921248-44-3

I pretty much know nothing about the AFL – other than Adam Goodes and Michael O’Loughlin are top blokes, which most people already know. But this morning I read Marngrook: a long ago story of Aussie Rules Football, and was surprised to learn that the game of ‘football’ as it is known today, was being played 150 years ago by Aboriginal people in northwest Victoria.

Titta Secombe, a descendant of the Djab-Wurrung and Jardwadjali clans of Gariwerd (whitefellas call it the Grampians), grew up listening to stories from her Elders about marngrook (football). Through her interpretation and sharing of the stories she heard, we learn in this vibrantly illustrated work, exactly how the first football was made: the banya (ringtail possum) skin was stuffed with emu feathers, shaped into an egg and laced up with tendon from a kangaroo tail! Talk about innovation!

Between the history lesson, artwork by multi awarding-winning Grace Fielding (Bilby and the Bushfire and Who’s thatJumbun in the log?  among her titles), Jardwadjali language words used throughout, and the greater moral message often found in Aboriginal-authored kids books, Marngrook is not only fantastic for use in the classroom, but will be appreciated by all young readers and sports lovers alike.

Small warning: this might not be the best book for vegetarians, but we’re talking about real bushtucker, and this is how people survived on the land!

Grab your copy direct from Magabala Books  or from Booktopia, and be sure and ask your school and local library to order it in as well.

Also, love to hear what you think of the work…

Brisbane’s got talent!

That’s right, in the heart of South Brisbane overlooking the mighty river and bustling Southbank, there’s a pool of talent sitting on top of a hill. The site is known as St Laurence’s College, and is home to over 1500 young Australian men and their teachers.

As part of the National Year of Reading 2012 - of which I am a proud Ambassador - I am working with a small group of Year 10 lads (that’s them above), and together we are writing a short novel. With the aim of embracing the Brisbane identity in all it’s multicultural, proudly-Maroon and respect-for-the-river glory, we have been working steadily since March to create characters and scenes and a storyline that we can all agree on. That’s no easy task with so many creative minds on one project, but these fellas have nailed the process.

Not only have they created interesting and believable characters (cops, victims, suspects and families) that reflect the local Greek and Murri populations, but we’ve got scenes at the Ekka and the State of Origin, there’s live action at Musgrave Park and down at the artificial beach in the parklands. AND we’ve got a few murders thrown in for good measure. It’s been a strain on their brains as I’m sure you can imagine. Look how hard they are concentrating in that pics above and below.

I applaud these young men in their creative process because I believe that real talent can produce an interesting and engaging story without running people down or using profanities, without gratuitous sex or even sexism for that matter. It’s also possible to engage teenagers without excessive violence – okay so our story opens with someone lying in a pool of blood, but that’s about as gory as it gets. And yet the work is full of suspense and action. 

Looking at the group above, you’ll be believe me when I say there’s some funny lines in there are also. I think this team of writers could in fact pen comedy if they turned their minds and time to it. Truth is they are incredibly busy excelling in their academic studies, sports and music, so it’s been truly a gift to be able to work on this project the past few months.

It’s not over though! We’re just going through the second draft now and sending the next one to the deadly Janet Hutchinson who has worked with such wonderful and award winning authors as: Tara June Winch, Larissa Behrendt and Rod Moss to name a few. Janet also did the structural edit on my most recent book Am I Black Enough For You?

 

I’ll sign off now, and catch you all up later down the track as we approach publication and our launch later in the year. For now though, I will admit that it’s been a wonderful challenge working with the St Laurie’s lads, especially given my last four novels were about dating, shopping and cultural engagement. I’ve had a ball so far and am truly grateful for the opportunity to create new stories with our future authors.

 PS A HUGE shout-out to Principal Ian McDonald and teachers Cheryl Toohey and Roy Wojciechowski for your support for both myself and the boys. You rock!

Reconciliation Week Roundup... my gratefuls

Without doubt, National Reconciliation Week 2012 must go down on record as the most successful to date, with over 500 events organised across the nation, individuals and whole communities talking about recognition, and major steps forward taken in uniting us as Australians.

I remain proud to have been part of the official program last week, engaging with and enabling others to be part of the conversation in a few ways. I just want to note below those I remain grateful to for sharing the journey with me, and helping to facilitate intelligent and often personal dialogue. I must also note, how impressed I was to see such a groundswell of support on social media sites like Twitter and I thank all those who shared, tweeted, retweeted and linked during the week. You guys rock.

More specifically, I’d like to express my gratitude for the following:

My guest bloggers: I’m extremely grateful not only for the time my guest bloggers offered last week, but more importantly their very personal opinions and experiences when it comes to reconciliation and recognition. I was grateful also that I could quote them along the way as I spoke to audiences about the importance of the movement, which I believe is the most powerful grassroots movement this country has ever seen. If you missed the blogs, you can read them now and still be inspired (let’s face it, Reconciliation should be considered everyday!). Check out educator and blogger Luke  Luke Pearson, storyteller Jessica Rudd, Olympian Patrick Johnson, workers’ rights activist Jill Biddington, and poet /performer Steven Oliver. Be sure and share their words with other you think may be inspired, or indeed, may need to hear them!

ACT Justice and Community Safety Directorate: I must admit that I hadn’t even heard of the ACT JACS Directorate before my invitation to speak as part of NRW, but boy was I impressed to get to know some of the massive team. On a chilly Canberra afternoon, staff from across the agency and the city came along to hear what Reconciliation means to me. The audience included a range of staff with everyone from ACT Human Rights and Discrimination Commissioner Helen Watchirs (pictured with me above) to Corrective Services Officers (okay so I thought the uniforms were cops but I was wrong), and collectively they provided a pleasant reminder of the breadth of reach the Reconciliation movement has today. A shout out to Oliver Kickett (pictured above), Senior Policy Officer and Co-Chair of the Reconciliation Action Plan Working Group for coordinating the event, and extending the invitation. Too deadly brother.

666ABC Canberra: A quick spin along Nortbourne Avenue and I was in the 666ABC studios with the fab broadcaster Louise Maher  (pictured above). Can I tell you how much more meaningful an interview is when those asking the questions HAVE READ THE BOOK?! That’s why love dropping into the Canberra station, the conversation is always valuable and respectful. I was grateful also to be able to share the positive things in regards to Reconciliation with the local listeners. As we say, every time people come to care and share the conversation, the Reconciliation process takes a step forward. We took a few steps that day, I’m sure.

Then, as a bonus, outside the studio I met the gorgeous Gail Mabo (pictured below), daughter of the late Eddie Koiki Mabo and quite simply, a beautiful spirit. Also here was Mus Bano! I left smiling big!

Australian National University: A quick frock change after the ABC, I was standing in a theatre of the Manning Clark Centre at the ANU yarning about Reconciliation, education and identity. I quickly relaxed with the 200 members of the audience who’d ventured out into the chilly Canberra. I was thrilled to see family members (that’s my cousin Sharon below), lecturers of mine from two decades ago, teachers from schools I have worked in, unmet friends from Twitter and Facebook, and other every day citizens wanting to be part  of the journey. It was an extraordinary night for me, and for that I’m grateful to the Tjabal Indigenous Higher Education Centre headed by Peter Radoll and to Lucy Wedlock for coordinating my travel. Also, a shoutout to the gorgeous staff from the Coop Bookshop who came along and sold copies of Am I Black Enough for You?

Trinity Grammar School, Melbourne: Following my event at the Wheeler Centre in April  , I was invited by TGS to speak at their Dadirri Reconciliation Dinner on June 4. I’m always overwhelmed with a sense of hope and peace when I visit schools that easily and effectively embrace Reconciliation, social justice and a basic respect for all of society. And so demonstrated the TGS school community –students, teachers, parents – came along not only to hear me speak, but also to share the experiences of Miriam Yirrininba and Mervyn Brown from ARDS www.ards.com.au in the Northern Territory. It was interesting for all of us to see the extreme differences in lifestyle between Miriam and I, but how we the shared values and desires in improving the lot of our mobs. Kudos Andrew Rice for pulling it all together, including catering by Mark Olive. And congratulations to all the students who choose be part of the Reconciliation group at TGS. Finally, thank you to Will Macafee, a budding Year 7 photographer, who has got the arty thing going. He also took fabulous shots of yours truly, but my hair was so tragic I can’t post them here.

 

Thank you Canberra!

I was recently invited to Canberra to do what I love most - deliver workshops to students and educators. Coordinated by Cara Shipp, my first stop was working with the Year 9 Advanced English Class at Wanniassa School. Within our two-hour jam-packed session the motivated students created characters / settings and brainstormed / wrote about Australian Indigenous society and culture. I was impressed and inspired by the diversity of voice, range of ideas and quality of output given everything was a first draft. I’m pleased to share here today, some of the words penned by the group (pictured above).

Haiku

By Cameron, Nate, Thien, Sam

Spears sailed through the air

They pierced the kangaroo’s heart

They feasted on him.

Hunters search for food

Birds, kangaroos and wombats

They use boomerangs.

On Ngunnawal land

Animals wander the land

Kangas, wombats, snakes

Truganini

By Jasmine, Jaymee, Eloise

She was a true Tasmanian princess

She was rebellious, wild and free

She was understandable, a uniter

She was the gatherer of many

She was acceptable, yet aggressive

She was natural and pure

She was impassioned in her cause

She was noble, she was native

She was idealistic, an icon for Aboriginals

She was Truganini.

Untitled

By Courtney and Gwynneth

The sun radiated off the glistening riverbed as a kangaroo sprung by with a mysterious look in its eye.  We spent our day in the desert-like bush telling our tales of the dreamtime.  In the distance the kookaburras sang gleefully as our bush ticker slid into the depths of our empty stomachs.  The children bathed in the murky shallow waters as dawn fell upon us.  The stars shone through the overgrowth as we gathered around the intensely hot campfire.  Sharing stories once again.

War

By Sarah and Karen

Aboriginal soldiers fought for our country,

And came back as one of the boys,

They came back and were treated poorly,

As if war was a game, and they were toys.

Not bad for first drafts, eh? 

The next day I delivered a keynote address at the ACTATE annual conference titled “Sharing the Secrets of Success”, where I spoke with English teachers from across the Territory working in state, Catholic and independent schools. As always, the chance to engage with those developing syllabus was of huge interest to me, and I relished the opportunities to share with them some important resources to make delivering Indigenous Studies easier, more effective and with efficient.

I was pleased also to reconnect with teachers I’d met previously including Lynn Price (with me above). Lynn’s an EALD Teacher and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education Contact Officer at Weetangera Primary School. I had the good fortunate of working with Lynn’s students in 2011 and blogged about some of their work following a two day workshop in Canberra.

I’m pleased to hear that many of the conference participants have since followed up my suggestion to access and utilise BlackWords: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Writers and Storytellers database.

This year was my second appearance at the ACTATE conference; let’s see if I can make a hat-trick in 2013!

After hours: While in Canberra, and because I travel a lot and lose the momentum of exercise, I went out of my way to find a local gym, and I feel compelled to say that the Southern Cross Health Club is one of the best gyms I have ever visit. And that’s coming from someone who’s had a number of memberships to various clubs in the past twenty years. Kudos to the very friendly staff there, and thank you for a very pleasant (albeit exhausting) exercising experience.

Finally, following work and exercise, one must relax, unwind, debrief, and for that I thank my local friend Kerry Reed-Gilbert for breaking bread (and eating pasta) with me at the incredibly hospitable Bellucis in Woden. 

Who said Canberra was all roundabouts and politicians?