STICS Meeting on 27 June 2011 with special speaker:
Katherine Napaljarri Parker from Kintore, NT
Part 1: the speech
A very abbreviated summary of her speech:
Katherine: our viewpont about how to live on land is different to NT govt.
We are not given the choice to use basic services and live in the cultural way. The theory is that you have to live in an anthropological past or modern world nowhere in between. If you wish to live in homeland you're not entitled to any support.
At Kintore we have some Mexican style homes that allow for extended family but Govt is building homes for nuclear familities. Our tradition is to go to fulfil cultural obligations and share family responsibilities with extended families. We are being attacked with an invisible gun. At right times we have obligation to country to burn for the reseeding and the animals. Govt has found 2 people to sign for mining and now it is coming. We have kept mining out. Govt doesn't recognise how we look after and maintain our country and the ecosystems. Elders taught us how to listen to country. We know the secrets of the land. If a ranger program was implemented our work would be acknowledged. We are already keeping the sustainablilty law. Our law is the first law and they have been slowly taking away our rights and saying they know better.
Katherine Napaljarri Parker at STICS - part 1 on Vimeo.
Part 2: Questions and Answers
Katherine:
Kintore is 10mins from border of WA. When travelling to WA no access to Basic card. They said they gave the land back to us. We have freehold title. We have keep it that they can't mine. They want to develop it for gold etc. We are a long way from the closest hub town. We get nothing for housing, education. We are denied the basic human right to own our home. My parents paid rent and myself and my children will. We built our own swimming pool, courts. The shires have taken back our tractors, all our assets etc. We now have no rights to what is under the ground.What is our feehold title? A lot of people starved over Christmas because the system went down. System crashes regularly. We can only shop at certain places. JJ Jeans, Dimmocks don't have a basics card because they don't like Aboriginal people in their stores. In WA they're fighting the Basic Card. They are systematically finding a way to destroy our culture. Aust people voted to stop racism in the referendum. The govt is targeting culture. Our women's programs are not allowed in our centre. Now they say its only for aged care. They've kept us isolated and taking away any good things/ culture. Its making the old people really sad. We had bilingual. Now govt is setting the curriculum. In the town camps they are blaming bush people. When we come into town we share with our relatives. They are telling town camp people that bush people are bad. Divide and conquer. Just because we have different perspectives does not make us inferior to the rest of Australian people. My uncle was saying we already have our rules of society and they don't want us to practice our culture. They are telling the Aust population that we are bad people. A lot of our men are getting locked up for petty crimes. We have been made into second class sitizens who don't enjoy the rights of ordinary citizens. Govt says they're spending but none is coming to us. With every aspect of our lives we are joined to another person and now they are calling that humbug. Our young people are fighting back when they're insulted .
Traditional owners have no right except to stand or sit where they're telling us to.
We need more people like you here. We need more people to stand up and make this a good society.
Q. Have you heard about people in the north sesceding?
A. We say our vision of Aust is different from your one. I'm pleased if we could be a non-ecomonic zone.
Q. How can we help?
A Speaking up talking up We all have one home this earth and if we don't look after our one home what will happen for future generation? I went with my in-laws to Alice and they were shocked at how the police treated us and the racism in the town. Our forfathers fought for our human rights. When we practice our law we feel such pride such strength. Its sad that people don't recognise this. Our society has always been here and we'll always be here. We need to bring mainstream people to see the beauty and the joy. Mainstream is a slave to money but there is so much more. Our sustainability law could be a guide. They have tarred all men as pedophiles and criminals. Its unfair. When will the Aust govt help us to live peacefully and happily in our own land.
Q. About NITV
A. We do have it out at Kinore and love it