Gerry Georgatos’ fifteen minute address to the Multicultural Media Conference 2013

13 06 2013

Gerry Georgatos’ fifteen minute address to the Multicultural Media Conference 2013

Gerry Georgatos is the co-editor of The Stringer, he is a freelance journalist, contributing journalist to The National Indigenous Times, social commentator, life-long social justice campaigner. Last year he won four national awards for his investigative journalism.

He argues that Australia needs a freer press. He is among a growing number of journalists who believe that Australia needs more protective shield laws for journalists and publishers. He has long argued that Australia needs better protections for whistleblowers, and that Australia needs to reign in the capacity for wealthy individuals and organisations to pursue, unchecked, litigation against journalists and their publishers. Reporters Without Borders ranks Australia 26th in the world in terms of a free press, this is not a good rating, it is an indictment of Australia. The poor ranking is majorly attributable to the disproportionate capacity afforded by the wealthy to employ litigation against journalists and their publishers. The Plaintiffs can initiate litigation without them having aptly proved in the first instance that the litigation or Writs of Defamation were justifiable and not malicious. This has created a culture of fear among the Australian press with many publishers having become averse to publishing stories, no matter how well investigated and researched, if the subject of the story has a history of litigating.

Please read this article on The Stringer: A fair media – let no threat get in the way

May 26th 2013

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Interview: Yorta Yorta Elder Professor Henry Atkinson by Sarah Rhodes

28 05 2013

Professor Henry Atkinson, is the former spokesperson for the Yorta Yorta Council of Elders, was raised in Echuca and has strong ties to his Country. When the Yorta Yorta people lost their native title claim, it made him all the more determined to reclaim their culture and rights.

Uncle Henry is acutely aware of how difficult it is for Indigenous people in South-east Australia to be recognised as Aboriginal people compared with those in Alice Springs, where his adoptive family live.

He wore the Yorta Yorta cloak at the Opening Ceremony of the 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games. The Yorta Yorta community at Echuca were involved in making the cloak with the support of artist Treahna Hamm.

Click here to watch Interview: Yorta Yorta Elder Professor Henry Atkinson.

In 2002, the Yorta Yorta people lost their native title claim as they could not prove that they had continuously occupied their traditional lands in accordance with their traditional laws and customs.

For Monash University Professor Henry Atkinson, the possum skin cloaks are important evidence of the continuing traditional culture of the Yorta Yorta.

Go to photographs related to this video:
On Country: Yorta Yorta Elder Professor Henry Atkinson
Home: Yorta Yorta Elder Professor Henry Atkinson

Further Information

Video transcript:
My name is Henry Atkinson. I’m an elder of the Wolithiga Clan of the Yorta Yorta Nations. I was the former spokesperson of the Council of Elders of the Yorta Yorta Nation. To me, keeping alive our culture, regardless of what clan, what nation, or what group of people we come from, I think it is very important that we really attempt at the highest level to make sure our culture is alive, especially for our younger generations.

Now, before I get into talking about the possum skin cloaks. I just want to say this that, this project or the possum skin project, or anything to do with our culture, is not about revitalising or bringing back. To me, our culture has always been with us.

It’s just that it has been denied to us to carry it to through into from generations and generations. So our culture has survived. It has not died, we are not revitalising it. It is constantly with our Elders, and it’s up to the Elders to make sure that it is passed onto the younger generations, so we do survive for another 75,000 years or more. Now, the possum skin cloaks, to me, certainly was one way of keeping our people warm, but for certain people, the possum skin represented who those people are, their status in their society. That was by the markings that were on the possum skin, on the inside of the possum skin cloaks.

The possum skin cloaks from each of the individual groups tell the story of today. It tells about where they’re from, what the landscape was like, and it also tells who that person is in status in their communities.

The possum skin cloak was worn with the markings on the outside so other people could identify who those people were. They wore the cloak with the fur on the outside when it was raining so the water would drop off and keep the people dry.

Original cloaks Museum Victoria or the Museum Melbourne has two possum skin cloaks that are very, very old, and one of them is from my particular part of the country – Wolithiga.

Those markings on that original possum skin cloak tell the story of the landscape such as the waterways, the rivers, the Dungala, and all the other connections that run into the Dungala like the Eldon rivers.

Of course, the other possum skin cloak in the museum is a Gunditjmara possum skin, and it also tells a story as far as the markings.
We’ve got to continually keep that alive for the younger generations for their self esteem and build them up to be proud of who they are and where they come from, and with possum skin cloaks, this is one way we can do that.

The possum skin cloaks, when you think about North American people, the first peoples of Canada for instance, what did they do with the buffalos. They took the skins of the buffalos and used them as cloaks. Our culture is much, much older than those cultures but it’s just one way of showing that we do have connections to a lot of Indigenous people around the world and their cultures are very, very similar in certain ways.
In getting these possum skin cloaks produced, it helped to bring together our peoples in each of the communities to work on a project and to get ideas from the younger ones, what they want to put on the designs of each of those nations’ possum skin cloaks.
We Exist The Yorta Yorta people, we went through native title and we weren’t successful. Of course, the judge on that day really denied us our rights as Indigenous peoples in his formal assessment of the Yorta Yorta tribe.

I really think that projects such as this can prove, and help other Indigenous peoples, that yes we are alive. We are people. We are Indigenous people and we do still have that culture that is very, very strong.

I have family, adoptive family up in the top end of Australia in Alice Springs. I just want to make this point that it’s very hard for Indigenous people in south-east Australia to be really recognised as Aboriginal people. A lot of non Indigenous people think that there’s only Aboriginal people at the top end of Australia. That is not true. We are Indigenous people down here in south-east Australia and we have a culture. It’s just that what’s happened to our people has not happened in a strong sense to those people up in northern Australia.

So I congratulate those three girls that started this project off, especially Vicki Couzens, the Gunditjmara woman. She’s still carrying on that culture. She’s still carrying on the fight for her people and her right to be recognised as Indigenous peoples.

Younger generations I really want to see my younger generations succeed in life. I know we have some great sports people and yeah, for sure they do succeed. But what I would like to see is our younger generations to be used not just as role models in sport but good role models within their own selves. The only way they can get that is through good education and to be business people in their own right or to be a politician or a legal person or whatever. That can be achieved.

What I do here at the faculty of education at Monash University is I teach teachers how to teach and I teach them, in a sense, history, not culture because I cannot teach culture. Culture is so diverse and so wide. I teach the interconnections between how student teachers can relate to an Indigenous student for a start.

http://www.cv.vic.gov.au/stories/possum-skin-cloaks/11507/interview-yorta-yorta-elder-professor-henry-atkinson/

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News from David Suzuki & David Suzuki Foundation

25 05 2013

Ontario’s wildlife needs continued protection

May 23, 2013 | Leave a comment

Witness the sage grouse in Alberta: almost 90 per cent of its Canadian population died off between 1988 and 2006 because of habitat destruction caused mainly by oil and gas development. (Credit: USFWS Pacific Southwest Region via Flickr)

By David Suzuki with contributions from David Suzuki Foundation Ontario Science Projects Manager Rachel Plotkin

In the early 1970s, a significant shift occurred in the relationship between North Americans and the world we live in. People started to recognize that nature’s bounty isn’t bottomless and that human activities often strain the Earth’s limits. Across Canada and the U.S., faced with society’s perpetual penchant for economic growth as an end unto itself, many people started to advocate for protecting nature lest it be irreparably broken by our actions.

A 1970 Vancouver benefit concert against nuclear testing in Amchitka, Alaska, launched Greenpeace. Earth Day also started that year. The famous picture taken from space by Apollo 17 astronauts, revealing the Earth to be a finite and vulnerable ‘blue marble’, was shared with the world in 1972.
In 1973, the U.S. recognized that resource extraction, development and land conversion were destroying wildlife homes and ranges to the point that their continued existence was at risk. It passed the Endangered Species Act, to protect plants and animals from extinction as a “consequence of economic growth and development untempered by adequate concern and conservation.”
Canada’s Species at Risk Act wasn’t passed until 2002. But Ontario, in keeping with the trend of the times, introduced legislation in 1971, and then revised it, passing an improved Endangered Species Act in 2007, which scientists and conservationists now consider the gold standard of wildlife protection law in Canada and beyond. Unlike the U.S., much of our country is crown land, managed by provincial governments on behalf of citizens. In other words, government stewards nature on our behalf.
The primary mandate of these acts is to protect the areas species need to survive. In Canada, habitat loss and degradation are the primary causes of decline for more than 80 per cent of listed species.
Sadly, we seem to be entering a new phase: environmental deregulation. Now, when habitat needs to be protected to ensure the survival of a species, government and industry often balk and backpedal. This signals a failure to understand that we depend on nature for our well-being and survival. The web of living things cleanses, replenishes and creates air, water, soil and photosynthetic energy. Species in danger of extinction inform us that our activity is undermining the very life support systems of the planet.
Witness the sage grouse in Alberta: almost 90 per cent of its Canadian population died off between 1988 and 2006 because of habitat destruction caused mainly by oil and gas development. But the Alberta government refuses to curb economic growth and protect the areas it needs to survive and recover. Witness the changes the federal government made last year to the Fisheries Act, controversially weakening the law so only a few select categories of fish will receive legal protection from industrial development. And now, Ontario is poised to weaken its Endangered Species Act by creating a range of exemptions so industry will not have to follow its habitat-protection requirements.
A recently released scientific study proves that endangered species legislation really works. According to the U.S. Center for Biological Diversity’s report, scientists estimate that, were it not for the Endangered Species Act, at least 227 species would likely have gone extinct. The report notes the act wasn’t merely saving plants and creatures from extinction; it also facilitated recovery for more than 100 at-risk species, including the American crocodile, whooping crane and black-footed ferret.
Despite the evidence that endangered species laws are effective, governments in Canada are proceeding with deregulation and abdicating their responsibilities for wildlife habitat protection, often quietly. After all, only a few environmental watchdogs such as the David Suzuki Foundation are looking out for creatures that otherwise have no voice.
But our governments underestimate the public. The federal government likely wagered few would pay much attention when it stripped protections from the Fisheries Act and Environmental Assessment Act. But concerned citizens not only noticed, they protested loudly across the country.
Now, we have an opportunity to be heard before a change is made, as the government of Ontario has not yet passed its proposed exemptions to the Endangered Species Act. Politicians need to know that people care about at-risk plant and wildlife populations. You can make a difference by calling cabinet ministers or MPPs to let them know you oppose the deregulation trend. Visit http://www.protectendangeredspecies.ca/ to learn more.

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[VIC] Melbourne – Stop the Creation of Another Stolen Generation

22 05 2013

Stop the Creation of Another Stolen Generation

Participate in this special forum

Location: Federation Square – The Edge Melbourne Victoria

Date: Friday 14th June 2013

Time: 11:00am – 1:00pm

RSVP: Ashley.Tennyson@snaicc.org.au to assist with numbers

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In The Media – Aboriginal advocates warn of youth suicide spike

22 05 2013

By Jade Macmillan and Jessica Strutt
Updated Tue May 21, 2013 9:44pm AEST

View the video here – http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-05-21/crisis-meeting-held-over-aborginal-youth-suicide/4704700

More than 100 people including Indigenous leaders and government representatives attended a crisis meeting to discuss a spike in Aboriginal youth suicides.

Aboriginal leaders have described the alarming number of suicides, including children as young as 11, as an issue “tearing their hearts apart.”

They are calling for urgent action to address the problem.

Mental Health Commissioner Eddie Bartnik and Social Justice Commissioner Mick Gooda are among those who were present at the meeting at Clontarf.

Noongar elder Margaret Culbong says the suicide epidemic is frightening and more culturally appropriate services are urgently needed.

“We hear the same criticism coming back all the time from the community,” she said.

“They don’t know where to go for mental health treatment or for help from the mental health sector because they don’t know how to access mainstream services.”

She says the mental health services offered are too mainstream.

“There’s definitely something not working in that area,” she said.

Noongar elder Pat Kopusar says they need more Government support to tackle the issue.

“It really needs to be dealt with because if we don’t have our young people supported in some way with some future for them, well what hope have they got?”

The Dumbartung Aboriginal Corporation director, Robert Eggington, says young children are taking their own lives.

“There’s been just an incredible spate,” he said.

“One of the units we’re inviting down to this crisis meeting is the Coroner’s office so that we can determine the full extent of this epidemic.

“There’s now Aboriginal people as young as 11, 12 13 that are taking their lives.

“These tragedies are really indictments against a country that’s got such affluency and richness as Australia has got.”

Mr Eggington has called for urgent community and government action, including an overhaul of Aboriginal mental health services.

“We want to be able to, as a community, put ourselves in a position of being able to heal our own people and to set up initiatives that can help deter this epidemic,” he says.

“Aboriginal people just aren’t accessing the mainstream services so we want to hopefully reach a point where we can provide those services instead.”

Mr Gooda says it is important the Indigenous community takes a lead role in addressing the issue.

He says calls for similar meetings across the country are warranted.

“I think it would be a worthwhile exercise but I don’t think we need more talk fests.”

The organisers also met briefly with the Premier Colin Barnett to express their concerns.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-05-21/aboriginal-health-advocates-warn-of-suicide-spike/4702242?

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In The Media – Too Afraid to Cry

20 05 2013

My life as a stolen child, by Ali Cobby Eckermann

by: Sunday Style magazine
From: news.com.au
May 19, 2013 12:00AM

Ali Cobby Eckermann was 34 when she met her birth mother and found a new life. Source: Supplied

IT’S been a long journey home for Ali Cobby Eckermann, who was 34 when she met her birth mother and found a new life

Indigenous poet and memoirist Ali Cobby Eckermann was born Penelope Rae Cobby at the Kate Cocks Babies’ Home in Adelaide in the early 1960s, before being separated from her family.

Although the Lutheran family who adopted her were loving, she faced racism, violence and sexual and physical abuse in the small town where she grew up.

Over time she succumbed to a life of alcohol and drugs to help numb the pain and confusion of not knowing who she was. But after reconnecting with her birth family, she found her way to wholeness, a journey she chronicles in her book, Too Afraid to Cry.

I was seven when my uncle – not my real uncle, a family friend – started to kiss me. It felt funny. When he pushed his tongue down my throat, I screamed, but no noise came out. Icy tears ran down my face.

He put his body on top of mine and I couldn’t move. After it was over I watched the TV screen for a long time. I felt like a little girl who just wanted her mummy.

One day a group of girls at school pushed me down. I didn’t cry or yell out. They used the ink from inside a felt marker to paint my face dark brown. I was humiliated.

After that I started acting out. I was bottling up every feeling I had. The sad part was, I didn’t know how to take that home and tell my mum, Frieda and my dad, Clarrie – good, kind people – what was happening.

I used to read a lot. I read nearly every book in the house. I remember sometimes visitors would come over and I’d sit there with my tennis racquet and hit out at anyone who came into my space. I used to mutilate dolls.

Years later a family friend said I was such a happy little girl and then I changed, and no one ever knew why.

After school, when I was 17, I ran away with the first person who would take me. It was a very violent relationship and we drank a lot. You learn to love the alcohol, but not the black eyes.

I was with him for two years, then I started questioning the violence. And so I returned home, only to discover I was pregnant – there was such shame. It was a time when you hid those things. Mum Frieda cried.

I gave birth to my son when I was 19. I visited him in the hospital before I knew he was going to be given to his adopted family. A friend held him because I couldn’t – I was completely detached.

I’d become an observer of life without actually being a part of it. I hadn’t cried then for some time. And then I just walked away.

After he was gone I found refuge in the Northern Territory. It was a great place to go with all that confusion and detachment I was carrying, because at that time, in the early 1980s, there was a lot of building going on and there were plenty of jobs and an eclectic group of people.

I took risks and I rebelled, but now I had a group of people to do it with. I went wild and I didn’t care.

But it was going bush that I really loved. I loved the vastness of the desert. All that space made me feel connected. It was there I found peace.

I felt like I belonged. I didn’t have to look at myself, but could just enjoy being “on country”, or in touch with the traditional land.

I started to drink more at this time to block the pain. When the drugs and alcohol stopped working, I became suicidal. When I went for walks, I’d see myself hanging from the trees. I was at the very edge.

One day, I rang the Crisis Line and booked myself into rehab. Slowly the stone inside me turned to ice and then the ice began to melt. I felt real tears on my face for the first time in my adult life.

In 1997, the Bringing Them Home report came out and a lot of the documentation about the Stolen Generations was released. I found out my birth mum’s name and then flew to Canberra to meet her. I was 34.

She was the first person I’d seen who looked like me; she had my eyes. I could see myself reflected in her face. She told me how empty and wrong she felt when she gave me up.

She grew up without her mother, too, or her sisters and brother. It was hard to accept that I repeated history when I adopted out my son.

It was the beginning of a very long reconnection journey. I kept meeting all these adults who’d been removed from their families.

It was at least every second person. It was like, what the hell? And we started to talk about it, to support each other through our shared experience.

At this time everyone was still looking for each other – lost children, cousins, brothers and sisters. You’d become very practised at looking at someone’s face and almost being able to recognise which mob or language group they came from. It wasn’t an invasive thing, it was a very caring thing.

Four years later I met my son, Jonnie. I’d learnt so much about reconnecting from my experience with my mum. As soon as we hugged, we were linked.

We found we had so much in common… every night we’d sit around an open fire and talk. That was such an Aboriginal thing to do, although we probably didn’t realise it at the time.

One of the most profound parts of my journey was meeting my traditional family. Mum took me out bush – they’d come up and say, “We your family”. Wow. I didn’t know.

When Jonnie returned, the traditional women welcomed him back, too. They’d wail and perform ceremonies and call out to him, “Eh, grandson!” They’d hold his hands and tell him jokes.

It freaked him out, but he also loved it. He walked back into a love of culture [a connection to traditional Aboriginal culture].

I’m so grateful I survived my journey. A lot of good, strong-hearted people didn’t.

I learnt to live in two different ways over my life. I learnt a good example of hard work and kindness from growing up with my mum and dad in my adopted family.

And I’m extremely grateful that my traditional family welcomed me back with such love and honesty. I got a second chance to live in an honest world.

I only wish it was a society that accepted my family, too. When I go somewhere, people will open doors for me. But if I’ve got my traditional family with me, the doors aren’t opened.

In restaurants and cafes, they won’t get served just because of the colour of their skin. It’s confronting and hurtful.

One thing I’ve learnt from living in two different cultures is to look at the assets in people, not the faults.

Society doesn’t do that well, which is why racism is so prevalent in this country. Look at people’s faces. Be open to that joyous journey of discovering the different skills people have. Always look for the joy.
Too Afraid to Cry (Ilura Press, $28.95), is out now.

This article is originally published in Sunday Style magazine. Buy the app here

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Tags: Ali Cobby Eckermann, Kate Cocks Babies’ Home in Adelaide, Lateral Love Australia, My life as a stolen child, Penelope Rae Cobby, Too Afraid to Cry
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In The Media – Aboriginal Art and Australia

20 05 2013

Australian Aboriginal Art is much sought after internationally, but Australians overall and Aborigines themselves benefit little from it.

By John August

Gordon Syron is an Aboriginal artist who understands the market better than most, having run an art gallery in conjunction with his partner Elaine. It’s a closed shop – particularly for Aborigines. Gordon : “the whites have stolen our land – and now they’re trying to steal from our culture as well.”. Internationally, Italians and Greeks are involved in their art and sculpture, but Australian Aborigines are not involved in the selling of their art. It’s partly the vestiges of a “Mission Mentality” – of “telling the black fellas what to do”, but it’s certainly a good earner for those involved.

Its about productive Aborigines claiming a fairer share of the value they create. Gordon thinks that just as Australia “rode on the sheep’s back”, it has also “ridden on the black’s back” – with unwaged Aborigines working as stockmen to even have that wool based wealth. So what is the total value of all the Aboriginal art produced in the last few decades ? How much stayed in Australia ? How much stayed in Aboriginal hands ? How many Aboriginal groups have been able to preserve and show their own art ?

In addition, though, it seems that very little has remained in Australia – with international art dealers denying not just Aborigines, but also the Australian economy, of almost all of that value (To be fair, in the 1990s the Australian Government prohibited the export of art worth in excess of $20,000 without paying tax.)

Some “dealers”, who Syron calls the “Carpetbaggers”, tour the outback and (for example) buy art for $300 that they sell at overseas auctions for up to $30,000. At one stage Syron was circulating, buying art on a much more honest “advance-plus-commission” basis.

The “Carpetbaggers” were not impressed – one said to Syron that he could get shot saying what he did. Syron said he did record the conversation because he’d had personal experience of the homicide squad. Syron had previously served a life sentence in prison.

Syron learned to paint in prison, reproducing the masters (he also learnt some tip from forgers, too). These “original copies” are much appreciated, and rarely sold publicly, though owners do sporadically surface to verify authenticity.

His signature work, inspired by his experience, is “Judgement By His Peers” – a white person in the dock is surrounded by black figures with a golliwog-like appearance – some are half paying attention to the case – others seem to gossiping.

Who appreciates art ? Private collectors keep it for themselves and speculators buy it just to sell it later ? Either way, unless loaned to galleries, it’s kept out of the public eye. And apart from speculators, some dealers manipulate the market to inflate prices.

In times past, Elaine Syron took early morning photographs of Aboriginal paintings when they made their ephemeral stop in Sydney Galleries on their way overseas, probably becoming lost forever. It was her attempt to keep some record of that art in Australia.

Gordon’s art has a biting, satirical style, and was initially difficult to sell – no galleries would provide a private exhibit. They were displayed publicly in the NSW Parliament House – the “Aboriginal Deaths in Custody Exhibition” – but this was not a selling exhibition. So Elaine opened her own Gallery in order to show Syron’s work. Things did change. Gordon’s work entered the mainstream and started to sell. Over the years, Gordon’s work has mellowed (he is now 67). Before 2000, his works focused on “Invasion Day” and similar themes. But since then, Gordon has been inspired to paint the “Aboriginal Fairies” and “Where the Wildflowers Once Grew”.

“Black Fellas Dreaming Gallery” started selling work by other Aboriginal artists. And Gordon, like so many passionate artists, became reluctant about selling his best work – and then wanted to keep the better work of other Aboriginal Artists, too. He has a love-hate relationship with the market. To the extent that appreciative, passionate people can pay good money – great – even if there’s the bittersweet realisation that the public probably won’t ever get to see it. But seeing it dominated by speculators, market manipulators and transient international art dealers makes you feel a little ill.

To display his private collection, they started up the Bangalow gallery. There was no external support, however, and this could not be sustained.

Wanting to move their Art Gallery to the Rocks, they had several meetings with the Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority. The authority was keen at first, but suddenly backed out when existing Galleries became concerned about the possible competition from real Aboriginals. Competition from an Aboriginal who would have shared more of the wealth with the artists themselves, but never mind. It’s a closed shop in other ways too.

There were never any Aboriginal valuers of Aboriginal Art – adding weight to the idea that “They stole our land and now they sell our culture”. Still, with the help of a white valuer, Gordon is soon to become Australia’s first Aboriginal valuer of Aboriginal Art.

And, being fair – some white players in Australian Aboriginal Art have been supportive. A white valuer is sponsoring Gordon’s application. The Hogarth and Cooee Aboriginal Art Galleries, while they sold art overseas, were willing to let Elaine photograph it. But such beacons are in the minority. Further, all humans beings – black or white – can be corrupted by money. Gordon has seen a few Aboriginal artists “go bad” in their pursuit of money.

The Syron’s collection includes cultural art – rather than the kangaroos and Emus which are the tourist mainstay, it includes representations of sexual organs and reproduction – the so called “Bunda” art. These artworks frequently tell stories with moral and sexual lessons, similar to fables. The NT artist Yirawala retains sexual organs in his work – something the white dealers wanted him to exclude. Unlike other artists, however, he refused to buck under and keep them in.

Then you have “crosshatch style” and “X-ray” art, which does have a traditional origins in Aboriginal culture.

While they have a few “dot” style artworks, they’re a recent development – prompted by a non-Aboriginal, Geoffrey Bardon in 1977. It does incorporate Aboriginal influences, of course – but think about all the documentaries you’ve ever seen on rock paintings – you never see any “dots”.

Their collection includes Aboriginal Art from all over Australia – be it contemporary art, traditional art, or cultural art that which has a story attached, or speaks of the history of the Aboriginal people – they plan to found a museum / gallery where this art can be viewed by all Australians, a “Keeping Place” – so that rather being sold into a private collection, it can be kept in the public eye.

Gordon and Elaine’s story is a fascinating one. We can only hope that more Aborigines act to wrestle control of the market for Aboriginal Art away from whites – for, in so doing, they can retain more of the wealth they generate – and perhaps “make a good living” as Gordon would put it – and further inject more of that wealth into the economy for all of us.

http://www.homepagedaily.com/Pages/article7163-aboriginal-art-and-australia.aspx

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Tags: Australian Aboriginal Art, Black Fellas Dreaming Gallery, Elaine Syron, Gordon is soon to become Australia's first Aboriginal valuer of Aboriginal Art, Gordon Syron, Home Page Daily, John August, Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority
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A Must See Performance – Jack Charles V’s The Crown

14 05 2013

“Uncle Jack Charles is, without a doubt, one of my all time favourite human beings, just hearing his voice on the end of the phone can pull me from the depths of despair.” ~ Nicola Butler

JACK CHARLES V THE CROWN from ILBIJERRI Theatre Company on Vimeo.

“Steeped in decades of our history (social, political, theatrical), surprisingly upbeat… a warm-hearted, very entertaining evening.” Sydney Morning Herald

“There is something special about Uncle Jack. Something about his voice, his stature, his laugh, his story – something powerful but humbling. It was that something that richoted people to their feet to give the man a standing ovation. It is most certainly, something that you won’t want to miss.” Australian Stage

“A well-crafted piece of theatrical cabaret. This show literally embodies a significant slice of theatrical and social history. An open-hearted crowd-pleaser.” Alison Croggon, Theatre Notes

Uncle Jack Charles is an Australian legend: veteran actor, musician, Koori elder and activist, but for a good portion of his nearly 70 years he has also been an addict, a thief and a regular in Victoria’s prisons.

From Stolen Generation to Koori theatre in the 70s, from film sets to Her Majesty’s prisons, Jack Charles v the Crown runs the gamut of a life lived to its utmost. Charles’s unswerving optimism transforms this tale of addiction, crime and doing time into a kind of vagabond’s progress – a map of the traps of dispossession and a guide to reaching the age of grey-haired wisdom.

This fleet-footed, light-fingered one-man show is a theatrical delight and a celebration of Black Australia’s dogged refusal to give up on getting on.

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Tags: Jack Charles V The Crown, Must See Theatre, The Decade of Lateral Love, Uncle Jack Charles
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Give Up Smokes for Good: Stephen Goldsmith will be quitting smoking as part of his contribution to the campaign!

11 05 2013

Hey you mob, check out this poster!

The elder featured in this poster, Uncle Stephen Goldsmith, will be quitting smoking as part of his contribution to the campaign.

What’s really exciting is he’s allowed us to video his journey, as he heads towards becoming smoke free.

Monday 6 May is his last day as a smoker.

This is a very brave thing to do, and we hope it encourages other members of our community to give it a try.

Videos will start to appear on our facebook page and website in the next couple of weeks.

Please support Uncle Stevie by sharing his poster, liking this page and getting the message out there, and leaving comments of support.

If you’re an ex-smoker, leave us a good quitting tip for unky.

Nukkan Ya! Please Share!!!!!!

Give Up Smokes for Good

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Tags: Give Up Smokes for Good Campaign, Kaurna Elder, Lateral Love, leadership, Leading by example, Monday 6 May, Stephen Goldsmith
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? Question of the Day ?

11 05 2013

How do you all think we can stamp out Lateral Violence and replace it with Lateral Love in our Families and Communities?

Comments appreciated!

Spirit of Uluru

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News from David Suzuki & David Suzuki Foundation

11 05 2013

Tiny Bhutan redefines “progress” By David Suzuki

May 9, 2013

The people of Bhutan see that money and hyper-consumption aren’t what contribute to happiness and well-being (Credit: Christopher Michel via Flickr)

My parents lived through the Great Depression of the 1930s and were profoundly affected by it. They taught us to work hard to earn a living, live within our means, save for tomorrow, share and not be greedy and help our neighbours because one day we might need their help. Those homilies and teachings seem quaint in today’s world of credit cards, hyper-consumption and massive debt.

Society has undergone huge changes since the Second World War. Our lives have been transformed by jet travel, oral contraceptives, plastics, satellites, television, cellphones, computers and digital technology. We seem endlessly adaptable as we adjust to the impacts of these new technologies, products and ideas. We only become aware of how dependant on them we are when they malfunction (work comes to a standstill when the network goes down) or don’t exist (when we visit a “developing country”). Most of the time, we can’t even imagine a way of living beyond being endlessly occupied with making money to get more stuff to make our lives “easier”.

But some people have had the benefit of directly comparing a simpler way with the accelerated societies we’ve created. In the mid-20th century, the tiny Kingdom of Bhutan, hidden deep in the Himalayas between China and India, emerged from three hundred years of isolation. In 1961, the third king of Bhutan started sending students to schools in India. From there, some went on to Oxford, Cambridge, Harvard and other universities. The first of their nation to encounter Western society after three centuries of separation, those young people clearly saw the contrast in values. Upon returning to Bhutan, they expressed shock that, in the West, “development” and “progress” were measured in terms of money and material possessions.

At a 1972 international conference in India, a reporter asked Bhutan’s king about his country’s gross national product — a measure of economic activity. His response was semi-facetious: He said Bhutan’s priority was not the GNP but GNH – gross national happiness. Bhutan’s government has since taken the concept of GNH seriously and galvanized thinking around the world with the notion that the economy should serve people, not the other way around.

In 2004, Crown Prince Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, who became king in late 2006, said, “There cannot be enduring peace, prosperity, equality and brotherhood in this world if our aims are so separate and divergent — if we do not accept that in the end we are people, all alike, sharing the earth among ourselves and also with other sentient beings.”

In July 2011, Bhutan introduced the only resolution it has ever presented at the United Nations. Resolution 65/309 was called “Happiness: towards a holistic approach to development.” The country’s position was “that the pursuit of happiness is a fundamental human goal” and “that the gross domestic product…does not adequately reflect the happiness and well-being of people.” The General Assembly passed the resolution unanimously. It was “intended as a landmark step towards adoption of a new global sustainability-based economic paradigm for human happiness and well-being of all life forms to replace the current dysfunctional system that is based on the unsustainable premise of limitless growth on a finite planet.”

That empowered Bhutan to convene a high-level meeting. I was delighted when its leaders asked me to serve on a working group charged with defining happiness and well-being, and developing ways to measure these states and strategies. Prime Minister Jigmi Thinley even cited the David Suzuki Foundation’s ‘Declaration of Interdependence’ as an inspiration for the proposal.

The Bhutanese understand that well-being and happiness depend on a healthy environment. They vow to protect 60 per cent of forest cover in their country, are already carbon-neutral (they generate electricity from hydro) and have vowed to make their entire agriculture sector organic. They have snow leopards, elephants, rhinos, tigers and valleys of tree-sized rhododendrons — and know their happiness depends on protecting them.

The people of this tiny nation see that money and hyper-consumption aren’t what contribute to happiness and well-being. I’m proud to be part of the important initiative they’ve embarked upon, and look forward to the work leading up to a presentation to the UN by 2015.

http://www.davidsuzuki.org/blogs/science-matters/2013/05/tiny-bhutan-redefines-progress/?mkt_tok=3RkMMJWWfF9wsRonuKTBZKXonjHpfsX56%2BUsW6O0lMI/0ER3fOvrPUfGjI4ATsVqI%2BSLDwEYGJlv6SgFS7jNMbZkz7gOXRE%3D

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Tags: Bhutan, David Suzuki, David Suzuki Foundation, Lateral Love, Lateral Love Australia, money and hyper-consumption aren't what contribute to happiness and well-being, The Decade of Lateral Love Around the World 2012-2022
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Reconciliation SA

10 05 2013

There are more than 517 000 Aboriginal Australians

Many First Australians experience vast differences in health, education, employment, and standards of living compared to their non-Aboriginal counterparts. Understanding these inequalities is the first step to reconciling the differences between us.

Did you know that Aboriginal Australians…

Have an estimated life expectancy up to 11.5 years lower than non-indigenous Australians.
Are up to 46 times more likely to die from diabetes.
Have an infant mortality rate twice as high.
Have an unemployment rate 3.4 times higher than the national average.
Are three times more likely to be homeless.

Find out more by visiting the new Reconciliation SA website: http://www.reconciliationsa.org.au/

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? Question of the Day ?

1 05 2013

How many of us have experienced people we know or love behaving badly towards us recently?

Frequent manifestations of lateral violence include:

• nonverbal innuendo (raising eyebrows, face-making),

• bullying,

• verbal affront (overt/covert, snide remarks, lack of openness, abrupt responses, gossiping),

• shaming,

• undermining activities (turning away, not being available, social exclusion),

• withholding information,

• sabotage (deliberately setting up a negative situation),

• infighting (bickering, family feuds),

• scapegoating,

• backstabbing (complaining to peers and not confronting the individual),

• failure to respect privacy,

• broken confidences,

• organisational conflict,

• physical violence.

The Lateral Violence we are talking about is far from being the ‘fuzzy buzz word’ that many people choose to used to dismiss this destructive behaviour.

We must acknowledge our actions and behaviours to be able to work towards healing our souls to create positive opportunities for our future generations.

Spirit of Uluru

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Tags: Abuse, Assimilation, Community, divide and conquer, Family, Forever Business, Lateral Love, Lateral Love Australia, Lateral Violence, law, Natural Justice, Perpetual Grief, politics, power, privilege, Self Determination, Suicide Prevention, Truth, Unity, William Brian Butler
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Red Dust Healing & Lateral Love Australia Amalgamate

25 04 2013

At a meeting held in Adelaide on Tuesday 23rd April 2013, Tom Powell, Nicola Butler and Brian Butler confirmed the amalgamation of Red Dust Healing and Lateral Love Australia.

This union will see the amazing work of Red Dust Healing provide the desperately needed solution to many of the issues facing humanity in regard to Lateral Violence and the lack of Cultural Safety we see all around us in the here and now.

“The program offered by Red Dust Healing is the only program I have seen that has ever left me completely lost for words and literally sobbing because I could see genuine hope and the real possibility of a future for humanity that can and will be healed” said Nicola.

“Lateral Love and Red Dust Healing compliment one another, we are about the same thing – Lateral Love, it makes sense that we would come together and share in this phenomenal journey together” said Tom.

“From the moment I first experienced the Red Dust Healing program I knew it was the way forward. We are honoured to have Tom and Randal join us in this movement creating unity through Lateral Love and Spirit of Care for all Humankind” said Brian.

Tom Powell, Brian Butler & Nicola Butler in Adelaide on Tuesday

Red Dust Healing www.thereddust.com

THE RED DUST STORY

“Red Dust Healing for me begins with my earliest memory of my dad, Noel Powell Snr. I must have been about four and I remember him driving home on the grader to a caravan on the side of a road out near Ivanhoe and the red dust swirling behind him. He swallowed a lot of Red Dust in his time.” – Tom Powell Founding Director.

Originally designed by Tom and further developed in partnership with Randal Ross with whom he first met in October 1996 while working for the Department of Juvenile Justice in Taree NSW. Red Dust Healing is a specific cultural healing program that has been delivered to groups in both New South Wales and Queensland. To date over 1,700 people have been through the program plus 2,100 through information sessions and 1 day workshops. Numbers continue to rise rapidly as more and more people hear about the red dust healing.

TOM POWELL: A proud Warramunga Man from within the Wiradjuri Nation. Tom was born and bred in a little town called Narromine in the Central West of NSW. Tom finished school after year 10 and worked with his father in the family business of earthmoving and road construction. Tom’s father established this business in 1973. A mean feat for an Aboriginal man given the times. Tom and his brothers worked with him until his death in 1985. After his father’s passing Tom continued in the business purchasing his own grader in 1987. In 1994 Tom enrolled in a community welfare course at night at Dubbo TAFE. Tom feels he has had a fortunate upbringing and has always wanted to help his people especially the Aboriginal young people. Tom Spent 14yrs with the NSW Department of Juvenile Justice as a Aboriginal Programs Officer both in Taree and Coffs Harbour on the mid north coast of NSW. After leaving the Department Tom has been busy facilitating Red Dust Healing.

RANDAL ROSS: Has three traditional descendant backgrounds, his Aboriginality is the Townsville clan Bindol and Juru from the Burdekin region and Kunjun connection in Lockhart River, his Torres Strait Island family is from Erub (Darnley Island) and is a Kananka – Australian South Sea Islander with his connections in the communities from Ayr and Bowen. Randal has had a strong background working with government at local, state and federal levels in both Queensland and New South Wales. Much of his work has been related working with Indigenous youth and families in both states. Randal’s future aim is to develop programs about restoring Indigenous families particularly around men. Many of our Indigenous families are being headed by our strong Indigenous Women and Randal’s vision is to restore a vital cultural connection within the family by working with men.

Randal Ross – “Now is the time to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearts of the children’s to their fathers”

THE RED DUST PROGRAM

RED DUST HEALING – MOTO: When the dust is settled on our lives, all we get to keep and take with us is our dignity, our integrity and the love and respect we shared with people Red Dust Healing is founded on a cultural belief that we are one people, one mob who do not own but belong to this land.

RED DUST HEALING – PHILOSOPHY: If we do not know who we are and where we come from, then how do we know where we are going? Healing to us is a spiritual understanding of self, identity, love, belonging, family, security, hurt, heartache, good times and laughter. But mostly Healing is a grasp for hope and acceptance based on love and respect, of understanding of ourselves, our supports and being able to tell “our” stories.

RED DUST HEALING – BACKGROUND: Red Dust Healing is written from an Indigenous perspective for Indigenous Men and their families. The program is targeted at the heart and not the head, The program facilitates the understanding of “Rejection” and “Grief and Loss” being the foundation of all hurt. Participants are encouraged to examine their own personal hurt and allows them to heal from within addressing family and personal relationships and what may have been life long patterns of violence, abuse and neglect. Though written from indigenous perspectives Red Dust Healing also targets non indigenous people. We have run mixed groups. Rejection knows no boundaries its the same for young and old, its the same for male and female, its the same for black and white – IT JUST HURTS.

The program places the participant both in the position of being hurt (victim) and then as the one doing the hurting (perpetrator). The program identifies the emotions felt as the victim and then the hurt caused as the perpetrator. Participants are asked to examine the similarities and effects this may have had on their lives while growing up and question whether they are repeating the same tactics that may have hurt them.

An example of this is the program outlines and examines the perspectives of two different laws: LORE is portrayed as our dignity our integrity our power and our freedom. Participants are shown that if you maintain the LORE then it makes the LAW redundant.

LAW versus LORE

PROGRAM CONTENT:

Red Dust Healing targets a multifaceted approach covering four main areas:

Healing
Pro-Social Modelling
Professional Development
Cultural Awareness

Red Dust Healing addresses significant key areas such as: Identity, family roles and structure, relationships, Elders, Men’s business, Indigenous history and the impacts of colonialism, drug and alcohol issues, family violence, grievance and loss, stress and mental health issues, anger management, education and employment housing issues, meetings and community contribution and governance.

Red Dust Healing is a group program for Aboriginal and Islander (including the Torres Strait) men and women that examines the intergenerational effects of colonisation on the mental, physical and spiritual well being of Indigenous families and encourages individuals to confront and deal with the problems, hurt and anger in their lives.

PROJECT DELIVERY DESIGN:

The program will be delivered to groups two times per group. The first time is for participants to heal and deal with their own issues first. The second time is to give them the skills to pass on the information and tools learnt to family members and community. The program will be delivered by 2 trainers to a group of 10–12 participants over a 3–4 day period. Daily time envisaged would be between 9.30am and 3.30 pm with lunch, morning tea is provided. The second training would be completed within a 4 to 6 week period after the initial training block. The Buddies/Mentors can support and encourage participants to complete case-plan goals (depending on program delivery model). This gives participants the opportunity to follow through with case-plans and with family or other relevant service providers in between the two training blocks.

*If arranged an information session can be delivered on the first day prior to program commencement for community/government organizations and other relevant people.

OUTCOMES AND PERFORMANCE MEASURES:

- Understanding of the impact of Rejection and Grief and Loss

- Understanding the impacts of colonialism and oppression and then learning tools to overcome those impacts.

- Better understanding of self and allow participants to address the hurt within their lives.

- Improved self esteem.

- Identifying the linking of emotions and feelings with behaviours and actions.

- Indigenous Men will have an understanding of identity and learn to self evaluate matters that impact on their own personal lives.

- Development of future role models and fathers.

- Restored broken relationships.

- Realization and knowledge that support is available through networks and services to assist participants and families.

- Families are linked to service providers.

- Strengthening current partnerships.

- Increasing capacity of Aboriginal men to contribute, plan, implement and evaluate a variety of strategies, projects and programs in their community.

- Improve relationships between fathers and sons.

- Develop and enhance support networks for Indigenous men.

- Assist to mend family relationships.

- Feed back forms and interviews from participants.

- Completed case-plans and links to agencies and support networks.

- Participation levels throughout the program, maintained by attendance sheets.

- Feedback from local organizations and family members.

- Participants involved in co-facilitating future training.

- Formation of a partnership committee to implement and guide the project.

- Black tracking – retracing your steps, self evaluation process.

RED DUST HEALING OUTCOMES ACHIEVED:

Over 5500 people have now officially completed different stages of the program with some outstanding results. Some interviews conducted with participants have been conducted for visual feedback. The main reason why this program has had success is that it is targeted at the heart and not the head. The program allows for numeracy and literacy issues, it caters for all Aboriginal and Islander (including the Torres Strait) men and women young and old, Cultural Awareness modules for non-Aboriginal people. The program has also been run with a mixed group of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people. The program creates an environment that allows for confidentiality to be kept and participants feel free to express their emotions.

Thanks for rolling with the Red Dust! Spread Out and Stick Together.

Comments : Leave a Comment »
Tags: Brian Butler, Lateral Love Australia, Nicola Butler, Randal Ross, Red Dust Healing, Spread Out & Stick Together, The Decade of Lateral Love Around the World 2012-2022, Tom Powell
Categories : Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and families, Aboriginal History Making, Aboriginal Warriors, Aboriginal Youth, Aboriginalisation, Achievement, Acts of Recognition, Care for Self, Caring & Sharing, Collaboration, Compassion, Comtemplation, Conscious Contributions, Conscious Creations, Consciously Built Environs, Cultural Guidance, Cultural Safety, Cultural Traditions, Culturally Safe Environs, Develop to Full Potential, Education, Elders, Empowerment, Equality, Eternal, Ethical Behaviour, Ethics, Extraordinary, First Nations Leadership, Goodwill, Governance, Grass Roots, Harmony, Healing, Health, Healthy Communication, Human Rights, Humanity, Identity, Idle No More, Inner Voice, Inspiration, Kindness, Knowledge, Lateral Love, Lateral Love Australia, Lateral Violence, Leadership, Life, Loss, Love, Love Activists, Magnanimity, Moral Standing, Morals, National Indigenous Times, Openness, Oral Histories, Organisations Doing Good Things, Out and About, Parenting, Participation, Positive Actualisation, Positive Interactions, Positive Participation, Positive Steps Forward, Purpose of Intent, Racism, Recidivism, Recognition, Recommended Resources, Recommended Viewing, Reconciliation, Reflection, Reflexivity, Relationships, Remote Aboriginal Communities, Resolve, Respect, Sacred Heritage, Sacrifice, Self Actualisation, Self Determination Principles, Self Evaluation, Self Love, Self Worth, Sense of Purpose, Service, Spirituality, Stolen Generations, Story, Storytelling, Suicide Prevention, Support, The Decade of Lateral Love, The Lateral Violence in your Head, The Stringer, Time, Tragedy, Transformation, Transparency, Truth, Union, Unity, Wisdom

Sharing the Lateral Love! A big THANK YOU from all of us!

22 04 2013

Visitors to Lateral Love Australia exceed 54,000 reaching an amazing 141 Countries!

We couldn’t do it without each and every one of you!

THANK YOU for caring and sharing the Lateral Love!

Comments : Leave a Comment »
Tags: 54000+ visitors, Anti-Lateral Violence, Helping our children reach their full potential, Lateral Love, Lateral Love Australia, Reaching 141 Countries, Thank you!, Unity, World Count
Categories : Aboriginal & Islander Australians, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and families, Aboriginal History Making, Aboriginalisation, Achievement, Brian & Nicola Butler, Caring & Sharing, Circle Healing, Colonisation, Commemoration, Compassion, Comtemplation, Conscious Contributions, Conscious Creations, Consciously Built Environs, Cultural Guidance, Cultural Safety, Culturally Safe Environs, Develop to Full Potential, Education, Elders, Empowerment, Equality, Eternal, Ethical Behaviour, Ethics, Extraordinary, First Nations Leadership, Goodwill, Governance, Harmony, Healing, Health, Healthy Communication, Human Rights, Humanity, Identity, Idle No More, Imagination, Inner Voice, Inspiration, International Ambassador, Knowledge, Lateral Love, Lateral Love Australia, Lateral Violence, Life, Love, Love Activists, Magnanimity, Media, Moral Standing, Morals, Nurturing, Openness, Oral Histories, Organisations Doing Good Things, Out and About, Participation, Peace, Performance, Portrayal of Aboriginal People in Mainstream Media, Positive Actualisation, Positive Interactions, Positive Participation, Positive Steps Forward, Recognition, Recommended Resources, Recommended Viewing, Reconciliation, Reflection, Reflexivity, Relationships, Remote Aboriginal Communities, Resolve, Respect, Sacred Heritage, Self Actualisation, Self Determination Principles, Self Evaluation, Self Love, Self Worth, Sense of Purpose, Service, Social Media, Social Networking, Spirituality, Stolen Generations, Story, Storytelling, Suicide Prevention, Support, Systemic Advocacy, The Decade of Lateral Love, The Lateral Violence in your Head, The Stringer, Time, Transformation, Transparency, Truth, Unabashed Oppinions, Union, United Nations, Unity, Wisdom, World Count, Yarning

Lateral Love Australia Song of the Week

19 04 2013

Friday 19 April 2013 – Lateral Love Australia Song of the Week

From Above … by Rae Morris

Don’t get too close to me
I’m not likely to be someone you want
To be around when they’re in love

Don’t get too comfortable
I’m not even the slightest bit of one
I need to open up my heart

Lost track of time and saw it in my mind
I love you from above
…
I love you from above
Lost track of time and saw in my mind that no one
Lost track of time and I love you from above

Don’t get too close to me
It’s got highly unlikely that I want
To be the one for very long

I’ve got too comfortable and stopped
Trying to find what I want
I need to open up my heart

Lost track of time and saw it in my mind
I love you from above
…
I love you from above
Lost track of time and saw in my mind that no one
Lost track of time and I love you from above

From the morning till the…
All of my games, they were damned to play
When I’m waiting, when the moment’s gone
I love you from above

When I look back …
When I’m waiting, but the moment’s gone
When I’m waiting

Lost track of time and saw it in my mind
I love you from above
…
I love you from above
Lost track of time and saw in my mind that no one
Lost track of time and I love you from above

Comments : 1 Comment »
Tags: Change, From Above, Lateral Love, Lateral Love Australia, Lateral Violence, Love, Rae Morris, Suicide Prevention, Truth, Unity
Categories : Accountability, Be kind to yourself, Care for Self, Caring & Sharing, Collaboration, Compassion, Conscious Creations, Cultural Guidance, Cultural Safety, Education, Empowerment, Eternal, Ethical Behaviour, Harmony, Healing, Health, Healthy Communication, Human Rights, Humanity, Identity, Imagination, International Ambassador, Kindness, Knowledge, Lateral Love, Lateral Love Australia, Lateral Violence, Leadership, Life, Love, Love Activists, Moral Standing, Morals, Music, Nurturing, Oral Histories, Peace, Positive Interactions, Positive Steps Forward, Purpose of Intent, Recommended Viewing, Reflection, Reflexivity, Relationships, Respect, Sacrifice, Self Determination Principles, Self Evaluation, Sense of Purpose, Song, Song of the Week, Spirituality, Story, Suicide Prevention, Support, The Decade of Lateral Love, Transformation, Transparency, Truth, Tyranny of Things, Union, Unity, Wisdom

The shared shaded Australian Community Tree by Marvyn McKenzie

12 04 2013

I posted this comment on the Facebook Group ‘Proud Aussies who understand why January 26th is called Invasion Day’ and wanted to preserve and share it with those of you who may not be members of this Group, and have given permission for Uncle Brian and Nicci to share it with the Lateral Love Australia family too. ~ Walha Udi Marvyn Mc

The shared shaded Australian Community Tree

It goes like this…

On the road towards the far off future day when finally our Peoples, Aboriginal Peoples, can finally stop, sit and rest under the shared shaded Australian Community Tree, as true and respected honoured equals, there must be some past, present and future barriers that need to be identified, addressed and removed, along the travelled troubled way.

The current date of celebrating Australia Day is one such identified past, present and future barrier that needs to be removed once and for all along this travelled troubled way.

The current Australian Flag is another.

A minority group of our Fellow Australians have empathy with us and so they are freely invited to join in with us on our journey, as Fellow Friends, Fellow Equals, and as Fellow Country Men, but there also always remain a majority crowd of stubbornness peoples, who heckle us constantly, through their own ignorance, along the way.

“You are your own worst enemies”, some of the ignorant multitudes shout out and loudly say.

“Victims unto yourselves, forever trapped in the past” some shout further with glee and pride.

Some of the multitudes accuse us of trying to place a Black Armband View of Australian History upon their arms, but as a result of their constant din of ignorant shouting, they fail to hear our simple plea: “Take off your White Armband View of Australian History that you continue to wear and teach today”.

Sadly, in the multitude sea of stubborn crowded faces I look and what do I see?

I see some of my very own Peoples and Kin hiding in amidst them, and joining in with the large crowd’s constant ignorance heckling.
Therefore “Come out from among them, for the time being, be separate from them and instead walk with us”, says I, “for that is what the multitude once saw of us – a separate people and race from them, who laws did not apply.”

I may never get to reach and finally rest under the future shaded shared Australian Community Tree, but I have faith and belief in my Fellow Travellers, both old and young, black, white, yellow, red and brindle, that one day one of my future descendants will surely do so, and he or she will surely do so as a direct result of my own personal small endeavours and walk along the way.

Continue to walk proudly along the way my children even when I may one day stumble and fall, and die and get left behind…Continue walking towards a brighter future under that far off, over the horizon, shared shaded Australian Community Tree.

by Marvyn McKenzie

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Tags: Australia Day, Caring, Community, Cultural Safety, Family, Forever Business, Happiness, human-rights, Invasion Day, Lateral Love, Lateral Love Australia, Lateral Violence, Love, Marvyn McKenzie, Perpetual Grief, politics, power, privilege, Self Determination, selflessness, Sharing, society, Stories, Suicide Prevention, The Shared Shaded Australian Community Tree, Truth, Unity
Categories : Aboriginal & Islander Australians, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and families, Aboriginal History, Aboriginal Terms of Reference (ATR), Aboriginalisation, Acts of Recognition, Assimilation, Caring & Sharing, Collaboration, Compassion, Conscious Contributions, Conscious Creations, Creativity, Cultural Guidance, Cultural Safety, Education, Elders, Empowerment, Equality, Eternal, Ethical Behaviour, First Nations, First Nations Leadership, Grass Roots, Harmony, Healing, Health, Human Rights, Humanity, Idle No More, Inspiration, Invasion Day, Kindness, Knowledge, Lateral Love, Lateral Love Australia, Lateral Violence, Leadership, Life, Loss, Love, Magnanimity, Marvyn McKenzie, Moral Standing, Openness, Oral Histories, Participation, Portrayal of Aboriginal People in Mainstream Media, Positive Actualisation, Positive Interactions, Positive Steps Forward, Purpose of Intent, Racism, Recognition, Reconciliation, Reflection, Reflexivity, Relationships, Remote Aboriginal Communities, Resolve, Respect, Sacred Heritage, Self Actualisation, Self Determination Principles, Self Evaluation, Self Love, Self Worth, Sense of Purpose, Social Media, Social Networking, South Australia, Spirituality, Story, Storytelling, Suicide Prevention, Support, Systemic Advocacy, The Decade of Lateral Love, The Lateral Violence in your Head, Time, Transformation, Truth, Union, Unity, Wisdom, Yarning

Lateral Love Australia Song of the Week

12 04 2013

Friday 12 April 2013 – Lateral Love Australia Song of the Week

People Help The People … by Birdy

God knows what is hiding in that weak and drunken heart
I guess you kissed the girls and made them cry
those Hardfaced Queens of misadventure
God knows what is hiding in those weak and sunken eyes
a Fiery throng of muted angels
Giving love and getting nothing back

People help the people
And if your homesick, give me your hand and i’ll hold it
People help the people
And nothing will drag you down
Oh and if I had a brain, Oh and if I had a brain
i’d be cold as a stone and rich as the fool
That turned, all those good hearts away
God knows what is hiding, in that world of little consequence
Behind the tears, inside the lies
A thousand slowly dying sunsets
God knows what is hiding in those weak and drunken hearts
I guess the loneliness came knocking
No one needs to be alone, oh save me

People help the people
And if your homesick, give me your hand and i’ll hold it
People help the people
Nothing will drag you down
Oh and if I had a brain, Oh and if I had a brain
I’d be cold as a stone and rich as the fool
That turned, all those good hearts away

People help the people
And if your homesick, give me your hand and I’ll hold it
People help the people
Nothing will drag you down
Oh and if I had a brain, Oh and if I had a brain
I’d be cold as a stone and rich as the fool
That turned, all those good hearts away

Comments : Leave a Comment »
Tags: Birdy, Change, Lateral Love, Lateral Love Australia, Lateral Violence, Love, People Help The People, Suicide Prevention, Truth, Unity
Categories : Accountability, Be kind to yourself, Care for Self, Caring & Sharing, Collaboration, Compassion, Conscious Creations, Cultural Guidance, Cultural Safety, Education, Empowerment, Eternal, Ethical Behaviour, Harmony, Healing, Health, Healthy Communication, Human Rights, Humanity, Identity, Imagination, International Ambassador, Kindness, Knowledge, Lateral Love, Lateral Love Australia, Lateral Violence, Leadership, Life, Love, Love Activists, Moral Standing, Morals, Music, Nurturing, Oral Histories, Peace, Positive Interactions, Positive Steps Forward, Purpose of Intent, Recommended Viewing, Reflection, Reflexivity, Relationships, Respect, Sacrifice, Self Determination Principles, Self Evaluation, Sense of Purpose, Song, Song of the Week, Spirituality, Story, Suicide Prevention, Support, The Decade of Lateral Love, Transformation, Transparency, Truth, Tyranny of Things, Union, Unity, Wisdom

[SA] ADELAIDE EVENTS – Tuesday April 9th 2013

6 04 2013

ABORIGINAL & ISLANDER FILMMAKERS NETWORKING SESSION

Tuesday April 9th 2013 2:00pm – 5:00pm
South Australian Film Corporation (SAFC)
Adelaide Studios – Green Room
226 Fullarton Road, Glenside
South Australia, 5065

Attention Community Members, Story Tellers, Film Makers and Writers!

The South Australian Film Corporation (SAFC) will be hosting an information gathering and networking session for Aboriginal and Islander (including the Torres Straits) interested and emerging filmmakers.

Come along and hear about the opportunities on offer presented by representatives from the following organisations:

- Screen Australia

– Media Resource Centre (MRC)

– NITV

An excellent opportunity to hear how funding bodies operate and how YOU can work towards profitable opportunities to enable the sharing of our voices and visions get out to a wider audience. Our Stories Our Way!

Don’t miss out, RSVP Now!

Email alexiswest@live.com Or Sharon.Cleary@safilm.com.au to secure you place.

GETTING TO KNOW THE TALENT IN OUR OWN BACK YARD

Alexis West Aboriginal, Kanak, Caucasian woman, creator, performer, voice over talent, choreographer, director, artist, writer and collaborator.

Working with No Strings Attached Theatre of Disability creating and performing innovative pieces such as KNOWING HOME with Disabled Indigenous Performers. Creating the documentary behind the scenes of KNOWING HOME.

BLACK WHEELS, shortlisted for 2012 Edward Albee Inscription Scholarship.

First prize for poetry competition ‘Open Your Mind’ published in ‘Mind Frames’ 2011.

Short film JUMP AND BOUNCE debuted imagineNative film festival Toronto 2011.

Writing documentary THE KINGS SEAL and feature film BLACK HACK guidance by Stephen Cleary and Christopher Vogler. Late, great performers, writers, activists mentored Alexis. Commissioned with artist Marijana Tadic for major public artwork sculpture.

ALEXIS WEST - 0413 544 160
Creative Consultant, Collaborator, Writer, Director, Performer
YOU’RE DREAMING
ABN: 84 579 702 920

Current You’re Dreaming Projects – Knowing Home and Black Wheels

KNOWING HOME Removed, displaced and disoriented, 12 disabled Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander performers reconnect to country and kin via a multi-media performance journey mapped with unexpected humour, tenacity and grace.

BLACK WHEELS is in early development. Draft One deals with a group of characters dealing with difficult situations, power struggles and shifts of status. Protagonist Billy has to cope with his new life in a wheel chair after a promising career as a football player ended tragically. Once a carer for his brother now Billy must be cared by him. Billy also must deal with a hidden secret whilst attempting reconcile his family. Alexis West (c)

USEFUL LINKS for Story Tellers, Film Makers and Writers

SA Film Corporation http://www.filmsa.org.au

Media Resource Centre http://www.mrc.org.au

Screen Australia http://www.screenaustralia.gov.au

NITV www.nitv.org.au

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Tags: Adelaide Studios, Alexis West, Collaborator, Community Members, Creative Consultant, Director, Encouragement, Film Makers and Writers, Green Room, Information Gathering, Lateral Love, Lateral Love Australia, Media Resource Centre, Networking, NITV, Oppportunities, Our Stories Our Way!, Performer, RSVP Now!, SA Film, Screen Australia, Sharing & Caring, Sharon Cleary, South Australian Film Corporation (SAFC), story tellers, Writer, You're Dreaming
Categories : Aboriginal & Islander Australians, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and families, Aboriginal History, Aboriginal History Making, Aboriginal Terms of Reference (ATR), Aboriginalisation, Achievement, Acts of Recognition, Caring & Sharing, Collaboration, Conscious Creations, Cultural Guidance, Cultural Safety, Cultural Traditions, Dance, Design, Develop to Full Potential, Education, Elders, Empowerment, Equality, Ethical Behaviour, Events, Fashion, Film, First Nations, First Nations Leadership, Grass Roots, Harmony, Healing, Healthy Communication, Human Rights, Humanity, Identity, Imagination, Independent News, Indigenous Television, Inspiration, Intellectual Property (IP), International Ambassador, Investigative Journalism, IP, Knowledge, Lateral Love, Lateral Love Australia, Lateral Violence, Leadership, Life, Loss, Love, Love Activists, Magnanimity, Media, Memorial, Moral Standing, Morals, Multi Award winning writers, Music, Oral Histories, Organisations Doing Good Things, Out and About, Performance, Positive Actualisation, Positive Interactions, Positive Participation, Positive Steps Forward, Recognition, Recommended Resources, Recommended Viewing, Relationships, Remote Aboriginal Communities, Respect, Sacred Heritage, Self Actualisation, Self Determination Principles, Self Evaluation, Sense of Purpose, Significance, Social Media, Social Networking, Song, South Australia, Spirituality, Sporting Heroes, Stolen Generations, Story, Suicide Prevention, Support, Systemic Advocacy, The Decade of Lateral Love, Transformation, Truth, Union, Unity, Visual Artist, Wisdom, Workshops, Yarning

? Question of the Day ?

5 04 2013

Rejecting Confirmation of Aboriginality for our young people – How many suicides have occurred due to this type of lateral violence? How many more must we endure before this shameful practice ceases?

Spirit of Uluru

Comments : 1 Comment »
Tags: Abuse, Assimilation, Community, Confirmation of Aboriginality, Family, Forever Business, Lateral Love, Lateral Love Australia, Lateral Violence, law, Natural Justice, Perpetual Grief, politics, power, privilege, Rejecting Confirmation of Aboriginality, Self Determination, Suicide Prevention, Truth, Unity, William Brian Butler
Categories : Aboriginal & Islander Australians, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and families, Aboriginal Deaths in Custody, Aboriginal History, Aboriginal History Making, Aboriginal Massacres, Aboriginal Resistance, Aboriginal Terms of Reference (ATR), Aboriginal Treaty Rights, Aboriginal Warriors, Aboriginalisation, Abuse, Accountability, Achievement, Activist, Acts, Acts of Recognition, Apology, Assimilation, Australia Council, Birth 2012, Breaking Free from the Tyranny of Things, Brian & Nicola Butler, Brian Butler, Care for Self, Caring & Sharing, Child Abuse, Circle Healing, Collaboration, Colonisation, Commemoration, Community Housing, Compassion, Conferences, Confirmation of Aboriginality, Conscious Creations, Consciously Built Environs, Constitutional Reform, Cultural Guidance, Cultural Safety, Cultural Traditions, Culturally Safe Environs, Dance, Deaths in Custody, Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Definitions, Degradation, Desecrations, desertHub, Destruction, Develop to Full Potential, Disrespect, Education, Edward Young, Elders, Empowerment, Equality, Eternal, Ethical Behaviour, Ethics, Events, Extraordinary, Film, First Nations, First Nations Leadership, Foolish, Freedom Fighters, Friendship, Genocide, Goodwill, Governance, Government, Grass Roots, Harmony, Healing, Health, Healthy Communication, Homelessness, Housing, Human Rights, Humanity, Identity, Idle No More, Imagination, Indigenous Board, Indigenous Television, Infrastructure, Inspiration, Intellectual Property (IP), International Ambassador, International Days of Observance, IP, Joy, Justice Reinvestment, Kindness, Knowledge, Lateral Love, Lateral Love Australia, Lateral Violence, Law, Leadership, Life, Loss, Love, Love Activists, Magnanimity, Martin Luther King Jr, Massacres, Media, Minimalist Philosophy, Misappropriation of Funds, Moral Standing, Morals, National Reconciliation Week, Native American, Northern Territory, Northern Territory Associations Act, Not For Profit, Nurturing, Olympics, Openness, Oral Histories, Out and About, Parenting, Peace, Performance, Politicians, Positive Steps Forward, Poverty, Poverty and Destitution, Procrastination, Proof of Aboriginality, Proof of Identity, Protesters, Purpose of Intent, Question of the Day, Racism, Recidivism, Recognition, Recommended Resources, Recommended Viewing, Reconciliation, Reflection, Reflexivity, Relationships, Remote Aboriginal Communities, Resolve, Respect, RIP, Royal Commission, Sacred Heritage, Sacrifice, Science, Self Actualisation, Self Determination Principles, Self Evaluation, Sense of Purpose, Service, Significance, Social Media, Social Networking, Solar Eclipse, Song, Song of the Week, Sorry Business, South Australia, Spirituality, Stolen Generations, Story, Suicide Prevention, Support, Systematic Destruction, Systemic Advocacy, Technology, The Decade of Lateral Love, Time, Toronto, Transformation, Transparency, Truth, Tyranny of Things, Union, United Nations, Unity, Visual Artist, Wisdom, Workshops, Yarning

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Lateral Love Australia

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