WEBVTT 00:00:06.260 --> 00:00:07.892 align:center Before we even set foot on 00:00:07.933 --> 00:00:09.908 align:center country this trip wasn't really something 00:00:09.968 --> 00:00:10.371 align:center special. 00:00:10.956 --> 00:00:11.520 align:center For many of us 00:00:11.500 --> 00:00:12.851 align:center it was our first time heading 00:00:12.912 --> 00:00:15.131 align:center this far west, leaving behind Western 00:00:15.171 --> 00:00:16.240 align:center Sydney, our routines and 00:00:16.220 --> 00:00:16.825 align:center what we know. 00:00:17.268 --> 00:00:18.740 align:center But for Aunty Jenny this journey 00:00:18.780 --> 00:00:20.474 align:center was the realisation of a dream 00:00:20.514 --> 00:00:21.240 align:center she's had for a long 00:00:21.220 --> 00:00:21.704 align:center time. 00:00:22.449 --> 00:00:23.940 align:center Aunty Jenny grew up in Brewerina 00:00:24.101 --> 00:00:25.713 align:center along the riverbank learning from her 00:00:25.854 --> 00:00:26.760 align:center elders and family. 00:00:26.740 --> 00:00:29.095 align:center Now her biggest hope is for 00:00:29.136 --> 00:00:30.384 align:center young people like us to go 00:00:30.484 --> 00:00:31.592 align:center strong in our identity. 00:00:32.135 --> 00:00:32.920 align:center This trip is part of 00:00:32.900 --> 00:00:35.298 align:center the Marama Junior Ranger Program which 00:00:35.358 --> 00:00:36.850 align:center was visioned by Aunty Jenny to 00:00:36.930 --> 00:00:38.240 align:center empower young Aboriginal and 00:00:38.220 --> 00:00:40.256 align:center Torres Strait Islander youth in Western 00:00:40.296 --> 00:00:40.699 align:center Sydney. 00:00:41.223 --> 00:00:42.694 align:center We arrived in Bourke and the 00:00:42.755 --> 00:00:43.480 align:center following day our 00:00:43.460 --> 00:00:45.253 align:center first stop was the Back O' 00:00:45.273 --> 00:00:47.751 align:center Bourke Information and Exhibition Centre. 00:00:47.771 --> 00:00:49.080 align:center The centre was full of amazing 00:00:49.060 --> 00:00:51.860 align:center artworks and stories about Bourke's history. 00:00:52.122 --> 00:00:53.996 align:center We learnt that from the 1880s 00:00:54.056 --> 00:00:54.620 align:center Bourke was a 00:00:54.600 --> 00:00:55.619 align:center booming port via the Darling River. 00:00:55.640 --> 00:00:56.231 align:center We also learnt that there was 00:00:56.251 --> 00:00:56.740 align:center a large number of people 00:00:56.720 --> 00:00:57.446 align:center in the Darling River. 00:00:57.467 --> 00:00:59.242 align:center As we walked through the exhibition 00:00:59.424 --> 00:01:01.179 align:center we noticed that there was very 00:01:01.199 --> 00:01:01.320 align:center little 00:01:01.300 --> 00:01:04.159 align:center about Aboriginal history or our people's 00:01:04.219 --> 00:01:04.622 align:center stories. 00:01:04.864 --> 00:01:06.071 align:center That was a bit sad for 00:01:06.152 --> 00:01:07.380 align:center us because we felt there 00:01:07.360 --> 00:01:09.215 align:center could have been so much more 00:01:09.376 --> 00:01:11.412 align:center about the local Aboriginal community and 00:01:11.432 --> 00:01:12.440 align:center their connection to 00:01:12.420 --> 00:01:13.066 align:center this land. 00:01:13.308 --> 00:01:14.861 align:center In one small section there was 00:01:14.982 --> 00:01:16.858 align:center a confronting quote from an elderly 00:01:16.899 --> 00:01:17.060 align:center settler. 00:01:17.200 --> 00:01:18.953 align:center The blacks on the Darling had 00:01:19.034 --> 00:01:21.291 align:center been most barbously murdered by our 00:01:21.453 --> 00:01:22.420 align:center early predecessors, 00:01:22.580 --> 00:01:24.582 align:center hunted like kangaroos or wild dogs, 00:01:24.663 --> 00:01:26.280 align:center wherever they were known to exist. 00:01:26.720 --> 00:01:28.157 align:center Reading this was really hard. 00:01:28.663 --> 00:01:29.856 align:center It's a truth that needs to 00:01:29.897 --> 00:01:30.180 align:center be told. 00:01:30.360 --> 00:01:32.395 align:center One thing that stood out was 00:01:32.416 --> 00:01:34.915 align:center a beautiful Aboriginal animated short film 00:01:35.056 --> 00:01:35.640 align:center about Darling 00:01:35.620 --> 00:01:36.145 align:center River. 00:01:36.327 --> 00:01:38.489 align:center It showed the river's importance to 00:01:38.550 --> 00:01:39.580 align:center country and culture. 00:01:39.740 --> 00:01:40.808 align:center When I come out here I 00:01:40.868 --> 00:01:43.165 align:center see all these farmlands, all these 00:01:43.246 --> 00:01:45.200 align:center properties and they're all owned by 00:01:45.180 --> 00:01:46.328 align:center non-Indigenous people. 00:01:46.650 --> 00:01:48.502 align:center The land nowadays is seen as 00:01:48.562 --> 00:01:50.877 align:center a money-making resource, a part of 00:01:50.898 --> 00:01:51.280 align:center the economy, 00:01:51.460 --> 00:01:54.202 align:center something to buy, sell, trade and 00:01:54.282 --> 00:01:55.391 align:center profit off. 00:01:55.411 --> 00:01:56.097 align:center But if we look at the 00:01:56.157 --> 00:01:56.560 align:center start of that, 00:01:56.720 --> 00:01:58.661 align:center the video, country for us as 00:01:58.742 --> 00:02:00.178 align:center Aboriginal people, no matter where you're 00:02:00.198 --> 00:02:00.360 align:center from, 00:02:00.380 --> 00:02:03.223 align:center you'll hear Aboriginal people right across 00:02:03.263 --> 00:02:05.239 align:center the country talk about country as 00:02:05.259 --> 00:02:05.400 align:center mother. 00:02:05.840 --> 00:02:08.421 align:center After the exhibition centre, we visited 00:02:08.461 --> 00:02:10.134 align:center Bourke Cemetery to see the memorial 00:02:10.195 --> 00:02:10.840 align:center and gravesite of 00:02:10.820 --> 00:02:12.031 align:center Professor Fred Hollows. 00:02:12.596 --> 00:02:13.948 align:center Fred Hollows was an eye doctor 00:02:13.988 --> 00:02:15.380 align:center who dedicated his life to providing 00:02:15.360 --> 00:02:17.337 align:center preventable blindness, especially in 00:02:17.397 --> 00:02:18.345 align:center Aboriginal communities. 00:02:18.869 --> 00:02:19.979 align:center He made a huge difference by 00:02:19.999 --> 00:02:20.160 align:center treating 00:02:20.140 --> 00:02:21.978 align:center people with respect and working to 00:02:22.038 --> 00:02:23.331 align:center make sure that everybody got the 00:02:23.351 --> 00:02:24.280 align:center healthcare that they deserved. 00:02:24.440 --> 00:02:26.257 align:center For Aunty Jenny, this visit was 00:02:26.278 --> 00:02:26.400 align:center deeply 00:02:26.380 --> 00:02:27.066 align:center personal. 00:02:27.368 --> 00:02:28.921 align:center Her late husband, Uncle Manny, worked 00:02:29.001 --> 00:02:30.171 align:center closely with Fred Hollows. 00:02:30.514 --> 00:02:31.300 align:center Aunty Jenny shared how 00:02:31.280 --> 00:02:32.472 align:center proud she was of the work 00:02:32.533 --> 00:02:33.825 align:center that Uncle Manny did and how 00:02:33.866 --> 00:02:35.300 align:center much Fred cared for Aboriginal people. 00:02:35.560 --> 00:02:37.088 align:center I was in the Bourke Hospital 00:02:37.128 --> 00:02:41.470 align:center having my fifth child, Marsha, and 00:02:41.892 --> 00:02:43.400 align:center there was a pathologist at 00:02:43.380 --> 00:02:44.631 align:center the hospital at the time and 00:02:44.672 --> 00:02:46.186 align:center she was a really wonderful woman. 00:02:46.226 --> 00:02:47.780 align:center She really worked well with 00:02:47.760 --> 00:02:48.708 align:center Aboriginal people. 00:02:48.909 --> 00:02:50.058 align:center And she came to me and 00:02:50.099 --> 00:02:51.934 align:center said, Manny's gone to Townsville. 00:02:52.155 --> 00:02:52.760 align:center He's gone to work 00:02:52.740 --> 00:02:53.691 align:center with Fred Hollows. 00:02:53.873 --> 00:02:55.147 align:center Shobie Ogden-Peterson at the time, he 00:02:55.167 --> 00:02:55.895 align:center didn't want to be there. 00:02:55.915 --> 00:02:56.380 align:center He didn't want 00:02:56.360 --> 00:02:59.540 align:center Fred in Queensland because Fred was 00:02:59.600 --> 00:03:01.230 align:center very radical and he was very 00:03:01.331 --> 00:03:02.820 align:center outspoken and thought a lot of 00:03:02.800 --> 00:03:03.990 align:center Aboriginal people. 00:03:04.010 --> 00:03:05.321 align:center They brought their clinic down to 00:03:05.361 --> 00:03:06.813 align:center Bourke and they went down to 00:03:06.954 --> 00:03:07.680 align:center Lake Angelico and 00:03:07.660 --> 00:03:09.373 align:center did clinics there and then all 00:03:09.433 --> 00:03:09.998 align:center around here. 00:03:10.018 --> 00:03:12.174 align:center The town embraced him because I 00:03:12.194 --> 00:03:13.000 align:center suppose he was a hero. 00:03:13.160 --> 00:03:14.594 align:center He stood up for the downtrodden 00:03:14.897 --> 00:03:16.776 align:center and he was instrumental in getting 00:03:16.836 --> 00:03:17.220 align:center a lot of things 00:03:17.200 --> 00:03:18.975 align:center happening for Aboriginal people. 00:03:18.995 --> 00:03:20.105 align:center Fred and Gabby went off to 00:03:20.125 --> 00:03:21.819 align:center Sydney and every time they came 00:03:21.839 --> 00:03:21.940 align:center back, 00:03:21.960 --> 00:03:23.938 align:center they always came out and saw 00:03:23.958 --> 00:03:24.120 align:center us. 00:03:24.140 --> 00:03:25.977 align:center Aunty Elaine also shared her memories 00:03:26.017 --> 00:03:26.360 align:center of Fred Hollows. 00:03:26.360 --> 00:03:28.336 align:center I trained as an Aboriginal health 00:03:28.356 --> 00:03:30.715 align:center worker at the first Aboriginal medical 00:03:30.755 --> 00:03:31.400 align:center service ever in 00:03:31.380 --> 00:03:33.793 align:center this country, the AMS in Redford. 00:03:35.019 --> 00:03:37.050 align:center And Fred Hollows used to run 00:03:37.070 --> 00:03:38.759 align:center a clinic out at St Vincent 00:03:38.819 --> 00:03:39.060 align:center Hospital. 00:03:39.340 --> 00:03:40.532 align:center Yeah, he was a beautiful man. 00:03:40.552 --> 00:03:41.925 align:center He treated them like they were 00:03:41.946 --> 00:03:43.420 align:center royalty when he'd come into their 00:03:43.400 --> 00:03:43.803 align:center clinic. 00:03:43.823 --> 00:03:46.342 align:center I think he really understood the 00:03:46.503 --> 00:03:48.377 align:center battles that Aboriginal people went through 00:03:48.397 --> 00:03:48.840 align:center and the 00:03:48.820 --> 00:03:51.354 align:center unfairness of us not having good 00:03:51.415 --> 00:03:55.538 align:center health and provided to us through 00:03:55.578 --> 00:03:55.920 align:center the years. 00:03:56.360 --> 00:03:58.497 align:center Aside from this, Aunty Elaine also 00:03:58.578 --> 00:04:00.311 align:center shared something deeply personal with us. 00:04:00.755 --> 00:04:01.420 align:center Her family is buried 00:04:01.400 --> 00:04:02.669 align:center somewhere in this cemetery. 00:04:03.253 --> 00:04:04.784 align:center When she was young, some of 00:04:04.845 --> 00:04:06.436 align:center her family died from poisoning in 00:04:06.456 --> 00:04:07.040 align:center 1928 00:04:07.020 --> 00:04:08.309 align:center out at Nokolechi. 00:04:08.994 --> 00:04:10.102 align:center We don't know if the poisoning 00:04:10.142 --> 00:04:11.532 align:center was an accident or intentional. 00:04:11.975 --> 00:04:12.700 align:center This tragedy left 00:04:12.680 --> 00:04:14.535 align:center a lasting impact on her family. 00:04:15.301 --> 00:04:16.550 align:center Her mum and uncle carried that 00:04:16.591 --> 00:04:17.599 align:center trauma for the rest of their 00:04:17.639 --> 00:04:17.780 align:center lives. 00:04:18.020 --> 00:04:21.055 align:center My grandfather died at 28. 00:04:21.296 --> 00:04:23.708 align:center Young Aunty and I think there 00:04:23.728 --> 00:04:25.698 align:center was three or four young uncles. 00:04:25.718 --> 00:04:26.120 align:center They were my 00:04:26.360 --> 00:04:27.953 align:center mother's brothers and sister. 00:04:28.155 --> 00:04:29.708 align:center They died out at Nokolechi. 00:04:29.728 --> 00:04:30.918 align:center It's a big property out from 00:04:30.999 --> 00:04:31.160 align:center Wenari, 00:04:31.380 --> 00:04:32.973 align:center where a lot of Aboriginal people 00:04:33.013 --> 00:04:33.436 align:center live. 00:04:33.456 --> 00:04:35.170 align:center And they died from poisoning. 00:04:35.493 --> 00:04:36.259 align:center And they're all here. 00:04:36.299 --> 00:04:36.440 align:center They're 00:04:36.420 --> 00:04:37.650 align:center buried here somewhere. 00:04:37.993 --> 00:04:39.444 align:center And luck would have it, my 00:04:39.465 --> 00:04:41.380 align:center mother and Uncle Frank wasn't home. 00:04:41.660 --> 00:04:44.976 align:center Very traumatising for my mum and 00:04:45.057 --> 00:04:45.499 align:center uncle. 00:04:46.685 --> 00:04:47.669 align:center Poor old Uncle Frank. 00:04:47.890 --> 00:04:49.338 align:center He was a funny old man. 00:04:49.740 --> 00:04:49.860 align:center He was 00:04:49.840 --> 00:04:51.837 align:center an alcoholic because of it all. 00:04:51.918 --> 00:04:53.310 align:center And I don't know. 00:04:53.330 --> 00:04:54.339 align:center So was my mum in the 00:04:54.379 --> 00:04:54.460 align:center end. 00:04:56.360 --> 00:04:57.690 align:center Couldn't deal with it. 00:04:57.711 --> 00:04:58.416 align:center Couldn't deal with it. 00:04:58.678 --> 00:05:00.855 align:center Yeah. 00:05:00.875 --> 00:05:01.520 align:center So, yeah. 00:05:07.540 --> 00:05:09.158 align:center That's why I'm here today. 00:05:10.392 --> 00:05:11.080 align:center Because of that. 00:05:16.060 --> 00:05:17.820 align:center So now they're here somewhere. 00:05:24.220 --> 00:05:24.941 align:center It's alright. 00:05:35.280 --> 00:05:36.881 align:center These stories are not uncommon. 00:05:37.520 --> 00:05:39.683 align:center Poisoning was just one tactic used 00:05:39.865 --> 00:05:41.159 align:center during what's known as the Frontier 00:05:41.179 --> 00:05:41.280 align:center Wars. 00:05:41.680 --> 00:05:43.696 align:center The Frontier Wars was a series 00:05:43.757 --> 00:05:45.814 align:center of violent clashes between Aboriginal people 00:05:45.874 --> 00:05:46.620 align:center and European settlers 00:05:46.600 --> 00:05:48.777 align:center that took place across Australia from 00:05:48.817 --> 00:05:50.913 align:center the late 1700s to the early 00:05:50.934 --> 00:05:51.780 align:center 1900s. 00:05:52.000 --> 00:05:54.039 align:center There were hundreds of these conflicts, 00:05:54.200 --> 00:05:56.360 align:center including battles, raids, and massacres. 00:05:56.360 --> 00:05:58.891 align:center As Aboriginal communities fought to defend 00:05:58.911 --> 00:05:59.680 align:center their land and lives. 00:06:00.060 --> 00:06:02.301 align:center It's estimated that tens of thousands 00:06:02.362 --> 00:06:04.057 align:center of Aboriginal people were killed during 00:06:04.098 --> 00:06:04.360 align:center this time. 00:06:05.260 --> 00:06:07.518 align:center One example is the Hospital Creek 00:06:07.578 --> 00:06:10.058 align:center Massacre, about 10 kilometres northeast of 00:06:10.098 --> 00:06:10.380 align:center Brewarrina. 00:06:10.860 --> 00:06:12.456 align:center There are claims that as many 00:06:12.517 --> 00:06:14.193 align:center as 400 Aboriginals may have been 00:06:14.234 --> 00:06:14.880 align:center killed by settlers. 00:06:15.300 --> 00:06:17.377 align:center The Frontier Wars left deep scars 00:06:17.438 --> 00:06:19.172 align:center on Australia's history and continue to 00:06:19.233 --> 00:06:20.100 align:center affect communities today. 00:06:29.880 --> 00:06:31.310 align:center Next, we went to the Bourke 00:06:31.330 --> 00:06:31.820 align:center Railway Station. 00:06:32.380 --> 00:06:34.359 align:center This place is significant because it's 00:06:34.399 --> 00:06:36.136 align:center where Aboriginal children were stolen from 00:06:36.176 --> 00:06:36.580 align:center their families. 00:06:36.920 --> 00:06:38.984 align:center Aunty Cass shared her father's story 00:06:39.005 --> 00:06:40.320 align:center about being taken from there. 00:06:40.440 --> 00:06:41.939 align:center It was confronting to stand in 00:06:41.980 --> 00:06:43.054 align:center the same place where so much 00:06:43.114 --> 00:06:43.580 align:center pain had happened. 00:06:44.020 --> 00:06:45.570 align:center We learned that Bourke wasn't the 00:06:45.692 --> 00:06:46.100 align:center only place. 00:06:46.120 --> 00:06:48.136 align:center All across New South Wales, country 00:06:48.216 --> 00:06:50.071 align:center train stations became sites of deep 00:06:50.131 --> 00:06:51.280 align:center sadness for Aboriginal families. 00:06:51.700 --> 00:06:53.440 align:center Children were taken from towns and 00:06:53.480 --> 00:06:54.897 align:center missions, put on trains, and sent 00:06:54.937 --> 00:06:55.220 align:center far away. 00:06:55.500 --> 00:06:56.361 align:center Sometimes hundreds of people were killed. 00:06:56.340 --> 00:06:57.246 align:center They were taken hundreds of kilometres 00:06:57.588 --> 00:06:59.359 align:center to institutions like Kinchilla Boys Home 00:06:59.500 --> 00:07:02.378 align:center for Boys and Kudmundra Girls Home 00:07:02.419 --> 00:07:02.640 align:center for Girls. 00:07:03.280 --> 00:07:05.740 align:center For many, the journey started right 00:07:05.881 --> 00:07:07.414 align:center here, not knowing if they'd ever 00:07:07.434 --> 00:07:08.220 align:center see their families again. 00:07:08.420 --> 00:07:10.303 align:center Kinchilla Boys Home near Kempsey was 00:07:10.405 --> 00:07:11.660 align:center one of the most notorious institutions. 00:07:12.180 --> 00:07:13.709 align:center Boys taken there were given numbers 00:07:13.790 --> 00:07:16.003 align:center instead of names and punished harshly 00:07:16.104 --> 00:07:17.130 align:center if they tried to speak their 00:07:17.150 --> 00:07:18.720 align:center language or connect with their culture. 00:07:19.380 --> 00:07:21.277 align:center Many survivors have shared stories of 00:07:21.317 --> 00:07:23.093 align:center cruelty, violence, and being forced to 00:07:23.134 --> 00:07:23.880 align:center turn against each other. 00:07:24.060 --> 00:07:25.740 align:center The trauma from these experiences 00:07:25.720 --> 00:07:27.417 align:center didn't just affect those who were 00:07:27.438 --> 00:07:27.560 align:center taken. 00:07:27.680 --> 00:07:29.598 align:center It has been passed through generations, 00:07:29.759 --> 00:07:31.980 align:center shaping families and communities even today. 00:07:32.180 --> 00:07:34.855 align:center My father is a part of 00:07:34.956 --> 00:07:37.410 align:center the Dolan generation and him and 00:07:37.611 --> 00:07:39.160 align:center his siblings was actually taken 00:07:39.140 --> 00:07:42.603 align:center from this train station and put 00:07:42.684 --> 00:07:45.080 align:center on the train to Central Station. 00:07:45.440 --> 00:07:47.327 align:center My dad wasn't known as a 00:07:47.408 --> 00:07:48.300 align:center name, he was a number. 00:07:48.420 --> 00:07:50.776 align:center So he was number 28 and 00:07:51.319 --> 00:07:52.930 align:center my aunties had a number when 00:07:53.031 --> 00:07:54.480 align:center they was in Kudmundra. 00:08:02.500 --> 00:08:05.211 align:center I was fortunate enough to join 00:08:05.311 --> 00:08:07.098 align:center the Emsworth family to go to 00:08:07.159 --> 00:08:10.753 align:center Kinchilla for the 100th year anniversary 00:08:10.833 --> 00:08:12.560 align:center of the Kinchilla Boys Home. 00:08:12.860 --> 00:08:19.100 align:center And I found that extremely upsetting. 00:08:19.480 --> 00:08:22.643 align:center But the worst part for me 00:08:22.723 --> 00:08:25.040 align:center there was the tree. 00:08:26.840 --> 00:08:28.857 align:center And to do that to little 00:08:28.958 --> 00:08:31.480 align:center kids, it's just unforgivable. 00:08:32.800 --> 00:08:33.789 align:center And I just can't wrap it 00:08:33.830 --> 00:08:34.201 align:center around my head. 00:08:34.680 --> 00:08:51.298 align:center And 00:08:51.318 --> 00:08:51.719 align:center I just can't wrap it 00:08:51.739 --> 00:08:52.040 align:center around my head. 00:08:55.760 --> 00:08:57.986 align:center And they were taught to be 00:08:58.047 --> 00:08:59.180 align:center violent to each other. 00:08:59.300 --> 00:09:02.478 align:center That was like if somebody did 00:09:02.538 --> 00:09:04.509 align:center something they thought was wrong, each 00:09:04.610 --> 00:09:06.319 align:center child had to punch or hit 00:09:06.340 --> 00:09:06.440 align:center that. 00:09:06.460 --> 00:09:08.560 align:center They had to walk the line. 00:09:09.720 --> 00:09:12.321 align:center How dare they do that to 00:09:12.623 --> 00:09:14.720 align:center our young men and women. 00:09:15.720 --> 00:09:20.760 align:center The cruelty that was out there. 00:09:20.920 --> 00:09:22.449 align:center All the years we lived here, 00:09:22.470 --> 00:09:23.020 align:center Manuel didn't... 00:09:24.000 --> 00:09:24.679 align:center I know that he was a 00:09:24.700 --> 00:09:25.421 align:center stolen generation. 00:09:25.680 --> 00:09:26.609 align:center I know that he was a 00:09:26.629 --> 00:09:27.001 align:center stolen generation. 00:09:27.080 --> 00:09:28.780 align:center Because he never talked about it. 00:09:28.840 --> 00:09:30.574 align:center But when we went to Madrid, 00:09:30.654 --> 00:09:32.751 align:center that's when the story and the 00:09:32.872 --> 00:09:33.900 align:center anger started to come out. 00:09:34.020 --> 00:09:35.283 align:center And he used to just say 00:09:35.304 --> 00:09:36.220 align:center it was a horrible place. 00:09:36.380 --> 00:09:38.360 align:center He never said what happened. 00:09:38.900 --> 00:09:41.369 align:center And he would have experienced a 00:09:41.409 --> 00:09:42.340 align:center lot of horrific things. 00:09:44.580 --> 00:09:47.328 align:center Sometimes we can't understand how the 00:09:47.369 --> 00:09:48.460 align:center world can be so cruel. 00:09:48.680 --> 00:09:50.439 align:center And like earlier, we talked about 00:09:50.500 --> 00:09:51.814 align:center his connection when he went and 00:09:51.854 --> 00:09:52.420 align:center worked with Fred. 00:09:53.240 --> 00:09:56.244 align:center Fred was a, I think Fred 00:09:56.385 --> 00:09:59.269 align:center built Manuel up because Manuel was 00:09:59.469 --> 00:10:00.951 align:center a man that got out there 00:10:01.011 --> 00:10:02.533 align:center and he spoke out and he 00:10:02.794 --> 00:10:06.599 align:center wanted to make sure that the 00:10:06.639 --> 00:10:10.325 align:center Kinchela boys' home, their legacy lives 00:10:10.485 --> 00:10:12.127 align:center on, you know, and he went, 00:10:12.147 --> 00:10:13.409 align:center he made himself very sick because 00:10:13.469 --> 00:10:14.471 align:center he used to drive around the 00:10:14.531 --> 00:10:16.233 align:center country looking for all the brothers 00:10:16.373 --> 00:10:19.378 align:center that they sort of got lost 00:10:19.458 --> 00:10:20.319 align:center and they went and lived in 00:10:20.359 --> 00:10:20.980 align:center their own countries. 00:10:20.960 --> 00:10:23.339 align:center And so he made it his 00:10:23.681 --> 00:10:25.052 align:center business to go around and drive 00:10:25.112 --> 00:10:26.120 align:center around and bring them all together. 00:10:26.380 --> 00:10:28.500 align:center I think this site here, this 00:10:28.540 --> 00:10:30.499 align:center railway site everywhere, is a sacred 00:10:30.519 --> 00:10:30.620 align:center site. 00:10:31.180 --> 00:10:33.575 align:center This is where those children that 00:10:33.595 --> 00:10:35.286 align:center were taken from this site, this 00:10:35.306 --> 00:10:36.856 align:center is where they lost their connections 00:10:37.298 --> 00:10:37.580 align:center to them. 00:10:38.920 --> 00:10:42.557 align:center Family, their culture, their language, 00:10:42.598 --> 00:10:42.840 align:center everything. 00:10:43.000 --> 00:10:45.036 align:center This is where it was taken 00:10:45.077 --> 00:10:46.105 align:center from and when they got on 00:10:46.165 --> 00:10:47.919 align:center that train, they never got it 00:10:47.939 --> 00:10:48.040 align:center back. 00:10:48.940 --> 00:10:50.666 align:center And I don't know if the 00:10:50.706 --> 00:10:51.950 align:center students who are here with us 00:10:52.030 --> 00:10:56.364 align:center today can empathise enough with the 00:10:56.384 --> 00:10:59.093 align:center pain those little kids must have 00:10:59.113 --> 00:11:00.778 align:center felt getting put on a train 00:11:00.818 --> 00:11:01.340 align:center over the back here. 00:11:01.720 --> 00:11:05.556 align:center I knew we was going to 00:11:05.616 --> 00:11:08.709 align:center feel some hurt and everything but, 00:11:09.292 --> 00:11:11.059 align:center you know, this is about truth 00:11:11.079 --> 00:11:11.240 align:center telling. 00:11:11.460 --> 00:11:13.132 align:center I know it's not only our 00:11:13.193 --> 00:11:15.792 align:center family, you know, there's a whole 00:11:15.994 --> 00:11:16.840 align:center lot of other families 00:11:18.020 --> 00:11:19.890 align:center I think that we need our 00:11:19.931 --> 00:11:20.500 align:center story heard. 00:11:20.640 --> 00:11:22.392 align:center After such a heavy day, we 00:11:22.453 --> 00:11:23.923 align:center needed to let go of some 00:11:23.964 --> 00:11:25.918 align:center of the sadness and heaviness we 00:11:25.958 --> 00:11:26.280 align:center were carrying. 00:11:26.560 --> 00:11:28.309 align:center Josh and Ayula led us in 00:11:28.370 --> 00:11:29.000 align:center a smoking ceremony. 00:11:29.420 --> 00:11:31.617 align:center It was important to cleanse ourselves 00:11:31.919 --> 00:11:33.854 align:center after being at the cemetery and 00:11:33.915 --> 00:11:34.640 align:center hearing these stories. 00:11:35.880 --> 00:11:37.799 align:center The next day, we travelled to 00:11:37.839 --> 00:11:39.394 align:center Brewarrina to meet with the community 00:11:39.435 --> 00:11:40.020 align:center and local elders. 00:11:40.300 --> 00:11:42.102 align:center Sitting with them, we heard stories 00:11:42.163 --> 00:11:43.418 align:center about growing up on the Brewarrina 00:11:43.438 --> 00:11:43.600 align:center mission. 00:11:48.300 --> 00:11:49.971 align:center Missions were places set up by 00:11:50.051 --> 00:11:52.286 align:center churches or the government, often far 00:11:52.346 --> 00:11:53.977 align:center from towns where Aboriginal people were 00:11:54.017 --> 00:11:54.460 align:center forced to live. 00:11:55.280 --> 00:11:56.758 align:center These are part of a wider 00:11:56.819 --> 00:11:58.297 align:center system across New South Wales and 00:11:58.318 --> 00:11:58.520 align:center Australia, 00:11:58.800 --> 00:12:01.338 align:center created because of racist government policies 00:12:01.358 --> 00:12:03.392 align:center that aim to control, segregate and 00:12:03.452 --> 00:12:04.600 align:center assimilate Aboriginal people. 00:12:05.320 --> 00:12:07.262 align:center Families were moved off their traditional 00:12:07.303 --> 00:12:08.396 align:center lands and made to live under 00:12:08.436 --> 00:12:08.800 align:center strict rules, 00:12:09.000 --> 00:12:11.439 align:center with managers deciding everything from where 00:12:11.479 --> 00:12:12.548 align:center they could go to what they 00:12:12.588 --> 00:12:13.798 align:center could eat and even who they 00:12:13.838 --> 00:12:14.120 align:center could marry. 00:12:39.840 --> 00:12:41.441 align:center ìI hope you are well.î 00:12:41.780 --> 00:12:42.701 align:center ìI'm doing super well.î 00:12:50.140 --> 00:12:52.316 align:center We're both mission girls, we come 00:12:52.336 --> 00:12:54.693 align:center from the mission, we did and 00:12:54.714 --> 00:12:55.600 align:center there were good times 00:12:55.580 --> 00:12:56.801 align:center and hard times. 00:12:59.000 --> 00:13:00.937 align:center We get so emotional when we 00:13:00.978 --> 00:13:03.016 align:center talk about the mission because that's 00:13:03.057 --> 00:13:03.460 align:center where we've been 00:13:04.160 --> 00:13:05.141 align:center reared up out there. 00:13:05.260 --> 00:13:08.598 align:center We lived under the power of 00:13:08.880 --> 00:13:10.770 align:center the mission manager that used to 00:13:10.810 --> 00:13:12.600 align:center come around and check the homes 00:13:12.580 --> 00:13:14.830 align:center and see if the homes were 00:13:14.871 --> 00:13:15.560 align:center nice and tidy. 00:13:15.540 --> 00:13:17.412 align:center When I was old enough to 00:13:17.453 --> 00:13:19.727 align:center come into school in town, we'd 00:13:19.788 --> 00:13:20.774 align:center come in on the back of 00:13:21.016 --> 00:13:21.660 align:center a truck 00:13:21.640 --> 00:13:23.132 align:center and we used to call our 00:13:23.172 --> 00:13:25.510 align:center truck the gubby truck and all 00:13:25.550 --> 00:13:26.578 align:center the kids used to sit on 00:13:26.618 --> 00:13:26.840 align:center the back. 00:13:26.940 --> 00:13:28.937 align:center We'd sit up there and say 00:13:28.957 --> 00:13:30.369 align:center to each other, we're like animals 00:13:30.430 --> 00:13:31.458 align:center sitting on the back of this 00:13:31.559 --> 00:13:31.680 align:center truck 00:13:32.220 --> 00:13:33.629 align:center and we'd get to school in 00:13:33.710 --> 00:13:35.542 align:center town and we'd be all dusty 00:13:35.683 --> 00:13:38.159 align:center and coughing from the dust and 00:13:38.219 --> 00:13:38.320 align:center stuff 00:13:38.300 --> 00:13:38.961 align:center like that. 00:13:39.080 --> 00:13:39.926 align:center We used to be on the 00:13:39.986 --> 00:13:41.456 align:center truck in the rain and the 00:13:42.684 --> 00:13:44.938 align:center cold and travelling in the mud 00:13:45.099 --> 00:13:45.220 align:center all of 00:13:45.200 --> 00:13:45.543 align:center the morning. 00:13:45.540 --> 00:13:46.895 align:center I got education there because at 00:13:47.320 --> 00:13:48.594 align:center the age of 14 we had 00:13:48.614 --> 00:13:49.200 align:center to go to work. 00:13:49.340 --> 00:13:51.192 align:center Mary's mum, she used to look 00:13:51.212 --> 00:13:53.164 align:center after me, I used to go 00:13:53.184 --> 00:13:55.418 align:center to work with her out onto 00:13:55.458 --> 00:13:55.780 align:center the property. 00:13:56.000 --> 00:13:57.429 align:center We used to have to cross 00:13:57.490 --> 00:13:59.885 align:center the river and to catch a 00:14:00.167 --> 00:14:02.019 align:center mail truck and then go out 00:14:02.039 --> 00:14:02.160 align:center to the 00:14:02.140 --> 00:14:02.602 align:center properties. 00:14:02.820 --> 00:14:04.735 align:center We'd be out there for about 00:14:04.775 --> 00:14:07.154 align:center three months to six months before 00:14:07.214 --> 00:14:07.960 align:center we were able to come 00:14:07.940 --> 00:14:10.580 align:center in and see our families. 00:14:11.300 --> 00:14:12.997 align:center We had to learn how to 00:14:13.058 --> 00:14:13.160 align:center cook. 00:14:13.340 --> 00:14:14.990 align:center We had to learn how to 00:14:15.011 --> 00:14:15.540 align:center do cooking. 00:14:15.520 --> 00:14:17.032 align:center We had to learn how to 00:14:17.052 --> 00:14:18.523 align:center do the dishes and how to 00:14:18.906 --> 00:14:20.660 align:center set tables and things like that. 00:14:20.800 --> 00:14:21.701 align:center And do the laundry. 00:14:21.860 --> 00:14:22.881 align:center And do the laundry. 00:14:22.960 --> 00:14:25.607 align:center And only a young, well a 00:14:25.628 --> 00:14:26.840 align:center kid at that age. 00:14:27.460 --> 00:14:30.167 align:center And I had like Mary's mum 00:14:30.692 --> 00:14:31.520 align:center taking care of me. 00:14:31.960 --> 00:14:34.475 align:center And then being a 14 year 00:14:34.495 --> 00:14:35.742 align:center old you're on the property and 00:14:36.305 --> 00:14:38.900 align:center you're taking care of their kids. 00:14:39.200 --> 00:14:41.985 align:center I remember myself working on the 00:14:42.026 --> 00:14:43.620 align:center mission in the laundry. 00:14:43.840 --> 00:14:44.322 align:center Yeah. 00:14:44.300 --> 00:14:46.828 align:center Helping my mother peg the sheets 00:14:46.909 --> 00:14:47.920 align:center and that for the managers. 00:14:48.640 --> 00:14:51.706 align:center But I never got paid for 00:14:51.746 --> 00:14:53.198 align:center it, I was just made to 00:14:53.218 --> 00:14:53.420 align:center do it. 00:14:53.960 --> 00:14:57.567 align:center Because my mother and Aunty Eva's 00:14:57.628 --> 00:14:59.119 align:center mother worked together in the big 00:14:59.179 --> 00:14:59.300 align:center house. 00:14:59.980 --> 00:15:02.338 align:center They worked together so we had 00:15:02.379 --> 00:15:04.636 align:center to go and do stuff with 00:15:04.697 --> 00:15:05.140 align:center them, you know. 00:15:05.560 --> 00:15:06.161 align:center Can you? 00:15:07.320 --> 00:15:08.761 align:center Whether we liked it or not. 00:15:08.860 --> 00:15:09.801 align:center Tell them about the big house. 00:15:10.000 --> 00:15:12.853 align:center The big house was the manager's 00:15:13.319 --> 00:15:13.440 align:center house. 00:15:13.760 --> 00:15:14.302 align:center Yeah. 00:15:14.300 --> 00:15:15.896 align:center And it had a big veranda 00:15:16.118 --> 00:15:17.512 align:center from the front all the way 00:15:17.532 --> 00:15:18.380 align:center down to the side. 00:15:18.720 --> 00:15:21.705 align:center And I remember going there to 00:15:21.766 --> 00:15:23.278 align:center get the rations with my little 00:15:23.319 --> 00:15:23.500 align:center brother. 00:15:24.240 --> 00:15:25.892 align:center So we'd go there and get 00:15:25.954 --> 00:15:26.300 align:center the rations. 00:15:26.360 --> 00:15:28.812 align:center We'd get a scoop of powdered 00:15:28.872 --> 00:15:31.947 align:center milk, scoop of sugar, a bit 00:15:32.007 --> 00:15:34.519 align:center of salt, a scoop of tea 00:15:34.539 --> 00:15:34.760 align:center leaves, 00:15:35.080 --> 00:15:37.337 align:center half a cake of sunlight soap 00:15:38.144 --> 00:15:39.555 align:center and a bit of rice and 00:15:39.595 --> 00:15:40.280 align:center things like that. 00:15:40.560 --> 00:15:41.401 align:center Which was? 00:15:41.520 --> 00:15:42.201 align:center Rationed out. 00:15:42.440 --> 00:15:43.081 align:center Rationed out. 00:15:43.060 --> 00:15:44.081 align:center You know? 00:15:45.280 --> 00:15:45.862 align:center Yeah. 00:15:46.140 --> 00:15:48.189 align:center And when you complain to the 00:15:48.691 --> 00:15:53.794 align:center welfare board today about, why don't 00:15:53.814 --> 00:15:55.240 align:center you repay us for what 00:15:55.220 --> 00:15:55.782 align:center we've done? 00:15:56.140 --> 00:15:57.401 align:center There's no records. 00:15:57.740 --> 00:15:59.846 align:center But they think they know everything 00:15:59.947 --> 00:16:01.060 align:center about us, they know nothing. 00:16:01.540 --> 00:16:03.454 align:center They know nothing from what we've 00:16:03.475 --> 00:16:03.800 align:center been through. 00:16:04.200 --> 00:16:08.252 align:center You know, all this, it's memory 00:16:08.272 --> 00:16:09.340 align:center you don't want to talk about. 00:16:09.620 --> 00:16:11.769 align:center But that's how it was back 00:16:11.810 --> 00:16:12.560 align:center there in those days. 00:16:12.640 --> 00:16:13.062 align:center Yeah. 00:16:13.060 --> 00:16:13.482 align:center You know? 00:16:13.720 --> 00:16:15.926 align:center You was robbed of a childhood 00:16:16.007 --> 00:16:17.180 align:center and then robbed of an education. 00:16:17.880 --> 00:16:20.398 align:center But then you empowered, you got 00:16:20.458 --> 00:16:22.312 align:center empowered only because later on in 00:16:22.372 --> 00:16:23.480 align:center life, you learnt 00:16:23.460 --> 00:16:24.101 align:center how to do it. 00:16:24.100 --> 00:16:26.246 align:center Win that victory back of what 00:16:26.327 --> 00:16:27.420 align:center they tried to rob you of. 00:16:27.600 --> 00:16:29.155 align:center Yeah, just thank yous all for, 00:16:29.195 --> 00:16:30.306 align:center I know it's hard to speak 00:16:30.347 --> 00:16:31.740 align:center sometimes too, but it's good 00:16:31.720 --> 00:16:33.726 align:center to tell your stories so we 00:16:33.746 --> 00:16:34.840 align:center can pass them on. 00:16:34.920 --> 00:16:36.453 align:center And so much of my family 00:16:36.574 --> 00:16:38.227 align:center have been lost and hard to 00:16:38.247 --> 00:16:39.800 align:center find, so hearing your stories helps 00:16:39.780 --> 00:16:40.262 align:center me too. 00:16:40.240 --> 00:16:42.179 align:center Hearing these stories from the elders 00:16:42.240 --> 00:16:43.533 align:center made us realise how much our 00:16:43.574 --> 00:16:44.240 align:center people had survived. 00:16:44.660 --> 00:16:47.168 align:center The elders' strength and resilience inspire 00:16:47.209 --> 00:16:48.220 align:center us to keep our culture alive. 00:16:48.840 --> 00:16:50.615 align:center The next day we cruised the 00:16:50.656 --> 00:16:50.900 align:center Barker. 00:16:51.020 --> 00:16:53.113 align:center For Aunty Jenny, this river is 00:16:53.174 --> 00:16:53.540 align:center a lifeline. 00:16:53.980 --> 00:16:55.495 align:center She told us that no matter 00:16:55.556 --> 00:16:57.132 align:center what happened, the river was there 00:16:57.213 --> 00:16:57.940 align:center for her and her mob. 00:16:58.160 --> 00:16:59.520 align:center Out on the water, we could 00:16:59.561 --> 00:17:00.860 align:center breathe and feel ourselves settle. 00:17:01.140 --> 00:17:03.127 align:center Our elders reminded us the river 00:17:03.188 --> 00:17:04.060 align:center is more than a waterway. 00:17:04.200 --> 00:17:05.693 align:center The Barker has always been a 00:17:05.754 --> 00:17:07.954 align:center meeting ground, linking major travel groups 00:17:08.075 --> 00:17:08.700 align:center across the region. 00:17:22.460 --> 00:17:24.665 align:center After the cruise, we went to 00:17:24.686 --> 00:17:25.940 align:center the historic wharf. 00:17:26.000 --> 00:17:28.007 align:center We took time to reflect on 00:17:28.027 --> 00:17:29.000 align:center our journey so far. 00:17:29.200 --> 00:17:31.580 align:center We wrote postcards to our friends 00:17:31.681 --> 00:17:33.738 align:center and family, sharing magical moments from 00:17:33.778 --> 00:17:34.020 align:center the trip. 00:17:34.200 --> 00:17:36.826 align:center The river, the stories, the laughter 00:17:36.968 --> 00:17:38.200 align:center and the lessons we'd learnt. 00:17:38.320 --> 00:17:39.975 align:center It was a chance to pause 00:17:39.995 --> 00:17:40.240 align:center and reflect. 00:17:40.220 --> 00:17:42.999 align:center And appreciate everything we'd experienced so 00:17:43.019 --> 00:17:43.100 align:center far. 00:17:43.280 --> 00:17:45.456 align:center The reason why we've asked you 00:17:45.496 --> 00:17:47.530 align:center to do this postcard is it 00:17:47.591 --> 00:17:48.900 align:center actually gives you time to 00:17:48.880 --> 00:17:50.918 align:center sit and reflect on what you've 00:17:50.979 --> 00:17:52.533 align:center seen, what you've heard and what 00:17:52.573 --> 00:17:53.320 align:center you've felt over the 00:17:53.300 --> 00:17:54.261 align:center last three days. 00:17:54.860 --> 00:17:56.657 align:center After our reflection at the wharf, 00:17:56.920 --> 00:17:58.495 align:center we travelled back to Brewarrina to 00:17:58.535 --> 00:17:59.060 align:center visit the Aboriginal 00:17:59.040 --> 00:18:01.118 align:center Cultural Centre and the famous fish 00:18:01.138 --> 00:18:01.260 align:center traps. 00:18:01.640 --> 00:18:04.002 align:center Brad, our tour guide, welcomed us 00:18:04.163 --> 00:18:05.617 align:center and began sharing the story of 00:18:05.637 --> 00:18:06.000 align:center the fish traps. 00:18:07.320 --> 00:18:09.033 align:center Archaeologists say the fish traps at 00:18:09.094 --> 00:18:09.400 align:center Brewarrina 00:18:09.380 --> 00:18:11.268 align:center is one of the oldest man-made 00:18:11.309 --> 00:18:12.100 align:center structures in the world. 00:18:12.220 --> 00:18:13.874 align:center And their opinions vary from the 00:18:13.915 --> 00:18:15.569 align:center fish traps being 5,000 year old, 00:18:15.650 --> 00:18:16.860 align:center way back to 150,000 00:18:16.840 --> 00:18:17.242 align:center year old. 00:18:17.440 --> 00:18:19.180 align:center Eight different tribes that spoke eight 00:18:19.200 --> 00:18:20.960 align:center different languages built the fish traps. 00:18:21.000 --> 00:18:22.352 align:center And it shows us as people, 00:18:22.816 --> 00:18:23.886 align:center if we come together like those 00:18:23.946 --> 00:18:25.480 align:center eight different tribes did, we 00:18:25.460 --> 00:18:28.044 align:center can build structures, friendships, education, 00:18:28.104 --> 00:18:28.528 align:center language, 00:18:28.549 --> 00:18:29.800 align:center peace, all by coming together. 00:18:30.120 --> 00:18:31.764 align:center Everything our people needed in the 00:18:31.825 --> 00:18:32.860 align:center old days was here. 00:18:33.160 --> 00:18:35.805 align:center Fish, water, bird life, corollary ceremony, 00:18:35.825 --> 00:18:37.460 align:center dance, meeting place, gathering place, sharing 00:18:37.440 --> 00:18:37.743 align:center place. 00:18:37.720 --> 00:18:39.714 align:center place of peace, place of ochre, 00:18:39.735 --> 00:18:40.060 align:center place of bill. 00:18:40.540 --> 00:18:42.101 align:center Everything our people needed was here. 00:19:05.140 --> 00:19:07.160 align:center After exploring the fish traps, 00:19:07.440 --> 00:19:09.165 align:center we had a chance to listen 00:19:09.247 --> 00:19:10.180 align:center to Barbie Lee Kirby, 00:19:10.440 --> 00:19:12.081 align:center a young Aboriginal woman, 00:19:12.080 --> 00:19:15.003 align:center I think we have to make 00:19:15.043 --> 00:19:17.260 align:center sure that culture isn't just tangible, 00:19:17.480 --> 00:19:18.835 align:center this is something you can hold 00:19:18.855 --> 00:19:21.140 align:center or something that you can see. 00:19:21.340 --> 00:19:22.964 align:center Culture is also in the way 00:19:22.984 --> 00:19:24.100 align:center you were taught to speak 00:19:24.080 --> 00:19:26.212 align:center by your parents growing up, by 00:19:26.252 --> 00:19:26.780 align:center your community, 00:19:26.860 --> 00:19:28.163 align:center it's in the way you do 00:19:28.224 --> 00:19:29.140 align:center things, it's action, 00:19:29.320 --> 00:19:30.807 align:center it's the way you carry yourself, 00:19:30.827 --> 00:19:31.560 align:center that's also culture. 00:19:31.900 --> 00:19:34.532 align:center Our next destination was the Burke 00:19:34.552 --> 00:19:35.220 align:center Silo mural 00:19:35.200 --> 00:19:38.531 align:center honouring Megan's great-uncle, high jumper 00:19:38.874 --> 00:19:39.217 align:center Percy 00:19:39.277 --> 00:19:39.580 align:center Hobson. 00:19:39.760 --> 00:19:41.880 align:center He was the first Aboriginal person 00:19:41.860 --> 00:19:43.488 align:center to win a gold medal at 00:19:43.508 --> 00:19:44.220 align:center the Commonwealth Games. 00:19:44.400 --> 00:19:46.683 align:center He was born out here in 00:19:46.723 --> 00:19:48.239 align:center Burke and he grew up in 00:19:48.259 --> 00:19:48.380 align:center Burke. 00:19:48.620 --> 00:19:50.391 align:center Later that night, we sat in 00:19:50.452 --> 00:19:50.960 align:center a yawning circle 00:19:50.940 --> 00:19:53.635 align:center and used three simple prompts to 00:19:53.696 --> 00:19:54.040 align:center guide us. 00:19:54.220 --> 00:19:55.133 align:center What did I see? 00:19:55.173 --> 00:19:56.228 align:center What did I hear? 00:19:56.268 --> 00:19:57.120 align:center What did I feel? 00:20:12.080 --> 00:20:13.822 align:center Her mum and dad saw the 00:20:13.863 --> 00:20:15.260 align:center government truck goes out there 00:20:15.240 --> 00:20:18.680 align:center and taken people off Woolammeringle, Deniwin... 00:20:18.660 --> 00:20:21.069 align:center All those country railway stations where 00:20:21.089 --> 00:20:22.020 align:center children went to 00:20:22.000 --> 00:20:24.044 align:center and were separated from families and 00:20:24.065 --> 00:20:24.813 align:center then had to head down to 00:20:24.874 --> 00:20:25.380 align:center Platform One. 00:20:27.680 --> 00:20:30.060 align:center White Australia has a black history. 00:20:36.540 --> 00:20:38.139 align:center Today has been a war, isn't 00:20:38.159 --> 00:20:38.220 align:center it? 00:20:38.560 --> 00:20:40.229 align:center But we're all here in kinship 00:20:40.250 --> 00:20:40.860 align:center and that's the main thing. 00:20:54.060 --> 00:20:54.602 align:center I've forgotten. 00:20:55.440 --> 00:20:55.982 align:center Hello. 00:21:01.940 --> 00:21:03.487 align:center And that's what I'm sharing with 00:21:03.508 --> 00:21:04.240 align:center you today, it's about love. 00:21:07.800 --> 00:21:08.861 align:center Your ancestors. 00:21:08.840 --> 00:21:13.434 align:center How clever they were, how creative, 00:21:13.454 --> 00:21:14.240 align:center how inspiring. 00:21:15.960 --> 00:21:18.534 align:center Our legacy, I suppose, is to 00:21:19.318 --> 00:21:22.857 align:center empower you through self-determination to flip 00:21:22.938 --> 00:21:23.360 align:center that narrative 00:21:23.340 --> 00:21:24.281 align:center from the deficit. 00:21:24.680 --> 00:21:26.780 align:center Our mob are not a deficit. 00:21:27.120 --> 00:21:28.840 align:center We are remarkable. 00:21:28.920 --> 00:21:30.743 align:center And looking at you all here 00:21:30.783 --> 00:21:32.120 align:center today, you are remarkable. 00:21:32.360 --> 00:21:33.773 align:center Just thank God that I'm here 00:21:33.834 --> 00:21:35.469 align:center today and to be able to 00:21:35.509 --> 00:21:36.680 align:center come and share this journey with 00:21:36.660 --> 00:21:37.841 align:center all you beautiful children. 00:21:37.820 --> 00:21:41.347 align:center And I just thank Gerrara because 00:21:41.690 --> 00:21:42.839 align:center I see the work that you're 00:21:42.859 --> 00:21:43.000 align:center doing. 00:21:43.060 --> 00:21:45.438 align:center You're encouraging and you're walking with 00:21:45.459 --> 00:21:45.560 align:center them. 00:21:45.660 --> 00:21:47.947 align:center You're there in their good times 00:21:48.007 --> 00:21:49.100 align:center and in their bad times. 00:21:49.520 --> 00:21:51.978 align:center You're there for sorry business when 00:21:52.058 --> 00:21:53.629 align:center any of our children are having 00:21:54.415 --> 00:21:55.120 align:center issues in the school. 00:21:55.860 --> 00:21:56.721 align:center Yous are there. 00:21:56.880 --> 00:21:58.392 align:center And I just love what you're 00:21:59.017 --> 00:22:01.174 align:center really doing for our kids in 00:22:01.215 --> 00:22:01.900 align:center the Catholic schools. 00:22:02.180 --> 00:22:03.651 align:center Thank you very much and I 00:22:03.692 --> 00:22:06.070 align:center just really appreciate your children because 00:22:06.131 --> 00:22:07.320 align:center I just see so many leaders 00:22:07.300 --> 00:22:07.762 align:center in you. 00:22:07.740 --> 00:22:09.458 align:center And you know how to express 00:22:09.498 --> 00:22:11.600 align:center yourself and you've got confidence. 00:22:11.920 --> 00:22:13.817 align:center And this is what we always 00:22:13.918 --> 00:22:15.613 align:center lacked because we were always made 00:22:15.633 --> 00:22:16.380 align:center to be ashamed. 00:22:16.840 --> 00:22:18.281 align:center Just so proud of you all. 00:22:18.360 --> 00:22:21.183 align:center Walking alongside of elders and you're 00:22:21.204 --> 00:22:22.756 align:center making us proud because you're our 00:22:22.817 --> 00:22:23.220 align:center next generation. 00:22:23.740 --> 00:22:25.461 align:center The school I go to is 00:22:25.562 --> 00:22:27.000 align:center Cath West in Mount Druitt. 00:22:27.060 --> 00:22:28.636 align:center And my mob is Ninjumbah from 00:22:28.677 --> 00:22:28.840 align:center here. 00:22:29.080 --> 00:22:30.721 align:center I'm a proud young Ruddru woman. 00:22:30.920 --> 00:22:32.461 align:center I go to Catherine Macaulay. 00:22:32.600 --> 00:22:34.081 align:center I am none other. 00:22:34.800 --> 00:22:35.741 align:center Nambah and Mythika. 00:22:36.020 --> 00:22:37.681 align:center And my school is St. Andrews. 00:22:37.660 --> 00:22:39.660 align:center I come from Gilroy. 00:22:39.880 --> 00:22:41.620 align:center My mob is Dungarri. 00:22:41.760 --> 00:22:44.707 align:center St. Andrew is my school and 00:22:45.071 --> 00:22:46.100 align:center Nimbah is my country. 00:22:46.360 --> 00:22:48.706 align:center I'm a proud Gundjumara Dungarri man 00:22:49.029 --> 00:22:50.000 align:center and I'm from Xavier College. 00:22:50.240 --> 00:22:51.649 align:center I go to Caroline Chisholm in 00:22:51.710 --> 00:22:52.200 align:center Glenmore Park. 00:22:52.380 --> 00:22:54.040 align:center And I'm Bukkinji and Kamilaroi. 00:22:54.180 --> 00:22:55.821 align:center St. Agnes Catholic High School. 00:22:55.940 --> 00:22:57.800 align:center And I'm a proud Raiju man. 00:22:57.980 --> 00:22:59.461 align:center I'm from Nimbah and Mythika. 00:22:59.680 --> 00:23:00.861 align:center My school is St. Andrews. 00:23:01.140 --> 00:23:02.661 align:center From Emmaus Catholic College. 00:23:02.920 --> 00:23:04.820 align:center I'm a proud Raiju woman. 00:23:05.060 --> 00:23:06.621 align:center I'm from Mount Tyree Ways. 00:23:06.600 --> 00:23:08.036 align:center And I go to St. Andrews 00:23:08.056 --> 00:23:08.221 align:center College. 00:23:08.500 --> 00:23:10.115 align:center I go to St. Agnes Catholic 00:23:10.135 --> 00:23:10.380 align:center High School. 00:23:10.480 --> 00:23:11.741 align:center I'm a proud Raiju man. 00:23:11.900 --> 00:23:13.580 align:center I go to Caroline Chisholm. 00:23:13.720 --> 00:23:17.173 align:center I'm from Mildura and I'm Murrawari 00:23:17.415 --> 00:23:17.940 align:center and Bukkinji. 00:23:18.080 --> 00:23:19.271 align:center I'm a proud Raiju man and 00:23:19.312 --> 00:23:21.755 align:center it's just emotional to be here 00:23:21.877 --> 00:23:22.260 align:center out on country. 00:23:22.520 --> 00:23:24.021 align:center You all make me proud of 00:23:24.102 --> 00:23:25.319 align:center who I am as an Aboriginal 00:23:25.339 --> 00:23:25.420 align:center man. 00:23:29.140 --> 00:23:33.547 align:center Never ever ever ever forget who 00:23:33.588 --> 00:23:35.600 align:center you are and that our ancestors 00:23:36.600 --> 00:23:39.528 align:center walked this land thousands and thousands 00:23:39.589 --> 00:23:40.760 align:center of years before we did. 00:23:41.020 --> 00:23:42.817 align:center We came here to listen and 00:23:42.838 --> 00:23:42.960 align:center learn. 00:23:43.060 --> 00:23:45.014 align:center And we leave carrying something bigger 00:23:45.055 --> 00:23:45.360 align:center than ourselves. 00:23:45.760 --> 00:23:46.761 align:center We leave as family. 00:23:47.020 --> 00:23:49.583 align:center Carrying our elders' truth, our people's 00:23:49.623 --> 00:23:51.359 align:center resilience and a promise to each 00:23:51.379 --> 00:23:51.500 align:center other. 00:23:51.620 --> 00:23:53.278 align:center To stand tall in who we 00:23:53.319 --> 00:23:53.400 align:center are. 00:23:53.500 --> 00:23:55.180 align:center To look after country and community. 00:23:55.440 --> 00:23:56.789 align:center And to pass on what was 00:23:56.809 --> 00:23:57.320 align:center gifted to us. 00:24:07.820 --> 00:24:10.640 align:center I am a 00:24:10.620 --> 00:24:24.559 align:center I 00:24:24.579 --> 00:24:24.840 align:center feel everyday 00:24:24.820 --> 00:24:25.781 align:center I excel 00:24:25.760 --> 00:24:28.440 align:center I am.