1 00:00:00,200 --> 00:00:03,120 Speaker 1: Now, if you watched the Voice documentary which was made 2 00:00:03,480 --> 00:00:06,320 Speaker 1: Will Produce by Matt Cunningham from Sky News and Sky 3 00:00:06,440 --> 00:00:08,760 Speaker 1: News of course earlier in the week, you would have 4 00:00:08,840 --> 00:00:13,239 Speaker 1: seen the situation where Senator Jacinta Nampa Jimper price Well 5 00:00:13,480 --> 00:00:16,960 Speaker 1: was left deeply insulted after being grilled by non Indigenous 6 00:00:17,000 --> 00:00:20,560 Speaker 1: women while trying to enter her family's community of you 7 00:00:20,680 --> 00:00:24,360 Speaker 1: and Demoux. The senator joins me on the line right now, 8 00:00:24,400 --> 00:00:25,759 Speaker 1: Good morning to your senator. 9 00:00:26,920 --> 00:00:28,400 Speaker 2: Good morning, Katie. 10 00:00:28,080 --> 00:00:31,440 Speaker 1: Thank you so much for your time. Now, Jacinta, what 11 00:00:31,560 --> 00:00:34,120 Speaker 1: was the plan when you went out with Matt Cunningham 12 00:00:34,159 --> 00:00:35,120 Speaker 1: to film out there? 13 00:00:36,479 --> 00:00:40,199 Speaker 2: Sure, well, it has been arranged with my aunt to 14 00:00:40,400 --> 00:00:44,159 Speaker 2: sit down and have a conversation with her. She'd arrange 15 00:00:44,200 --> 00:00:46,680 Speaker 2: for a room in the media organization out there to 16 00:00:47,360 --> 00:00:51,680 Speaker 2: conduct an interview with her and also my grandmother. The 17 00:00:51,720 --> 00:00:54,200 Speaker 2: two of them were happy, wanted to be interviewed and 18 00:00:54,240 --> 00:00:57,800 Speaker 2: have their voice heard. And then when I got out there, 19 00:00:57,840 --> 00:01:00,440 Speaker 2: because my art Andy and couldn't make it. She had 20 00:01:01,160 --> 00:01:04,160 Speaker 2: work on in our springs, but she had organized everything 21 00:01:04,720 --> 00:01:06,760 Speaker 2: put it in place. When I got out there, a 22 00:01:06,800 --> 00:01:09,839 Speaker 2: couple of the women from the organization sat me down 23 00:01:09,880 --> 00:01:13,360 Speaker 2: and asked several questions about what it was. You know, 24 00:01:13,560 --> 00:01:16,600 Speaker 2: I was supposed to be talking to them about, interviewing 25 00:01:16,640 --> 00:01:20,280 Speaker 2: them about and suggesting that Matt should have, you know, 26 00:01:20,400 --> 00:01:23,440 Speaker 2: got a permit to film on country, and I said, well, 27 00:01:23,440 --> 00:01:27,240 Speaker 2: that's a bit ridiculous because we're actually going to film 28 00:01:27,240 --> 00:01:31,440 Speaker 2: on my family's outstation. I don't need a permit to 29 00:01:31,520 --> 00:01:35,200 Speaker 2: do any filming on my country, my grandfather's country, on 30 00:01:35,280 --> 00:01:41,200 Speaker 2: our family's outstation. And I just I was deeply you know, 31 00:01:41,280 --> 00:01:47,200 Speaker 2: I was disrespected, disregarded by individuals who have no family 32 00:01:47,200 --> 00:01:50,440 Speaker 2: connection or pin connection. And their excuse was that, you know, 33 00:01:50,560 --> 00:01:53,120 Speaker 2: part of their role is to protect the community, and 34 00:01:53,160 --> 00:01:56,520 Speaker 2: I was saying, well, protect them from What all I'm 35 00:01:56,520 --> 00:01:59,480 Speaker 2: here to do is allow for my grandmother and my 36 00:01:59,600 --> 00:02:03,760 Speaker 2: aunt as Australian citizens to have an opinion and speak 37 00:02:03,760 --> 00:02:07,400 Speaker 2: about issues that they're concerned with and around the voice. 38 00:02:07,440 --> 00:02:09,880 Speaker 2: And that's got nothing to do with anybody else. 39 00:02:10,120 --> 00:02:13,320 Speaker 1: Well, and what made it look really very bad as 40 00:02:13,360 --> 00:02:16,239 Speaker 1: well is the fact that then Matt Cunningham and Sky 41 00:02:16,360 --> 00:02:18,880 Speaker 1: News were able to head out to so many other 42 00:02:19,400 --> 00:02:22,960 Speaker 1: parts of Australia and we're you know, we're welcomed in. 43 00:02:24,680 --> 00:02:28,040 Speaker 2: Yeah, that's exactly right. And I mean, you know, when 44 00:02:28,040 --> 00:02:30,960 Speaker 2: you're traveling with someone who's a traditional owner for that 45 00:02:31,080 --> 00:02:34,440 Speaker 2: country and you've got non indigenous people trying to tell 46 00:02:34,520 --> 00:02:37,320 Speaker 2: you how you should conduct yourself in mining that But 47 00:02:37,760 --> 00:02:40,519 Speaker 2: I gone out loud. You know, I'm the Senator for 48 00:02:40,560 --> 00:02:43,919 Speaker 2: the Northern Territory and the Shadow Minister for Indigenous Australian Yes, 49 00:02:45,200 --> 00:02:48,520 Speaker 2: and yet and you know they did have my uncle 50 00:02:48,560 --> 00:02:50,480 Speaker 2: sitting there, who's an elder of the community, and I 51 00:02:50,520 --> 00:02:52,640 Speaker 2: don't know, they must have asked him to come along 52 00:02:53,000 --> 00:02:57,080 Speaker 2: to try and push their views. But he recognized that 53 00:02:57,120 --> 00:02:59,320 Speaker 2: I was unhappy, and he said, look, you have every 54 00:02:59,400 --> 00:03:02,600 Speaker 2: right to be. You know, this is your country too. 55 00:03:03,639 --> 00:03:07,480 Speaker 2: And I said, well, like, actually I know that, yeah, 56 00:03:07,639 --> 00:03:11,080 Speaker 2: but yeah, and I just you know, this is the 57 00:03:11,160 --> 00:03:14,680 Speaker 2: gatekeeping that goes on in communities that needs to stop. 58 00:03:15,200 --> 00:03:18,359 Speaker 2: This is why we can't have honest conversations about what 59 00:03:18,440 --> 00:03:21,720 Speaker 2: goes on in these communities. It's not necessarily you know, 60 00:03:21,880 --> 00:03:24,840 Speaker 2: sometimes there are individuals who are from those communities who 61 00:03:24,840 --> 00:03:27,520 Speaker 2: are getting in the way, but it's these non indigenous 62 00:03:27,760 --> 00:03:32,880 Speaker 2: gatekeepers that stop much of the truth from getting out. 63 00:03:32,919 --> 00:03:35,720 Speaker 2: They see themselves as I don't know, having some sort 64 00:03:35,760 --> 00:03:38,800 Speaker 2: of ownership over indigenous people out on those communities and 65 00:03:38,840 --> 00:03:41,720 Speaker 2: treating them with paternalism, and I'm you know, I'm going 66 00:03:41,760 --> 00:03:45,760 Speaker 2: to stand for that kind of behavior or treatment and 67 00:03:45,800 --> 00:03:47,960 Speaker 2: I won't and I won't be treated that way. 68 00:03:48,000 --> 00:03:49,080 Speaker 1: You know, I will. 69 00:03:49,000 --> 00:03:50,480 Speaker 2: Respect others if they respect me. 70 00:03:50,920 --> 00:03:53,000 Speaker 1: Why do you reckon? Look, why do you reckon they 71 00:03:53,040 --> 00:03:56,120 Speaker 1: went down this path because again I'll say, it just 72 00:03:56,280 --> 00:03:59,800 Speaker 1: looked terrible and it was a terrible situation. Then when 73 00:03:59,840 --> 00:04:03,280 Speaker 1: you're trying to speak to your family and you know, 74 00:04:03,400 --> 00:04:06,080 Speaker 1: then you've got people saying you can't, you know, you 75 00:04:06,120 --> 00:04:09,480 Speaker 1: can't go on the country, which you're a traditional liner for. Like, 76 00:04:09,520 --> 00:04:12,520 Speaker 1: it was just a terrible situation that unfolded. 77 00:04:13,960 --> 00:04:16,640 Speaker 2: And not only that, but you know, arriving and being 78 00:04:16,680 --> 00:04:19,240 Speaker 2: told that moments before my grandmother had been put on 79 00:04:19,279 --> 00:04:22,360 Speaker 2: a school bus to you know, go on an excursion 80 00:04:22,400 --> 00:04:25,200 Speaker 2: with the kids. But then they said to me that 81 00:04:25,520 --> 00:04:27,880 Speaker 2: she didn't know that I was coming, and I knew 82 00:04:27,880 --> 00:04:31,640 Speaker 2: that was an absolute lie because it had been already 83 00:04:31,680 --> 00:04:35,479 Speaker 2: spoken to me, it had been arranged. So you know, 84 00:04:35,520 --> 00:04:39,479 Speaker 2: there's a level of control about what sort of information 85 00:04:39,560 --> 00:04:42,440 Speaker 2: obviously they wanted or didn't want coming out of the community. 86 00:04:42,480 --> 00:04:45,440 Speaker 2: And I know there are particular men in that community 87 00:04:45,960 --> 00:04:48,920 Speaker 2: that would prefer that I shut up on a whole 88 00:04:48,960 --> 00:04:51,920 Speaker 2: lot of issues that they don't like me talking about. 89 00:04:52,080 --> 00:04:55,400 Speaker 2: But it is twenty twenty three. I'm a shadow minister. 90 00:04:57,120 --> 00:04:59,960 Speaker 2: I will address the tough issues and if people don't 91 00:05:00,160 --> 00:05:02,360 Speaker 2: like it, they've got to understand we live and we 92 00:05:02,400 --> 00:05:05,599 Speaker 2: live in a democracy and because I'm a woman, I'm 93 00:05:05,600 --> 00:05:10,480 Speaker 2: not going to be culturally silent in that manner. And 94 00:05:11,000 --> 00:05:14,440 Speaker 2: and you know these I believe these individuals were doing 95 00:05:14,520 --> 00:05:17,840 Speaker 2: the bidding for those particular men. I mean, I get 96 00:05:18,640 --> 00:05:21,240 Speaker 2: phone calls from Yindermu from from the women in my 97 00:05:21,320 --> 00:05:26,200 Speaker 2: family whenever violence there's violent outbreaks, and you know, they're 98 00:05:26,240 --> 00:05:28,800 Speaker 2: concerned about what's going on. They're concerned that they don't 99 00:05:28,839 --> 00:05:31,880 Speaker 2: feel protected at times and sometimes they have to flee 100 00:05:31,920 --> 00:05:34,760 Speaker 2: the community. And there are those that would prefer that 101 00:05:34,839 --> 00:05:36,800 Speaker 2: I didn't talk about well. 102 00:05:36,560 --> 00:05:39,200 Speaker 1: And you know what, you can't like we can't hide 103 00:05:39,240 --> 00:05:42,600 Speaker 1: this stuff. It's happening and you can't hide it, and 104 00:05:42,680 --> 00:05:45,840 Speaker 1: I think when you try to, it only makes things worse. 105 00:05:46,440 --> 00:05:49,120 Speaker 1: To center, what what have you spoken to your family 106 00:05:49,160 --> 00:05:50,839 Speaker 1: since then? And what have what have they sort of 107 00:05:50,839 --> 00:05:51,400 Speaker 1: said to you? 108 00:05:52,560 --> 00:05:57,599 Speaker 2: They're very unhappy, particularly with those women that that was 109 00:05:57,640 --> 00:06:00,960 Speaker 2: the case, that they that they treated me in that 110 00:06:01,200 --> 00:06:04,960 Speaker 2: in that way, and they want to make sure that 111 00:06:05,040 --> 00:06:08,039 Speaker 2: they are heard. They want to make sure that their 112 00:06:08,400 --> 00:06:10,400 Speaker 2: their voices are heard because there are a lot of 113 00:06:10,480 --> 00:06:13,560 Speaker 2: vulnerable Aboriginal women and communities, and they come to me 114 00:06:13,680 --> 00:06:17,320 Speaker 2: often privately to thank me for doing what I'm doing 115 00:06:17,360 --> 00:06:21,839 Speaker 2: and acknowledge that I'm being honest and truthful about these circumstances. 116 00:06:23,200 --> 00:06:26,600 Speaker 2: And you know that they they were really upset that 117 00:06:26,600 --> 00:06:28,200 Speaker 2: that's what had taken place. 118 00:06:29,320 --> 00:06:31,120 Speaker 1: The thing that I was really struck by when I 119 00:06:31,160 --> 00:06:34,320 Speaker 1: watched the doc oh is that you you were really 120 00:06:34,320 --> 00:06:38,000 Speaker 1: emotional after that whole situation unfolded. Now you're a tough check. 121 00:06:38,040 --> 00:06:41,559 Speaker 1: You've faced a lot of criticism over the years. Why 122 00:06:41,600 --> 00:06:43,400 Speaker 1: did this hurt so much? 123 00:06:45,200 --> 00:06:48,040 Speaker 2: Because this is what I've been fighting for to allow 124 00:06:48,360 --> 00:06:52,320 Speaker 2: for these vulnerable women who are often the subject of 125 00:06:52,480 --> 00:06:58,560 Speaker 2: you know, often targeted with violence, to have the opportunity 126 00:06:58,640 --> 00:07:02,720 Speaker 2: to be heard and actively when they're trying to silence me, 127 00:07:02,880 --> 00:07:06,880 Speaker 2: they are trying to silence them. And I've watched my grandmother, 128 00:07:08,320 --> 00:07:11,600 Speaker 2: you know, she the picture of her covered in blood 129 00:07:12,600 --> 00:07:15,920 Speaker 2: after a violent attack out at Indian I've seen her 130 00:07:16,000 --> 00:07:21,480 Speaker 2: being punched at a royalties meeting land council royalties meeting 131 00:07:21,520 --> 00:07:24,080 Speaker 2: with you know, the land council have got to do 132 00:07:24,280 --> 00:07:28,160 Speaker 2: more to deal with issues of violence when they allow 133 00:07:28,240 --> 00:07:31,280 Speaker 2: that kind of thing to take place. But she's been 134 00:07:31,280 --> 00:07:34,440 Speaker 2: treated poorly. This, you know, this carry on about how 135 00:07:34,440 --> 00:07:37,200 Speaker 2: we've got to respect our elders. Apparently there are some 136 00:07:37,400 --> 00:07:40,480 Speaker 2: elders to some people and women who can be treated 137 00:07:40,560 --> 00:07:44,320 Speaker 2: like absolute craps and then when their opportunity comes about 138 00:07:44,360 --> 00:07:48,040 Speaker 2: to be heard, they're effectively silent. That's what angered me 139 00:07:48,840 --> 00:07:53,600 Speaker 2: emotionally after that experience, and you know, I'll continue to 140 00:07:53,640 --> 00:07:55,680 Speaker 2: push on because these are the women in my family 141 00:07:55,720 --> 00:07:58,440 Speaker 2: that are the stronger women in my family who speak 142 00:07:58,480 --> 00:08:01,760 Speaker 2: out and the reason their attack is because they stand 143 00:08:01,840 --> 00:08:06,120 Speaker 2: up to bullies in communities. But you know, they're constantly 144 00:08:06,400 --> 00:08:10,360 Speaker 2: under thread of violence. But there's so much romanticism and 145 00:08:10,440 --> 00:08:14,400 Speaker 2: nonsense about aboriginal issues that we don't even get to 146 00:08:14,440 --> 00:08:17,960 Speaker 2: confront these particular issues, and people like me, you know, 147 00:08:18,000 --> 00:08:21,280 Speaker 2: we're attacked and told that we're sellouts and that how 148 00:08:21,400 --> 00:08:24,600 Speaker 2: dare we speak badly of our culture? And those things, well, 149 00:08:24,600 --> 00:08:26,960 Speaker 2: they're part of the problem. They're part of the silent thing. 150 00:08:27,480 --> 00:08:30,560 Speaker 2: And you know I didn't fight it to get where 151 00:08:30,600 --> 00:08:36,160 Speaker 2: I am now. To continue to have these vulnerable people silenced. 152 00:08:36,400 --> 00:08:40,600 Speaker 1: Well, Jacenter Nampa, jimper Price, the Shadow Minister for Indigenous 153 00:08:40,600 --> 00:08:43,720 Speaker 1: Australians and Senator of course in the Northern in the 154 00:08:43,760 --> 00:08:46,880 Speaker 1: Federal Parliament. I should say I really appreciate your time. 155 00:08:47,040 --> 00:08:48,920 Speaker 1: Thank you very much for having a chat with us 156 00:08:48,960 --> 00:08:49,440 Speaker 1: this morning. 157 00:08:50,760 --> 00:08:54,040 Speaker 2: Thanks Katie, Thanks for giving me the opportunity to talk 158 00:08:54,080 --> 00:08:55,280 Speaker 2: about this important issue. 159 00:08:55,360 --> 00:08:56,800 Speaker 1: Yeah, anytime, Thank you.