1
00:00:02,640 --> 00:00:07,600
Speaker 1: Welcome to the Black Magic Woman Podcast, Londonara Bail.

2
00:00:09,640 --> 00:00:12,080
Speaker 2: When you look at our mob, everyone thought we were

3
00:00:12,119 --> 00:00:13,760
Speaker 2: just going to die out. What will happen?

4
00:00:13,880 --> 00:00:17,040
Speaker 3: Probably the most adaptable people on the planet and did

5
00:00:17,120 --> 00:00:20,480
Speaker 3: emergence of the huminality again that I find thone, Richard

6
00:00:20,720 --> 00:00:22,200
Speaker 3: be why to be whitely white?

7
00:00:22,320 --> 00:00:24,560
Speaker 2: Look at ways to cost saved so that at the

8
00:00:24,680 --> 00:00:26,079
Speaker 2: end of the day your door is still.

9
00:00:25,920 --> 00:00:30,760
Speaker 1: Open water Molly and thanks for joining. You're listening to

10
00:00:30,840 --> 00:00:36,000
Speaker 1: Mondonara Bales. And my guest today is Uncle met Gooda.

11
00:00:36,360 --> 00:00:40,320
Speaker 1: And before we start, Uncle Meck, it's important you know

12
00:00:40,360 --> 00:00:44,600
Speaker 1: that first and foremost we follow proper protocol and acknowledge

13
00:00:44,960 --> 00:00:47,879
Speaker 1: the traditional owners of the land that we're gathering on today.

14
00:00:47,920 --> 00:00:51,120
Speaker 1: And I'm on Kubby Cubby Country also known as Gubby

15
00:00:51,120 --> 00:00:55,720
Speaker 1: Gubby Country here on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland, and

16
00:00:55,760 --> 00:00:59,560
Speaker 1: I also want to acknowledge elders past and present and

17
00:00:59,680 --> 00:01:00,360
Speaker 1: over your.

18
00:01:00,320 --> 00:01:06,759
Speaker 2: Uncle same Mondonari, I'm a Gungloo man. On my mother's side,

19
00:01:09,360 --> 00:01:12,320
Speaker 2: I think we're same. Move on that side, me and

20
00:01:12,400 --> 00:01:17,199
Speaker 2: you and we are. And on my dad's side, I'm Yeman.

21
00:01:17,280 --> 00:01:22,399
Speaker 2: So my people were really concentrated in central Queensland we

22
00:01:22,880 --> 00:01:25,800
Speaker 2: didn't venture far outside that area. But at the moment

23
00:01:25,880 --> 00:01:31,640
Speaker 2: I'm in Marlingali country down past Perga Mission on a

24
00:01:31,680 --> 00:01:34,920
Speaker 2: farm overlooking the Limestone Ridges.

25
00:01:35,120 --> 00:01:41,399
Speaker 1: Socperga Mission is in Queensland right just outside of it.

26
00:01:41,520 --> 00:01:44,360
Speaker 2: In Queensland, it's outside ipswhich it was. It was one

27
00:01:44,360 --> 00:01:47,400
Speaker 2: of the first missions in Queensland. Perga. Lots of people

28
00:01:47,520 --> 00:01:52,520
Speaker 2: got taken into Perga from all around, same as my

29
00:01:53,640 --> 00:01:58,639
Speaker 2: grandfather was in the Tarum Mission back in nineteen twenty

30
00:01:58,680 --> 00:02:01,680
Speaker 2: six and the government decided they're going to build a

31
00:02:01,760 --> 00:02:05,120
Speaker 2: damn and they shifted people out of t Room Mission

32
00:02:05,520 --> 00:02:09,359
Speaker 2: into Cherburg and then half the mob went to Shecherburg.

33
00:02:09,400 --> 00:02:12,200
Speaker 2: Half the other mob walked about two hundred and fifty

34
00:02:12,280 --> 00:02:16,440
Speaker 2: kilometers and to where Warrebinder is now. And when they

35
00:02:16,440 --> 00:02:19,079
Speaker 2: got to war a Binder, my people people are still

36
00:02:19,120 --> 00:02:24,520
Speaker 2: living on country then, so we've got big connections through

37
00:02:25,160 --> 00:02:31,280
Speaker 2: that part of the country. But Berger was like Tarroom Mission.

38
00:02:31,360 --> 00:02:34,280
Speaker 2: They brought people from all over northern New South Wales

39
00:02:35,400 --> 00:02:38,280
Speaker 2: our way out west of Queensland into both Perga and

40
00:02:39,120 --> 00:02:41,760
Speaker 2: to Room missions, so they were really big missions back

41
00:02:41,800 --> 00:02:42,239
Speaker 2: in the day.

42
00:02:43,480 --> 00:02:43,760
Speaker 3: Uncle.

43
00:02:43,800 --> 00:02:46,320
Speaker 1: I just saw a book recently that I'll have to

44
00:02:46,360 --> 00:02:47,919
Speaker 1: give you about Turrum Mission.

45
00:02:48,960 --> 00:02:49,800
Speaker 2: I'd love to see it.

46
00:02:49,880 --> 00:02:53,200
Speaker 1: Yeah, it's got all of the there's all of this

47
00:02:53,320 --> 00:02:56,120
Speaker 1: evidence in this book from an archaeologist and from some

48
00:02:56,720 --> 00:03:00,240
Speaker 1: you know Murray Fellers, Yeah, talking about the history of

49
00:03:00,360 --> 00:03:04,760
Speaker 1: Turum Mission, and they've done this kind of aerial imaging

50
00:03:05,120 --> 00:03:09,960
Speaker 1: of their land and where there's oh Murray Fellers had

51
00:03:10,040 --> 00:03:15,440
Speaker 1: identified where certain things were built. The aerial image actually

52
00:03:15,760 --> 00:03:18,360
Speaker 1: was not even a meter away from where they said

53
00:03:18,400 --> 00:03:20,959
Speaker 1: things were and this has gone back seventy years ago.

54
00:03:21,080 --> 00:03:21,360
Speaker 3: Uncle.

55
00:03:21,880 --> 00:03:26,040
Speaker 2: Yeah. Well I went out there for the room for

56
00:03:26,160 --> 00:03:33,760
Speaker 2: the the Yeman Determination Native Total Determination and Marcia Langton's

57
00:03:33,800 --> 00:03:37,680
Speaker 2: also Yemen, and her daughter Ruby was there. So the

58
00:03:38,400 --> 00:03:41,200
Speaker 2: play people are on the property where the mission was talking.

59
00:03:41,720 --> 00:03:43,440
Speaker 2: Ruby and I out to have a look and there's

60
00:03:43,480 --> 00:03:46,240
Speaker 2: not much out there now, but you got you know,

61
00:03:46,240 --> 00:03:47,760
Speaker 2: as soon as you get there, you get that eerie

62
00:03:47,880 --> 00:03:51,800
Speaker 2: feeling that you sort of get me go and you

63
00:03:51,880 --> 00:03:55,200
Speaker 2: know you're belonging somewhere because that's my dad's side Yeman.

64
00:03:57,440 --> 00:04:00,760
Speaker 2: So but it was really interesting. I was there for

65
00:04:00,840 --> 00:04:06,120
Speaker 2: that determination and and the biggest mobile Blackfellows you know,

66
00:04:06,240 --> 00:04:09,520
Speaker 2: from all over central Queensland and further Afield were there.

67
00:04:09,600 --> 00:04:12,840
Speaker 2: And when the judge got up and said, I'm not

68
00:04:12,880 --> 00:04:15,600
Speaker 2: here to give you a native title. And everyone's face dropped,

69
00:04:15,680 --> 00:04:18,040
Speaker 2: you know it, and we were looking at each other

70
00:04:18,040 --> 00:04:21,359
Speaker 2: and he said, I can't give you something you've owned

71
00:04:21,360 --> 00:04:25,240
Speaker 2: for thousands of years. All I'm doing today is recognizing

72
00:04:25,320 --> 00:04:30,359
Speaker 2: your ownership and Australian law, which was really powerful. You know,

73
00:04:30,440 --> 00:04:33,600
Speaker 2: it's not not it's not something government can give us.

74
00:04:33,600 --> 00:04:36,240
Speaker 2: It's like sovereignty. You know, people say, oh, we want

75
00:04:36,480 --> 00:04:39,120
Speaker 2: government to give us sovereignty. If you're trying to do that,

76
00:04:39,160 --> 00:04:41,360
Speaker 2: you're looking up the wrong You're looking in the wrong direction.

77
00:04:41,400 --> 00:04:43,840
Speaker 2: We assert sovereignty. We don't wait for people to give

78
00:04:43,839 --> 00:04:46,960
Speaker 2: it to us. So I thought that it was a

79
00:04:47,000 --> 00:04:52,560
Speaker 2: really interesting comment by the by the but by the

80
00:04:53,080 --> 00:04:58,279
Speaker 2: justice reeves that that that determination and and and and

81
00:04:58,480 --> 00:05:02,280
Speaker 2: like all mobs across Australia, we have a pretty sad

82
00:05:02,400 --> 00:05:08,480
Speaker 2: history there. There was massacre out that way, there were

83
00:05:08,560 --> 00:05:11,200
Speaker 2: reprisals that went on for like forty years. If you

84
00:05:11,240 --> 00:05:13,880
Speaker 2: were obriginal in those areas, you just got shot back

85
00:05:13,920 --> 00:05:17,400
Speaker 2: in the day. So sad, sad places.

86
00:05:17,760 --> 00:05:20,560
Speaker 1: Yeah, well, that uncle in that book that I just saw,

87
00:05:21,279 --> 00:05:24,440
Speaker 1: brother Adam Bray, you probably come across Adam. He's a

88
00:05:24,480 --> 00:05:28,599
Speaker 1: Gungaloo man as well. Yeah, yeah, he actually gave me

89
00:05:28,640 --> 00:05:30,640
Speaker 1: this book. I ran into him randomly on the Gold

90
00:05:30,720 --> 00:05:33,480
Speaker 1: Coast for the was there for the Indigenous All Stars game,

91
00:05:34,480 --> 00:05:37,800
Speaker 1: and brother Walker towards me nine o'clock at night after

92
00:05:37,839 --> 00:05:41,039
Speaker 1: having dinner somewhere at Southport. He said where you stay

93
00:05:41,080 --> 00:05:43,800
Speaker 1: and I said here, Mareton And next minute in the

94
00:05:43,839 --> 00:05:46,520
Speaker 1: morning he came down and gave me this book about

95
00:05:46,560 --> 00:05:49,160
Speaker 1: to rum Mission and uncle.

96
00:05:49,200 --> 00:05:50,080
Speaker 2: I'd love to see it.

97
00:05:50,200 --> 00:05:51,800
Speaker 3: Oh, look, I've got a copy for you.

98
00:05:51,839 --> 00:05:53,559
Speaker 1: I went out and took a copy to any Little

99
00:05:53,600 --> 00:05:57,039
Speaker 1: straight away and all of the family names are in

100
00:05:57,080 --> 00:06:01,000
Speaker 1: that in that book. But yeah, what also was there

101
00:06:01,040 --> 00:06:05,200
Speaker 1: on this it's now it's cattle property, right, was a

102
00:06:05,279 --> 00:06:09,640
Speaker 1: whole lot of remains Skealita remains. So obviously that was

103
00:06:09,720 --> 00:06:14,360
Speaker 1: either a massacre site where all those bodies were either

104
00:06:14,480 --> 00:06:18,920
Speaker 1: dumped or buried, or that was the graveyard.

105
00:06:19,920 --> 00:06:20,920
Speaker 3: Either way, there.

106
00:06:20,839 --> 00:06:24,760
Speaker 1: Was There was a story from the Murray's from that

107
00:06:24,880 --> 00:06:28,840
Speaker 1: area who were telling stories that have been passed down

108
00:06:28,960 --> 00:06:32,640
Speaker 1: right yep, and it just matched up with exactly what

109
00:06:32,680 --> 00:06:36,520
Speaker 1: they were saying when the aerial imaging came over.

110
00:06:37,200 --> 00:06:40,599
Speaker 2: Yeah, I'd believe that. I'd absolutely believe that because Adam

111
00:06:40,600 --> 00:06:44,040
Speaker 2: Adam was actually with Ruby and I that day. We

112
00:06:44,080 --> 00:06:49,080
Speaker 2: went to look at the property, the old mission. But

113
00:06:49,160 --> 00:06:50,840
Speaker 2: you never guess. We were sitting there and they were

114
00:06:50,839 --> 00:06:53,120
Speaker 2: cutting trees down. I said, what's going on? They said, well,

115
00:06:53,640 --> 00:06:55,720
Speaker 2: after nearly one hundred years, they've finally going to build

116
00:06:55,720 --> 00:06:59,160
Speaker 2: a dam out here. So you know, Queensland has this

117
00:06:59,440 --> 00:07:06,160
Speaker 2: history of moving Aboriginal people to build things and then

118
00:07:06,200 --> 00:07:09,720
Speaker 2: they don't do it. So the dam to room and

119
00:07:10,440 --> 00:07:15,080
Speaker 2: of course the big port they were going to build it.

120
00:07:15,200 --> 00:07:18,960
Speaker 2: Martpoune shifted all them people back in the nineteen sixties,

121
00:07:19,040 --> 00:07:21,480
Speaker 2: you know, and burned the place down and then never

122
00:07:21,560 --> 00:07:22,120
Speaker 2: built the port.

123
00:07:24,360 --> 00:07:25,920
Speaker 3: It's all there, isn't an Uncle.

124
00:07:26,360 --> 00:07:29,840
Speaker 2: It's still there. I was up there just before Christmas

125
00:07:29,840 --> 00:07:35,239
Speaker 2: at Marpoune. Sad place, you know when you feel the history,

126
00:07:35,280 --> 00:07:38,960
Speaker 2: but sad in one way, but also shows the resilience

127
00:07:39,240 --> 00:07:41,680
Speaker 2: of our more. You know, they're not given up. They're

128
00:07:41,720 --> 00:07:44,160
Speaker 2: sitting there. And if it's reminding the rest of Australia

129
00:07:44,280 --> 00:07:47,600
Speaker 2: what happened, good, because we need reminding.

130
00:07:48,360 --> 00:07:51,440
Speaker 1: And when you talk about resilience, Uncle, you know, when

131
00:07:51,440 --> 00:07:55,680
Speaker 1: I it just brings me back to this current climate,

132
00:07:56,120 --> 00:08:00,760
Speaker 1: current situation that we're in today in this country, which

133
00:08:00,800 --> 00:08:04,240
Speaker 1: is this COVID nineteen and Uncle you being on the

134
00:08:04,280 --> 00:08:07,200
Speaker 1: board of Murray School. You know, in the history of

135
00:08:07,280 --> 00:08:11,880
Speaker 1: Murray School with our family, you know, Uncle Ross Watson,

136
00:08:12,320 --> 00:08:15,760
Speaker 1: my grandmother's brother, was the founder of the Murray School

137
00:08:16,520 --> 00:08:20,160
Speaker 1: and until recently, you know, dad was still chair of

138
00:08:20,160 --> 00:08:24,080
Speaker 1: the Murray School. And I'm a past student. I graduated

139
00:08:24,120 --> 00:08:27,720
Speaker 1: at the Murray School in nineteen ninety four. In year seven,

140
00:08:27,760 --> 00:08:32,400
Speaker 1: there was about eleven not even eleven kids, Uncle, there

141
00:08:32,480 --> 00:08:35,560
Speaker 1: might have been about six of us in grade seven

142
00:08:36,000 --> 00:08:40,840
Speaker 1: that graduated. And you know, for me, there's probably twenty

143
00:08:40,840 --> 00:08:42,480
Speaker 1: five kids in the school at the time.

144
00:08:43,360 --> 00:08:44,200
Speaker 3: So for me to.

145
00:08:44,120 --> 00:08:47,440
Speaker 1: Be a past student of the school and also be

146
00:08:47,520 --> 00:08:50,120
Speaker 1: on the board, it's an absolute honor that's been part

147
00:08:50,200 --> 00:08:55,440
Speaker 1: of our family's legacy and it's I guess I just

148
00:08:55,480 --> 00:08:57,480
Speaker 1: want to say to people that are listening to this

149
00:08:57,600 --> 00:09:02,480
Speaker 1: podcast that there's all these different directions that this yarn

150
00:09:02,559 --> 00:09:05,280
Speaker 1: can go into, but the first thing that I wanted

151
00:09:05,320 --> 00:09:09,560
Speaker 1: to mention is that we have reconnected in terms of

152
00:09:09,600 --> 00:09:11,680
Speaker 1: me and you reconnected because we're both on the board

153
00:09:11,679 --> 00:09:15,760
Speaker 1: of the Murray School. In light of what's going on today.

154
00:09:15,880 --> 00:09:17,640
Speaker 1: I just thought you'd be a perfect person to have

155
00:09:17,640 --> 00:09:18,200
Speaker 1: a yarn with.

156
00:09:19,520 --> 00:09:23,480
Speaker 2: Well, well, we have a few connections. One is our mob,

157
00:09:23,800 --> 00:09:29,559
Speaker 2: Gungloo Mob. The second is that Murray School. But thirdlymen,

158
00:09:30,520 --> 00:09:33,760
Speaker 2: I'm remembering being interviewed by your dad lots of times

159
00:09:35,000 --> 00:09:37,840
Speaker 2: when I was when I was, you know, at the

160
00:09:37,920 --> 00:09:40,959
Speaker 2: Corportive Research Center for Abraaginal Health, and then I joined

161
00:09:40,960 --> 00:09:44,840
Speaker 2: the Human Rights Commission, So like your dad was one

162
00:09:44,840 --> 00:09:47,640
Speaker 2: of the great advocates and would get us on to

163
00:09:48,800 --> 00:09:51,439
Speaker 2: a whole range of people on these programs to you know,

164
00:09:51,760 --> 00:09:53,640
Speaker 2: to make sure how I'm all about. There were as

165
00:09:53,679 --> 00:09:56,880
Speaker 2: informed as they could be about what was happening. So

166
00:09:57,600 --> 00:10:00,000
Speaker 2: I think I think it's it's sort of that similar

167
00:10:00,080 --> 00:10:02,920
Speaker 2: tree we talked about, you know, and the family connections

168
00:10:02,960 --> 00:10:06,080
Speaker 2: and all that. You know, we all sort of joined

169
00:10:06,120 --> 00:10:09,240
Speaker 2: together and say it's a small world, but our worll

170
00:10:09,280 --> 00:10:11,480
Speaker 2: is different to that. We have these connections all through

171
00:10:11,520 --> 00:10:14,760
Speaker 2: our generations and this is just this is the latest

172
00:10:14,760 --> 00:10:17,720
Speaker 2: iteration you and I on the Murray's School board. I

173
00:10:17,880 --> 00:10:20,440
Speaker 2: know our student. It's just great.

174
00:10:20,840 --> 00:10:24,360
Speaker 1: And here with COVID nineteen, you know black Card, the

175
00:10:24,400 --> 00:10:26,959
Speaker 1: business that I run with with my grandmother's sister, Annie

176
00:10:26,960 --> 00:10:31,280
Speaker 1: Lilla Watson, and the other elders involved, Annie Mary Graham

177
00:10:31,280 --> 00:10:35,480
Speaker 1: and uncle Charlie Watson. I've been kind of I guess

178
00:10:35,520 --> 00:10:38,840
Speaker 1: it's not been forced into a position of trying to

179
00:10:39,000 --> 00:10:44,000
Speaker 1: reinvent our services or reinvent our business. But to me,

180
00:10:44,559 --> 00:10:49,720
Speaker 1: starting this podcast was about doing exactly I guess what

181
00:10:49,840 --> 00:10:52,600
Speaker 1: Dad was doing. How do we engage with our mob

182
00:10:53,760 --> 00:10:56,880
Speaker 1: and how do we share stories of resilience and stories

183
00:10:57,320 --> 00:11:02,400
Speaker 1: that might be challenging but so inspiring. So for all

184
00:11:02,440 --> 00:11:04,720
Speaker 1: of the tough times at the moment that we're facing

185
00:11:04,760 --> 00:11:07,240
Speaker 1: and that we will continue to face for who knows

186
00:11:07,240 --> 00:11:10,400
Speaker 1: how long, how do we stay positive, how do we

187
00:11:10,400 --> 00:11:13,439
Speaker 1: get through these times? And how do we I guess,

188
00:11:13,520 --> 00:11:16,719
Speaker 1: inspire and lift each other so that we can get

189
00:11:16,720 --> 00:11:17,480
Speaker 1: through this together.

190
00:11:18,960 --> 00:11:23,480
Speaker 2: I'm so glad to see you doing this because it's original.

191
00:11:23,559 --> 00:11:27,959
Speaker 2: People have this oral history and we love telling stories,

192
00:11:28,040 --> 00:11:32,439
Speaker 2: and we get messages through stories. You know, before you know,

193
00:11:32,600 --> 00:11:35,280
Speaker 2: I know when I was growing up, listen to mom

194
00:11:35,280 --> 00:11:38,360
Speaker 2: and dad and my nan and grandfather talking and aunties

195
00:11:38,400 --> 00:11:41,640
Speaker 2: and uncles, and when I look back now, they weren't

196
00:11:41,679 --> 00:11:44,800
Speaker 2: just stories. They're actually telling you lessons, They're giving you

197
00:11:44,880 --> 00:11:49,160
Speaker 2: lessons through those stories. And I think the medium may

198
00:11:49,200 --> 00:11:55,360
Speaker 2: have changed. We're using twenty first century media like podcasts,

199
00:11:55,400 --> 00:11:59,520
Speaker 2: but the concept's exactly the same. It's getting the message

200
00:11:59,600 --> 00:12:04,880
Speaker 2: out talking to people. And I sort of agree with

201
00:12:04,920 --> 00:12:08,199
Speaker 2: this fellow from America. He wrote about business and he

202
00:12:08,320 --> 00:12:13,440
Speaker 2: challenged Darwin's theory of evolution and survival of the fittest

203
00:12:13,520 --> 00:12:16,200
Speaker 2: and the strongest and the smartest, and his view was

204
00:12:17,880 --> 00:12:20,680
Speaker 2: the people who are the most adaptable survive. And when

205
00:12:20,679 --> 00:12:25,640
Speaker 2: you look at our mob, we have adapted. Yeah, everyone

206
00:12:25,640 --> 00:12:27,839
Speaker 2: thought we were just going to die out, but we haven't.

207
00:12:27,880 --> 00:12:31,760
Speaker 2: Were the fastest growing cohort within the Australian community right now,

208
00:12:32,960 --> 00:12:36,160
Speaker 2: so we're adapting and we're just I'd love to see

209
00:12:36,160 --> 00:12:39,040
Speaker 2: how you're adapting this now to getting the message out

210
00:12:39,160 --> 00:12:44,040
Speaker 2: with lots of stories and the story of what we're

211
00:12:44,080 --> 00:12:46,400
Speaker 2: going through right now. We've never seen anything like this

212
00:12:46,520 --> 00:12:50,520
Speaker 2: in our time and we will survive this. We will adapt,

213
00:12:50,640 --> 00:12:52,880
Speaker 2: We'll get on. We will make sure the Murray School

214
00:12:52,960 --> 00:12:56,240
Speaker 2: operates as an outreach service. If they close schools down,

215
00:12:56,600 --> 00:12:59,640
Speaker 2: we'll keep connected with our students, will keep connected with

216
00:12:59,679 --> 00:13:02,440
Speaker 2: the stuff from or keep connected with our families. It'll

217
00:13:02,559 --> 00:13:03,800
Speaker 2: be just a different way of doing it.

218
00:13:04,360 --> 00:13:06,840
Speaker 1: Mm hmm, Well I wanted to say that, you know,

219
00:13:06,880 --> 00:13:10,640
Speaker 1: you and I have had many yarns, you know, offline

220
00:13:10,920 --> 00:13:13,280
Speaker 1: and during board meetings and whatever, but we've had many

221
00:13:13,360 --> 00:13:17,320
Speaker 1: yarns about how we could, how we could do more

222
00:13:17,520 --> 00:13:20,040
Speaker 1: in our community, how we can support our community, how

223
00:13:20,080 --> 00:13:23,520
Speaker 1: we can I guess partner with other service providers like

224
00:13:23,559 --> 00:13:28,280
Speaker 1: the medical Services and the Institute by Yui and people

225
00:13:28,440 --> 00:13:28,760
Speaker 1: like that.

226
00:13:29,679 --> 00:13:30,840
Speaker 3: So in terms of this.

227
00:13:32,320 --> 00:13:35,880
Speaker 1: Current situation, uncle, we were having a yarn before and

228
00:13:35,920 --> 00:13:38,439
Speaker 1: you're talking about some of the young kids that are

229
00:13:38,480 --> 00:13:39,760
Speaker 1: in these boarding schools.

230
00:13:41,080 --> 00:13:43,040
Speaker 3: Can you share some of the story with life.

231
00:13:43,559 --> 00:13:48,360
Speaker 2: Well, there hasn't been in Queensland, at least closing down

232
00:13:48,400 --> 00:13:54,280
Speaker 2: our schools, but up North, I'm aware of boarding schools

233
00:13:54,320 --> 00:13:57,600
Speaker 2: with the majority of whom are Aberaginal toss rate onness

234
00:13:57,600 --> 00:14:02,000
Speaker 2: students and parents wanted them home straight away, which is understandable.

235
00:14:02,559 --> 00:14:06,200
Speaker 2: The Prime Minister made a sayment on Sunday night saying

236
00:14:06,200 --> 00:14:09,280
Speaker 2: we're not closing schools, but if parents are uncomfortable with

237
00:14:09,360 --> 00:14:12,800
Speaker 2: their kids being at school, take them home, look after them.

238
00:14:13,480 --> 00:14:15,520
Speaker 2: And I think that's what the mob up north wanted

239
00:14:15,559 --> 00:14:19,840
Speaker 2: to do. But you know, same with bureaucracy there, there

240
00:14:19,880 --> 00:14:22,400
Speaker 2: was problems getting their flights back and all that, but

241
00:14:23,800 --> 00:14:27,440
Speaker 2: again that's now back on track. So these things are

242
00:14:27,440 --> 00:14:31,240
Speaker 2: happening right now as we speak, and I understand, you

243
00:14:31,280 --> 00:14:34,240
Speaker 2: can understand how parents are worried about their kids right

244
00:14:34,280 --> 00:14:37,960
Speaker 2: in the middle of this pandemic, and they want them

245
00:14:37,960 --> 00:14:41,000
Speaker 2: home and and that's why it's going to happen, and

246
00:14:41,320 --> 00:14:43,920
Speaker 2: that's why we'll operate at the Morrow School.

247
00:14:44,160 --> 00:14:46,760
Speaker 1: I saw something come through from our principle this morning

248
00:14:46,800 --> 00:14:50,400
Speaker 1: and it was a PowerPoint, which is really deadly.

249
00:14:50,880 --> 00:14:51,920
Speaker 2: You know, it's great, isn't it.

250
00:14:52,040 --> 00:14:55,880
Speaker 1: The communication it's constant that we're getting these updates as

251
00:14:55,920 --> 00:15:00,280
Speaker 1: aboard right and what our deputies are doing. Can you

252
00:15:00,360 --> 00:15:01,800
Speaker 1: share some information about that.

253
00:15:02,720 --> 00:15:06,360
Speaker 2: Well, last week we had a meeting it looked like

254
00:15:06,480 --> 00:15:10,640
Speaker 2: there was a move to close the school down. I

255
00:15:10,760 --> 00:15:13,600
Speaker 2: talked to all the board members. We went there with

256
00:15:13,640 --> 00:15:16,880
Speaker 2: a view that and set it to all the staff

257
00:15:16,960 --> 00:15:20,360
Speaker 2: that our main concern was our students and our staff,

258
00:15:20,400 --> 00:15:23,240
Speaker 2: that they're they're they're Without those, we don't have school,

259
00:15:23,760 --> 00:15:26,760
Speaker 2: and we will we will make the decisions in the

260
00:15:26,800 --> 00:15:32,320
Speaker 2: best interests of both the students and the staff. But

261
00:15:33,200 --> 00:15:36,720
Speaker 2: we've got to make fully informed decisions about where we are,

262
00:15:37,000 --> 00:15:41,480
Speaker 2: and there was a bit of a move to close

263
00:15:41,520 --> 00:15:45,120
Speaker 2: the school, but we said, no, no, there's let's work

264
00:15:45,160 --> 00:15:49,800
Speaker 2: on this because there's risks of kids, our children being

265
00:15:49,840 --> 00:15:51,840
Speaker 2: at school, but there's also risks of them not being

266
00:15:51,840 --> 00:15:55,480
Speaker 2: at school, and we've got to manage those risks. And

267
00:15:56,600 --> 00:15:59,760
Speaker 2: I've got no doubt somewhere in the near future they

268
00:15:59,760 --> 00:16:03,640
Speaker 2: will close the schools. But when they do, the Murray's

269
00:16:03,840 --> 00:16:06,880
Speaker 2: is going to be in a better position than most.

270
00:16:07,000 --> 00:16:12,200
Speaker 2: We have some things that are really positive for us

271
00:16:12,280 --> 00:16:14,840
Speaker 2: to keep the connection going. For instance, ninety percent of

272
00:16:14,880 --> 00:16:16,920
Speaker 2: our kids are picked up by buses, so we've got

273
00:16:16,920 --> 00:16:21,240
Speaker 2: buses from the school visiting houses and homes twice a day,

274
00:16:21,320 --> 00:16:23,120
Speaker 2: pick up kids in the morning, drop them off in

275
00:16:23,160 --> 00:16:27,080
Speaker 2: the afternoon. So we used to connecting with houses and

276
00:16:27,160 --> 00:16:32,800
Speaker 2: households and homes and parents and carers. We know that

277
00:16:32,920 --> 00:16:35,800
Speaker 2: soon as that happens, we can reach out and let

278
00:16:35,840 --> 00:16:39,000
Speaker 2: our parents know and our cares know exactly what's happening

279
00:16:39,080 --> 00:16:42,560
Speaker 2: straight away. If we have to close the school, we'll

280
00:16:42,600 --> 00:16:45,760
Speaker 2: be able to get out there. We now had a

281
00:16:45,760 --> 00:16:49,400
Speaker 2: long conversation today with the Catholic Education Commission because with

282
00:16:49,480 --> 00:16:52,360
Speaker 2: their schools, they're in the same position as us. They'll

283
00:16:52,400 --> 00:16:57,840
Speaker 2: probably close shortly when the government makes a call, but

284
00:16:57,880 --> 00:17:03,160
Speaker 2: they're both of us are thinking about not actually closing

285
00:17:03,200 --> 00:17:06,680
Speaker 2: the school, but transitioning to it from a learning environment

286
00:17:06,720 --> 00:17:08,840
Speaker 2: at a school to a learning environment at home. And

287
00:17:08,920 --> 00:17:11,880
Speaker 2: how do we actually do that? And like you said,

288
00:17:11,920 --> 00:17:15,879
Speaker 2: our deputies have done a wonderful job getting packages together

289
00:17:15,920 --> 00:17:19,240
Speaker 2: that we can deliver. We're looking at maybe some sort

290
00:17:19,240 --> 00:17:23,520
Speaker 2: of it solutions, like if we have to dip into

291
00:17:23,560 --> 00:17:27,240
Speaker 2: our savings and buy make sure kids have got tablets

292
00:17:27,280 --> 00:17:31,399
Speaker 2: and if they don't have internet, pre load them with lessons.

293
00:17:31,440 --> 00:17:33,439
Speaker 1: I was just about to say that, sorry to cut

294
00:17:33,480 --> 00:17:35,679
Speaker 1: you off. I was just about to say, you know,

295
00:17:35,760 --> 00:17:40,120
Speaker 1: in terms of the digital divine with Aboriginal Antarishat Islander

296
00:17:40,359 --> 00:17:45,240
Speaker 1: communities and families, not every black fellow has a laptop

297
00:17:45,359 --> 00:17:48,240
Speaker 1: or a computer at home or a parent that has

298
00:17:48,320 --> 00:17:52,359
Speaker 1: access to devices and iPads and whatever.

299
00:17:52,880 --> 00:17:54,400
Speaker 2: And then even before you mentioned it.

300
00:17:54,359 --> 00:17:58,440
Speaker 1: On the internetable exactly. So here we are in terms

301
00:17:58,480 --> 00:18:01,120
Speaker 1: of the Murray School. For people that are not familiar

302
00:18:01,119 --> 00:18:04,040
Speaker 1: with the Murray Schools location, it's in a case the

303
00:18:04,080 --> 00:18:07,760
Speaker 1: o Ridge in Brisbane here in Queensland, and it's one

304
00:18:07,800 --> 00:18:12,480
Speaker 1: of very few Aboriginal schools that that are run independently

305
00:18:13,320 --> 00:18:16,919
Speaker 1: in this country that are operated by community. You know,

306
00:18:17,440 --> 00:18:20,000
Speaker 1: there's a board that you know that runs this school.

307
00:18:20,359 --> 00:18:22,760
Speaker 1: So in terms of the school, and like you said,

308
00:18:22,760 --> 00:18:25,159
Speaker 1: dipping into savings to make sure that our kids have

309
00:18:25,240 --> 00:18:29,840
Speaker 1: access to technologies that they can keep on engaging with

310
00:18:30,160 --> 00:18:33,640
Speaker 1: their learning. This is this is new for us, isn't it?

311
00:18:34,240 --> 00:18:38,040
Speaker 2: Oh, totally new and and we know we might have

312
00:18:38,160 --> 00:18:43,240
Speaker 2: to look around to get devices for our children and

313
00:18:43,280 --> 00:18:45,719
Speaker 2: our households. And if they don't, like I said, if

314
00:18:45,760 --> 00:18:48,080
Speaker 2: they don't have access to internet, we can pre load

315
00:18:48,200 --> 00:18:52,800
Speaker 2: lessons on tablets or laptops or whatever we end up with,

316
00:18:53,760 --> 00:18:55,800
Speaker 2: and then then there would have to be connection with

317
00:18:55,880 --> 00:18:59,239
Speaker 2: the teachers still save even though our view is that

318
00:18:59,280 --> 00:19:02,720
Speaker 2: even if the school closes to students, it doesn't shut

319
00:19:02,800 --> 00:19:06,399
Speaker 2: down altogether because we expect our teachers and the teachers

320
00:19:06,440 --> 00:19:09,480
Speaker 2: are absolutely up for this to keep the connection going

321
00:19:09,520 --> 00:19:13,680
Speaker 2: with our students and families. So it's just another of

322
00:19:13,760 --> 00:19:16,600
Speaker 2: those cases mandon Nara where I said we were the

323
00:19:16,600 --> 00:19:19,200
Speaker 2: most adaptable people. We will adapt to this, of.

324
00:19:19,160 --> 00:19:22,240
Speaker 1: Course, we will add and just talking about the education

325
00:19:22,560 --> 00:19:25,600
Speaker 1: and trying to set up this kind of outreach service

326
00:19:25,680 --> 00:19:29,439
Speaker 1: and making sure that the home environment is supported with

327
00:19:29,600 --> 00:19:35,560
Speaker 1: technology and devices. If Corporate Australia is listening to this podcast,

328
00:19:36,600 --> 00:19:42,359
Speaker 1: you know in terms of donating devices or some I

329
00:19:42,359 --> 00:19:45,240
Speaker 1: don't know what it is, but I'm just thinking for people.

330
00:19:44,960 --> 00:19:46,520
Speaker 3: Like Google that might be listening.

331
00:19:46,560 --> 00:19:49,000
Speaker 1: You know that you know, Black can't engages with many

332
00:19:49,040 --> 00:19:52,560
Speaker 1: corporate clients that we roll out our training to. Is

333
00:19:52,600 --> 00:19:56,400
Speaker 1: there a message there for Corporate Australia to get involved

334
00:19:56,480 --> 00:20:01,080
Speaker 1: and to support our school, to support Aberaginal people and

335
00:20:01,160 --> 00:20:03,240
Speaker 1: communities in the Aboriginal business sector.

336
00:20:04,200 --> 00:20:04,879
Speaker 3: What's your thoughts?

337
00:20:04,960 --> 00:20:09,000
Speaker 2: Uncle, Well, look, I think this is a crisis like

338
00:20:09,080 --> 00:20:12,359
Speaker 2: we've never lived before. There's going to be just reading today,

339
00:20:12,480 --> 00:20:15,200
Speaker 2: there's going to be a million people unemployed. You look

340
00:20:15,240 --> 00:20:19,800
Speaker 2: at quite as dayly twenty thousand people. If we've closed

341
00:20:19,840 --> 00:20:22,840
Speaker 2: all sporting venues down, those people and a lot of

342
00:20:22,840 --> 00:20:26,159
Speaker 2: our my abusic casual work at those venues, that's no

343
00:20:26,280 --> 00:20:35,119
Speaker 2: longer possible. They're closing down hotels and cafes and restaurants.

344
00:20:36,000 --> 00:20:39,080
Speaker 2: If there's opportunities to do things a little bit differently

345
00:20:39,160 --> 00:20:43,639
Speaker 2: and you need extra sets of hands, think about the

346
00:20:43,680 --> 00:20:47,080
Speaker 2: Aboriginal Toyis Rate Onland Community Reach out to people like

347
00:20:47,160 --> 00:20:50,439
Speaker 2: the Murray School and the organizations in your area to

348
00:20:50,480 --> 00:20:53,760
Speaker 2: see what's going on, because we're certainly thinking about that

349
00:20:53,880 --> 00:20:55,760
Speaker 2: Monday and now are you. And I've had the discussion

350
00:20:55,800 --> 00:21:02,040
Speaker 2: of if in this outreach program we need extra extra people,

351
00:21:03,880 --> 00:21:05,639
Speaker 2: we're going to put them on because not only do

352
00:21:05,720 --> 00:21:08,960
Speaker 2: we outreach to our kids, but we actually provide employment

353
00:21:09,040 --> 00:21:11,919
Speaker 2: for someone. If we need extra people in the family

354
00:21:11,920 --> 00:21:14,879
Speaker 2: support unit that we run at the school because the

355
00:21:15,800 --> 00:21:19,320
Speaker 2: overwhelming need, we'll do that. So I think that's what

356
00:21:19,359 --> 00:21:22,880
Speaker 2: we've got to do. We've got to commit to not

357
00:21:22,920 --> 00:21:26,040
Speaker 2: only providing the services, but in providing the service, if

358
00:21:26,040 --> 00:21:29,960
Speaker 2: you need to employ someone, do it straight away. You're

359
00:21:29,960 --> 00:21:34,160
Speaker 2: giving people an opportunity not to. I went past Ipswich

360
00:21:34,240 --> 00:21:37,480
Speaker 2: yesterday and it was so sad to see this line

361
00:21:37,960 --> 00:21:41,800
Speaker 2: outside the Social services or whatever they sendle Link office.

362
00:21:42,480 --> 00:21:44,600
Speaker 2: You know, by the way, I think they could do

363
00:21:45,240 --> 00:21:47,320
Speaker 2: treat people a bit with a bit more dignity than

364
00:21:47,359 --> 00:21:49,399
Speaker 2: that they have a big line outside where everyone can

365
00:21:49,440 --> 00:21:53,199
Speaker 2: see them. That's not treating people with dignity. Having them

366
00:21:53,240 --> 00:21:55,120
Speaker 2: line up out on the street waiting to go into

367
00:21:55,160 --> 00:21:56,199
Speaker 2: the central Link office.

368
00:21:56,920 --> 00:21:59,240
Speaker 3: Scenes you might see and maybe in America.

369
00:21:59,000 --> 00:22:02,080
Speaker 2: Right yeah, yeah, it's it's shocking. I was taken back

370
00:22:02,160 --> 00:22:07,719
Speaker 2: really and I think, you know, people just we just

371
00:22:07,760 --> 00:22:10,040
Speaker 2: need to think a bit about the humanity of what

372
00:22:10,080 --> 00:22:13,920
Speaker 2: we're doing. But but if if, if you know, we're

373
00:22:13,960 --> 00:22:18,200
Speaker 2: we're in contact. I know b HP looking at devices

374
00:22:18,200 --> 00:22:21,439
Speaker 2: for kids in our situation. So we've made contact with

375
00:22:21,560 --> 00:22:25,800
Speaker 2: b h P about that. They're also looking at how

376
00:22:25,840 --> 00:22:29,720
Speaker 2: they actually can pull the other corporates together or the

377
00:22:29,760 --> 00:22:32,160
Speaker 2: corporates are coming together talk about how they can help

378
00:22:32,200 --> 00:22:37,520
Speaker 2: in in the remote areas as well, you know, so

379
00:22:37,520 --> 00:22:40,880
Speaker 2: so so you know, this is a chance for Australians

380
00:22:40,880 --> 00:22:44,119
Speaker 2: to stand up and look after those that are less

381
00:22:44,160 --> 00:22:47,919
Speaker 2: needy than than than you and and and if you know,

382
00:22:48,280 --> 00:22:50,840
Speaker 2: it can't be the dollar driving everything. This is this

383
00:22:50,920 --> 00:22:54,440
Speaker 2: is desperate times and we need desperate measures to make

384
00:22:54,440 --> 00:22:55,600
Speaker 2: sure we all get through this.

385
00:22:56,480 --> 00:22:57,680
Speaker 3: Of course, all.

386
00:22:57,640 --> 00:23:01,639
Speaker 1: Right, so uncle, in terms of with Corp Australia, with government,

387
00:23:01,720 --> 00:23:06,240
Speaker 1: we're not for profit organizations and all the others in

388
00:23:06,280 --> 00:23:10,159
Speaker 1: between that have a reconciliation action plan. You know what

389
00:23:10,240 --> 00:23:12,280
Speaker 1: I say to people and what I am saying, and

390
00:23:12,280 --> 00:23:15,320
Speaker 1: this is a clear message now to the rest of Australia.

391
00:23:15,760 --> 00:23:18,280
Speaker 1: If you've got deliverables, then now's the time to deliver

392
00:23:18,359 --> 00:23:22,399
Speaker 1: on those. If you've got targets to achieve, then now's

393
00:23:22,440 --> 00:23:24,960
Speaker 1: the time to hit the targets and to reach the

394
00:23:25,000 --> 00:23:28,440
Speaker 1: targets instead of thinking, oh, okay, let's just see what

395
00:23:28,480 --> 00:23:31,119
Speaker 1: the next couple of weeks, the next couple of months

396
00:23:31,119 --> 00:23:31,600
Speaker 1: look like.

397
00:23:32,640 --> 00:23:34,840
Speaker 2: Manda naa, I think what we need to do and

398
00:23:34,880 --> 00:23:40,080
Speaker 2: get the message across and all of us, Blackfellow said

399
00:23:40,160 --> 00:23:43,320
Speaker 2: of the corporate world and the government world with things

400
00:23:43,359 --> 00:23:47,200
Speaker 2: like wraps, We're going to measure you how you deal

401
00:23:47,240 --> 00:23:49,359
Speaker 2: and deal with this in the hard times, not in

402
00:23:49,400 --> 00:23:51,240
Speaker 2: the good times. It's easy to do all the right

403
00:23:51,280 --> 00:23:55,480
Speaker 2: things when everything is nice and peachy. It's the reality

404
00:23:55,600 --> 00:23:59,960
Speaker 2: right now, and we will measure and we'll remember help

405
00:24:00,040 --> 00:24:03,920
Speaker 2: people deal with this crisis as a test of their

406
00:24:03,960 --> 00:24:06,199
Speaker 2: commitment to what they say they're going to do in

407
00:24:06,240 --> 00:24:09,920
Speaker 2: their wraps. So this is the time now to stand up.

408
00:24:10,880 --> 00:24:12,879
Speaker 1: And Uncle is saying that, you know, in terms of

409
00:24:12,880 --> 00:24:17,120
Speaker 1: building relations you know now it's critical.

410
00:24:16,800 --> 00:24:18,800
Speaker 2: Right, absolutely critical.

411
00:24:18,920 --> 00:24:23,240
Speaker 1: Put these relationships into action, and hopefully we'll look back

412
00:24:23,280 --> 00:24:27,199
Speaker 1: from here and hopefully, you know, we will have strengthened

413
00:24:27,200 --> 00:24:30,440
Speaker 1: relationships with each other. You know, on an individual level,

414
00:24:30,720 --> 00:24:33,960
Speaker 1: on a business level, but also on a society level.

415
00:24:34,040 --> 00:24:37,080
Speaker 1: So on that note, I just want to say uncle,

416
00:24:37,400 --> 00:24:40,160
Speaker 1: you know it's been an absolute pleasure and a privilege

417
00:24:40,200 --> 00:24:43,840
Speaker 1: to yarn with you and to have you on my show,

418
00:24:44,119 --> 00:24:46,960
Speaker 1: and I look forward to seeing what we do over

419
00:24:47,000 --> 00:24:51,080
Speaker 1: the coming days. Even things are changing by the hour.

420
00:24:51,000 --> 00:24:55,920
Speaker 2: Right absolutely they're changing. But I think we as usual

421
00:24:56,200 --> 00:24:59,240
Speaker 2: will do the right thing. We'll live up to the

422
00:24:59,320 --> 00:25:03,200
Speaker 2: lead your dad and all your family what the vision

423
00:25:03,359 --> 00:25:05,240
Speaker 2: was for the Murray School and we'll lead the way

424
00:25:06,240 --> 00:25:07,720
Speaker 2: to Deadly Well.

425
00:25:07,760 --> 00:25:11,080
Speaker 1: Thank you very much, Uncle mecan in my father's language,

426
00:25:11,320 --> 00:25:15,359
Speaker 1: one and Molly, thank you till next time. And that

427
00:25:15,480 --> 00:25:18,560
Speaker 1: was Uncle meck Gooder, who was the former Aboriginal and

428
00:25:18,640 --> 00:25:22,560
Speaker 1: torrest Rate Islander Social Justice Commissioner of the Australian Human

429
00:25:22,640 --> 00:25:26,360
Speaker 1: Rights Commission from about two thousand and nine to twenty sixteen.

430
00:25:26,680 --> 00:25:28,960
Speaker 1: He was also the co Commissioner of the Royal Commissioner

431
00:25:29,000 --> 00:25:32,359
Speaker 1: with the Protection and Attention of Children in a Northern

432
00:25:32,440 --> 00:25:35,920
Speaker 1: Territory and also currently the chair of the Murray School

433
00:25:35,920 --> 00:25:39,919
Speaker 1: Board in Brisbane. And my next guest on Black Magic

434
00:25:40,000 --> 00:25:44,440
Speaker 1: Woman is Deadly Brother Leroy Wilkinson Martin, who's a dynamic

435
00:25:44,440 --> 00:25:48,440
Speaker 1: and innovative people and culture manager with a demonstrated history

436
00:25:48,440 --> 00:25:52,400
Speaker 1: of working in the nonprofit organization management industry and has

437
00:25:52,440 --> 00:25:56,440
Speaker 1: a deadly business called Dira dh Iara.

438
00:25:57,240 --> 00:25:59,040
Speaker 3: That's all for now. I hope you can join me

439
00:25:59,119 --> 00:26:00,840
Speaker 3: next time. Black Magic form