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Sovereignty movement sold at Gidarjil Immersion Forum
Michael Anderson, Sovereignty Advocate, with Gidarjil Chairperson, Colin Johnson and Gidarjil CEO Kerry Blackman. All images Rhonda Hagan
by Stephen Hagan
“W
alk through the sacred smoke to rid yourself of those dirty putrid spirits that we all got over the years from those uninvited visitors who came and didn’t leave our shores,” were the assertive words of Gidarjil Development Corporation CEO, Kerry Blackman, that kicked off his organisation’s 3rd Immersion and Cultural Forum in Bundaberg over the weekend. Kerry explained to applicants of the Gurang and Gooreng Gooreng peoples who he represents and the 200 visitors from throughout Queensland and interstate who attended the forum, under a cloudless blue sky in mid 20 degree Celsius temperature, of the importance of holding annual cultural weekends. “Native Title has divided families
to the extend where the damage caused by hostilities over rights to perceived riches through mining royalty entitlements have become irreparable,” Kerry said. “Even in this room we were once in our corners with our gloves on ready to go into battle against each other for those mining riches – but now we bring our mob together to sit around a camp fire in a nonthreatening environment to reunite families and speak with one voice. “Your support at this forum is an indication that we are all prepared to work together and to learn, not only from each other, but from experts like our guest speaker, Michael Anderson.” At a sprawling scouts ground on the outskirts of Bundaberg perched high above the imposing Burnett River – that wreaked havoc in flood for eight days from Australia day this year – was the ideal location with impressive amenities that
proved conducive to the aspirations of the forum Gidarjil coordinators to accommodate children and adults at the same time. Whilst adults were heavily immersed in sovereignty talks, by long-term warriors of the on going land rights campaign, children were taking in art and dance lessons, spear and boomerang throwing activities and competitive touch football games. As participants, young and old, were allured by their own agendas throughout the camp site over the two-day weekend forum, Mal Nagus (father of former Canberra Raider great Ken) was preparing scrumptious meals with his team of traditional cooks. Karaoke heats on the opening night and finals on the second night for prize money kept families on the edge of their seats as the very best of local Bundaberg talent came to the fore. Page 1
Children listen to cultural classes
But the highlight, or at least for the adults, were the sessions run by Michael Anderson on the history and future of the sovereignty movement. “The Father of Sovereignty” as Kerry Blackman called Michael, shared his intimate details of the efforts Billy Craigie, Bertie Williams, Tony Coorey and himself took to establish a Aboriginal Tent Embassy on the lawns opposite old Parliament House on Australia Day, 26th January 1972. “We planted a beach umbrella in the grounds as a symbolic claiming of Australia as Aboriginal land in protest at the refusal of Liberal Prime Minister William McMahon’s government to recognize our land rights,” Michael said. It crossed Michael’s mind that the four young men were really the guinea pigs who were endorsed by ‘others’ to go down to cold Canberra from Sydney to pitch “the tent” without any real conviction from more senior campaigners that
they would succeed in delivering their message. “I spoke to one of the men, who was at the house in Sydney when they all agreed that us four young fellas should go to Canberra, late last year, and put that to him. He was startled by my assumption – but from his reaction I knew what his answer was without him saying a word,” Michael said. Michael, Convenor of Sovereign Union of Aboriginal Peoples, shared his views on the critical steps his Euahlayi people in far north west NSW took in declaring their country a sovereign nation. He said people must go back to country and live on country; to listen and be advised by their elders; to learn about the significance of their flora and fauna, the mountains and rivers and everything else that is culturally sacred to them. “Only after you’ve been on country for some time and have gained the respect of your Elders, can you really put forward your legal case for sovereignty,” Michael
said. “You need to know your people’s history and the heavy legal processes it takes to make that final declaration for sovereignty. “It is possible … but you must do it as a unified voice.” With a very captivated audience – many in awe of the only remaining gang of four who set up the original Aboriginal Tent Embassy in 1972 – Michael was unambiguous on Indigenous leaders who sought to rubber stamp social policies of governments of all persuasions. “ILUA (Indigenous Land Use Agreements) are a big con by the government and mining companies to get our mob to sign away their rights to their land,” Michael said. “Our old people never ceded their sovereignty to the British invaders and the succession of governments that followed federation. But all of a sudden we not only have our mob around the nation signing up to ILUA’s with the belief the government and
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Gidarjil Rangers were on hand to discuss their work on Caring for Country
mining company will shower them with enormous wealth. “They lied to us in the past and they’ll lie to us in the future to protect their mining interests. Today they’re signing up many clans from the same language group to the same ILUA, thus saving themselves money and effort by not having to negotiate separate deals with individual clans. “You know us blackfellas can’t agree on anything to do with money so how will they divide the millions of dollars that is put on the table. Will the lion share go to the clan where minerals are being mined or will it be shared equally between all clan groups irrespective of whether they have minerals being mined on their land or not?” Michael didn’t miss those Indigenous leaders in charge of the reconciliation movement. “I don’t want no white man coming up to me for a shake of the hand and a cuddle with the big R on his shirt thinking by doing that he will wipe the slate clean of all the evil things he and his ancestors before him have done to our people,” Michael said. He told delegates that the white man’s “very clever … he sleeps and thinks like a black man and comes up with all his new ideas to con us
like Reconciliation, GenerationOne, Unity Now and a preamble to the Constitution”. Michael said he has no respect for Labor or the Coalition – although admitted “the Coalition has a history of doing more for Aboriginal people than the mob in power at the moment”. “No one heard the second Sorry from Kevin Rudd when he apologized (on February 13, 2008 in Federal parliament) to members of the stolen generation and their children,” Michael said. “The second Sorry he said when everyone was celebrating and wiping away their tears at the same
time … was Sorry that I won’t be giving you any money for your pain and suffering.” Colin Johnson, 80, Chairman of Gidarjil, said the weekend was a great success and for that he acknowledged the immense impact Michael’s frank discussions on all things sovereignty had on his fellow applicants and visitors. “We don’t get people of the calibre of Michael Anderson up here in Bundaberg and I can tell that our mob will talk about his presentation for years to come.” “I’ve read most of Michael Anderson’s writings over many years but I never thought I would be sitting in a tent here in Bundaberg hearing him first hand share his wealth of knowledge on sovereignty,” Denise Johnson-Fines said. So successful was the weekend’s Immersion and Cultural Forum that Kerry Blackman said his organization would invite Michael “and other fair dinkum Aboriginal leaders” to the same forum at the same time next year. “We’ll open up the forum on sovereignty to traditional owners throughout the country to join us. We’ll also bring in some high profile musicians to entertain participants over the Friday and Saturday nights of the forum,” Kerry said.
Youth enjoyed playing touch football
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