When singer/songwriter Paul Kelly visited Maningrida community in Arnhem Land for the 2003 music festival, he was already a hero of many of the local children. Ironically it arose from his role as a racist farmer in the film One Night the Moon.
The Years 8, 9 and 10 students had studied the short movie as part of their English program at school. Rachel Perkins directed the 57 minute gem. After an impromptu performance at Friday's assembly, Paul was surprised that this seemingly very adult narrative had captured their interest.
This emblematic Australian 'lost in the bush' story is based on a couple of incidents involving missing children. They involved legendary bush tracker Alexander Riley whose exploits were recorded by his grandson Michael Riley in the 1997 documentary Blacktracker.
The film production was based on Riley's role in the 1932 search for a young boy near Dubbo in New South Wales. He was also instrumental in the rescue of a 6 year old girl in 1918. Writer John Romeril's stage adaptation has been relocated to Gariwerd (aka the Grampians) in Victoria, to which the audience receives a traditional welcome to country.
Composer and musical director Mairead Hannan has included some more songs from Kev Carmody and "created soundscapes using our instruments to fill the theatre with a sense of the landscape." The music and innovative artwork are very effective in the intimacy of the Merlyn Theatre. This version runs about 80 minutes.
Detailed comparisons between the two media would be tiresome. The two female leads, Natalie O'Donnell as lost child Emily's mother Rose and Ursula Yovich as tracker Albert's wife, give powerful performances that are reinforced by their strong singing voices. Mark Seymour as Jim and Kirk Page as Albert give intensely dramatic performances but neither is a strong singer. Nevertheless their key duet, 'This Land is Mine/This Land is Me' loses none of its impact.
The message is clear and simple: the heavy price we pay as individuals and as a society for our blind prejudices.
Director Wesley Enoch has preserved the film's overwhelming sense of tragedy whilst maintaining its hope that true reconciliation can be achieved.
The season finishes at the Malthouse on 3 October. You'd better hurry. Otherwise try to see the video. It's an Aussie classic.
Monday, September 28, 2009
One Night the Moon centre stage
Friday, April 24, 2009
Cyclone Monica 24 April 2006 - Maningrida
Today is the third anniversary of Cyclone Monica, an extreme category five storm that struck Maningrida on 24 April 2006. It was the strongest cyclone ever recorded on the mainland of Australia.
It's time to edit my mate Mason Scholes' video. This is Part 1, which was seen on TV News around the world.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
NT Intervention Report the way forward
This post is a little tardy but I thought I'd read the report before commenting. It's hard to argue with the comments and recommendations below from the NORTHERN TERRITORY EMERGENCY RESPONSE REVIEW BOARD REPORT. Former Indigenous Affairs, Mal Brough, had no difficulty on Radio National's Australia Talks:
I probably spent more time in remote indigenous communities than any of my predecessors. I was intimately involved, and took questions, comments and thoughts, and pain and suffering from the people in those communities.He was out there deciding what was good for people. The intervention didn't need detailed planning. He had all the answers as soon as the Little Children are Sacred Report was released. Brough still has no idea what oges into real consultation and planning.
And that is actually what allowed me to develop in such a quick timeframe a response to the Little Children are Sacred Report.
I heartily endorse the following from the NTER:
“The Intervention diminished its own effectiveness through its failure to engage constructively with the Aboriginal people it was intended to help.”The role of education was identified as a major factor but the review had no expertise in this area. If we are to transform CDEP jobs then education and training are critical. It is frustrating to see Year 12 students graduate in places like Maningrida and then find that their only employment opportunities in areas like construction are CDEP, not apprenticeships.
Income quarantining “should be available on a voluntary basis and imposed only as a precise part of child protection measures or where specified by statute, subject to independent review. In both cases it should be supported by services to improve financial literacy.”
“There needs to be adjustments in the machinery of government enabling better coordination of services, greater responsiveness to the unique characteristics of each community and higher levels of community participation in the design and delivery of services.”
“CDEP participants must undergo literacy, numeracy and on-the-job training designed to improve non-CDEP employment opportunities.”
We must “address illicit drug use in remote Aboriginal communities and associated mental health issues.”
“Funding priority be given to enable Aboriginal communities to build community integration and ownership of a child and community safety system that has the capacity to interface effectively with government agencies.”
“Priority be given to capacity building for Aboriginal leadership and Aboriginal governance at the local community level.”
We have little choice. The NT Intervention Report is a sensible way forward.
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
NT Invasion: Unfinished Business
If you missed Tracking the Intervention on Four Corners last night, make sure that you catch tonight’s replay at 11.35 tonight, use the VCR or see it online by clicking the image above. Matthew Carney visited Maningrida and Finke communities for the report. If you still think that the Northern
Territory intervention is about child abuse or empowering aboriginal people, you will be challenged by the evidence.
Whoever wins the election, there is unfinished business to redress what is going on.
The health checks have almost nothing to do with abuse and are duplicating resources such as the Health Clinic in Maningrida. Opportunities and money are being squandered in shameful ways.
The death of CDEP is forcing people off meaningful employment and back on to welfare and destroying programs that offer hope. Outside managers with unprecedented powers but questionable experience are taking over communities. Listen for the embarrassed pause when the new saviour in Maningrida is asked what experience he has in indigenous communities. Four months after the invasion and he can’t answer the simplest questions. Maningrida does not need more outsiders like Counicl CEO’s who think their communities are zoos.
An enormous amount needs to be done with (not to) communities to address the challenges they face. This is not the way to do it.
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