DEAR News Of The Area,

IN October 2019 I joined a group of about 200 people on the Yaama Ngunna Baaka Corroboree Tour which was initiated by Uncle Bruce Shillingsworth and we travelled about 3000 km in eight days in rural NSW.

The idea was to show solidarity with Aboriginal communities, and pay our respects as they danced for rain, there was one truck with bottled water and one with food and the Aboriginal communities provided what they could.

At Brewarrina I was in a queue behind about 20 kids and looking forward to my first taste of emu, locals had caught them that morning and cooked the feast in an earth oven on the banks of the Baaka river where many tribes had been meeting for 60,000 years.

I got to the table and there was not much left and picked for a tiny piece, but it didn’t matter as there was plenty of other food and I learnt a valuable lesson, you need to be in front of the kids when emus is on the menu.

There were a lot of sad stories of not being able to swim, fish, gather clams or carry out traditional customs and it was obvious the river is an important part of their history, culture and survival.

An elder told us when they meet with politicians the old men hang their hats on the pegs as they walk into the hall and the politicians hang their ears.

We slept in tents and bivouacs and the air was dry and I could not understand that even on a clear cold night there was no dew at all and very few insects and only a small number of flies.

Arriving at Menindee Lakes late in the afternoon and standing on the banks looking over the lake at sunset was surreal as this 17 by 17 km lake had no water and the mud was rock hard with deep cracks.

There was no visible life and a local talked about many emus turning up to drink and a lot died.

To sit down every night and watch the corroborees, the dancers and listen to their stories was fantastic but it was also so very uncomfortable as I felt their angst.

It was not just the drought; some communities do not have a general store, or a cafe and I know I could not survive without both.

Some of these communities have not had clean drinking water from their taps in five years, you cannot wash your hair under the tap, they could not swim in the river or carry out ceremonies or teach their culture.

It is a lot more than just a voice, it is the ability to be able to live as they would like, carry out their customs and teach their culture in some of the remotest country in Australia, their country.

We have been telling Aboriginal peoples what to do for 235 years and we have not got it right.

Give Aboriginal People a far go, a voice, a chance, hope.

Vote Yes.

Regards,
Dr Aidan RICKETTS.