Wisdom, Protocols, and the Path to Clean Energy

a year ago. And we're at the airport and I'm not telling you any more about this yarn, but Uncle John, it was so good to see you as I walked in to the Sunshine Coast Convention Center here at the first Nation's Clean Energy Network summit with all these different mob and You're the first one that I got to see. So I just want to say thank you for taking time out to jump on this pod and have a yarn with me for my listeners, but also viewers now on YouTube. Thank you for joining us as well. Got

a few more subscribers, which is deadly. Tell us a little bit about just what We'll start with your name and who's your mob, and maybe a little bit about where you grew up.

about First Nation's clean energy. Myself saltwater connections born on Palm Island in the late fifties lined up for rations, which I thought was wonderful of the missionaries, but I found out it was all stolen wages. So that's these life experiences that give you a glow and then they take away that and put a little tinge to it. Grandfather Country, Saltwater country there, Nuagi people ill Nowagi family members out that way. Yeah, we've got a lot to

play and talk about in this space. Grandfather Country, then Nawagi people around Ingham, Grandmother's Country, Mummel people up around Indusvale. So that saltwater connection. But then I flow with my movement in being shifted off the dormitory out to western Queensland. Bidgital cattercattering, gathering bull people. So all your desert uplands

follows out that way. Black soil follows Yep, we've got big business to do out there, and we're doing as well too, but we've got to do a proper way integrity, cultural integrity and doing business proper and in becoming those honorable ancestors, which I've always been reminded of of the Watson's coming into that Watson family through nine AUPAT nine FM, Deadley Murray Radio and the history of that, Yeah, which reminds me the impactful way that that brother Tiger and

others that That's sixty six referendum. I was started Grade one in January of that year, nineteen sixty sixth Grade one slate boards and the like here and all this was happening around me and I was unaware of it, this movement. I was told not to be a radical black by my family out that way there, but guess what I did? They told me not to become a skypilot.

But guess what I did? Yeah, in this space. So this gravitation and drawing out all these different lived experiences ending up now in Brisbane later part of my career and having the honor to be able to sit in in positions and lead independent bodies or regulatory bodies around making this space a lot safer for all who choose to live on Aboriginal country.

And they're so powerful words. And there's a star named Honorable Ancestor because of Grannie Mook and the impact that she's had on a lot of people, not just in this country but obviously around the world. Very proud Gungaloo Beery, Gubble woman, a Dawson River Murray. So got me thinking there now about Grant and I can feel our energy as we are in here. Coexistence is on your name tag and I've never heard of this business before. So tell me a little bit. How did you set up coexistence?

twenty ten through to what we have now. I engaged with thirty three different Native title cultural heritage agreements, twenty seven tradition owned groups in the Strap Basin, Bowen Basin, Your mob involved too in as part of an approvals process. Those agreements were developed on relationships. But what left a taste in my mouth was that when we came to implement, is implemented on commercial terms and which brings us to where we are now with first Nations clean energy. I

believe the first nation's clean energy. This movement that we're developing how now is similar to the movement that brought us a sixty seven referendum, but this is going to be so much more impactful and we are better organized to connect up, share our stories and move as one and all rise with the tides. So co existence quenstand came out of gas Fields because it was recognized on

the first of July last year. Gas Field's Commission has done a great job, so we got also then we're given the remit to look after critical Earth minerals, both the solar and wind as well as the ongoing gas industry. So that the relationship between landholders, traditional owners, so those who are well connected to land in all of its shapes and forms, and the developers that choose to come

in here. Now that with the passage of legislation too recently in enacting on the first of July, that there must be a community benefit shown to any developer that's looking to work in communities of interests, association and orrige. They've got to speak to family, they've got to speak

to mob, they've got to speak to landowners. They've got to speak to the local authorities and respect the history of people in place and the deep, deep stories that sit in in country and landscape and relationships.

up and down. We've got our own queues. We read body language and the like, and these sounds that we issue with ad we know when someone's gam and so look, come in and be respectful of people in place, and take the time, don't come last minute, f pick or free prior and informed consent means means, start early and

give give of self and interests and agendas upfront. We can save so much time, We can save so many dollars being spent on costly legal processes and like, if we simply just sit opposite each other like we're doing here now, girl, and having this open hearted, open mind conversation and use those those body parts as we have. We've all been told use them in proportion. Two eyes, two ears, one mouth, use it in those proportions. So listen, listen, listen, Yes, as the wisdom of old people say.

not cultural awareness, about our accumulated knowledge. It comes from this land that developed over millennia. How do we age, how do we build relationships, how do we conduct ourselves, especially as visitors on other mobs country. So Aunt Lilla or doctor La Watson, these aboriginal terms of reference, you can call them indigenous terms of reference, but they are the core principles the foundational knowledge that we teach at Black Cart relationality. You know the law of obligations, the

law of reciprocity. But everything is embedded in relationships from a first nation's perspective, in how we get along, how we settle differences. And I think it's such and I don't think I know, and I've been taught this in schooled by the elders, that we developed a sophisticated governance system. We developed this governance system that we don't think exists anywhere in the world when it comes to other indigenous

groups because it's lateral flat. You know, male and female sitting side by side and community coming together when it's community business. But we've got men's business, we've got women's business,

and there's respect between the two. So if men are coming into a community, maybe they should bring a female colleague with them as well, because they don't know if they're meeting with male and female or if it's a young woman coming and make sure she's got an older female or a male there to come with two people instead of just the one. Some of those cultural protocols are not known well, I would say most of our protocols are not known to most Australians because they haven't

taken the time. And you mentioned this, allow for time, allow for proper consultation, don't come with an agenda. Maybe come with building the relationship. Come with the mindset that you're here to build a relationship and maybe the agenda comes next time. But allowing for times. So these are really and protocols or steps that people can take to get the best outcome possible.

So that importance of every every breath, of every thought, and in the way that we have these conversations between us and with us and with others those it's a little bit like the nice seeing creed if you like, if you wanted to borrow a white fellow fellow comparison

that it's it's a prayer of approach. And when we come and call the country, it's we've got koi bay up there a yapooon or in our way there in the central highlands there too, we say your coup call out loud in our voice, and we sit and we wait.

We could wait three days or something waiting for MOB to come and and let us condition ourselves to being this space and absorbing the spirit of place and the embodiment of culture and practice and a protocol that belongs here, so as the circles fall back around if we're doing doing work, even travelers coming through caravaners, I'm a caravan, I'm not a grey nomad. Well that's it absolutely black brindle or whichever way, and there's here cafe late nomad.

But working, working through and it doesn't matter where we go around this great southern land. We're obliged to practice

our deep seated protocols. And if others that travel country adopt some of those protocols or the ways of being, knowing and and behaving, there's an opportunity for us to have some deep exchanges as we pass through through country, not just through the lens of a camera, but through the relationships that we have here and with that person and there, and the offerings the gifts come manyfold to say well you should come and stay here when you

come to Victoria or whichever way. Yeah, yep. Those protocols are extremely relevant for now, and we need we could do so much more of all of us, each of us, no matter which where we come from originally joining us mob here, enjoy enjoy the benefits that come with being with us. Yeah, it's not a competition. We're going to share this. Yeah, yeah, I love that.

we still know. Well, I know for a fact growing up in my family and my community, I know where I belong and that's also a privilege. And I know that a lot of our mob have struggled with that sense of belonging because of past gopment policies. With that welcome to country and acknowledging country, we talk about it being an ancient diplomatic protocol, a tradition that has been practiced for tens of thousands of years, and then we

show the Aboriginal languages map of Australia. The iatzis Haughton version and remind people that this is probably the earliest example of a human government than anywhere else in the world. And even though we're being a little bit biased at Black Card, we believe, and this is what we share with people. We believe that Abiginal people of this land invented diplomacy. And what does that mean, you know, how we engage with each other. It's about minimizing the potential

for conflict. It doesn't make peace right, but it lays the foundations for positive relation or you know, interactions with each other. And there's another concept that our little and aunt Mary talk about in terms of this congenial fellowship and leave him, an associolinguist, talked about it when he lived with their mob on our undercountry. They said that he never come across another group indigenous group in the world like blackfellows, which is our people here that worked

so hard at relationships with each other. And whether he coined that term or not, I'm not too sure, but he was the one that talked about this congenial congeniality. To be congenial is to create those good feelings the group, and that's what we need to remind not just non Abiginal people about it. I think it's now our own mob. As you say, you've got a lot of work to do, We got a lot of work to do, especially in

this clean energy space and the renewable energy. In these transitions into clean energy, what could we hope for the future for our mob in particular when it comes to understanding what does clean energy and renewables? What does it even mean for us? What do we need to look out for?

between country. Here we've got the world's oldest passport system, and that came by a message, Dick, or by the by the behaviors that we had when approaching country and the like. So it's suggesting there before that when you are traveling traveling country, be with us. Have these conversations with us. Don't fear us, don't be frightened of us, Sit with us, and deep an understanding of how you might you might coexist in in place and space, but

also within relationships. Yep, we've all got one. A lot of my friends said, I've got one. I've got a black fellow. He's a good friend. And well so I've got ninety seven ninety percent of Australians out there as potential friends. So how rich and blessed am I here?

risk in that. But this is a great risk to be taking, to be sharing space, time and energy between each of us here coexist.

on this beautiful land. I hope you've enjoyed this Deadly Young Instead of me saying until next time, by for now, I'm going to leave you with the words and our language, or word in our language, it says not goodbye, but we'll see you soon.