Welcome to First things first, I'm Matty Meals. My pronouns are he and him.
I'm Brook Blatton. My pronouns as she and her.
And before we get started, we'd like to acknowledge the custodians of the land on which were record and today for me that's the gaddigle people of the urination and for me it's.
Surroundering people of the cool a nation.
Let's let's get into it. Oh well, it's a Nadoc week.
Yes, how black week of the month of the year, of the year. I feel real black, real, you know, always.
Yeah, always, I'm a black phil every day and I love it. Yeah.
Like if I was, if I was a range of how toast I am, I would be burnt toast.
Yeah, it would be crispy burnt toast with that button night trying to scrape off the little bit of like.
Extra charred, trying to savor that.
Bread, stiff and stale as it is too.
Oh well, this year the theme is keep the fire burning, don't burn the toast.
Don't burn the toast. That's right, keep.
The fire burning, yeah.
But don't burn the toast. I love that.
That's next week's next year, next week. That's next year's name.
But that's the theme for Reconciliation Week.
Yeah, we are definitely filling the vibes.
Yeah, talk about keep the fire burning. We are on fire today. We are having a ball of fun and so excited for this episode, for this week, for this year as always, But.
Like NATOK is one of my favorite weeks. I don't know, you know.
What, it just kind of always like people think that NATOK Week is only just for Black Fellows, but it's for everyone. But it's like it's an invitation all the time, you know, But it's like for blackfellows within the community. It's like I'm going to show how black I am.
Show how proud we are to be Black fellows, show you know, the struggle and the challenges of our community, but also the success and the.
Beauty and the black joy.
And I love that there are so many activations of cross the country. There are the NADOC balls, there are you know, different channels doing specific broadcasts. There are events, there's.
Community days, community days released.
Yeah, a lot of Black fellows release music in this time. It is it is just you know, a moment for us or to be really proud of who we are. And and look, you know at our community and see how much we've achieved and how much you know, there is still to go. And that's what the fire burning
is all about. Keep the fire burning. It really comes off the back of you know, a really tough you for mob when it came to the referendum and how much that affected I feel, like, you know, so many of us, no matter whether you voted yes or no, it affected us as black fellows. And because it allowed the country to vote on our identity and our value, I suppose and unfortunately, you know, we didn't get a yes in that referendum. But that doesn't mean that the
work stops. That doesn't mean that the investment into our people stops in terms of you know, government investment. But also it doesn't mean that the rest of Australia and the community out there aren't proud of us as franslations.
We aren't proud of yes.
So keep the fire burning is all about making sure that we are continuing to you know, share the beautiful parts of our community and also work on the challenges that we face as a community and the disadvantage that we face due to colonization in this country. So I like the theme. How has the theme sat with you?
I love it.
I mean I've always felt this as well, Like every time I do a speech or talk or i'm with kids and I think of passion, I think of culture. I always think like I have a fire in my belly that is like raring to go, and I never feel like it's ever ever and will ever go out. And I think this kind of this theme sort of reiterates that feeling but also shows I guess, the strength and the the passion.
I always think of things in color.
I'm wearing red today and I feel like that kind of for me is showing the passion and the strength and the fire that's my belly. Yeah, I love all of the themes. One year I posted the themes of Nadock from the earliest when they first started, you know how they would have themes or posters, And I think every year it's just been so applicable to how mob of feeling and the community voice. And I think that's so important that to hear that this theme kind of
encompasses our voice. Even regardless of what the voice referendum told us or said to us, we don't care. We're still moving on We're still going. We're going to continue to show up. Keep the fire burning is like the best representation, but I also love the notion and spirituality it has to land as well. We know that fire is such a central place of our community. Sometimes for community gatherings, we smoke to release and get rid of cleanse. Yeah, exactly.
So as long as that fire is, you know, like still burning, there's so much healing still happening as well in the process.
Yeah.
Oh, I love that. I feel like you have encapsulated exactly what this theme is about. When I heard about this theme, I feel like for me, I asked myself the question, what is the fire for me?
And the fire.
Which lives with inside me? I feel like, isn't the gas that you're thinking of? You know, she loves she loves the fart jokes.
I had to pop that in there.
But I am talking about the pride that I feel. And I say this, you know, I've said this for a number of years and I've felt this, especially when I've had to explain to people what it feels like a black fellow. There is nothing more exciting, There is nothing more deep within my soul or feeling or emotion that gets me red up or gets me fired up, or gets me inspired. Then the idea that you know as a blackfellow, the pride that I feel inside me is the fuel to my fire, and it's the first
and last thing I you know, constantly think about. It's like, how proud I am to be a Black Feller, How proud I am to be, you know, a member of the oldest living culture or the planet. How proud I am to see how far we've come When I think about my dad's life and the experiences that he had as a young man on the mission, and the challenges and the racism and the stereotypes that he faced. But then I am a vision of my dad in the future, and it feels like we've.
Come a long way.
So the fire is burning, the fire is strong, and I feel like when you think about while we do what we do, it's about that you know that fire in our belly to make a difference, for our people, to continue to make a path forward so that the future generations can be proud of who we are. And I think, and I always it always comes down to the why, and I know that we do it for our community.
A lot of the stuff that.
We push for or break down those barriers for, or are the first in that room for. It's because of our community, and this week highlights that at another scale. So I think it's really important for people outside of our community to get amongst it.
Yeah, exactly, like I talked about that invitation, like it's
NATOC week. You know. My earliest childhood memory of Nadock was when I was in primary school and everyone just thought Nadock was this really sort of I guess back in the day from and the community that grew up in, it always seemed like this very tokenistic kind of week where it would be like, you know, they'd have some mob come in kiok some kangaroo stew and damper and give it to all the kids and would all sit around and you know that there wasn't like much more into the.
Why of it. It was just oh, we just do this.
And it wasn't until later, I guess, in the in my education era and learning so much more about the history that I understood sort of the where this comes from and why we do it, and and I want my kids to know that earlier on. I want young people to know why we do nado earlier on as well. It's not just fucking kangaroos, doo and Damper, which which
we love. It was such a great childhood memory and I used to love it, but it's so much more to what is NATOC and yeah, and it's such an offering or an invitation for people to also do that learning and understand it too. And I guess come to come to the party, like come to the come to the committee, come to the cult.
You know. NATOK has been going on for a long time now, and obviously it started off as a protest and a way for recognition of First Nations people, challenges, struggle and also a way for us to be heard. We go back to that voice. Now NATOK is a little bit different. It feels like more of a celebration, but there is definitely still that protest element to it,
that fight element to it. It is a week for us to be able to have a national focus on our community and I love that the rest of Australia gets to see Black Fellows in a different light within this week. A lot of the time, our stereotypes have perpetuated throughout the media throughout the year. When it comes to NATOCK, it feels like there's a lot of lightheartedness, there's a lot of joy, there's a lot of positivity that is reflected from our community. So I love seeing that.
I love seeing the balls that happen around the country, black fellows getting dressed up and you know, feeling themselves and looking amazing and having you know, a celebration of who we are. But I also love the conversations.
That sharing, the community events that it's just so beautiful.
I love it too.
Like I remember Miss Nadock like a couple of years ago, which is a huge like pageant type leadership thing for women, and I just I love that time of NADOK because it's like there's this crowning and it's beautiful and it shows like all of our young women leaders that are coming through, Like it's I don't know, I get really sentimental around this time of year.
Yeah.
I think that NADOC, you know, I think that it will continue to grow, and I think that there is a wider community out there that accept you know, that they're offering of NADOC. Now. I think, you know, every year it becomes bigger, more people get involved from the wider community, and it's really about learning, educating, yourself and understanding, you know, having a more understanding but also more respect
for First Nations culture across that country. And I think that and that underpins the value that we hold within our nation and the investment from you know, government as well. So even though we didn't get the voice, we still have these moments throughout the year where where you can show your interest or your respect for our community. But that should be on and support, but that should be on a day to day basis.
But should But if it's you know, this is the week that you you take that initiative and that's the week that you like, you know, you invest and you are taking that invitation or you know, that's that's great, cool, welcome, thank you.
But also if you you know, use this week as a tokenistic way to show you your your performative performative allyship, I think that it's it's we'd rather have you step aside and not be involved. You know, especially companies who are doing one off activations throughout the year in this week where they you know, show their support but then don't have any fundamental you know, support within their their organization for First communities outside of that one panel that
they're going to host in NADOC week. I think that that's performative allyship, and that stuff can be actually quite detrimental.
Yeah, and I think we can read through it. I think people can see for what it is.
I do know that there are also some great collaborations and great things that come out of Nateoff that aren't tokenistic and aren't performative.
But if you are.
Doing that like you're not really you're doing yourself a disservice and we can read through it.
People can see that, and it's not credible, you know what I mean.
I agree.
Yeah, So I think you know, take a little bit of a tip out of our book, if you may, and just understand that, Yeah, like performative allyship doesn't serve you as a business organization or brand.
Or whatever it is.
It's only just saying like we just don't care.
And that also reflects weak morals exactly, and that stuff doesn't look good.
Yeah, practice what you preach, and I think that's what we sort of take into account and we think accountability is just the most important thing to have. When you say you're going to do something, do it and do it genuinely with reason and tention. And also like not just from a gaining perspective, like you don't gain anything, if anything, you lose because you lose our respect as
First Nations people. If this is the week that you decide that you're going to do something like that, it doesn't serve anyone.
And do you know what, if it's the first time you're doing something like that, make that clear. Make it no, don't try and hide behind the fact that you've never done anything in your life or you know the community and then all of a sudden you're putting on this event. Make that known, say this is the first time we're doing this. We have further investment into having these conversations.
We are going to be implementing a rap plan. We are going to be trying to get a deeper understanding of the community throughout the you know, throughout our journey from this point on. But if you haven't done it before and you feel like, oh, I don't want to start in eight or Q week, don't have that theor either you know, like you can start conversation, be open about it.
Yeah, I have had these conversations, and there's been many of times where I've been asked to speak at events and etcetera. And I've turned it down, and especially during this week, I'm like, I don't hear from you for months, years, and all of a sudden you come out of the wood work.
I'm like, okay, like what are you doing?
And it's about asking the question, having the conversation, and having the courage to say, Okay, well, then what's what's happening moving forward? Like you said exactly, rap plan, you know, more voices on the board, et cetera.
So I've decided to do my first of a jewelry collaboration and love it.
Yeah, I've never done one before and this was really special to me because it has been in the works for a while, like Beyond Beyond Natoc Week and we I specifically decided to choose NATOC Week because I think that's a way of celebrating for me. But also the thing that I love is wearing something that you feel
really proud of, and that's something for me. NADOC Week I do a lot, especially wearing like my Aboriginal flag T shirt or wearing something that's like I'm black, I'm proud, and so wearing something like jewelry every day, I thought,
you know what, I'm gonna do it. I'm not you know, I would choose to do this any other time, but I was like, you know what, I feel really like good about this year, and I feel like this is a perfect time to release something that I've worked so hard on and want to show and the you know, there's a beautiful meaning. Ten percent of the proceeds go to a First Nation's Literacy Foundation, which I'm really proud of and I have supported along the journey as well.
So it doesn't seem anything out of ordinary for me, but I think a lot of people would be cautious, especially during this time, being like, oh are they going to do it more? And I have advocated so Francisco Jewelry are releasing this necklace.
It's coming out Nate Dog Week.
My quote is standing your Truth, and I think that's really perfect towards the theme of Keep the Fire Burning is allowing truth telling and trying to well just own and own yourself, own who you are, own your voice, find your voice.
And I think it's just really powerful quote.
For me that I've lived my life through, and I guess my journey through TV, journey through Bachelorette is just being truthful and being and anyone can. Let you know, it's not just for blackfellows, like it's it's for anyone. And I think that's the perfect, you know thing for me and releasing this is that I want people to be coming to the party like I want people to and I'm saying to you, like, yeah, stand in your truth, like regardless of what situation or where you come from.
This is a great opportunity to not just buy a necklace per se, but also like lives by something that accountability or like yeah.
And it's also putting your money where your mouth is to supporting, you know, the community through that way of giving being able to buy something yeah, but you love. But it also has contributions to the community in a financial way, because financial ways are important. It might seem like, you know, people go on about finances, but the thing is it's really hard for black fellows to tap into
enter generational wealth. So when it comes to finances, I'm all about paying the rent, paying it back, you know, the paying your way forward into the community. And I wanted to ask, you know, based on this theme keep the fire burning, what are some things this year that you're going to extinguish and what are some things, You're going to put some more fuel to the fire.
Oh that's a great question, Mattie.
And I feel like I've spoken about this previously where I feel like I'm in a bit of a rebirth, Like over the couple of years, I've really focused on my healing and living in my soft girl era, and I guess just kind of pulling back the layers and unraveling and in a good way. And I guess like unpacking my trauma and my experiences is using them as
fire to drive myself forward. And it has taken me, you know, five hundred steps back, but I honestly feel like this is going to be such a vital thing to my future and.
It's only going to you know, troject me forward obviously.
So I think for me, I'm learning to not and understand that people don't care as much as you think that they do, as much as I want people to care about the things that matter to me obviously, like nay Nook Week and First Nations issues and things like that when I walk into a room, people aren't looking at me and saying things that I think that they're saying, you know what I mean, and not having those that voice so For me, it's quietening the negative voice that
I have in my head and how I feel about myself. So that's something that I'm not extinguishing completely, just you know, quietening a little bit more. And the thing that's giving me fire is my creativeness is like putting myself in a more creative industry and telling stories and finding my voice and that's going to only ever make me stronger and probably you know, using my voice as an instrument is such a powerful thing.
I love that.
Yeah, what about I'm.
So excited for you to be going down this creative route because I know what it's like to wake up every day, and you know what it's like because you've carved your own future and your own career and your own dreams out for yourself. But to be able to wake up and be creative and to be able to I suppose you know, whenever I'm especially when i'm acting, Like for me, they're the best moments, Like they're really beautiful days where I'm able to explore not just the
character but myself. So I'm so excited for you to go down this acting journey. And when you know, when you get a show or when you get a role I'm going to be the first one there in the front road, like I'll be supporting you one hundred percent.
Thank you.
I think the best thing about this is like, if I am good at it, great, I've.
Actually explored that.
If I'm not, I've also explored that, and I think there's no losing here for me in a situation like this, And I think that's the fire burning is.
Like, yeah, you don't lose things, yes, And.
I think that's what we need to tell our younger selves, is that exploration is the perfect like way to find what you love and what you what you don't love as well.
Yeah.
Yeah, Well this year for me, the fire burning theme and what I'm extinguishing and what I'm going to be putting more fuel to, I think more fuel to me leaning into my authenticity within all aspects of my career. For so long, I feel like I've tried to curate a version of myself that appeals to mainstream media. And I think that I've got to a point in my life. I'm twenty nine years old where the things that I
used to find important just aren't important anymore. And instead of trying to curate a version of myself that I think other people will love. I need to be the version that when I look in the mirror, I like yes, and when I wake up, I'm happy to live the day with because I'm the person with myself one hundred percent of the time. So it's like, instead of thinking about what do these guys want, what does the media want from me? What will propel me forward and what
will make me successful? Fuck that shit that's gone to decide? And what is my authentic voice? What do I want to say? What do I want to do? And how do I want to be in my house and outside?
You know, So that's like my my, That's what I'm putting fuel to.
What I'm extinguishing is the fact that, you know, trying to manipulate the world and control other people. And that sounds like quite extreme, but what I mean by that, But what I mean by that is allow people to be who they are, Allow people who don't want to work with you not to work with you. Allow organizations
that are going to be whitewashed be whitewashed. I'm sick of trying to be the person who is like, but you guys don't have any black fellows, like you need representation you know, I'm going to be working with people who genuinely want to nurture that and not being forced to do it because as soon as because as soon as you're forced to, you're in that door, and you're forcing someone to make choice that they necessarily don't want to make, you're going to be in an unsafe environment exactly.
And I think that this is such a powerful movement that's happening. It's like, yeah, remember when businesses and organizations used to do like oh, we're doing cultural competency or cultural training, et cetera. It's like, we don't want your cultural knowledge. We have cultural knowledge. What we need is cultural safety, and if you don't have that, that's your problem, because I'm not working with you. And I think that's
the best way to look at moving forward. How first nations people will see things too, like.
If you're creating our own tables exactly.
Yeah.
Well, there's a great quote by a woman and she says, if there's no seat at the table, bring your own fucking seat. And I love that saying, but I also think make your own table too.
Yeah.
I'm really excited to be able to go down like this, like this, this lane in the future of creating what I want to see instead of appealing to someone for me to have an opportunity. You know, like creation is where are my heart, my fire sits. I'm creative. That's like my main passion, my main driver is like my creative side, so I can create what I want to see. I don't need to be out there, you know, begging people, begging the masses, or begging commercial networks to be like
hey please, you know, like give me an opportunity. Fuck that shit, I'm going to create my own. But I think based on that, like that, that's the energy I'm going into NATOC week with as well.
Yeah, all right, I love that. That's a great end way to end. Well, Happy Natock weeky mob, And honestly, we all know natog Week is every week of the fifty two weeks of every day, exact day.
So yeah, we hope you have a great Nadoc Week.
We hope you have a nice, safe, Natock week, and we hope that you are keeping the fire absolutely burning. And thank you so much for listening to us and learning from us, and we learn from you, and we just we love sharing our story and we want to listen and hear your stories, So maybe we should put a little call out like, how are you celebrating NADOC work, How are you fire burning? What are you extinguishing? What are you keeping fuel? Two as well, Yeah, let us know.
We'll put a question box or something out, maybe in the show notes or even on our stories.
But if you love us, leave us a little.
Rating, let us know, and if you want us to cover anything, let us know on the plot as well, on our or on our socials.
Brooks handling that booked up Blurton. Mine is that it's Mattie Mills and we love you.
Mob.
Have a deadly, deadly, deadly Nadock week. Bye bye,