¶ Following Songs for Freedom
No worries .
Wonderful .
I hope we got it all in there .
We got it all in there . That's just so terrific . I really appreciate it , mate . Thank you .
No , it's been a pleasure . Well , I've been doing some , I guess you know , narrating in part of my theatre and performing art space through the company I created a show we call Jubby , so some of them , songs I sing , are Jubby story songs , you know from the old peoples .
But it's , I guess , an interwoven show which I've just recently , in the last few years , put into community . But it's a show I'm hoping to take on the road now , coming up Really , I guess , following Songs for Freedom .
You know where this may end in the 40th anniversary concert back here on the Cultural Lones Day , the Culture Centre space , you know , hoping that we have a lot of those attorney generals from around the country coming for this , but also , you know , those lawmakers to actually see where we've been and what we have done to create that public awareness greater and
showed a bit more to the communities , you know , around the country , but hoping that it would drive change . But coming back , you know , 40 years on , to maybe ask the questions , you know .
¶ A Way Beyond the Murujuga Conflict
But it has happened and what is going to happen ?
Yeah , I spoke with Clinton Walker at Adhissan's Cove two years ago . He , like you , was on the board of the Morijuga .
Co-operation , wasn't he ?
Yeah , yeah , yeah . He seemed a bit frustrated at the time .
Well , a little bit of frustration is still there . You know in where , I guess , the agreements lie and what sort of constraints are tied to it versus . You know , the back of that economy is booming , so to speak , but not so booming for the you know people .
Yeah . What about the World Heritage nomination ? How do you feel about that ?
I think it's been a long time coming , you know , and been waiting for a while , yes , but in terms of you know where they see industry is , it's probably a contentious one . I mean , they want to say , yes , we want the industry to thrive and survive , but you want to try and put this .
You know World Heritage status in this place , that's , you know , being overridden or taken over by some of this industry , if you will . How do you ? You've got to . Well , I sort of see it as you can't have your cake and eat it .
I know it looks like that . Hey , clinton was saying that the Maitlander State is where they can expand . Do you feel that too Well ?
that's something they've been told and they've been , you know , expressed to say there's no need to put industry there anymore If it cost a few more million dollars to put it down the road . What's a few million dollars which they make billions and billions out of there . You know yeah .
And now I see they're actually moving some of those petroglyphs Yep . From the outside that just feels like you're doing what , we're doing what .
Well , it's like we say we go to the bloody Sistine Chapel and go put spray paint on there and we draw a rock art on that place . Yeah , you know , because it's sacrilege to us . Yeah , which you'd never fathom .
Yeah , yeah . So some of it is hard to believe . And you're right , it's some point . It's got a . I mean , I guess the world heritage judging people will , yeah , express something about that .
I'll call it Ford Sound Merits . I guess you know in that sense , and I think you know , if there was to be that hardline conversation , then that's , I think it was what is needed , you know , to make industry and government see for its own merits as well .
Yeah , yeah , on one hand you want to say this , you want this and you want to try and push that , but you don't want to let go of this and that and this to say hang on . Well , if that's going to affect this , which comes first ? Chicken or the egg ? Yeah , 100% .
It's interesting when I spoke to our federal MP about this .
I asked .
Perth in Curtin and she said oh , what can I do ? The corporation signed off on it , so that's based in law , that's what we're supposed to follow .
And yes , and that's where it gets tricky , hey , because I recently stood up and spoke out about some of that . Really , yeah , where were you ? I was one of the I guess you know employees of that place . But I done , yeah , just recently , I guess for those sorts of reasons you know , both ethical and cultural , I couldn't do it anymore either .
Yeah , yeah , but I guess they have a board of directors , you know , and a sort of mandate that they follow and obligate to . You know , it's just as much as I say I obligate to in cultural terms .
It seems part of the difficulty that there ends up being this board who gets consulted and agreements made with , yes , but that the way the culture works is broader than that .
It's totally broader , like if we was to talk about , you know , proper consultations . Well , we need to go talk and consult with them people in the desert and say where they sung and the story of the songs go to . We've got to bring them here to say , hey , what do you follow ? Answer our idea on this . They might have a totally different view .
We don't know that because we haven't consulted correctly . But the Western way wants just one Western way wants to take in the box to say , yep , that's been done .
Well , if we can't go out to the desert every time we want to do so . Yeah , that's it .
Yeah , maybe we should it sort of a catch-22 , you know , but what do you do is the powers to be and how , things in the way of process , whereas I guess if I had a say a bit more in it , that'd be a different way .
Yeah , yeah , yeah , yeah , and there's a power , as you say . There's a power in the cultural work you're doing now . It's a different kind of power . Yeah , that's it . It's a big power .
And there's something you know that's been grounded in community culture , but also the people . How we do that , you know , is key , but always , as I see , there's always a different lens focused on lots of things , and sometimes the narrative , in the way it gets put out or projected , is often the key .
You know where people say yes or no , or maybe or I don't know about this , you know ?
Totally so . It's where the narrative is so important . No .
Yes .
¶ Cultural Connections & An Invitation
Do you get involved much with Next Door ?
They often try to ask us you know what's happening in the digital lab space ? We sort of share a bit some pieces , but I guess for us , you know , having staff like Miss Bodie and Miss Zoe they've sometimes run off their feet with the amount of work and community and people that come in .
Yeah , so at times I guess I try to be part of that , help facilitate , but also maintain as well . We need more of the likes of these special people here to do and continue this work .
There's an invitation for people to get more involved right around the country .
We often do and we often get people and invites from . You know many artists at the moment . You know we've been putting it out , but also getting requests for people to say I want to come work in Robin , I want to do this , I want to do that . So , yeah , very , very different in the way what's needed but also what has been coming .
Yeah , yeah , and Kimberley Connections too .
Kimberley's .
Well , you know , through culture and ceremony we connect right up to that part of the community as well , in regions , and often that's around September to maybe , you know , march time , a lot of that ceremonial culture and songlines , you know , which I see , fortunately , is still rich in our community , and it's something that keeps us driven , you know , but also
keeps us connected .
Yeah .
If we don't have that , we lost a lot of things already . You know like , sadly , I see around some other parts of community or regions .
You know like I took a look at some of the metropolitan regions or you know big city regions yeah , they got all the big flash and fancy things , the ways of the world and technology and things , but they got no ceremonies , Some of only just starting to revive it back , bring it back into forms , but you still see all of that changed landscape .
If you will , we're out here , you're sitting at the river . You still see the country , open plains , you see everything still rich in the country here . Hopefully we like to keep it that way as long as possible .
That's another way you lead the way too , I think , for all of us , frankly , yeah .
The thought leaders of the nation .
As always , good stuff mate . You can take that off . There's a magnet on the back, it might drop down .
Oh , there we go Good .
Can you get some rest now ?
¶ Patrick tinkering on guitar before we started
I guess Might have some young people coming in soon . If they come in , we're going to teach them about some of these things , or maybe teach them a song . Might have a little workshop out the back here .