Chapter Two
The story of the creation of water is a direct quotation taken from the Australia Museum website, with material produced by Aboriginal Nations Australia. I reproduce here the full text of the story which is told by Warren Foster, in his own words. The title of this story, on the website, is “Toonkoo and Ngaardi.”
Quotations:
1. It is my father’s land, my grandfather’s land, my grandmother’s land. I am related to it, it give me my identity. If I don’t fight for it, then I will be moved out of it and [it] will be the loss of my identity.
Father Dave Passi,
Plaintiff, ‘Mabo’ Case in ‘Land Bilong Islanders,’ Yarra Bank Films, 1990.
2. Our story is in the land … it is written in those sacred places, that’s the law. Dreaming place … you can’t change it, no matter who you are.
Big Bill Neidjie,
Gagadju Elder, Kakadu,
‘Australia’s Kakadu Man Bill Neidjie,’ 1986.
3. A Land of Plenty
A lot of people say Aboriginal people never farmed the land … never ploughed the land and they never grew wheat and they never planted apple trees and orange trees. We never had to. Our mother, the earth, she gave herself freely to us. And because we respected her and loved her, we never had to go and do all them other things. That would have been harming our mother. So we just took what she gave us.
Paul Gordon, Language Officer, Brewarrina, 1996.
The above quotations were taken from the website www.IndigenousAustralia.com.au.
Chapter Three
I would like to credit Colin Tatz’s excellent book A South African Childhood, for some of the descriptive details pertaining to Darlene’s school experience. The “protection sandwich” incident is taken directly from his account, as is the remark: “They hate us, but they like our sandwiches.” The moment in which Darlene’s mother sits marking a map, while listening to the radio, is also borrowed from an incident he describes.