ACROSS

1. …(ty). Possession of supreme political power. It implies autonomy, freedom, independence, and self-government.

The Uluru Statement from the Heart identifies it as a ‘spiritual notion’ explaining the tie between nature and people through time which cannot be ceded or extinguished.

4. In accord with fact or reality. Its purpose in society is to create social cohesion and well-being. One of the things First Nations people invite others to speak.

7. A French preposition used to talk about a place. Equivalent to English to or in.

8. A connective word between two mutually exclusive possibilities. Referendums seek answers to questions that have two mutually exclusive possibilities. The astute decision maker will contemplate the outcomes of deciding between these mutually exclusive possibilities.

9. Denotes three. Voice, Treaty, Truth are the three aspirations of First Nations People. Self-determination is the core rights principle upon which these aspirations are based.

11. The way to change Australia’s Constitution is through a … .The rules of conduct and communications are contained in legislation enacted in 1984 (The Referendum (Machinery) Provisions Act. It regulates the education of voters. Voters, in today’s world use diverse ways of getting information which fall outside of the Act. The Referendum (Machinery Provisions) Amendment Bill 2022 is about Constitutional change. Its purpose is to modernise the provision of information processes for voting in a referendum so that voters make informed choices. This is to ensure consistency of voter experience. Individual states do not require citizens to vote to establish a First Nations Voice in the State Parliaments. South Australia is leading the way.

14. … Nations. The ethnic groups that lived in Australia before colonisation and most usually will say we have always been here. The ethnic group possesses a rich diversity of belief systems, distinctive languages, and cultural systems. They engaged in trade and cultural exchange across Australia. They are many sovereign nations, and their distinctive identities were collapsed by policies subsequent to colonisation.

18. One of the earliest words children learn and practice with diligence. Discretion about its use is an important part of maturation.

19. Preposition expressing location or arrival in a particular place or position. It is relevant to the Uluru Statement from the Heart which brings together the many First Nations into a singular expression of their interests.

20. Full information. The Constitutional changes being proposed in the Voice Referendum are premised on principles. Therefore, full information is neither essential nor helpful. The full information is appropriately a responsibility for legislators subject and secondary to consensus about the principle of First Nations advisory body representing to Parliament.

22. Before colonization First Nations people … plant foods and animal produce locally and seasonally available. Their diet was balanced and healthy. Colonization limited their access to food and rendered First Nations people dependent upon the colonizers for food which did not meet their dietary needs. The further outcome is the erosion of functional familial and social groups.

23. To join or unite so as to bring about an improvement. The Voice may enable Australia to better fulfill its human rights obligations, especially benefitting First Nations people.

24. Abbreviation for that is. Restates something said previously.

25. Abbreviation for a member of a council. Council means an advisory, deliberative or administrative body of people formally constituted and meeting regularly. While the structure recommended in the Final Report of the Indigenous Co-Design Process for Local and Regional Groups is not a Council within the meaning of Local, State and Federal Government, the members of the Local and Regional Groups may be perceived as councillors external to this Local, State and Federal Government structure.

26. To unite or join to change the total effect.

27. Attained. Conformity to human rights is more likely to be attained by a yes vote in the Voice Referendum.

28. … Nullius – land, legally deemed to be unoccupied or uninhabited. This determination was the subject of legal dispute in Australia. Early documents reveal both this designation and knowledge of the occupancy of land by First Nations people. The South Australian Act of 1834 said the land was ‘waste and unoccupied’. The Letters Patent (19th February 1836) which established the province of South Australia gave recognition to the rights of First Nations people. The letters patent said ‘provided always that nothing in these Letters Patent contained shall affect or be construed to affect the rights of any Aboriginal Natives. In practice, the Rights of First Nations people were secondary to the acquisition of land. The 1966 Aboriginal Lands Trust Act (Don Dunstan) was to address the unfulfilled rights of First Nations people contained in the Letters. Some First Nations people say that the Act failed to fulfill the promise and subsequent failure of the Letters Patent. They, therefore, construe the successful 1967 Referendum as part of a continuing process. The Voice Referendum of 2023 is another step towards doing what is right.

31. Tear or pull quickly or forcibly away from something or someone. The experience of this happening is connoted as being ‘stolen generation’ people who were removed from their families by Government and church agencies.

33. A title used before the surname or full name of any woman regardless of their marital status. It is a neutral term while First Nations refer to people as in Aunty to describe a female elder. First Nations people use relational terms for title.

34. A person, action or idea which shows willingness to take risks. The Voice Referendum is an action which has risk attached because a No Vote will affect the well-being of First Nations People going forward and the relationships between First Nations and non-First Nations Citizens. A No Vote outcome in the Referendum would add further damage to Australia’s International Human Rights Record.

36. Abbreviation - Stands for heads up - a popular way to notify people that something is about to happen. Some First Nations people identify that reconciliation will be a great deal more difficult if the outcome of the Voice Referendum is no.

37. A formal indication of a choice between two courses of action. The Voice Referendum refers to constitutional change enabling First Nations Voice to Federal Parliament and Government.

38. A name that means joined in harmony derived from Levites, one of the 12 tribes of Israel. The Voice has potential to harmonise citizen relationships by its capacity to influence legislators and decision-maker.

40. The system of rules recognised by a country which regulates the actions of its members and to which a penalty for non-conformity to the rules apply. First Nations groups possessed a system of rules of which they were dispossessed.

41.The surname of an elder of the Kungarakan people whose traditional lands are in the Northern Territory. He co-wrote the Indigenous Voice Co-Design Process Report.

43. Nations or territories considered as organised political communities under one government.

47. To enclose a person in a small area by surrounding the area with a fence (walls). It may be applied to frequency, duration and absence of legal intervention relevant to the incarceration of First Nations people. In earlier times is may also apply to mission residency for First Nations people disenfranchised from their lands and lifestyle.

49. Expressed opinions. The Voice represents the opinion of local and regional First Nations people about matters that are of concern to them.

50. Be aware of through observation, inquiry or information. The declaration of Australia being unoccupied is at odds with observation and encounter of colonists with First Nations people.

52. A state of being.

54.The means by which a Government accrues revenue for the purpose of providing resources and services for the benefit of its citizenry. In Australia the separate states surrendered their taxation raising power to the Commonwealth.

55. Abbreviation, Disease transmitted through sexual contact – Diseases of various kinds were introduced by interaction between First Nations people and colonisers, one of which were of this kind.

57. One of the alternative responses to the Voice Referendum questions. The Voice Referendum in the affirmative is to achieve recognition of First Nations people in the Constitution and consultation about law, policies and programs that affects First Nations people.

58. A comparative adjective meaning lasting or taking a great amount of time.

62. Refers to a thing previously mentioned.

63. Prepare or train (someone) for a particular purpose or activity.

First Nations people traditionally undertake education, induction and rites of passage on their country for their specific responsibility.

66. Abbreviation - A territory in Australia. This territory has the greatest proportion of First Nations people. Successful referendums require a majority of people in a majority of States to vote yes. The Territory is outside States’ majority criteria though their vote counts towards the majority of people. The relevant States are New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia, and Tasmania. The Yes vote in the Voice Referendum is more likely in some States than in others.

68. An Australian jurisdiction abbreviation resulting from the federation of colonies/states. Western Australia was the last to agree to Federation by voting yes in a Referendum held in July 1900.

69. The total number of times the Constitution has been changed due to yes vote in referendums in Australia. The most successful referendum occurred in 1967 where the change to the Constitution was to include First Nations people in the census. This had the effect of improving knowledge about inequality on various measures of well-being which have been the subject of many subsequent reports and initiatives.

75. A speaker referring to him or herself and others. The Voice intends First Nations people to do this for all.

76. An act or process through which something becomes different.

77. The consequences of a decision or action.

10. The third largest political party in Australia by vote and fourth largest by election and promotes environmentalism and participatory democracy. Lydia Thorpe is a DjabWurrung Gunnai Gunditjmara Senator who quit the Greens party in response to its support of the yes vote in the absence of consideration of treaty. Ms Thorpe is now an independent and co-founder of the First Nations Network in response to the limitations of the Voice which in its advisory capacity does not guarantee self-determination.

12. Surname of a famous Ngarrindjeri man (1872 – 1967) who broke stereotypes of First Nations people and is featured on Australia’s $50 note. He was educated at Raukkan. He lobbied for the Australian Government and not the constituent states, take responsibility for First Nations People and that the role of the protector (in South Australia) be replaced by a responsible board.

13. A way in which something occurs, is experienced, expressed or done. The Final Report of the Indigenous Co-Design Process sets out the way in which First Nations people may engage with Parliament and Government and the limitations of the engagement. It provides a way for Local and Regional First Nations voices to secure this engagement.

15. An expression that cannot be understood from the meaning of its separate words. The Voice is an example and is a focus of debate.

16. Abbreviation for street. Wakefield Street in Adelaide is named after Edward Gibbon Wakefield (1796-1862) who developed the concept of systemic colonisation. This concept is about the sale of colonial waste lands to finance emigration of British labourers unable to finance their own immigration.

17. Sense and sensitivity in dealing with others or with difficult issues.

21. Anger

1. … - determination. The process by which a person controls their own life and the process by which a country determines its own statehood and forms it own government. Both meanings have resonance for First Nations people and are mirrored in the Uluru Statement from the Heart.

2. Adverb indicating continuation of a movement or action. The Voice may be perceived as a continuation of the outcome of the yes vote in the 1967 Referendum.

3. The early days of interaction between First Nations People and colonists tended to be conducted with reciprocal exchange of …

4. Signed, negotiated agreement that recognises First Nations history. It is one element of The Statement from the Heart premised upon the First Nations peoples not ceding sovereignty of land. Some First Nations people place greater emphasis on treaty than Voice as a first significant step towards genuine reconciliation. ‘…’ or covenants are also part of Australia’s obligations for human rights in international law. Australia is perceived internationally as performing its obligations badly.

5. Those who protects the person and interests of another. The Report of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Aboriginal Tribes recommended protectors of Aboriginal people to guard against encroachment on their property and protect from acts of cruelty, oppression, and injustice. The role was first established in South Australia in 1836 and Mathew Moorhouse was the first non-interim protector from 1839. In 1844, the Aboriginal Orphans Ordinance gave in parenti loci role to the State of half caste and other destitute children of First Nations people. Half caste is an offensive term and should not be used.

26. Obsolete term for working class woman or sex-worker. The missionary work taught First Nations women to be women who worked in the service of others and in the early days of colonisation, some conflict between First Nations people and colonisers was in response to the exploitation of First Nations women.

The Maria Massacre event (1840) was the outcome of some members of the Maria shipwreck violating the women of the Ngarrindjeri people who were providing for the shipwreck survivors’ needs, safety and well-being.

With adequate resourcing First Nations people show that they are more than competent to achieve success and well-being in the realm of non-First Nations people. Frank Brennan (2015) argues that ‘It is incumbent upon non-Indigenous members of the nation to guarantee the minimum requirements for… Indigenous groups to make realistic life choices.’

29. Control of or dominion over an area or people.

30. Having or consisting in the power to make recommendations but not to take action to enforcing them. The role of the Voice has no enforcement capacity. It is a touchstone of debate for and against the no vote in the referendum.

32. A thought or suggestion as to a possible course of action. The Voice referendum which if voted yes does not; create a new Indigenous State, does not make laws and does not alter the essential framework and functioning of the Constitution.

It is a realistic, substantive, and symbolic idea. It does provide an advisory voice to both parliament and government for better informed legislation and its administration.

35. Perform an action.

36. Make it easier or possible for someone to do something by offering ones’ services or resources. The First Nations people are offering their unique essential services and resources to aid decision making. Acceptance of this offer is subject to what 97% of the population say. Reconciliation is subject to this reciprocity.

38. Surname of an activist for indigenous rights. Co-wrote with Calma the Indigenous Voice Co-Design Process Report setting out the model for the integration of local and regional Voice to Parliament and Government. This model addresses the same substantive issues as previous First Nations entities but sets out the structure for First Nations to speak with a unified and authoritative voice, giving credence to more localised views.

39. An affirmative response.

42. Used by a speaker to refer to himself or herself.

44. Music - Seventh note of a major scale. Music and dance are important forms of communication and educative story telling for First Nations people. It may be a gift given to a person by a Dreaming ancestor then communicated through the generations to aid recollection about living successfully on country. They are therefore a signifier of continuing association with land for the purpose of native title.

45. A collection of provisions regarding the same subject which have become law.

46. French for you.

47. A legally recognised subject or national of a state or commonwealth either native or naturalised. It is a misnomer to say that First Nations people did not have this status prior to the successful 1967 Referendum.

50. Ones Family. First Nations people create a system which prescribes rules about marriage and relationship through the network created by family. Laws and programmes of Government and Non-government has had the effect of removing people from their family, community, and country. First Nations children are still greatly over-represented in State care.

51. Singular. The Uluru Statement from the Heart joined together many First Nations to express their needs and aspirations as ‘…’.

53. Past tense of sit. First Nations peoples’ art depicts people sitting together in a circular space for decision-making purposes. Its relevance is an equal right to speak and giving respect to the speaker.

55. Written abbreviation for senior referencing age. First Nations elders however are someone who has gained recognition as a custodian of knowledge and lore, and who has permission to disclose knowledge and beliefs.

56. …Painting. A style of art. The art form started in 1971. It originated in Papunya near Alice Springs. It is a medium for enlivening and telling stories and enlivening the culture of First Nations people.

The artists were concerned that their sand drawings, transferred to other mediums were being seen by people who did not have the right to see them. This included Westerners and other First-Nations people outside of their clan. They abstracted their design into dots to conceal the sacred meanings contained in their art from those who should not have access to the sacred meanings.

59. On the 13th May 1787, 11 vessels carrying over 700 convicts journeyed….(Abbreviation) arriving at Port Jackson on 26th January 1788.

60. Comes to have something that did not previously have.

61. In the matter of.

64. An organ of hearing and balance essential for the receiver of the Voice.

65. A slang term for someone who is exceptional. Exceptional people form part of all cultures. In SA, Dr Doreen Kartinyeri, a Ngarrindjeri Elder (1935-2007), demonstrated greatness in her endeavours pertaining to the construction of the Hindmarsh Island Bridge because of the significance of the area for Ngarrindjeri women.

67. Expanse of salt water which surrounds land masses.

68. Abbreviation for a period of time referencing Christianity. The First Nations Creation stories refers to the period when life was created and explains how life came to be. Stories, and beliefs of creation are often embedded in land forms and are instructive for the present time.

71. Creation story legend (Markulla Clan – Arnhem Land) is it is a bird that used to fly and look over the land. It can be seen in the night sky south of the Southern Cross. Its instruction for the present time is about conflict between two brothers in law in response to greed who became two different bird’s which are native to Australia.

73. Say something to obtain a response. The Uluru Statement from the Heart is a statement of this type.

74. Exist, occur, or take place.

Hailing from Kaurna country, Street Legal are a five-piece new wave indie act making a big splash in the local scene. They’ve recently supported Horror My Friend and Egoism as well as playing the Adelaide Fringe, Umbrella Festival and Tour Down Under.

Described by 3D Radio as “Andy Kaufman meets LCD Soundsystem meets John Farnham,” Street Legal are turning heads with their socially conscious tunes and no-holds-barred approach to music inspired by their love of post-disco and punk ethos.

Just when I thought they couldn’t get any cooler, the group also has some UofA alumni.Members Matt, Max and Libby all completed their respective studies in education, music, and music education at The University of Adelaide.

Earlier this month the group dropped their debut track and music video “Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow”; a nostalgic late 1980s daydream of unrequited crushes on movie stars, haunted by the slow march of time that tears us all apart.

The song features hypnotising synth and electronic beats that scratch the brain combined with catchy bass lines and fills you can’t help but tap along to - apologies to my deskmates - creating a wistful ambience accompanied by lyrics reminiscent of a time long gone.

The lyrics themselves are a rose tinted recount, reminiscing the love felt for a former silver screen, starlight long forgotten. A ‘star living in the eighties” who can no longer be reached.

My favourite line is “now those dreams have grown just like my waistline / and it’ll work out fine once I hit the bigtime,” which I believe captures the gradual yet inevitable fall from grace we all endure.

The music video aesthetics do not disappoint, with the group leaning into the late 80s/90s aesthetics. Despite the bittersweet lyrics, the video itself is fun, with a mashup of short clips featuring a CRT TV, an old snakes and ladders board game, and toy dinosaurs in a suitcase, flashing between the “formal” on-stage performance.

I had the pleasure of speaking with Street Legal’s very own Matt Hayward about millennial meltdowns, making a music video, and what’s next for Street Legal.

It’s great. Lots of bands feign nonchalance at releasing a single - it’s great to have people connect with your music, whether it’s on a deep or a superficial level. Oh you like 90’s movie references about Meg Ryan? That’s awesome. Let’s exchange details.

Well the title is a pun - my friend Walter Marsh likes puns and he’s pretty smart, he wrote a book about Rupert Murdoch which does not feature an awful lot of puns but everyone should read (it’s called Young Rupert, alum UoA shout out here.)

Thematically it’s about being an untethered millennial faced with all these predetermined levels of social/career success and achievement and feeling like you haven’t quite lived up to expectations. Your parents bought their house working part time at the biscuit factory and you’re stuck listening to podcasts about serial killers while trying to keep your houseplants alive. People might refer to this as some sort of mid life crisis or even self-entitlement, which is fine and probably true. It’s basically a three minute Facebook rant from the worst mature age student in your tutorial group.

It was quick, perfunctory and fun! I am a bit of a stickler when it comes to the creative side of things so it was nice to mention one or two things I liked from my first year Screen Studies and have Kris [Lucia], Harry [Kellaway] and Chris [Best] make it happen.

We’ve just finished recording with engineer Colby Robertson at Interim Studios (home of Ricky Albeck & the Belair Line Band and others) for our next single a little later in the year. Then a plan to head interstate, play some shows and sleep on some couches.

It’s the selfless and unrecognised who are generally the ones saving kids, not self-entitled or appointed children’s authors. Most edgy people are just really stupid. Trans lives matter now and forever.

The music video was part of an Adelaide Fringe initiative with American filmmaker Norwood Cheek, where we were paired up and given a week to come up with the goods. It makes me appreciate the industriousness of creative local people even more. We had to work quickly and under budget. It’s very exciting, we had fun making it and I hope anyone watching does too.

Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow is available for streaming via Spotify and BandCamp.

Want more? Follow Street Legal on Instagram and Facebook

@streetlegalau to keep up with new releases and gig updates.

I recently had the incredible privilege of interviewing the co-founder and director of Bunya Productions, the multi-talented and award-winning film creator, Ivan Sen. Hailing from the Gamilaroi nation, NSW, Ivan Sen has become one of Australia’s leading First Nations filmmakers. His films met with acclaim both in Australia and overseas. In this Q&A, we discussed his experience as a First Nations filmmaker, the importance of representation, and his upcoming film, Limbo (coming to a cinema near you on the 18th of May!)

Ivan Sen: Writer and Director InterviewbyKathersAnderson

How has being a First Nations person impacted your filmmaking career?

It’s all the same thing really. I think “me,” “what I do,” and “being a Gamilaroi person” are intertwined. I think that by doing a creative or artistic job in some way, there’s more emphasis on my Indigenous heritage because, by its existence, it is always seen as political. That will always inhabit - not only me - but other Indigenous people within their creativity, no matter what the subject matter is. If I were just to be an electrician, I would be an Indigenous electrician. But no one would care about that, because we’re not representing some aspect of society through an Indigenous perspective creatively, and putting it out there for comment.

Your new film, Limbo, is being released in cinemas on the 18th of May, and is available to stream on various platforms. The film had its premiere at the 73rd Berlin International Film Festival. What has the reaction been to the film so far?

The reaction has been positive! Which was a bit of a relief, actually, because you never know what the response will be. We don’t know how Australian audiences will react to it, but I think it’s something that will have an impact in many different ways. It’s such an Australian story specifically, even though the international audience have responded well. It’s one of our stories, and I think our audiences will respond to the more intricate, socio-political details Limbo presents.

What is the meaning behind the name Limbo?

The word “limbo” is something that had been there from the beginning. I had a general idea that I wanted to write a film set within Coober Pedy, and Limbo is one that I felt affected a lot of Indigenous families, or defined the experience of a lot of Indigenous families involved with the Justice system in Australia. When they are victims of crime, they invest in this kind of limbo that’s being passed down through generations of trauma. That is one of the current examples of this limbo, but the film also references how it affects the generations before and the new generations as well. Limbo is something that affects the main character, the police officer, Travis Hurley - someone who is a damaged individual who’s stuck in his own rut. He’s not been able to get out of the situation he’s in. Everyone within the film is damaged in some way, and finds an attraction to each other because of that.

There are interactions where your actors speak in language; how do you choose which language is spoken in film when you have actors from different language groups?

It’s always a tricky thing, language. When you’re shooting on a location, you have to represent the Indigenous perspective of that location. In the end, we’re making a narrative, a drama-fiction, not a documentary. It’s a balancing act. There is some local language in the film, and there was a lot of consultation on which actual language we would use. Coober Pedy contains several different language groups, and having an actor who is not from there - you have to be aware of that as well. There’s no real “right” or “wrong” in the end, because feature film drama is an artform, and is just like any other artform where you take bits of real life and they manifest into something else.

What are the main messages you are trying to convey in Limbo?

I’m not into conveying a certain message. You set the scene, you set up the characters, you set the atmosphere, and press go. There’s certain things the audience will pick up on and get out of it. If you try to get a certain message through to every single audience member, you will actually kinda destroy what you’re trying to achieve in the first place: a piece of art that’s not too loaded or trying to tell people what to think.

You cofounded Bunya Productions with David Jowsey. How important is having First Nations run production houses to the Australian Film Industry?

Bunya has produced a lot of Indigenous films, helped other companies get a foothold, and helped other Indigenous producers to begin their careers. Bunya has played a really important role in helping to establish Indigenous companies and producers, as well as creating work for Indigenous crews and creatives. David - he started off in CAAMA (the Central Australian Aboriginal Media Association) many years ago, before heading to the ABC. He’s a Kiwi, and very well integrated with film and TV when it comes to Indigenous content in Australia. We’ve been getting a lot done. I’m not sure how much longer we’ll keep going, but we will keep fighting the fight.

Do you have any new projects coming up?

I’ve got so many on the go! I’ve been writing two long film series, and I’ve got about three or four features at the moment in various stages of development. In the last couple of years, I’ve reignited a creative flame that I had when I first started at university. I’m getting more intimate with the craft than ever before. I think it has to do with getting older – you’re going to be gone at some point. I’m trying to do as much as I can.