THE BYRON SHIRE ECHO Advertising & news enquiries: Mullumbimby 02 6684 1777 Byron Bay 02 6685 5222 Fax 02 6684 1719 editor@echo.net.au adcopy@echo.net.au http://www.echo.net.au VOLUME 21 #50 TUESDAY, MAY 29, 2007 22,300 copies every week $1 at newsagents only
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Sorry Day teaches some lessons Story & photo Lou Beaumont This year, Sorry Day was particularly significant to local Indigenous people as it marked 40 years since the 1967 referendum where over 90% of Australians voted to count Aboriginal and Torres Strait islander people as citizens. The referendum, which achieved the highest ‘Yes’ vote ever recorded in a federal referendum, also gave the Commonwealth power to make laws regarding Indigenous Australians. The referendum day, May 27 1967, is often referred to as the first stage of the reconciliation movement in Australia. About 100 people helped honour Sorry Day at the Byron Community Centre on Saturday, and unlike previous years, all speakers and performers were Indigenous, and all subtly revealed a fusion of pride in their people and the pain of the past. Bundjalung elder Aunty Dulcie Nicholls opened proceedings with Welcome to Country, alongside Yvonne Stewart. Yvonne’s son, Nigel Stewart, and the other members of the Goolabunya Men’s Dance Group, Mick Currie (Magpie), Ray Buchanan and Peter Jangala, demonstrated the potential deadliness of the Indigenous tribes through a series of traditional spirited dances. Principal guest speaker for Sorry Day 07 was Bundjalung elder Aunty Pauline Gordon (née Patten), who gave a moving account of Aboriginal history from a very personal perspective. An eloquent and highly educated woman of 74, Aunty Pauline completed a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Social Science just last year. She has been a frontrunner for Aboriginal rights all her life. She has travelled the world representing Indigenous women’s, cultural and heritage issues. Her father, the late Jack Patten, was president of the Aboriginal Progress Association and the first Aboriginal editor of the first Aboriginal newspaper the ‘Abo Call’. He is well known for his activism and for being an instigator of the movement that led to the
The face of young Jason Kelly, of the Widjibul Jahgoon Traditional Dancers, clearly displays the emotion of the day.
referendum forty years ago. Aunty Pauline, despite being removed from her family when she was eight, still holds many memories of her father. Aunty Pauline said, ‘My siblings and I were part of the stolen generation. My father came back from the war and couldn’t find his family. The government deprived me of bonding with my family and getting to know my father.’ Notwithstanding the separation, she recalls that her father was a firm believer in education, ‘I have always remembered Dad telling me that, “They can take your house, they can take your money and they can take your clothes, but they can’t take the knowledge you have in your head”. He used to say that you can always start again if you have knowledge. In fact, the only good to have come from being taken away was the education I subsequently received.’ Chris Phillips of the Lismore local Widjibul Jahgoon Dance Group (Widgibul nation within the
Bundjalung language group of nations) was another to recount his personal history. He gave insight into his own hardships and the triumphs borne of them, ending his address by saying, ‘We weren’t always like this. Our ancestors weren’t bitter people. We were loving and kind people with big hearts and open arms.’ Debra Cole of Planet Corroboree in Byron said, ‘All the speakers were sharing their personal stories on this significant day. I think that by doing this they were really helping to build community. That’s what the day was all about really.’ Aunty Pauline had also remarked on the importance of sharing stories. She feels the voicing of historical facts and personal anecdotes plays a vital role in increasing the knowledge about her people, and therefore, decreasing the ignorance and prejudice towards the Indigenous community. ‘It is so important to talk about who we are’, said Aunty Pauline, ‘to my mind there can be no racism if
‘Convicted felon’ unrepentant
Council went into confidential session at last week’s meeting to discuss a conduct committee report and determine whether two Councillors, identified as ‘A’ and ‘B’, had breached the code of conduct. Councillor A’s matter was deferred, but Councillor B was found to have breached section 6.11 of the code of conduct. Cr Bob Tardif cheerfully admitted to The Echo that he was Councillor B. ‘There was a complaint against me by Cr Lazarus,’ he said. ‘I failed to disclose a non-pecuniary interest in the selection of members for the companion animals committee where my wife was one of the contenders. I’m a convicted felon.’ Cr Tardif said the matter was ‘totally trivial’. ‘It was a political and very personally motivated complaint.’ No sanction is to be taken against Cr Tardif but his name was to be made public. The code of conduct will be reviewed to clarify that both there is knowledge. It rules out pecuniary and non-pecuniary judgement and prejudice. ‘Knowledge encourages unity, interests should be disclosed by and unity gives us strength. I learnt Councillors. a long time ago that you don’t get far by whingeing.’ Bronwyn Sindel, of Sisters for Reconciliation and The Cavenbah Bay FM Community Radio is conReconciliation Group, said she was ducting a much-needed survey of very pleased with how the day went, radio listenership in the area. The survey includes questions noting that it was a good crowd and relating to music choice and listenmany stayed from start to finish. Bronwyn said, ‘I think people ing times as well as fundraising. Survey coordinator Greg Kramer are starting to realise that we will said, ‘The information will be used never achieve our potential as a nation until we all acknowledge to better target Bay FM’s shows in the past. We are missing out on order to reflect the community’s accessing all this incredible knowl- interests and desires’. While all information is to be edge and wisdom in our Indigekept confidential, if the survey nous communities.’ The Cavenbah Reconciliation respondent wishes, they can go into Group (running in tandem with a draw to win several dinner vouchSisters for Reconciliation) is call- ers to Bollywood restaurant. Volunteers will be at markets and ing for people interested in Indigenous affairs to join them. Please on the streets from early June and contact Bronwyn Sindel on 6684 will also make random telephone 3342 or bronwynjean@optusnet. calls. You can fill out the survey com.au. Debra Cole can be heard online at www.bayfm.org or at the co-presenting the Cultural Aware- station in the Community Centre, ness Program on Bay FM with DJ Byron Bay. Terra Nullus on Mondays from For more information contact 12-2pm. Greg on 0412 856 488.
Radio survey
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