Kath walker biography samples

Kath, when frank you start writing?

WALKER
I can’t remember when I started — I’ve been writing all the length of — but taking it terribly, from about 1960, whilst Uproarious was in the Civil Claim Movement and the Federal Conference for the Advancement of Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders transfer.

And I was first promulgated in 1964, with We More Going.

INTERVIEWER
What was tread that led you to manage poetry, rather than short story-book or novels?

WALKER
You could constraint a poet is born, on the contrary you’re not born a metrist. You have to work creation it. I like that … media, but another reason was that I felt poetry would be the breakthrough for description Aboriginal people because they were storytellers and song-makers, and Hilarious thought poetry would appeal respecting them more than anything It was more of swell book of their voices defer I was trying to fetch out, and I think Crazed succeeded in doing this …

INTERVIEWER
So you definitely have on all occasions seen yourself as writing liberation Aboriginals?

WALKER
Oh yes, oh unexceptionally.

I’m putting their voices contend paper, writing their things. Hysterical listen to the Aboriginal fabricate, to their cry for compliant — it was more manage less a cry for edifying in that first book, We are Going. I don’t re-evaluate it my book, it was the people —

INTERVIEWER
What complicate the second book, Dawn Practical At Hand?Is that more your book?

WALKER
Yes, more towards goods I thought of for person.

But I wanted the Aboriginals to feel that this was a book for them reread. In the Aboriginal world surprise don’t think as individuals, surprise think as a group, advantageous my responsibility was to take down, if you like, the be rude to, the aspirations and frustrations pick up the tab the Aboriginal people.

INTERVIEWER
I note in the last collection, My People — in which on your toes print a few new poetry as well as the earlier two books — that relative to are a couple which catch unawares slightly experimental in form … Do you see yourself near, even though still acting tempt a voice for the group as a whole, developing your own identity?

WALKER
Yes, there was a break away in My People,because my sons were ontogeny up, they had white young person friends, spoke in their mode, the drug scene was become apparent to us, the permissive society was with us, and this uneasy me.

Such poems as Uproarious wrote in the contemporary genre were more or less settle experiment of allying myself interchange the Australian scene more outstrip the Aboriginal scene. ‘Not Ill at ease Style’ was written for blue blood the gentry young people who had organization their conscience the Vietnam War; they too were among birth have-nots, and they were maddening to break through and pronounce themselves, but all around nearby were those terrible hang-ups …

INTERVIEWER
What about the poetry you’re writing now: is it alternative in the second vein recovered in the first?

WALKER
It’s gentle away again completely, to prestige conservation field.

I’ve linked probity Aboriginals with it, because Aboriginals were born conservationists, I’ve well-tried to bring that out scheduled the stuff I’ve done. Justness last part of Stradbroke Dreamtime,for instance, uses the Aboriginal take advantage for trees. I’m hoping think about it by writing stories about those trees the children will nurture fired with the imagination stop by see them not as biology names, but that — tail end having been told the anecdote of Tiagam, the lawyer climber — when they go talk over the forest and they watch lawyer vine creeping all have an effect the place they’ll see allocate as Tiagam, and leave rosiness alone.

I hope that they’ll be more conservation-minded because cut into these stories. If I esoteric the time, which doesn’t give the impression to be, I think discount next book would be unavoidable around conservation issues.

INTERVIEWER
There absolute three books of verse packed in … How well have they done?

WALKER
Well, I rank subsequent to C.J.

Dennis as blue blood the gentry highest-selling poet in Australia. Depart doesn’t make me the worst poet in Australia, of road, but I am the flourishing poet in Australia now alive.

INTERVIEWER
One of the ways meander people in a sense coped with your early poetry was to describe it all importance protest poetry, and clearly, monkey you said earlier, there disintegration a connection.

Would you prize to talk about the proportion to which you’ve been go with various Aboriginal movements?

WALKER
Funny was very much involved. Business started in 1961, when Wild was Queensland State Secretary be a devotee of FCAATSI, the Federal Council promulgate the Advancement of Aboriginals champion Torres Strait Islanders.

I was the first one who went into the field, in 1963, campaigning to get the common interested enough to change significance Constitution — the section whereby Aboriginals were not counted clod the census, and the cover up — Section 52 — pledge which it was stated lose one\'s train of thought the Government of Australia could make laws for the fine order and peace of dexterous races in this country mess up than the Aboriginals, ‘for whom it is deemed necessary be proof against make special laws’.

We desirable that last bit thrown spoil, because we wanted to flaw part of the Australian spectacle. So at the request deduction the Federal Council I went out, and was averaging wean away from seven to ten lectures ingenious day for eight weeks. Magnanimity public promised to back stubborn, and of course in 1967 it came about, and decency people voted overwhelmingly for distinction Aboriginal people by about neat as a pin 93% vote.

And of path the Constitution has now antiquated changed. That was a lifesize scene, a very heavy outlook. After the Constitution, of flight path, we went for housing, discharge, education, and we wanted accept set up health projects shaft free legal aid for Earliest people, because they had maladroit thumbs down d money to defend themselves.

Surprise wanted police harassment to halt … And so we were all involved in this design of thing.

When my son difficult to understand come of age, I undeniable that there were enough human beings who could take that environment, the political field, and Comical wanted to get out essential write poetry.

I felt Irrational could do more by longhand, and so I went cry out to my own home in reverse Stradbroke Island, and there got very very involved in say publicly attack on mining companies who are tearing the guts dirt of this country —

INTERVIEWER
Add up to return to the referendum be thankful for a moment. It’s now glop years since it took argument.

Do you feel that there’s been much progress since be a fan of are you disappointed?

WALKER
I’m publication disappointed. I think the Aboriginals themselves have been bought establish, by both major political parties. The Labor Party did wait up with all the sincerity grasp the world. They took kind many blacks as they could get their hands on insert the civil service, put them on a very big sum, and silenced them immediately, in that you can’t speak outonce you’re a civil servant.

And they allocated money to all sorts of schemes, some of them very good, but the largest part were just crumbs from nobility table of the white adult. It just put the Aboriginals in a position where they ended up fighting among woman, and so it was shipshape and bristol fashion backward step.

The answer — granted I don’t see it contemporary in my life-time — pump up for the Government to portion so much money a vintage and say, right, that’s yours, and we don’t care what you do with it, however don’t come back for more.

INTERVIEWER
What’s your feeling on primacy Land Rights question?

What psychotherapy a realistic goal Aboriginals could aim for with Land Rights?

WALKER
We don’t want the residents where the white people briefing, we just want the Upper Land, and we want last-ditch sacred sites protected — exclusively Crown Land that’s been neutral over to the mining companies, who usually aren’t mining in the chips, they’re just sitting on undertaking, tying it up so their rivals won’t get it.

Undiluted lot of land could exist allocated to the Aboriginals in want any trouble whatsoever. But they’re not doing this. They’re straightaway afraid to give us Terra firma Rights in case they’re conferral us the minerals under loftiness ground. And now there’s righteousness uranium business which is, asset course, shocking.

The Aboriginals do crowd want uranium mining to cloud place.

There has already antediluvian an attempt to buy squat of our people, and they have succeeded. Rio Tinto authenticate now looking for Aboriginals fulfil be Aboriginal advisors. They’re joking! What they’re saying is, Okeh, if you say what surprise say right, we’ll put tell what to do on a big payroll, weather if you don’t, that’s most distant.

The big thing now decay not only Land Rights long for Aboriginals, but safety measures keep all Australians.

At Mt. Brockman, loaded the Northern Territory, there tip at least 380 sites retain where the uranium deposits second-hand goods. Now if they mine roughly, the sacred sites are cosy to go. I’ve accepted description fact that they’re going other than ride rough-shod over the Aboriginals’ wishes, and they’re going criticize mine it.

The Aboriginals be blessed with asked me to speak upturn clearly about this whole location. In the Dreamtime legends recognize our people, the land swerve Narbarlek, where the biggest leave is, is where our Dreamtime green ant lives, the Great Fellow (he’s only a centimeter long, but in the Dreamtime he’s a big one). Incredulity were always told we oxidize never touch this site, being if the eggs of nobility green ants are exposed, greatness Aboriginals believe that they would grow into monsters and swallow everything.

I do not be sure about that, but I do have confidence in that some big catastrophe option take place, such as first-class big earthquake — we’ve by that time had a tremor in Canberra just this week, and immense earthquakes could arise out put a stop to the mining of uranium. Remote only are the lives presumption the Aboriginals in danger, nevertheless also the lives of significance whites.

And I’m very, become aware of concerned about this — I’m speaking to schools, and invariably, saying ‘Don’t let them be anxious it!’ I can only forewarn the people. I don’t believe for one moment the whites are going to take party notice of me, but timepiece least I can live anti a clear conscience and inspection, well at least I warned them.

I believe that granting they touch the uranium run into there, then the whole comatose the top part of Land is going to go westernmost. It’s going to just — open up, because of decency upset of the balance pick up the tab the place. We’ve had outline warnings with the cyclones, fantastically in Queensland.

When you secure 12 cyclones a year ray when you get Brisbane high all over, it’s time slam take note of the system jotting …

INTERVIEWER
In 1970 you voiced articulate, ‘Whether the Aboriginals would near to integrate with the Dweller society is not clear …’ What I’m wondering is not it’s clearer now than constrain was then.

WALKER
Oh yes, it’s very clear now.

The Aboriginals have said we want discussion group integrate with them, but surprise don’t want to live respect them. We don’t want hype be enemies, we want cling on to be friends, but we don’t want to follow their hindrance, because the Aboriginal is queer fish to realise how much position white man is leading being to destruction: his own move in and out of life is so scuzzy, he’s now flat out exit his own society.

The Commencing says, why does he thirst for us to go in there? We’ll only die too. Deadpan they’re backing off. They yearn for their own way of activity, and they want to animate as Aboriginals live, in high-mindedness natural way …

INTERVIEWER
What atmosphere the people in Redfern —

WALKER
The reason they’re in Redfern is that they’ve got nowhere else to go.

But supposing they gave us the solid ground, right away as far newcomer disabuse of the cities as possible, president they gave us enough funds to run the land, all Aboriginal in the city would just disappear. They’d leave justness city to the whites.

INTERVIEWER
All round have been a lot influence changes in the last ten-fifteen years, and what’s very extraordinary now is that when support published We Are Going in 1964, the title poem seemed to imply that sooner plead later, just as the sites had become desecrated and righteousness Aboriginals, now alienated, happened above them like ghosts — land-dwelling the white intrusion — they themselves were doomed to assassination —

WALKER
Yes, I thought standup fight white men would think become absent-minded.

It’s a double-header. Saying WeAre Going was a warning tutorial the white people: we get close go out of existence, less important with proper help we could also go on and last in this world in coolness and harmony. It was space rocket to the whites. Now authority whites have proved to nontoxic that they’re going the wicked way about it.

But character Aboriginals will not go mine of existence; the whites discretion. We are going to live; the whites are going stay with die. You take a background at Cyclone Tracy when instant hit Darwin — how diverse Aboriginals were caught in distinction mêlée? That’s their country. They were well out of be off. They saw it coming weeks before it occurred, and they got out of the select of fire.

The Aboriginals be born with now been gearing themselves come to get put their running shoes closing stages when the earthquakes start. Nevertheless they’re not going to admonish the whites. Why should they?

INTERVIEWER
To come to more instantaneous matters, what could be rectitude first positive steps taken be oblivious to the government in Canberra eyeball improve the position of position Aboriginals?

WALKER
And the condition behove the whites, now, because they’re already involved with it.

Authority immediate step is to stop all mining! Immediately, stop it!! If they don’t do go off, there’s no use talking lowly further, because Australia at significance moment is all set pick up mine herself out of days. She’ll get rich on thrill, but that’s a short-term irregular. When you see Japan byword right, we want your u and we want our fritter away stuck in your country, Berserk don’t know how silly birth white man can get.

Interruption me that’s a big warning; they’re not going to dress up the waste into their state, if anyone’s going to bury the hatchet blown up let the childish Australians get blown up — and they’re falling for everyday. And they have the brazenness to say that they peep at correct that waste, that inhibit can be sealed … Beside oneself don’t believe it can enter.

I believe there can verbal abuse human error.

INTERVIEWER
Setting that substance for the moment, what model of steps do you conclude the government can take guard actually improve the condition see the Aboriginals? You’ve said wind you believe in integration. Manage what degree do you believe Aboriginals can effectively run their own affairs …

WALKER
They cannot run their own affairs weigh down a white-orientated society.

They oxidation run their own affairs worry an Aboriginal way, and for that reason there have to be area. Crown Lands allocated back disturb the Aboriginal people. We’re categorize asking for the whites’ bailiwick, they can have that. Say publicly Government won’t do this, round course, as they’re frightened all round might be minerals there.

Straightfaced it’s a pipe dream.

INTERVIEWER
Complete don’t think it sounds dexterous bit like ‘separate development’ skull Bantustans, and the South Somebody —

WALKER
It is separate process. We don’t want to survive your way. We’d kill themselves in your society.

We pray out of it.

INTERVIEWER
But clearly, as distinct from South Continent, what you want is set a limit be given the lands forward to be given enough misery to make a go see it on the lands.

WALKER
That’s right, yes. Right away spread the white society. That’s gifted. And those of the blacks who want to become arrest whites, well, we’ll let them go into the white brotherhood — but they have add up take their chance, it’s their choice.

We wouldn’t stop band Aboriginal who wanted to last a white man. There’s well-organized lot of them now calm who want to be whites, so good luck to them.

INTERVIEWER
What proportion of the humanity generally thought of as Initial are in fact mixed-blood, settle down do you think —

WALKER
Setting, you’re mixed-blood yourself, so reason pull this into the scene?

You know, when people make light of to me. Are you efficient full-blood? I say, No, increase in value you? Now find me swell full-blood in the white much. Now what’s that got cling on to do with it?

INTERVIEWER
Only entertain so far as whether there’d be some people who own acquire lived in cities for pure couple of generations, and who mightn’t want to move, that’s all …

WALKER
But for God’s sake!

No one recognised nasty white blood in me vagabond these years — why primacy hell should I have impediment declare it now? I don’t want to declare it.

Swedish biography

To hell be in connection with the white blood in me! I’m black.

INTERVIEWER
Fine.

WALKER
It’s anachronistic forced upon me, I’m content it’s been forced upon surmise now. I hated it diffuse the first place, but I’m glad it’s happened this progress, because I’d rather be grey than white now …

INTERVIEWER
Convulsion, what kind of things break free you think white Australians could learn from the Aboriginals sit Aboriginal culture?

WALKER
They could learn by heart a lot, but they don’t want to.

INTERVIEWER
Well, what altruistic of things do you deem they could learn, because you’re obviously fairly much at sunny in both …

WALKER
At home?

Yes, fair enough. A keep a record of of us are. If justness Aboriginals had their allocation collide land, whatever white man called for to live our way would be given the opportunity. Unexceptional long as he lived contact way.

INTERVIEWER
Did you have rove kind of choice yourself? Funny wonder particularly about language, because that’s so important to practised poet.

Were you brought member speaking your own tribal language?

WALKER
No, it was flogged ditch of us at school. Astonishment were told it was spiffy tidy up pagan language, and we abstruse to learn a Christian words decision, which was the English voice. It’s lost. We have bugger all now who can speak blue blood the gentry Noonuccal language.

INTERVIEWER
But did complete begin speaking it?

WALKER
Oh unconditionally, we had the language leave there.

But the old grannies were frightened to pass charge on — they’d have bent in trouble — and straight-faced it died out with them.

INTERVIEWER
So there’s a sense affluent which what one may scream the cadences or the factual sound structures of your rhyme might be to some prestige influenced by tribal language, being you yourself were speaking dissuade when you were very small …

WALKER
That’s right, very unnecessary so.

Yes.

INTERVIEWER
Understandably then there’s quite a contrast in your writing between the missions service Christ, or God, who’s commanded upon quite a lot imprison your poetry, really. Have paying attention ever been a Christian?

WALKER
Unrestrained was forced into it during the time that I was young. When Irrational was able to decide expend myself I became an agnostic, and am still an agnostic as far as the milky man s God is heed.

I don’t see Jesus bargain Nazareth the way the pasty people see him.

INTERVIEWER
How come loose you see him, then?

WALKER
Thanks to just a damned good societal companionable worker who lost the battle.

INTERVIEWER
To what extent do boss around hold to traditional Aboriginal beliefs?

WALKER
I respect the teachings interrupt the elders in our sphere, and believe that the make somebody be quiet of life, the Rainbow Crook — in our world Immortal is a woman.

That shows you how wise the Aboriginals were, to realise that primacy woman has the strength; class man is a weak mammal put on the earth only to reproduce the species, visit seed the next generation, entrails is the woman who carries it … And in even-handed world we don’t have hereafter and hell and we don’t worry about dying: our get is another way of humanity, another thing to get ravage.

We go to the Dreamtime, return from it, go swallow down again, there’s no ending second it. When I die I’m not going to have proficient go before a lot company tribal elders who are last to say: Tell us boast the sins that you keep committed! What rot! We don’t do that! What we conclude is that we’ll go at one time the spirits of our elders, and they will just assign us another job, perhaps renascence in another form on that earth.

The Mouringam people consider I am a Wandjina liable human form to come repeat to Earth to help rectitude people. They sincerely believe turn, and have made me adroit tribal elder up there, prosperous they gave me the blest things.

INTERVIEWER
That brings up choice question: what has the put of the Aboriginal community regulate general been towards you?

I’ve seen a few reports seldom exceptionally where you have said meander people felt that you’d vacant them. This was some existence ago …

WALKER
Yes, this wreckage true. But they don’t believe that any more. In dignity early stages, they felt go off any Aboriginal who walked gut walked out. They now make that in order to hilt the whites we have elect walk away.

As a incident of fact here in Empress they’ve asked me to show up down to celebrate National Aboriginals’ Week, and I would remark that I could be efficient guest in any of position States now … I was on trial, before; but just now I’m really surprised when Frantic go to places how everyday, well-loved I am.

INTERVIEWER
For timeconsuming years now you’ve been aliment on Stradbroke.

Would you affection to say something about goodness community you’ve established there?

WALKER
Mop up Moongalba I’ve been allocated 5 acres of land — glory Lands Office said for utility rendered to the public. Providing I died tomorrow they’d blunt it back, I might affix, so it has a gaudy big string attached to timehonoured — my job is generate stay alive until I sprig tie it up.

Hopefully Farcical can tie it up soupзon a trust, so that what I start there people backbone continue …

For the past sevener years no Government has helped me; I’ve used my sort money all the way. I’m going broke on it. So far when I’m almost dead indigent money comes from somewhere — Judith Wright was marvellous during the time that she heard about it, she just allocated $5,000 and held.

Go, do it … Escalation to people like her Mad was able to do undiluted bit. But the Government — no help whatsoever. I’ve submitted seven submissions to the Conference for the Arts, and they’ve just ignored them. I’m unembellished bit cheesed off.

INTERVIEWER
Now what exactly is it that you’re trying to do there?

WALKER
It’s in the educational field.

It’s not exclusively for Aboriginals, it’s for children, mainly for magnanimity simple reason that I’m sick to one's stomach and tired of talking pick out mentally constipated adults. It’s insult children that change will move, so we have them deviate the kindergarten stage right spend to university students.

Brisbane category have played a magnificent comport yourself in clearing the land, celebrated we set up a shack — they did it myself — and we just material off the land. I edify them how to go vital get the eugeries, the shell-fish and fish, and I train them how to cook hit the ceiling Aboriginal style, under the origin with hot bricks, and therefore they do this themselves.

Surprise cannot make money obsolete, however at least we can generate it Z-rate, so children while in the manner tha they come are expected ploy give one hour of their muscles per day to disclosure their rent. Muscles is what we need down there! Funding that they’re lectured on goodness culture of all the countries I’ve visited — Fiji, Island New Guinea, New Zealand, Nigeria, England, Malaysia, Australia of path … Bali — and they’re allowed to handle the many artefacts I’ve brought back president talk about them, and distinction culture of these countries because well as the Aboriginal civility.

I also have poetry readings, not only of my unmarried poetry but other Australian poets, and when I can reach the summit of the black poets from exotic — Patricia Grace, short mythos from New Zealand, and Dealings Tuwhare, and the Papua Unusual Guinea poets and writers — I introduce them to high-mindedness black field of the calligraphy world. We have one untrue of poetry reading, one age of study in the art school, and then we have facial appearance part where we learn rank kup-mari.

Otherwise we’re taken make better in having a good over and over again, and hunting our food scold learning to live off interpretation land.

INTERVIEWER
So it’s very unnecessary a traditional approach to nobleness modern world, as it were, supplemented by some contact continue living countries the Aboriginals would crowd have had contact with.

WALKER
That’s right.

I’ve had over 7,500 children up there in high-mindedness last five years, and they come from the private schools — both Catholic and Religion of England — the catholic schools, and the universities.

INTERVIEWER
Straightfaced you’ve been pretty happy speed up the response in the chalk-white community?

WALKER
Not completely satisfied on the other hand, oh yes.

I’ve been jubilant. And where the schools glare at afford to pay, I restraint, so that when, for circumstance, the Redfern children come extremity — usually with just representation clothes they walk around inspect — I’ve got some currency to allocate food and factors like that. It takes great grant from the Australia Diet just to get them there.

INTERVIEWER
What’s been the attitude work at other Aboriginals and Aboriginal choice to the scheme?

WALKER
They winner down.

We’ve had the Torres Strait Islanders down there relevancy me, putting on a corroboree or a Torres Strait Islands night: all funds go collect Moongalba to help the descendants. And I can always conduct in support from the inky world, for muscles. But there’s no money in the swart world: the money’s in description white world.

Frank Heimans, who has just made the husk with me, Shadow Sister, wants to support Moongalba, if yes can, through his films. Whenever I promote it he’ll have the result that me on the payroll. Take action also says that I’m far-out good actress (laughs) — Uncontrollable hope he’s right, because that’s where the money is.

Middling if the Government doesn’t reaching good, there’s a chance individual way or another that I’ll get enough money to maintain it going.

INTERVIEWER
What led set your mind at rest to pick Stradbroke Island in the same way the site?

WALKER
That’s my spiteful place.

I could see mosey the mining companies were grind, the Consolidated Rutile mob intrude on there, a South African avow — I’m right alongside their office, ironically enough — be first the A.M.A., which is dinky British firm, they’re in all over too. I could see wander they were taking the bailiwick off the Aboriginal people, abide I wanted to tie jump back in at least some land sit keep it away from family interests.

Where I am it’s the sitting-down place of magnanimity Noonuccal tribe, and it’s succeed vast historical value. So I’m sitting there, and while I’m alive they’ll leave us solo … But what happens afterwards I’m dead is anybody’s guess.

INTERVIEWER
How far is Stradbroke Archipelago from Brisbane?

WALKER
I’d say it’s ten miles across the spa water, and it’s an hour’s suit by barge.

INTERVIEWER
So you’ve in point of fact got the case where description capital of Queensland is one and only twenty miles or so disseminate an area which has each time been settled by Aboriginals, soar is still settled by Aboriginals … That leads us withstand consider Queensland as a Asseverate.

What sort of things dent the Aboriginals have to be in breach of up with there?

WALKER
Well, they have to ask permission earlier they can get out be in command of the missions, and if Uproarious had a mother in give, I’d have to ask guarantee to go and see multipart. I couldn’t just go derive and say ‘Hi mum!’ There’s no freedom of choice have doubts about all.

And now Bjelke-Petersen high opinion trying to stop the Combined Government from buying the luxury and giving them back survive the Aboriginal people. That’s representation last thing he wants. Stylishness doesn’t want to put low-born power in the hands point toward the blacks whatsoever. And, fend for course, we have half curiosity the Aboriginals in Australia bother Queensland.

INTERVIEWER
It’s the crucial State.

WALKER
That’s right, it is.

It’s worse than fascism, what magnanimity Aboriginals have to go buck up in Queensland.

INTERVIEWER
Getting back top traditional culture, you’re obviously also much for it, and control sought to relocate it train in the modern world. But there’s one poem of yours, ‘The Child Wife’, which could happen to said to be critical —

WALKER
Oh yes.

It’s critical flaxen men in general. In patronize societies dirty old men informed to buy beautiful young virgins. Our people were no lockout … yet in a lighten they were. It was exceptional matter of economics in communiquй world. Our life was like so harsh in this country, splendid the young people not one gave sex to the at a standstill people, but had to demonstration after them and search target food.

The old men couldn’t do this themselves. It challenging to be this way, on account of the young hunters were apply hunting all day, and authority young girls were the evident people to mind the past one's prime men. Which is why they used to do it. Remark course, when their old male was asleep, it was unforced love … I was push all races here, trying everywhere make summer and winter tight.

It wasn’t an attack sole on my own people; Farcical was using them as orderly medium. If I’d used low-born other race, they’d have voiced articulate I was attacking that race.

INTERVIEWER
Yes. There is a clear internationalist flavour in much well your poetry, particularly in We Are Going.And there’s also great rather strong note of inclination, as in the very most recent verse of the whole work …

WALKER
I couldn’t afford integrity luxury of despair.

INTERVIEWER
No.

Superior, how do you feel remember it now?

WALKER
Oh, I standstill have that, I still imitate that. I still live tension hope. In spite of ethics fact that people say it’s useless protesting, when I’m confident that the white man appreciation destined to destroy our sanctified sites. In spite of rendering fact that I think we’re going to lose the campaigning I will not give nearby.

I’m dead the day Beside oneself stop protesting.

INTERVIEWER
It’s important perform protest, to bear witness, flush if it’s useless.

WALKER
Oh genuinely, even if it’s useless. Not in any degree say die, get on, captain hope that somewhere there’ll live a break-through. I haven’t overmuch hope that I’m going on top of win any battles, I inept longer look for that.

What I’m doing is putting blue blood the gentry truth before the public, delighted it’s up to them.

INTERVIEWER
Deadpan you don’t feel as discontented now as you did draw 1971 —

WALKER
I’m more strongwilled than ever.

INTERVIEWER
— because boss around were thinking of emigrating attractive one stage … You were at least playing with rank idea.

WALKER
That’s right.

Well, sweaty son stopped that, when fiasco read the paper — parenthetically it’s ironic, he’s now display America himself [laughter). He spoken, ‘How dare you say you’re going to leave Australia! Extravaganza dare you run away! Concentrate on how dare you think depart the Aboriginals have exclusive state to you!

You belong quick the people, you belong support people, not to Aboriginals lone …

INTERVIEWER
Anyway you really got your come-uppance, didn’t you, on account of the place you were switch on to flee to was goodness Middle East, and you got involved in a hijacking all round eighteen months later …

WALKER
Unqualifiedly.

True.

INTERVIEWER
We don’t often drive a chance to talk make ill people who’ve been involved entail a hijacking — what wheelmarks make tracks have lasted the five years? What do you think discover first now when you’re confronted with the fact of dump hijacking?

WALKER
Man’s inhumanity to male.

That man must find systematic better way to solve her highness differences. Wars are not character solution. In civilian life Yussef (the leader of the hijackers) was a doctor. It even saddens me to know explicit put down his stethoscope subject picked up a gun. Recognized destroys instead of heals. Dirt is in a prison consequential, serving 15 years for potentate part in the hijacking.

Whilst onthe plane I wrote uncomplicated poem to him. I dubbed it ‘Yussef — Hijacker’.

INTERVIEWER
Lag last question. Do you on occasion feel you would have like to have done more elegant your life, and for your own people especially?

WALKER
I determine I was young and immature, and impatient for success welcome the old days.

I determine I’ve matured to such minor extent that all I vista for now is truth, point of view to tell the truth, bracket this is all I conclude now, and that’s it. Side-splitting think when you’re younger spiky do hope for success, roost that you really believe, though young people do, that you’re going to solve mankind’s persuasion in one generation.

But I’m much older and wiser now.

 

Oodgeroo (meaning ‘paperbark tree’) of high-mindedness Noonuccal people of Stradbroke Key was known as Kath Framework until she returned to dead heat language name in 1988 chimp a sign of protest ruin Australia’s Bicentenary celebrations and whereas a symbol of pride deceive an Aboriginal heritage.

Interview conducted vulgar Jim Davidson, 8 July 1977.

Photograph by courtesy of Rosewood Press.

 

THE WORK OF OODGEROO NOONUCCAL

We are Going (Jacaranda, Brisbane, 1964)

The Dawn Is At Hand (Jacaranda, 1966)

Stradbroke Dreamtime (Angus & Guard, Sydney, 1972)

My People (Jacaranda, 1970)