Always Was Always Will Be Study Guide
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ALWAYS WAS ALWAYS WILL BE STUDY GUIDE www.balladfilms.com.au 1 1. THE STORY OF ALWAYS WAS ALWAYS WILL BE Perth, Western Australia – 1989: Local Nyungah people are protesting on the banks of the Swan River in the centre of the city. They set up camp on a narrow strip of land at the foot of Kings Park beside a major road into the centre of town. On the other side of the heavy traffic stands the now derelict Old Swan Brewery which the State Government is determined to see developed into offices and a tourist attraction. Despite well- documented evidence to the contrary, the government denies claims by the indigenous protesters that this is a sacred site known as Goonininup (and including springs known as Gooninup/Goodinup). The protesters are deeply concerned by plans to dig into the site, the resting place of the Waugul. They want the old building pulled down for a park for all the people of Perth In 1989 Perth is in the midst of the scandalous “WA Inc” development boom which ultimately results in criminal charges against politicians and their corporate business associates. The Labor Federal Minister for Aboriginal Affairs decides to issue a permanent protection order to prevent ground disturbance on the site but a month later comes to an agreement with the state Labor government and the protection order is withdrawn so that work on the building can proceed. Escalating conflict over the protest convulses the city. The protesters have the support of a range of concerned community groups, including Christian churches, while the building workers on the site vote themselves out of job and stop construction. The clash between indigenous spirituality and non-indigenous economic development portrayed in Always Was Always Will Be is but one example of the ongoing conflict of cultures, values and power that has haunted the history of Australia since white settlement. This time, however, those protecting the sacred site decided to make a film to put their case to the public. 2 2. THE MAKING OF THE FILM Always Was Always Will Be was made by non-indigenous filmmaker Martha Ansara under the supervision of Nyungah leader Robert Bropho and other protesters, working with representatives of Trade Unions and Churches. Initially without access to funding, the group used borrowed equipment and recycled video tapes to get the film finished quickly and cheaply. At first it was distributed via interested organisations on VHS tapes, and then when NITV (National Indigenous Television) was created, this important historical account began to reach a wider audience. On Survival Day, January 26th 2021, Always Was Always Will Be was simulcasted by NITV and SBS television as part of an initiative to encourage greater understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives. The film is now available on streaming platforms and as a DVD from www.balladfilms.com.au. During the five years following the production of the film, the struggle over the site continued both politically and legally. The legal controversy continued for a further five years. In the end, government ignored the Nyungah protesters and other anti-development organisations and the site now belongs to corporate interests and boasts luxury apartments with swimming pool, restaurants, commercial office space and parking lot. A note about this study guide A note from filmmaker Martha Ansara: Although money from the proceeds of the film go to the Burial Fund of the Swan Valley Nyungah Community, far away from me in Western Australia, the community itself was shut down by the WA government some years ago. Other Aboriginal participants in the film have died or are not able to assist with the study guide. Any mistakes in what I have written are mine. As I am not a teacher myself, I am presenting the information in this study guide as a very general resource, leaving it to up to the teacher as to how to make use of it and at what level to pitch this material to your class. Also how you adapt it for indigenous students/non-indigenous students, all of whom will have varying prior knowledge of what is presented. Having said this, I have tried to frame some questions and activities where I could. 3 3.CURRICULUM FOCUS This study guide to accompany Always Was Always Will Be has been written primarily for secondary students in Years 7–12 and should also be useful at the tertiary level as well as for anyone who wishes to explore the film further. In schools, the Australian Curriculum’s cross-curriculum priorities emphasise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ unique sense of identity and the importance of embedding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures within all areas of the curriculum. Always Was Always Will Be and the study guide provide an opportunity to -- in the words of the Curriculum --- “deepen students’ knowledge and understanding of Australia and the First Australians and thereby to participate positively in the ongoing development of Australia”. In this context, Always Was Always Will Be can be linked to the following subject areas in the Australian Curriculum: • Civics and Citizenship (Years 7-10) • Health and Physical Education (Years 7-10) • History (Year 10) • Geography (Years 7-10) • English (Years 7-10) • Media Arts (Years 7-10) • The General Capabilities of 'Ethical Understanding' and 'Personal and Social Capability' • Respectful Relationships (Victoria) Always Was Always Will Be is also recommended as a supplementary text for students studying the following Senior School subjects: • Ethics • Health and Human Development • History • Legal Studies • Politics • Media as a WACE subject Always Was Always Will Be is an advocacy film, made under the guidance and from the point of view of indigenous people trying to protect a sacred site. This study guide encourages teachers and students to develop respectful, critical understandings of the social, historical and 4 cultural context, meanings and implications of the events and viewpoints depicted in the film. It is an opportunity for greater appreciation of diversity and of identity, recognising both commonalities and differences and cultivating mutual respect. Note: When talking or writing about Australia’s Indigenous peoples, it is considered respectful to say ‘Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ and/or to use the local terminology for the people involved: ie, Koori, Murri, Nyungah, etc. 4. BEFORE WATCHING THE FILM Students and teachers can consider the following questions: Who are Australia’s indigenous peoples? According to the Commonwealth of Australia: ‘An Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person is a person of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent who identifies as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander and is accepted by the community with which he or she is associated.’ This definition is social rather than racial, in keeping with the changes in Australian attitudes away from outmoded racialistic thinking. Who are “urban Aboriginals”? Until recently, a myth in non-Aboriginal Australia has been that “real” Aboriginal peoples live in remote areas and dress and behave in traditional ways. Yet in 2019 the Australian Government’s Australian Institute of Health and Welfare reported that the vast majority (81%) of indigenous people live in and around cities and towns (including in 5 regional areas). So whilst the term “urban Aboriginals” describes a reality, some people still have the misguided notion that “urban” implies not quite “real’ or authentic. In fact, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples live everywhere and in every way, right across this country. Who are the traditional owners of the south west of Australia? The Nyungah people in the south-west corner of Western Australia live on country from Geraldton on the west coast to Esperance on the south coast. They include 14 different groups, speaking several different dialects which, historically, were often mutually understood. The Whadjuck Nyungah are the people of Perth‘s Swan Coastal Plain, including the Swan River itself. The term Nyungah is derived from a word originally meaning “person”. Nyungah has several different spellings, including Noongah, Nyungar, Nyoongar, Nyoongah, Nyugah, The Australian Bureau of Statistics estimated that in 2016 there were over 31,000 Nyungah people, including many who have settled in Perth. Who were the primary group trying to protect the sacred site at the old Swan Brewery and why? The Whadjuck Nyungah are the traditional custodians of the Perth area around the Swan River Valley. The site of the “Old Swan Brewery”, traditionally known as Goonininup, is on the river at the foot of King Park’s Mount Eliza (Kaarta gar-up or Mooro Katta). Goonininup has been documented from the very early days of white settlement as one of the Swan River Valley’s most significant Nyungah ceremonial sites. The Swan River itself (Derbarl Yerrigan) was a Moort bidi, a main run for Nyungah people travelling to and from corroboree sites further up-river in the area now known as Guildford. The river was created by the Waugal, the Nyungah manifestaton of Australia’s Rainbow Serpent. This snake-like creature travelled from the hills to the ocean creating the Derbarl Yerrigan (Swan River) with Goonininup serving as its resting place. The Waugul appointed the Nyungah as the guardians of the land. This is why they were trying to protect the sacred site at Goonininup/the Old Swan Brewery from being disturbed by development. Waugul is also spelled as “Wagyl”. 6 What is a sacred site? According to the Australian Government’s Australian Trade and Investment Commission, “sacred site means a site that is sacred to Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people or is otherwise of significance according to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander tradition. Sacred sites are given protection under federal and various state laws, often under what are described as heritage laws… (and) can be protected under those laws to varying degrees.