Aboriginal Healing,
Sharing Culture |
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Professor Marion Kickett is a Noongar leader from the Balardong language group. She spent the first ten years of her life on a Native Reserve just outside York. Marion has recently become the new Director of the Centre for Aboriginal Studies at Curtin University in Perth. Late last year, Marion spent a day in York being filmed by Michael Liu and I. This is the Video Story of her life, as 'told' on that day. You can also read Marion's Story.
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On a beautiful winter morning, Marion stands on Wongborrel hill overlooking York and talks about how her country and Dreaming Stories are an important part of her identity. She often returns to this place to look at the land features and remember and reflect on the Dreaming Stories told to her by her father. Marion feels a strong sense of belonging to York and its surrounds and emphasises, "This is where I belong."
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Marion was brought up on a Native Reserve just outside York until she was ten years old. Her grandparents lived there for 50 years. The reserve was eventually closed down and Marion moved into town. When she experienced racism in the past, Marion would come to the reserve and reflect on her past. She returns even now to recharge her batteries. Marion emphasises that her strong connection to this piece of land gives her strength. She has many happy memories of the reserve.
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Her first year of school, aged five, was a real culture shock for Marion, as she had never really interacted with non-Aboriginal people. She entered a very foreign white world and struggled, particularly with not being allowed to use her native Noongar language. Marion had problems with her ears and couldn't hear properly, resulting in her having to repeat Year 1 for being "a bit slow". She basically hated school but her mother insisted she attend very day.
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Marion experienced racism at school and found this hard. In her first year, she was not allowed to enter a shop because 'No dogs... or natives' were allowed. As a result of the racism at school, Marion became a fighter. When she stopped doing this and said, "Yes, I'm black. I'm very proud of it too", the white children didn't know how to respond. However, some of her relatives turned against her. She was now not accepted by either white society or Aboriginal society.
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Marion describes how the river in York has been the life force for the Noongar community. It has provided drinking water and food (fish, ducks and turtles) - not now - and been a place of recreation. Marion relates how she and the other Noongar children would try to catch djuggies by using a shovel or by the traditional way, covering one's hand in mud and plunging it into the hole. If they managed to catch a fair-sized djuggie, they would keep it.
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Marion's grandfather was like the custodian of the Native Reserve. He had successfully managed to keep his family together, although he had once had to go down to Carrulup to 'retrieve' one of Marion's aunties from the mission to which she had been sent. He always resisted government officials and did not trust them. Marion remembers the reserve kids hiding behind her grandfather as he met officials visiting the reserve. She felt his fear and stress at these times.
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