G’day mates,
I repeat myself- the largest amount of money ever spent on Yuendumu is $7.6M to build a Police Complex a few years ago. This amount remains the record, and says much about how these remote communities are being governed.
For a while the police presence in Yuendumu was ubiquitous. Police with dangling fire arms in black Ninja uniforms walking through Sports Weekend crowds or helping to goal umpire footie matches with dangling fire arms and cruising in in your face police vehicles forever keeping Yuendumu safer from goodness knows what. Definitely a feeling of being under occupation.
Eventually a formal complaint was lodged by a group of residents which found its way to those in charge and it is evident that the local constabulary was told to pull their heads in and adopted a more subtle below the radar approach to community policing. Shuffling of personnel was another tack taken by the top brass and on occasions we got some much firm but fair friendlier fuzz. The one constant has been our one local ACPO (Aboriginal Community Police Officer) who in his own diplomatic way has been a moderating influence on both sides of the tightrope he is walking.
Thus I had a most pleasant visit from some friends who got pulled up on the Tanami Road before entering Yuendumu. Three Yuendumu police told my friends that their vehicle would be searched and asked if they carried any alcohol. My friends owned up to having six cans of beer which the police seized thereby averting one of those drinking binges which remote Aboriginal communities are notorious for. My kardiya friends didn’t think the whole confrontation was all too friendly, but what did they expect? One of my friends asked the officers who were only doing their job if they spoke Warlpiri. What sort of question is that?
The portrayal of remote Aboriginal Australia in the media leaves much to be desired and often ranges from plain stupid and wrong to offensive or patronising and seriously cringe worthy. So when something turns up that ticks all the boxes and hits lots of nails on the head we out here pay attention and enjoy it. Such a gem was the TV series ‘Mystery Road’ directed and produced by Rachel Perkins. Whilst the likelihood of an Indigenous person rising to become an outback detective is far removed from the Yuendumu reality, all the characters including the detective were very realistically portrayed. The setting, dialogue and ‘feel’ of the series and how the characters interacted with each other, we could relate to without cringing.
Tonight at 8:30 PM (Sunday 13th October) the new series ‘Total Control’ is premiering on ABC TV. It is also directed and produced by Rachel Perkins.
‘Total Control’ is what the authorities have almost achieved on communities like Yuendumu, thus the title of the series resonates with us.
If the series is half as good as Mystery Road it will be worth watching.
Here’s crossing the fingers
Cheers
Frank
PS yesterday (12 Oct.) was the 527th anniversary of Cristobal Colon’s mob first sighting land after crossing the Atlantic Ocean. I had always thought this was on the Island of Hispaniola. Haiti is on the western side of the island so that is my excuse to regale you with some Haitian music.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vwg7YX7u1QM
I was wrong, it was actually the Bahamas.
Which gives me an excuse to put on some Bahamian music (Wilfried Salomon and the Magnetics)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pnO9hs71EHw
Very addictive is Youtube- can’t resist sharing this one:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZQT23SMqM4
The bedbug song – last heard it as a teenager when my musician brother used to perform it.