My Aunties always remind me of that. I’ve always looked up to my Elders. Their knowledge about culture, family, and life has given me so much strength. Shame the younger ones don’t always think the same way.
Ever since I was born there has been conflict in my life. My people struggle because of what was done to them. What is still being done to them in many cases. There is a lot of talk about change but none of that talk has made much of a difference in my life. I lost a lot of my childhood years through sad things happening to me. I hoped that when I had my own family, things might be different but we are still struggling and the sad things keep happening.
My family and my community are everything to me though. I have two girls, Riley who is 5, and Kadisha who is 11. We live with my partner Aaron. Neither of us are working at the moment, unfortunately. Aaron keeps trying to get a job but never has much luck. Last year we were lucky enough to get a homewest home, so at least we have a roof over our head.
We have been struggling for a long time now. Sometimes it all gets too much for me but then, what can I do?
The basic stuff really; children in school, knowing their culture and family, me studying, a car, employment, enough money to provide a safe and clean home. That would make us so happy.
Brianna and her family are no strangers to discrimination and racism. This is a sad part of their day-to-day lives.
It comes in different shapes and sizes but it’s always there, sometimes it’s subtle, other times blatant.
Over the period of a couple of days Brianna and her family experience two separate incidents and although different, they both have an impact and they both hurt.
It’s not been a good week this week. Aaron had a job interview but didn’t get it. They said he isn’t skilled enough but he thinks they just don’t want a black fella working at their place.
I mean, he has his TAFE trade certificate, which he got when he was in prison last. He worked really hard for that qualification but still, no one is willing to give him a start.
We also got in trouble with homeswest. Kids were playing outside and smashed a window. I was hoping we could fix it before they found out but I reckon the neighbour next door complained about us again. I don’t think she likes us much.
Kadisha has been really quiet lately too. One of her cousins told me that the kids at school have been giving her a hard time after the teacher taught a lesson on ‘settlers’ to Australia. Apparently, Kadisha spoke up and said her Elders call it an invasion, which the teacher didn’t like.
Sometimes it feels like the system is built to keep us down.
Aboriginal families gave the following barriers to employment: illness/disability (30%), discrimination (19%), lack of available jobs (23%), and child care responsibilities (24%).
Aboriginal families gave the following barriers to employment: illness/disability (30%), discrimination (19%), lack of available jobs (23%), and child care responsibilities (24%).
Lately, Brianna has been reflecting on her and her family’s wellbeing. Their health, their wiren (spirit), their history, and how they are doing today.
Brianna and most of her family have been struggling to survive for as long as she can remember. But there are times, now and in her family’s past, when this wasn’t always the case.
She wishes these glimpses of good outweighed all the bad ones. She wishes this for herself but mostly, she wishes this for her children, her family, and her community.
I’ve been spending more time with my Aunty. Maybe it’s because she is getting old, but recently she has been telling us more about her life. I knew she was part of the stolen generation but lately, she has been talking about what she and others like her went through. The abuse, the loss of culture, being deprived of her family’s love and care. She talked about the “welfare” and what they did to her as a child. What they did to her brothers and sisters.
It makes my wiren (spirit) hurt. Our people thrived here for tens of thousands of years and today, our people are struggling even to survive.
Aunty is strong but she is also tired. She says her family and her culture helped to heal some of the wounds but the pain, she said that never went away. She carries this with her always.
I feel sad and angry for what happened to my people. What keeps happening to us today. I also feel proud though. Proud to be able to stand on the shoulders of my ancestors.
Brianna is often the person in the family who helps everyone out, often putting them before herself. Whether it’s helping Kadisha with her struggles at school, her Aunty with her health, or Aaron with his ongoing job applications.
She knows how tough getting ahead in a white person’s world is and she does what she can to support her family. Sometimes though, their best efforts are just not enough.
I received a call today from the principal of Kadisha’s school. Apparently, when her teacher told her off for moving desks without permission, Kadisha snapped, swore, and threw a book at him.
When I arrived at the school, Kadisha didn’t want to talk in front of the principal so I took her into another room. She started crying and told me that she is being bullied by some other kids. She hadn’t told any of her teachers as they aren’t Aboriginal and the Aboriginal Liaison Officer only works at the school one day a week. She was worried no one would believe her.
I was furious and argued with the principal that Kadisha had just been sticking up for herself because no one else could. The principal wouldn’t listen and kept going back to what had happened. In the end, the principal decided to suspend Kadisha from school for the rest of the week.
How is missing out on her education going to help? What happens to the kids who are bullying her?
Kadisha is learning the world is not always fair if you are Aboriginal.
An Elder in the community passed away last week and so Brianna’s family and friends are going through Sorry time.
After the funeral, some people come back to Brianna and Aaron’s house and gather in the front yard. People are emotional and soon an argument breaks out around funeral costs.
There is a lot of shouting and some pushing and shoving which goes on for some time. Eventually, the police show up and ask everyone to go to move on, which they eventually do.
I woke this morning feeling exhausted from yesterday’s sadness. I couldn’t believe it when I look through the window and see a government car pull up. Two people knocked on the door and introduced themselves as child protection officers. What are they doing here?
They said the police informed them about yesterday’s incident and as children were present they wanted to come talk to us. I tried to explain that everyone was grieving and it wasn’t anything to worry about. They also said they had spoken to Kadisha’s school and know she is struggling. It felt horrible to know they had been checking up on us, especially when we haven’t done anything wrong!
Before they left they said they just wanted to provide support to our family and try and help. I don’t trust them. My Aunty always told me “Don’t trust the welfare, how can we, they always taking our kids away from us”.
I am so happy the kids and Aaron slept through the whole thing.
Brianna and her family continually feel like they are fighting a system in order to just stay afloat.
When times get tough though Brianna knows she can always turn to her family for support.
Her culture and her community are very important to her and give her strength. This has been true for her people for a very long time.
Saying that, like everything else in life, these things too are not without their challenges.
This week I managed to go spend time on boodja (my Country). It has been a long time since I last could go but Aunty and I traveled together with my cousin in his car. I got to take the kids too which was important. Just spending a few days with family on Country did so much to lift our spirit.
My Aunty is the Elder in our family and we spent hours listening to her and all her stories. We learned so much from her. She told us about some of the things her family used to do back then. Hunting, cooking, practicing tradition, and football. Even then football was important.
My Aunty wanted to take us to some other parts of our boodja but a lot of it is fenced off now. White man rules say we can’t go there.
Kadisha seemed a lot happier by the end of that trip. I hope it gives her as much strength as it gives me.
Families repeatedly asked us before, during and after their engagement; ‘how will my information be used to make a difference? It is through this lens and in the context of your own influence and responsibility that these calls to action should be viewed.
Informed by what you have learned, please answer the below question. Your comments are made anonymously and will not be attributed back to you.
Interested in continueing your 100 Families journey? Stay connected to 100 Families WA by adding your details below (only quarterly contact will be made via newsletters and project opportunities).
Click on the links below to download key resources to help you on your learning journey.
