Aboriginal elder remembers first contact with white people in 1960s | 7.30

Key Concepts

• Indigenous Australian Culture: The traditional way of life of Aboriginal Australians, particularly in the desert regions.
• Contact with White Settlers: The historical period when European settlers arrived in Australia and interacted with Indigenous populations.
• Forced Assimilation: Policies and practices aimed at integrating Indigenous people into the dominant European culture, often involving the removal of children and the disruption of traditional lifestyles.
• Cultural Intersection: The meeting and interaction of two distinct cultures, leading to significant changes for both.
• Oral History and Photography: The use of personal narratives and visual records to preserve and understand historical events.
• Age Care Centers: Facilities providing support and care for elderly individuals.
• Cattle Stations and Missions: Institutions established by settlers that often served as points of relocation and control for Indigenous communities.

Booger's Life Story: From Desert to Community

This video chronicles the extraordinary life of Booger, an elder from the central Kimberley region of Australia, who remembers life before significant contact with white settlers. The narrative focuses on her early life in the Great Sandy Desert and the profound changes that occurred in the 1960s.

Early Life in the Desert

• Booger, whose birth name is also Booger (given by her father), grew up in the desert, specifically in an area called "Weding" or "Weding."
• Her ancestors had lived in the desert for thousands of years, with a nomadic lifestyle of walking and collecting resources.
• She describes a life of freedom and self-sufficiency, "We walk around everywhere. We collect everything. We to go everywhere. Water all of the water hole."

First Contact and Cultural Disruption

• The 1960s marked a period of significant change with the arrival of white people.
• Booger recounts her first encounter with white people in 1967. She describes seeing them "walking with shirt and dresses." Her initial reaction was fear, causing her sister to hide in the bush. She remembers telling her mother, "Mommy, you look like the same," indicating a sense of bewilderment or perhaps a perceived similarity in their humanity despite the unfamiliar appearance.
• Crucially, Booger states that this life-changing moment was captured on camera by a woman present at the time. She believed she had an album containing these original photographs.

The Search for the Lost Photographs

• The narrator, Braa, initially sought to find these photographs, which represent the first interaction between Booger's family and the "white fellow world."
• These images were believed to depict missionaries and welfare officers providing clothes and guiding Booger's family into trucks.
• Despite searching Booger's home, the photo album could not be found, leading to speculation that they might be lost or stolen. The narrator emphasizes their irreplaceability as a record of a significant cultural intersection.

A Breakthrough and the Revelation of the Photograph

• After months of searching, the narrator received a CD from a local historian and author containing 23 images.
• The historian believed one of these images was the missing photograph of Booger as a child during her first encounter with white people.
• Upon returning to Luma and reuniting with Booger, the photograph was presented to her.

The Photograph's Significance and Context

• The photograph shows Booger as a child, confirming her earlier account. She identifies herself in the image, stating, "This is me Bura. I came with name of Bura. I had the name because my dad called me name."
• The photograph was taken as the last of the desert families were being moved to cattle stations and church-run missions along the coast. This relocation was sometimes voluntary due to drought, but often involved reluctant rounding up.
• The photographer was identified as a nurse volunteering at the Lraange Catholic Mission, where Booger and her family were eventually taken.
• Booger's cousin, visiting from Perth, also saw the photos for the first time and reflected on the experience: "That picture says it all right there. Leaving home, you know, and wherever this mob is taking them. It would have been sad at that moment, but it would have been scary."

Booger's Later Life and Enduring Memories

• Booger went on to marry Jimmy and had three children, two of whom have passed away.
• She now visits the desert less frequently due to frailty and an inability to drive.
• Despite her physical limitations, her memories of the desert remain vivid. She expresses sadness and longing for her ancestral land: "I'm sorry for the country too. I'm sad. I've been crying everywhere the whole life because I get the memories in that place."
• The narrator concludes by acknowledging the resilience of Booger and her community: "They've come far, very far a long way and they're still here, you know, managing both worlds. I guess."

Conclusion

The video offers a poignant glimpse into the life of Booger, an elder who bridges two vastly different worlds. It highlights the profound impact of colonization on Indigenous Australian communities, the loss of traditional ways of life, and the enduring strength and resilience of those who have navigated these immense changes. The rediscovery of the photograph serves as a powerful visual testament to a pivotal moment in Booger's life and the broader history of Indigenous Australia.