Malpa
Christine Palmer and Jo Tuscano
In the seventies a band of courageous activists, both Indigenous and non-Indigenous, took on the fight for a fairer Australia for First Nations People.
Christine Palmer was there at the forefront of the movement. She has gone back and interviewed the original activists, people like Neville Perkins, the late Yami Lester, and the late Phillip Toyne, aka Mr Land Rights, and many others.
Here they tell their stories about the early days in Alice Springs where they fought against government bureaucracy, racism, and local opposition to start the first services for Indigenous people. The movement started here and continues to this day.
Christine Palmer is an Arrernte-Kaytete woman.
She is a fierce advocate for her people. She is a narrative therapist, a grief and trauma counsellor, a Stolen Generations counsellor and family counsellor. Christine has represented her people both here and overseas and continues to work on justice issues for Indigenous Australians. She is particularly passionate about youth justice issues in the Northern Territory.
Read an excerpt below:
Christine asked Suzzane Bryce about her early days in Alice Springs. Suzzane explains what happened when her mentor chastised her for not learning the local Aboriginal language when she was working with local women.
Because I didn’t know, I did that badly and he got really cross with me and he said, ‘What is it that you do?’ and I said, ‘Well, we make things,’ and he said, ‘You can’t even say ‘pulyani,’ which is the word for ‘making.’ He was mad at me. He embarrassed me so thoroughly, and I was so utterly ashamed that I started learning. I suppose like everybody else I was a little bit lazy or I said, ‘This language is too hard. I’ll let someone else learn,’ but once he really kicked me I started learning and that made it possible for that world to open to me. It doesn’t open in the same way if you can’t understand what people are saying and sharing the small things, sharing the moments, you know, so that’s what I’ve been lucky enough to be able to do and I think that’s because I’ve really got to know people. I can hear what they are thinking when they are talking, and I feel connected to them. I think that’s why it’s got a lot to do with why I am able to stay and keep working and keep learning.
The Inspiration for Malpa
I met Christine at the Royal Commission into the Protection and Detention of Youth in the Northern Territory. Christine was at the Commission giving expert evidence and I was writing an article on the proceedings. Christine and I became friends and we began working together presenting seminars on youth justice in the Territory. We then began work on Malpa.
Christine felt passionate about honouring the first activists who started agitating for land rights, health and legal services, schools, resources for remote communities and education for non-Indigenous people to enable them to understand and engage with Indigenous culture. She was part of the first movements for change and she credits the activists with making her into the person she is today.
Recently, Christine has returned to Alice Springs and interviewed those people and others scattered around different states. Malpa is an important contribution to the history of activism in Australia and a tribute to those people, black and white, who had a vision for justice for Indigenous people and paved the way for people to work together for the good of Indigenous Australia. ‘Malpa’ means friend, and someone who guides you. Christine and I have been ‘malpa’ to each other and we continue to work together on projects.
Interview with Christine Palmer
Christine Palmer talks about why she interviewed the people who fought for land rights, legal, health and educational services in the early seventies. The interview goes for 12 minutes.