The (Ab)Original Environmentalist

The Metropolitan Local Aboriginal Land Council in Redfern

When strategizing my interview I knew that I wanted to focus on environmental issues.  However, I struggled to narrow down how I wanted to approach the topic and what type of person I wanted to interview.  Earlier in the trip I thought I may approach the subject by asking people about their transportation preferences and satisfaction with the system in place in Sydney, but this did not end up materializing into a good interview.  Luckily, our class discussion on Wednesday morning about Judith Wright’s “Two Dreamtimes” gave me the idea to interview a person of Aboriginal descent about environmental issues in Australia.  With this goal in mind, I headed to the Metropolitan Local Aboriginal Land Council, which was located in Red Fern, just a few blocks from our hotel. 

When I arrived at the office, completely unannounced, an employee of the council enthusiastically greeted me.  Despite him being on his way out to lunch, he talked to me for over 20 minutes about the council’s different projects and about Aboriginal sites across Australia and specifically in the Sydney area.  He was brimming with enthusiasm and passion about indigenous land rights issues, I could hardly get in a word.  However, he continually insisted that his colleague would be a better person for me to interview because his work dealt more directly with environmental issues.  

I took the man’s advice and interviewed Lee Davison, who was a Culture and Heritage Officer for the council.  Davison’s job is to perform Aboriginal heritage assessments of land prior to construction projects to make sure that the road or building is not destroying Aboriginal archaeological sites such as the carving we saw on the Berry Island Reserve.  Mr. Davison’s passion for the preservation of Aboriginal culture stems from his lineage as a member of the Taree clan, who come from Biripi country, which is just slightly north of Sydney.  He cherishes his heritage and stated that some of his fondest memories come from fishing with his uncles in Biripi country.  

My first question for him essentially gaged his opinion on the environmental issue that he found most important.  He responded by saying that water pollution in the Sydney area is extremely concerning for him.  He spoke about how many environmental policy makers don’t focus on the interconnectivity of nature.  Invoking a policy to protect forests is less effective if the stream running to that area is polluted by waste.  His concern for the well being of Australia’s waterways stems from his strong cultural ties to them through fishing.  He has witnessed the damage first hand in the form of lost biodiversity in many of the area’s he used to fish with his uncles.  After he told me this, I mentioned how I found it sadly ironic that when we visited the beautiful Berry Island Reserve there was an oilrig on the other side of the bay.  My comment about this prompted Davison to shake his head in disgust and say, “How awful is that?”

The next question to Lee focused on the idea of environmental conservation as a common ground between White and Indigenous Australians and a possible source of reconciliation.  To my surprise he seemed a bit surprised by the question, but when I further explained it he seemed to be very behind the principle, but emphasized that actions speak louder than words.  He said that Prime Minister Rudd’s apology was a nice gesture and its significance was strengthened by his administration’s environmental initiative. He mentioned the that the apology would not have carried the same weight had it been from Prime Minister Abbott, whose taken Australia backward with regards to environmental conservation.  From this response I reflected on the incredible relationship between Aboriginal people and land.  The land means as much to them as a sibling.  An apology to the Aboriginal people from an official that wasn’t environmentally friendly would be like saying sorry to only a fraction of the family.

My last question focused on the role of education in environmental protection.  He responded that education is crucial in improving the current environmental situation.  He talked about how when the first Europeans arrived they failed miserably in trying to farm the land around Sydney.  Maybe if they had been civil in their approach to the Indigenous people, they could have learned the proven methods of his people.  The same can be applied to protecting the land and waterways of Australia.  Being close-minded with regards to simple lifestyle changes required to reduce Environmental harm is often a result of ignorance to the true damage our actions are doing to the world around us.  He also related this to his everyday work in which people often do not understand the significance of cultural sites and artifacts that may interfere with the latest housing development or roadway proposed to be built there.  The lack of respect in some of his experiences has made him cringe.