IndigenousX Profile picture
Jul 12, 2018 12 tweets 4 min read Twitter logo Read on Twitter
For wild women and rebel girls, sometimes resistance is about saying 'no.' It's about choosing your own priorities. Not letting anyone put you in the corner, lock you up, or force you to give up your dreams. Its daring to live your best #IndigenousX life.
indigenousx.com.au/karen-wyld-wil…
One of my #BecauseOfHerWeCan stories has to be about my maternal grandmother, and other strong #Martu women. My nana Molly (Craig) Kelly didn't lead a rebellion. She wasn't a resistance fighter. But she did resist. Plenty of times, until the authorities let her live life her way.
At the age of 14, Molly was forcibly removed from her family and community. Just because she was of mixed heritage, in an era when the gov & church was attempting to force Aboriginal children such as herself to assimilate into white society via institutionalisation and servitude.
I've talked to enough survivors and read enough primary documents (including family members' records) to be able to absolutely state that these past polices were cultural genocide, and there was absolutely no good-intent behind these racist-practices. indigenousx.com.au/karen-wyld-sor…
Now my nana was a rebel girl. And I am proud to say that. I'd like to think that I too was a rebel girl, who has grown into a wild woman. And she is definitely one of my #BecauseOfHerWeCan role models.
(back soon. Just taking a quick break. These types of threads can be gruelling. PS f**k you AO Neville & Co)
(Baked muffins. All is good. But, I repeat: f**k you A O Neville & Co. And add: you didn't win.)
So most of you'd know the story of my nana Molly, her sister Daisy and cousin Gracie. But less people know how their stories really ended. Because, after all, rebel girls and wild women are unstoppable; and #BecauseOfHerWeCan keep living our dreams, generation after generation.
All three have now passed on, but they've left behind big #martu families - and stories of courage. Daisy finally returned to Jigalong, before passing away in March this year. Nana Molly lived most of her life in Jigalong and surrounding Pilbara, and passed away in 2004.
Despite escaping the institution as a teenager, the authorities tried to control Molly's life for many decades, right into adulthood: determining where she could live and work, interfering in her relationships, taking her wages, stealing her daughters. But she never gave in.
Many times they tried to re-institutionalise her, then turned their attention to her daughters. The primary documents read like a vendetta: how dare a rebel black girl get the better of them, white men. Nana Molly even walked that fence a second time, with a bade in arms 🖤🧡❤️
So my late Nana Molly is one of my #BecauseOfHerWeCan role models. Her life reminds me to never give up. To know where you want to be, and not let people stop you living your life, your way. It's ok to be a rebel girl and/or a wild woman.

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More from @IndigenousX

Jul 12, 2018
One of my #Becauseofherwecan role models is another deadly #Martu woman - my auntie Doris Nugi Garimara Pilkington (1937 - 2014). She has inspired me to not give up on my vision of being a professional novelist.
Auntie Doris won the David Unaipon Award in 1990 (at the age of 53) for her novel Caprice: A Stockman's Daughter. Her second novel, Follow The Rabbit-Proof Fence was published in 1996 (children's version in 2006). And the sequel Under the Wintamarra Tree in 2002.
After the movie version of Rabbit-Proof Fence was released in 2002, Auntie Doris was catapulted on to the world stage. She travelled throughout Australia and overseas talking about the Stolen Generations. She met survivors, family, supporters, writers, popstars and world leaders.
Read 4 tweets
Jul 12, 2018
Another Aboriginal resistance fighter Australians need to know about is Fanny Balbuk Yooreel (1840 - 1907). She was a fierce land rights activist and Noongar woman. abc.net.au/news/2017-05-1…#BecauseOfHerWeCan Photo: Fanny (right) with family members at the zoo. Circa 1885-1902
Fanny Balbuk Yooreel resisted the occupation of her Country (now known as Perth) and fought for rights for land, community and family. abc.net.au/news/2017-05-1…
Her vision and resistance at the end of the 19th Century formed the foundation of the land rights movement in Perth; leading to the successful native title claim at the beginning of the 21st Century. A massive legacy. nma.gov.au/exhibitions/fi…
Read 4 tweets
Jul 12, 2018
My article on Wild Women and Rebel Girls (on #IndigenousX today) also featured Daisy Bindi (Mumaring) A Nyangumartu women, she helped lead Australia's longest strike. Daisy could out-ride the men, and out-talk the authorities. indigenousx.com.au/karen-wyld-wil… #Martu #BecauseOfHerWeCan
Concerned about police violence and lack of worker rights for Aboriginal people on whiteman stations, Daisy and other Martu led 500 men, women and children off the stations. Such a loss of underappreciated labourers brought the stations to their knees. adb.anu.edu.au/biography/bind…
Daisy Bindi was a leading force in this protest, and with her help, the movement spread across the Pilbara - to the coast and inland. Three years later, having lost 800 Aboriginal labourers, the stations and government gave in - more rights were achieved. wangkamaya.org.au/pilbara-histor…
Read 4 tweets
Jul 12, 2018
I wrote this piece for #IndigenousX today. After a quick online research for wild black women and rebel girls, I could have written at least one book. It was difficult picking just a few #BecauseOfHerWeCan stories. indigenousx.com.au/karen-wyld-wil…
I started this article with Tarenorerer (Tasmania, 1800 - 1831). Julie Dowling captured the spirit of this daring young woman in the portrait Walyer > nga.gov.au/Exhibition/nIA…
Badimia woman and highly acclaimed artist, Julie Dowling's portraits often feature strong black women - mothers, aunties, nanas, sistas. see some of her work here > yamajiart.com/artists/julie-…
And listen to an interview about her Picture the Women exhibition > abccommercial.com/contentsales/p…
Read 6 tweets
Apr 25, 2018
One thing I really want to talk about, and improve, is that we get the most hits by far on articles where we call out racism, especially in the media. It’s important that we stand up to racism, but other important stories get much less traction... and that worries me.
I think stories calling out the more overt racism become easy rallying points for outrage that is rarely sustained towards systemic change, and they allow ppl to create a category of ppl who are the ‘real racists’ and distance themselves from the realities of societal racism...
They’re also much easier to engage with - here is something racist someone said, and this is why it’s racist. Done. Whereas - here is a complex story of decades of malfeasance but without a single villain to point at, and with no clear cut solutions to it - not so much.
Read 5 tweets
Mar 10, 2018
We are witnessing an unprecedented attack on rights in Australia - workers rights, refugee, Indigenous, unemployed, immigrants, journalists, whistleblowers, and human rights in general, and we also seeing attacks on the ability to advocate about these issues.
This is made possible through wilful demonisation in the media of those who are being targeted - namely refugees, Indigenous ppl, the unemployed, unions, immigrants, and advocates - because the denial of human rights necessitates dehumanising those who you would take them from.
As Malcolm X once said: Malcolm X quote: If you’re not careful, the papers will have you hating the people who are being oppressed, and loving the people who are doing the oppressing.
Read 17 tweets

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