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.

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.

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…

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…

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…

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...

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.