Aboriginal Community Services has developed a record-keeping project aimed to keep the stories of Elders alive and share their inspiring stores. There I Was, Here I Am is a short documentary we produced with the support of the National Indigenous Australians Agency, and word has got out to over 64 media outlets about the project.
Our documentary featuring Ngardinjerri Elder Uncle Mulla Sumner, Kaurna Narrungga Elder Aunty Frances Chantrill and Narrungga Ngarindjerri Elder Uncle Craig Dodd, has been spoken about in newspapers and on air around the country. We are so pleased with the positive press the project has been getting, as this indicates a large interest in the stories of Elders.
Uncle Mulla was interviewed by media about his life and why he chose to share his story, and his words have been published in newspapers including The Daily Mail Australia, Canberra Times, The West Australian and The Mandurah Mail. ACS is pleased to have facilitated this opportunity and be an advocate for Aboriginal Elders stories. We know and support over 800 Elders all of which have rich, interesting stories, and wealth of knowledge it is important to pass down.
“It’s important we get our word out there,” Uncle Mulla tells journalists, “To share the knowledge that we have and to show that we’ve got our own culture, and we are different.”
Our CEO Graham Aitken spoke to radio stations including 5MU Radio, regional ABC stations state-wide, where he touched on why ACS has chosen to embark on this storytelling project. “As an aged care provider to more than 800 First Nations Elders in South Australia, we have unique access to stories of achievements, and truth-telling about our history,” Mr Aitken said. “We hope this important documentary is the first of a series recounting the lives of Elders to highlight the importance of ‘keeping the fire burning’ for generations to come and to celebrate our Elders who continue being ‘Blak, loud and proud’ as they age.”
With the moral support we have received, we are excited to see whether there is a place for our Elders story to screen at various film festivals, and then share it with the world through our online platforms. Further, we are keen to continue collaborating with Elders to document their stories to be passed on for generations, and inspire community to keep the fire burning!
This National NAIDOC Week Activity is funded by the National Indigenous Australians Agency.
