Black Cladding - Empire Building
Tribal Fires - Dumbartung
This episode of Tribal Fires titled ‘Black Cladding’ looks at the increasing practise of non-Indigenous businesses cashing in on funding and contracts designed specifically to further the advancement of Aboriginal people.
These companies appear to be Indigenous owned and operated, however behind the scenes there is a clever strategy and company setup that appears genuine but in fact the decision making, true ownership and the profits are syphoned off to benefit the non-Indigenous shareholders.
With the current Commonwealth Indigenous Procurement Policy there is now Billions of dollars available for Indigenous owned businesses to finally become economically independent and create a vibrant Indigenous business and employment network.
However a vast amount of this funding is being rorted and fraudulently obtained by non-Indigenous owned business entities due to the lack of government oversight and failure of the governing agencies to properly scrutinise and verify the authenticity of these business structures.
This is what we call “Black Cladding’.
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Genocide
Tribal Fires - Dumbartung
This episode of Tribal Fires titled ‘Genocide’ features an interview with Dr Muhamed Mustafa affectionately known as Dr Mo.
A practising GP in Australia, Dr Mo has visited Gaza first hand, witnessing the devastation and in particular the impact that the war has had on young children.
Dr Mo has a vision to re build a children’s hospital from the ruins that has devastated the Gazan population and especially the innocent children.
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Truth Telling
Tribal Fires - Dumbartung
This episode of Tribal Fires titled ‘Truth Telling’ is a story about the heart of Reconciliation, identified as a truth telling process to bring awareness of history from an Aboriginal perspective to build a greater understanding for the future of Australia direct from the Uluru statement of the heart.
However this story shines light on the difficulties and uncertainties for those who tell these truths to ensure their safety and well-being from the backlash and racism that still exists within the social structures of Australia.
This episode gives recognition to those who have lost their lives in the pursuit of justice.
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Smoke
Tribal Fires - Dumbartung
This episode of Tribal Fires entitled ‘Smoke’, discusses ancient Aboriginal customs including spiritual healing from pre colonisation traditions to contemporary times.
Connections to old customs within the Aboriginal communities today are still very strong and require the appropriate cultural knowledge, understanding and ceremonies to ensure the spiritual well-being of our people.
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Entrenched
Tribal Fires - Dumbartung
This episode of Tribal Fires is entitled “Entrenched”.
It discusses the social empowerment of racial control of the Australian social systems.
We cover Dumbartung’s perspective of the recent federal election and the racist policies of the conservative right wing party, the Liberal coalition.
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Massacre Ground - 'The Song'
Tribal Fires - Dumbartung
This episode of Tribal Fires called Massacre Ground ‘The Song’, explains the meaning and background in the writing of the song.
We discuss the reason why it was important to record a message for our young people to understand the concept of telling our stories by our people as part of the need for truth telling.
Massacre Ground will be released shortly as a poem/affirmation on YouTube and will be promoted on our Social media platforms.
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The Maxim "May Our Campfires Burn Forever"
Tribal Fires - Dumbartung
This story of Tribal Fires center's on the Dumbartungs maxim, "May our Campfires Burn Forever". Its origin, purpose, and how NAIDOC eclipsed and whitewashed its true meaning and, without any form of consultation, used it in their 2024 slogan "Keep the Fire Burning."
This episode also gives evidence of other forms of cultural exploitation and is an ongoing tribute to the young people in our community, who will carry our stories into future generations.
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Hurt
Tribal Fires - Dumbartung
WARNING: This podcast contains story of personal loss through suicide.
This Tribal Fires episode is titled ‘Hurt’. This is a deeply personal story about the devastating loss of my only son through Suicide.
Suicide in Australia’s Indigenous communities is at a pandemic level.
This horrible reality is now affecting the youth and most concerningly young children are also becoming part of this statistic.
This podcast is the story of my son Rob (Bobbo) and the emotional journey My wife and I have been on since his passing. I hope this story will give strength to the parents who have lost children to suicide, and also give hope to any young person who may find themselves in a dark place to not give up.
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Stolen
Tribal Fires - Dumbartung
This episode of Tribal fires will explain in detail how the past government policy of the forced removal of children throughout the 20th century has had a lasting impact on generations of Indigenous Australians. Dumbartung was a major part of the redress program taking over 300 personal and extremely harrowing stories of institutional abuse. Intergenerational trauma is an ongoing issue within many indigenous families and this podcast will shed the light on the causes of these impacts.
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Burial Ground
Tribal Fires - Dumbartung
This Podcast entitled Burial Ground is a true story of a lived experience I had as a young man while camping in bushland in New South Wales at a place called Seals Rock. Unknown to me The site was a ancient traditional burial ground of the
Worimi People.
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Spiritual Colonisation
Tribal Fires - Dumbartung
This story is about the continued spiritual and cultural colonization of our culture and spirituality as Bibbulmun people.
It is the story of the Dumbartung declaration Jangga Meenya Bomunggur, a resistance against the exploitation of our culture and identity as Aboriginal people.
It tells of the work of Dumbartung to protect our precious cultural knowledge in the contemporary times.
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Atomic Kids
Tribal Fires - Dumbartung
This episode of Tribal Fires titled ‘Atomic Kids’, discusses the Indigenous perspective relating to Uranium and nuclear energy and the impact this will have on our culture, land and spirit.
We look at the history of atomic bomb tests in Australia and how this relates to the current environment where nuclear energy and nuclear submarines are now a current political and social priority of discussion.
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Boulders
Tribal Fires - Dumbartung
This episode titled ‘Boulders’, is an ancient tribal story of a young woman named Oolana who was in a promised marriage. Forsaking that marriage she broke the traditional law and fell in love with a warrior from a passing tribe. As this custom was forbidden she threw herself into the nearby river creating the formation of the Babinda Boulders as a result of her tears. Her spirit still resides in the water holes and over the year over 19 young men has drowned in these rockpools.
It is said that Oolana is still looking for her lost love and occasionally she entices young men into the waters never to be seen again.
I first visited this site as a young man and each time could feel the power from Ooolana’s spirit and along with others have managed to save 3 lives from certain peril.
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Apprehended
Tribal Fires - Dumbartung
This episode of Tribal Fires called Apprehended, reflects youth detention and juvenile social justice issues facing many Aboriginal peoples.
This story is based on the lived experience of Robert Eggington, the creator of Tribal Fires and his fight to clear his son (Bobbo Eggington R.I.P.) from false police charges in Western Australia.
This story also features Bobbo’s son Robert Joel Eggington who gives tribute through the songs of Archie Roach.
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Ostracised
Tribal Fires - Dumbartung
This episode of Tribal Fires titled ‘Ostracised’ is a reflection of Dumbartung’s history on the old Clontarf orphanage site in Manning, Western Australia.
It is a tribute to the orphans, some of which I had the honour of meeting and hearing their personal stories of struggle to survive.
The episode also tells of the political ostricisation of Dumbartung by successive governments to suppress our voice of truth telling and our rights as Aboriginal people to self determination.
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Shining
Tribal Fires - Dumbartung
This episode of Tribal Fires is a respected tribute story to three close advocates for the Dumbartung Aboriginal Corporation.
John Pilger; Journalist, author & film maker.
Irene Cunningham; Environmental historian, author
John Pell; Community servant, Elder
Since the beginning of Dumbartung these three amazing human beings have given their time, passion & commitment to help take the messages of Dumbartung across this country and the globe.
May you all rest in peace and your campfires burn forever.
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Powder
Tribal Fires - Dumbartung
This Podcast 'Powder', is a cry-out to our young people to be consciously aware of the scourge and devastation that powdered drugs such as Methamphetamine and Heroin has on our culture, families and communities.
This story is told through the lens of a lived experience, working in our communities over a 44 year period and seeing first hand the suffering and pain that addiction and trauma has inflicted on our people.
The transition to freedom and love for our people is to face these atrocities with the courage of heart of our ancestors.
May our campfires burn forever.
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Pearl Shell
Tribal Fires - Dumbartung
This Podcast ‘Pearl Shell’ is a tribute to the Bardi Elders of the One Arm Point Community in the North West Kimberley region of Western Australia.
It tells of the times that I shared and the knowledge gained from many years of travelling and exchanging ancient stories and customs.
The connection and the knowledge gleaned is still a guiding light today for Dumbartung’s ongoing work in all community spheres.
Although all the Elders have passed, Our respect and memories of this experience and friendhip is still cherished today.
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Wall of Shame - Nations go to war
Tribal Fires - Dumbartung
This video podcast titled Wall of Shame - Nations go to war, tells the story of the plundering and pillaging of cultural objects during the colonisation period of Indigenous lands.
We also discuss Dumbartungs wall of shame which has examples of cultural exploitation in varying forms. We also cover issues of racism that challenges our young generations on a daily basis.
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Vengeance
Tribal Fires - Dumbartung
This story titled ‘Vengeance’ looks back over 3 important decades of change and advancement for Aboriginal people. The 1970s, 80s and 90s reflects a time when self-determination and funding resources were extremely restrictive and Aboriginal people faced harsh government laws and policies. These policies kept Aboriginal people oppressed and excluded them from mainstream advancement. The story also reflects todays circumstances where Aboriginal people have benefited from recent inclusive opportunities. These mainstream policies have created an assimilated population that no longer resists the will to struggle for their rightful traditional ownership.
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A Cultural crime against Kyana
Tribal Fires - Dumbartung
During the last 2 decades Dumbartung has been approached by the state Lotterywest commission to offer their support to fund a Cultural truth telling centre.
During these meetings Dumbartung has been encouraged to believe that the funding was an obligation of trust by the Western Australian government. After being awarded a significant assessment award funded by Dept. of Prime Minister and Cabinet.
It was understood that the new gallery would be funded.
However recent discussions broke down after a 2 year process and a determination by Lotterywest that the funding requested by Dumbartung via the quantum surveyor exceeded their expectation and rejected the proposal.
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Irish Connection
Tribal Fires - Dumbartung
This important episode of Tribal Fires merged from meeting Irish songwriters, poets story collectors and actors in Perth, Western Australia while they were in town doing their own cultural performances. Two important Nyoongah Elders brought them into Dumbartung to meet with myself and Selina for a day of cultural sharing. This podcast titled Irish Connections is a result of our meeting.
This podcast focuses on both the Irish and Aboriginal histories and the legacies of forced occupation.
Our special guests are Manchan Megan & Eddie Sherlock
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Mumma Africa
Tribal Fires - Dumbartung
In 2017 Dumbartung toured Capetown, South Africa via the Savanna.
We met officially with a number of internationally known organisations and institutions, including; The District 6 museum, Archbishop Tutu Truth centre, The king of the Khoisan nation and a tour of Robben island prison where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned and wrote his famous autobiography - 'The long walk to freedom'.
We acknowledge the gratitude and kindness of the local people who hosted our visit.
This tour enabled us to benefit from discussions between our 2 nations who have both suffered genocide and the colonialism of the British empire.
This episode explores the deep traumas and legacies that still prevail today from past government policies.
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Black Cladding - Empire Building
48:41
Genocide
1:07:50
Truth Telling
1:05:26
Smoke
42:40
Entrenched
1:05:37
Massacre Ground - 'The Song'
1:04:30
The Maxim "May Our Campfires Burn Forever"
42:53
Hurt
1:09:10
Stolen
31:11
Burial Ground
1:12:10
Atomic Kids
1:01:38
Boulders
1:18:41
Apprehended
55:43
Ostracised
1:36:11
Shining
1:12:01
Powder
37:07
Ricochet : The story of colonial Australia
1:04:59
Pearl Shell
44:04
Wall of Shame - Nations go to war
56:43
Vengeance
1:05:53
A Cultural Crime Against Kyana (Part 2)
55:06
A Cultural crime against Kyana
1:04:26
Irish Connection
1:01:57
Mumma Africa
1:01:07