National Gallery of Australia | Audio Tour | National Indigenous Art Triennial 07

Richard BELL, Psalm singing 2007


Listen Later

IFWECAN’TEXPECTPROTECTIONFROMTHELAW,THENHOWCANWEBEEXP
ECTEDTORESPECTTHELAW?OURYOUNGPEOPLE,PARTICULARLYYOUNG
MALES,AREROUTINELYCRIMINALISEDFORMINOROFFENCESTHATRAREL
YATTRACTSPOLICEACTIONINWHITENEIGHBOURHOODDS.YOUHAVECON
VINCEDYOURSELVESTOBELIEVETHATABORIGINALPEOPLEAREDIRTY,LA
ZY,LYING,DRUNKENCRIMINALS.BUT,DEEPD.OWNYOUKNOWTHATYOUAR
ERIPPINGUSOFF.YOUKNOWTHATWEDON’TGETA‘FAIRGO’.WORSE,YOUKN
OWWEHAVENEVERHADAFAIRGOINTHIS,OUROWNCOUNTRY.THENYOUJUS
TIFYTHEACTIONSOFYOURFOREBEARS.YOUDENYANYEVIDENCETHATCLAI
MSVIOLENCEBYYOURANCESTORSAGAINSTABORIGINALPEOPLE.THENYO
UABSOLVETHEMOFANYBLAMEFORSOMETHINGTHATYOUCLAIMTHEYNEV
EREVERDIDINTHEFIRSTPLACE.NOTTOOFARFROMTHISRATIONALISATION
YOUARRIVEATTHECONCLUSIONTHATWESHOULDACTUALLYBETHANKFU
LTHATITWASTHEENGLISHWHO‘CONQUERED’AUSTRALIARATHERTHANTH
EFRENCHOR,GODFORBID,THESPANISHORDUTCHORPORTUGESE.YOUHOL
DTHATWEMUSTBEETERNALLYGRATEFULFORTHEGREATFAVOURYOURAN
CESTORDIDFORUSBYDISPOSSESSINGUS.WESHOULDBENOLESSGRATEFUL
FOREVERYBITOFWELFARETHROWN OURWAYEVENTHOUGHYOUWILLBEGR
UDGEUSEVERYSINGLETHINGTHATWEGET.YOUMAKEUPLIESABOUTUSTOE
XPIATEYOURGUILT…BEWARNED…JUDGEMENTDAYCOMETH.
...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

National Gallery of Australia | Audio Tour | National Indigenous Art Triennial 07By National Gallery of Australia