Kevin
Hi, you are listening to the SBS Learn English podcast...
Josipa
…where we help Australians to speak, understand and connect.
Kevin
That’s right! My name is Kevin and I’m a proud Ngarrindjeri man from Ngarrindjeri country in South Australia.
Josipa
I am Josipa, and I have so much to learn about the fascinating Aboriginal culture.
Kevin
So, what do you want to learn today, Josipa?
Josipa
Can you please talk about Dreamtime? What is Dreamtime and why is it important for your mob?
Kevin
The word Dreamtime is meaningful to most Aboriginal people connected to their culture. Dreamtime are stories that explain their creation stories for their country. Dreamtime stories teach lessons, set law and much more.
For example, Josipa, this one of many Dreamtime stories of my people, the Ngarrindjeri people. This Dreamtime story is called Thukeri.
It is about two men who went fishing. So, these two men were out fishing, and they caught many fish, way too much fish for only two men. Another blackfella approached them.
The man asked them for some fish to eat as he was hungry. The two fishermen hid their catch in their canoe and lied to the man that they only had enough to eat for themselves. They were greedy and wouldn’t share with him.
This blackfella was Ngurunderi, our Dreamtime creator. He knew the men were lying and being greedy, so Ngurunderi cursed the fish they had, because of their lies and deceitful ways. The fish was cursed and instantly had too many bones and became unable to eat.
Thukeri, was the name of the fish, which is now known as the Bony Bream. It is the sweetest tasting fish, but you cannot eat the fish anymore because it has way too many bones. This is a reminder and a lesson of what happens when you are greedy and lie.
Josipa
That’s a great story, Kevin!
Kevin
You heard me call Ngurunderi who is the Dreamtime creator a blackfella. A lot of Aboriginal refer to themselves as a ‘blackfella’ or refer to other Aboriginal people as ‘blackfellas’.
We say ‘blackfella’ because we belong to one of the oldest living cultures on earth that originate from Black people. And that’s why we use the term blackfella.
Josipa
And if I were to use the word blackfella, would that be considered offensive to your people?
Kevin
Well, personally I find it not offensive but it depends on how you ask the question and the context of the question and it depends where you go.
I know that in regional centres throughout Australia, a lot of non Indigenous have grown up with, went to school, played sport with a lot of Aboriginal people, and they do refer to Aboriginals as blackfellas.
Josipa
So, what other terms can I use to talk about Aboriginal people in a respectful way that doesn’t offend anyone?
Kevin
Recently the term First Nations people is often being used. And since there are 250 First Nations people in Australia, I love saying, "Many Nations, One Mob".
Josipa
What other ways do you reference yourselves?
Kevin
Besides the First Nations people, we can say Indigenous, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders. I'm personally not offended by the word blackfella. And I am of fair skin but my mum, she is very very black. And then I do have a lot of people, non Indigenous people, saying, "Oh, you are not really Aboriginal," because of my fair skin. Well, I always say this to them, and I use it as one of my jokes.
You noticed that us, Aboriginal people, we come in all different shades and colours. You can kind of compare us like coffees because my mum literally is short black. My next door neighbour, we like to think of him as a fat, I mean a flat white, but i like to think of myself as a hot chocolate.
But the true is, I'm a mochaccino. You know, people always say to me, "Oh you must be a half caste or 1/4, or 1/16," and I always tell them that no matter how much milk you put in coffee, it's still coffee.
Josipa
Do you have a song for us today?
Kevin
Here's a snippet of one of my favourite old bands called Goanna. This song is called 'Solid Rock'.
[music by Goanna - Solid Rock]
