Message to those Attending the Canberra protest for Indigenous People

"This is a message and story for all the Balanda [white people] who are doing the protest for Indigenous people about the new laws of ‘the Intervention’.

Our home is a small community by the sea in North East Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory, called MataMata.

Before, we thought that it was safe to allow the new government to share our canoe. But now we can feel they are paddling in the opposite direction. Now it’s too difficult and hard for Yolngu people.

It doesn’t matter that the government has changed – their attitudes haven’t changed. The two governments are both in their own world. They are both in their different world without the Indigenous people.

We’re feeling threatened by the new laws. We’re not comfortable because we don’t know where they are taking us. We are Yolngu and we don’t know what’s beyond, because we come from different backgrounds. These new laws are being introduced just by Balanda. The governments are just making their decisions from their office, just from thinking in their office. They aren’t visiting us, or sitting down with as. Nothing. Just from thinking.

Balanda and Yolngu are born in different worlds. But now these worlds aren’t connecting and Balanda are always interfering in our world.

We’re getting sick and tired of being told what to do – how about the government leave us alone to make our own decisions – because we have our law, and it’s a strong law. We’ve got Yolngu ways of sorting out problems.

We want time to think, organise ourselves and do things our own way so we can balance the two laws: Balanda law and Yolngu law.

Our Yolngu law stays the same. It never changes. But Balanda law keeps changing from day to week to month. They like the saltwater tide coming in and going out, burning our land and our people every time.

How about the government change thier law again to leave us alone because we are telling you that our law won’t change. We’re passing our law on from generation to generation here on our homeland.

Thankyou for listening to us. We appreciate all of you people that are protesting today because we feel like we are in the middle of the cyclone out here in the bush. Many other Yolngu are feeling the same.

Thankyou for fighting this government about these new laws. Even though we don’t know you, we feel like we are in the same canoe. Canberra is a long way but our heart is there with you.

Yours Sincerely,

People of the Burrarwanga, Gumatj clan nation".