Keeping culture

Rick Griffiths

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Audio interview with Rick Griffiths, Coordinator, Mindaribba Local Aboriginal Land Council (LALC) Centre and Museum.

Recorded on January 30, 2001 at Minaribba LALC, NSW.
Interviewed by Cathie Payne and Peter White, Australian Museum
Sound recorded by Joshua Raymond, Australian Museum

Q. Rick could you introduce yourself and the Mindaribba Local Aboriginal Land Council (LALC) Centre and Museum.
My name's Rick Griffiths and I'm the coordinator of Mindaribba Local Aboriginal Land Council Centre and Museum. It's nice for me to express what it is about our Land Council, our Keeping Place and the other amenities that we currently have which are provided for. In the community of Maitland and surrounding areas, until we established our facility, there was virtually nothing in the Hunter Region that we were aware of that promoted the types of tools and the equipment that Aboriginal people used prior to invasion. In fact, I think the people more often than not tried very hard to destroy or hide most of it. There's very few people who I am aware of [that] have actually ... come forward [with materials and equipment]. ...We appealed in the papers on a couple of occasions for older people who did have materials or equipment ... handed down from generation to generation through all the farming communities [but] it was never forthcoming. I've got two stone axes, which we are very appreciative of. One stone adze and we're just trying to ascertain whether that's actually something that the Aboriginal people manufactured because the material itself appears to be somewhat foreign to the area. In the design and development of the whole facility, we believed, because of the entrenched racism in this area, that it was essential to have something that would promote the Aboriginal lifestyle - the way it used to be - and re-introduce a renaissance of some of that lifestyle with our kids nowadays because a lot of us seem to be so lost. The Americanisation of Aboriginal kids is something that's fairly hard for us - particularly us old people - to come to terms with. That's brought about by the fact that the media portrays such a negative image of our people, I believe. So we try to circumvent some of those things [with] the establishment of a Keeping Place at Mindaribba Local Aboriginal Land Council. ...Consensus at our meetings was total support for the establishment of a facility ... so ... we had to seek additional funds to ensure that we could build our keeping place - which we're extremely proud of.

Q. What does a Keeping Place and Cultural Centre mean to you and your community?
Well, previously during our discussion I talked about the renaissance of Aboriginal culture. We believe that it's the responsibility of our community to be able to display materials and artefacts that were used by older people to educate young Aboriginal children [and] adolescents. ...The Keeping Place is one of the key places where we are able to do that because we have facilities that are set up and we can then go through different stories with the kids about the types of materials that they used [and] how the [materials and artefacts] were made. It also instils a real sense of pride in some of the kids that come to be able to get access to that information which is extremely difficult to obtain anywhere else. At some stage we would like to see this extended - if there were any remains from the area that could be restored [or] repatriated, we would like to have some of those things - and we know that there are some remains from the area. We would certainly like to think that we could put them in there to rest.

Q. What is the story behind setting up the Mindaribba LALC Centre and Museum.
It was just a vision and a dream by 12 or 13 people [who were] totally committed. I had a look at a couple of different communities and they really struggled and our community was struggling at that point in time and we decided that for us to grow together we needed a focal point. We acquired this piece of land in 1989 under the Land Rights Act of 1983 and then we commenced writing to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC) who thought that the only [Aboriginal] population in Maitland was at the jail. We put together some submissions in the first instance [but] they weren't real successful. We continued to battle with ATSIC and some of the non-indigenous staff who at that stage weren't real sympathetic and I found out that 12 of the 24 counc ill ors at one stage lived in Maitland. So I lobbied those 12 counc ill ors and it's rather unusual to think that such a large proportion of the counc ill ors actually lived in the area. We needed a facility for people to meet, to run our core business which is the Land Council and we also had visions of a preschool at that point in time, and we had people who were involved with spirituality, churches and were looking for space. We thought it was appropriate if we could obtain funds to build a multi-purpose centre in the area. Henceforth we were successful. We obtained the funds from ATSIC to be able to build it. So it's one of the real success stories. The land was acquired through the Land Rights Act and the funding was provided by ATSIC. So that's true self-determination. I think a lot of the support that we had continued to grow because of the strong push from our community, the Aboriginal people and the fact that there was a lot of consistency with the management of council and accountability is very high.

Q. How important was the establishment of the Mindaribba LALC Centre and Museum to you and your community?
The establishment of the cultural centre was always very high on the list of things that were required by our community. It was never an afterthought. We thought it was essential because of the lack of education that's provided to the general community. But, more importantly, [we thought it was essential for] our kids [to learn] about their history and their heritage. ...We believed it was essential to have such a facility to ensure that our kids at least have access to the types of things that we want to promote within our own community and share with other people if they feel that they would like to visit just to have a look at past practices and what was used.

Q. Why was the Mindaribba LALC Centre and Museum set up?
The cultural centre was set up for a number of reasons but more importantly to provide a Keeping Place for materials ... from the local area, to display and house materials that we wanted to exhibit, [and to] educate or promote Aboriginal history and heritage to the broader community.

Q. What did the community want from the establishment of a Keeping Place ?
The community felt that there was still a lot of missing information in relation to this particular area. We are a diverse range of people. What we really wanted was to provide information and materials to educate our kids in the types of tools and implements that were used prior to colonisation and invasion and the methods of how they were made and to promote a more positive image of Aboriginal people. We believe that the only way to deliver these messages or provide that information was through the establishment of our Keeping Place with the material on [display] so that we could continue to take our kids through.

Q. What does your Centre currently do?
Our centre currently does a multitude of things. We have a Museum or Keeping Place . We have a preschool that is run two days a week. We have a library with print and audio information. We lend people books and cassettes and some videos. We run cultural camps for some of the more disadvantaged kids in the region. We're just in the process of establishing another gymnasium and our core operation is the acquisition and claim of crown land as under the Land Rights Act of 1983. We provide affordable homes or housing for members of the Land Council and it's usually allocated on a needs basis. With certain, gained sponsorship, we've actually sent seven kids to New Zealand to the World Indigenous Youth Conference in Waitangi, in 1998 and we believe that that was one of the highlights for some of the adolescents in the area because they really got a lot out of the social interaction with other Indigenous people from all over the world. Again that's still a part of the education process we're trying to slowly implement into the council itself.

Q. How did you go about setting up the Cultural Centre?
A. There were a lot of barriers in the first instance. We were trying to acquire materials that we thought were appropriate for the general public and appropriate for our people, particularly materials from the region. The State Land Council had an exhibition which they purchased and had stored somewhere and I think that from memory I spoke to a relation of mine who alluded to the fact that it was at the Australian Museum . I then wrote to Aden Ridgeway who was the Director General at the time and he gave approval for Mindaribba Land Council to borrow the exhibition and put it on display and from knowledge I think it's on a permanent loan basis.

Q. What obstacles did you have to overcome in establishing the Keeping Place /Museum?
I think the major obstacles that we first encountered were people [who] didn't treat the Land Council with the respect that it deserved and were not forthcoming in offering materials that they had or information about how to acquire or obtain the sorts of things that we wanted to display. It was only through sheer persistence and good luck that we were able to obtain the sorts of things that we have, and the fact that the State Land Council didn't even know they had bought [the exhibition] and stored it at the museum.

The exhibition was purchased by the State Land Council at auction to save it from going overseas or going into the hands of private buyers. We are really grateful for the fact that we knew it was there and were able to obtain it in front of all the other people because there was a genuine interest shown by two or three other organisations ... to acquire that exhibition. It was purchased at auction so that it would be kept in Australia and we're extremely proud of the fact that not only did we get it but we [can] ... present it and people actually enjoy coming into the museum to view what we have there. Occasionally the exhibition material gets changed around but the majority of the stuff is still there, and the additions are stuff that is normally located within the area during some archaeological surveys and two or three people were kind enough to donate materials that they picked up or was handed down to them.

Q. Was there something that happened when you were establishing the Mindaribba LALC Centre and Museum that was really easy?
I think that during the three years that it took us to get it to the stage where we actually had the launch of our museum along with the official opening of our centre, the easiest part I've found - and the community would support what I'm saying - is the fact that the Australian Museum in their Indigenous Outreach program were very cooperative and provided additional resources that were required to make the facility what it is today. We're grateful for the fact there are people who are totally committed to the type of facility that we have and provide resources for communities. If it hadn't have been for the Australian Museum we wouldn't have known that there was an exhibition. The State Land Council didn't even know it was there.

Q. What type of funding did you initially seek for your Keeping Place /Museum and Cultural Centre?
The type of funding that we initially sought to establish the multi-purpose centre was money that could build the place we wanted. It was Australian dollars unfortunately [laughs] - funding options in those days were limited. Mainstream was extremely difficult to deal with. The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission were extremely supportive for the establishment of the overall facility. [The funds from ATSIC] came out of national funds and that area has since been closed. We were the last community to obtain funds for a multi-purpose centre. Funding for the Museum is normal - just one off, small grants wherever we can get access to funds to be able to either increase or promote the facility.

Q. Who have you actually got the funds from to establish your Keeping Place /Museum?
A limited amount of funding from ATSIC ... and the Australian Museum Outreach Program gave us a thousand dollars. [Also], there were two beautiful display cabinets and model that were put together by the Roads and Traffic [ Authority] . That was part of an agreement with a major excavation that took place on the F3 freeway. The material displayed in those two cabinets is material that's come out of that excavation which was one of the biggest in the Southern Hemisphere and the model itself is a replica of what we envisaged the area was like prior to occupation or the development of suburbs around it. It was an area close to the wetlands and it's a good talking point for kids that come in, particularly when you go out there and all you see is concrete and tar.

Q. What influence do you think your Cultural Centre has had on your community?
A. We believe that the centre has had a really positive influence on our community and I think that there is a healthy respect by the broader community for our centre. It's quite well used and we try to do and run the sorts of things that our community require whenever possible to ensure that they have access to it because after all it is their centre.

Q. What makes your Keeping Place /Museum and Cultural Centre special?
We believe we are in the centre of the universe. We believe that every community should have a centre the same as we have and we get annoyed to see people who have worked in or been in positions of power and their communities are still floundering. The other thing that makes our centre special is that we have a preschool two days a week and we believe that we're building the foundation for our future with these kids. We have a centre that our people can come and feel comfortable. We have a centre that our people can come and read and research material or information. We have a centre where people come to church and express and stay in touch with their spirituality. We have a museum which we believe is as good as if not better than any other in the region and materials that we have on display are as good as or probably better than any other gallery in the region. It's all authentic and we have a centre that is owned, controlled and run by Aboriginal people in its entirety. And we have a centre that really supports all parts of our community, whether they are members of the council or not.

Q. What advice would you give to a community who was looking at setting up a Cultural Centre?
The main advice I'd give to any new community that is seriously considering setting up a cultural centre, is to stay focussed, be strong, don't let one or two individuals derail the process and lobby whoever the relevant ministers are, your own local politicians and more importantly the black politicians that we have in power now to ensure that they get the type of support that is required. And don't take no for an answer because we wouldn't take no for an answer and contact the existing organisations that have a facility if possible to find out what they done rather than trying to reinvent the wheel because they may be able to give you information that short circuits the process or puts you in touch with people who make decisions about funding - which is extremely important.

Q. How extensive is the local Aboriginal community in the Mindaribba/Maitland region and what influence do you think the Cultural Centre has had on the community?
We have quite an extensive community and it's growing all the time. At the last census I think there were 900 people, but there's also that many again who wouldn't tick or answer the question about whether they were an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander. So there could be 50% of those people again who are of Aboriginal descent. We found that since the operation of our centre, a lot more people are identifying as of Aboriginal descent and we've assisted some of those people in trying to relocate extended family members and or relations in the local area and around the state. That's something we've found is a great benefit to a lot of the communities and also it puts people in touch with family that they previously wouldn't have any contact with and ... some of them didn't even know they existed.

Q. How does the Mindaribba LALC Centre and Museum benefit the community?
I think one of the key roles that the centre has played with families that have been relocated to the area [and have] struggled to acknowledge or associate with each other [is the fact that] ... the type of environment and the image that the council projects is so positive that people come and sort of forget about past feuds that have gone on in different communities and the interactions are far more positive. It's been really good because you find that there is larger involvement by some of these families and it sort of spreads our network even further because they quite often have visits from families from where they come from and they come over and make a point of showing them through the facility that we have, like the Museum and the preschool, and because they're proud of the community's achievements. During the setting up of the facility, one of the things that should be really highlighted was the fact that the community was really solid and supported each other. While there wasn't total consensus or agreement on everything at the end of the day, if the executive hadn't had the support of the full community, I don't think we would have achieved what we have achieved in such a short period of time. Working at the [ Land] Council itself, I'm only too grateful for the support of all the Aboriginal people in the Maitland area, and further afield because they really have been wonderful. I believe that the community grows with the [ Land] Council itself and we all prosper together as opposed to [just] a few people [benefiting].

Q. Did people come here with different suggestions and ideas about how to develop the Centre?
The centre itself provides that opportunity for people irrespective of whether they're an active member [of the Land Council], or just a member of the Aboriginal community. If they have something that they believe has merit, they get a good hearing and all the support that we can offer at the council. We've just finished an application for Age and Disability Department (ADD), that's the Home and Community Care (HAC) funding with community options and I mean that wasn't something that the council identified as being something that we wanted to really get into, but we identified that the need was there. But it took other people from our community to say, hey, there's unmet needs and we really need to apply for this funding to see if we can provide those services sadly lacking. So we don't know if we are going to be successful but we'll probably have the best application that the department receives. If we're not, we'll be somewhat disappointed, but it does provide a vehicle for anyone [from] the community to [put] forward something that is innovative or maybe creative or just provide the type of services or run programs that they're interested in and it's going to benefit the community itself.

Q. How important has the media been in promoting and developing awareness of the Mindaribba LALC Centre and Museum and Aboriginal identity?
The media has been to a large degree extremely supportive. We have special functions and you can send out press releases and you get one of the major radio stations [turning] up. We had a launch for Heritage Month for Maitland in 2000 at our centre and the key speaker was Dr B ill Jonas, the Human Rights Commissioner, and there was a large contingent of media personalities from NBN, Prime television, 2HD, 2NC radio and of course the print media - the Newcastle Herald and the Maitland Mercury - the local paper. By and large we get great support whenever we have any sort of function from these major stations, the radio and the major newspapers in the area - so there's nothing that happens that isn't recorded or reported. They also quite often ask us to comment on negative statements attributed to senior politicians and or Aboriginal politicians for that matter and sometimes we comment and other times we just let them slide. I think most of them are always looking to do some good news stories and you know most of our stories are good news. The exposure that is given by the media is one that's been really positive and I think it's good for the self-esteem of all our young kids to read those sorts of stories.

Q. Has the Centre helped the community to establish other cooperative links with other community organisations?
In the establishment of our centre, we've developed coalitions or working relationships with Black Creek in Cessnock and we have a great working relationship with the people up there. Some of those people are now members of our council, Ungonu at Singleton, who are really struggling to establish and we're assisting wherever we can with that organization. We have a working relationship where we can assist in any of those organisations in whatever they are trying to achieve. Sometimes it's difficult because sometimes we're competing for funds in the same area and it's every man for himself. But we do some things together and usually they're quite successful.

Q. Could you give us an example of achieving a goal in this area?
A. We were initially granted $490, 000 to establish our facility and then because it ran over the next year I reapplied and got an extra $80,000, so it went to around about $570,000. I had to reapply again, or write to ATSIC and ask if we could roll the money over until the next financial year and before the letter went, ATSIC council was meeting in, I think, Lismore. And one of the communities - a remote community from up the far north coast - was struggling for funds to put running water on at the community and we had $160,000 that needed to be rolled over and ATSIC asked if we would mind if they used that money. We immediately notified the council and ATSIC staff management that money was there to benefit or be used by whichever communities could get the best benefits from it and we would wait until the next allocation came. They were certainly appreciative of that, the fact ... that ATSIC had the money to put running water on at the community and [that] we reapplied for additional funds to build the preschool. From memory, there were 24 counc ill ors and there was total consensus that they support the additional fund for the establishment of a preschool at Mindaribba Land Council. That wasn't the reason why we did it though. The reason we did it was because we couldn't use it at that particular time. The financial year had ended where they had to seek approval from ATSIC to roll the funds over. I think if they wanted to be heavy handed they actually could have taken the surplus back but before it got to any of that we offered the money back to the department to be used for that particular community and by doing that ... we were the real winners because we got additional funding. Well, there were two winners - the community got their running water and we got additional funds to build the preschool. The gesture itself was done because it is fairly difficult to live without water but it wasn't politically motivated. It was because those people were doing it tough up there.

Q. Could you tell us about the design of the building?
I believe that the rain, for me personally, adds something to the interview. That was half the reason the building was built the way it was. It wasn't because of costing. It's a reflection of my childhood. People didn't quite understand where I was coming from in relation to that, but I grew up in corrugated iron shacks and going through all the design s with the architects we believe, well, I believe, at that particular point in time, it was essential that we had something that everyone in the area could identify with. Also you see the bag over the windows and people say it's there because of part of an exhibition but it's not really. It's a part of the sorts of things that we used as partitions and divides when we were younger in our tin shacks - and they were only two room shacks anyhow but most of them where I grew up lived in kerosene tin huts and tin shacks.

End of interview

Credits

Contact details

Peter White
Aboriginal Project Officer
Aboriginal Heritage Unit
Email: Email Peter White