Tune in for another episode of Let’s Talk Black Arts with Rachael Sarra, as Rachael catches up with film-maker, photographer and Triple A icon, Siena Mayutu Wurmarri Stubbs.
For this special ANZAC day edition of the show, Rachael & Siena begin by reflecting on the continuing erasure of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people’s contributions in wartime. Siena shares some of her Grandfather’s story, as one of the men enlisted by the government to form part of the “Northern Territory Special Reconnaissance Unit” in 1941. This unit included 51 Yolgnu men, and 6 Pacific and Torres Strait Islanders, all recruited to patrol the coastline of Darwin for signs of Japanese attack. They were trained to use guerrilla tactics, and the unit mobilised their deep knowledge of the land and resources. Siena reflects on the fact that none of these men ever received payment for their service (other than rations of tobacco and fishing and hunting supplies), and they received no back-pay or medals for service until 1993, over 50 years since the unit was disbanded. As Rachael & Siena reflect, these personal histories help show how the commemoration of war in this country remains profoundly uneven, obscuring both the frontier wars fought over this continent by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, as well as the contribution of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in so-called australia’s military.
We then shift the conversation to learn a bit more about Siena’s own creative journey: from her childhood in Yirrkala in North East Arnhem Land, growing up rich in Yolgnu law, culture and creativity; to her ongoing experimentation with diverse creative mediums, from music to writing and finally documentary photography and film-making. We learn a little about Siena’s experience of moving from Yirrkala to so-called brisbane, and what it meant for her to grow up with such a deep sense of home, belonging, and responsibility. Rachael and Siena talk about why photography and documentary film-making matter for First Nations communities, and why it’s important that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people create their own archives of culture, creativity, community, and Country. And we learn what drives Siena’s passion for film-making and photography, and what she hopes her work can contribute to the ongoing struggle for land back, liberation, and an end to colonial occupation.
