Anangu Senior Law Man Murray George lives by the Anangu customary law, the first law and offers support to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to come back to the law so he can support everybody.
Mr George was born in Ernabella South Australia and lives in South Australia. He travels each year with his family to perform the Inma ceremony at the Tjungu festival. In this podcast he speaks in Pitjantjatjara and English.
Disclaimer: Mr George speaks from himself and his law, he speaks multiple languages. This is his way of answering my questions in English and he answers the questions in Pitjantjatjara first.
Kirstyn Lindsay: The Tjungu Festival is about coming together, can you talk about today and why you're here?
Mr Murray George: I'm supporting the Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara, I'm from Anangu Pitjantjatjara country and I'm supporting a lot of tribes that join in Ayers Rock. From there we got to think about better thinking, better right for Anangu, we're still alive, I'm still alive with my language. Any Aboriginal people want to join in, we can talk, we can work em out. we can make Australia better.
There a lot of people coming here to watch me dancing today, there's a lot of people. Not only Pitjantjatjara people, a lot of white people too here too you know. I don't want to say white, I've got to say Anangu we are here today and people come and watch us for dancing. I'm doing PR for everybody.
Thanks for listening because I don't come to one area. I travel around everywhere, Melbourne, Sydney, Canberra, Laura Festival. I talk about the same thing. I'm still alive, I'm supporting you people. So you've got to be strong for your country.
Talk to your government and make it better for your country.
Anangu law, Anangu culture is the first law is number one, the first law from Australia today. I need people to support our culture you know, because this culture is still alive and we want to see it happen, it's just important for Aboriginal people. It doesn't matter if they've lost the language, I'll be there, we'll be there, everyone will be there supporting each other.
Anangu customary law
Kirstyn Lindsay: I've seen something where you talk about customary law must be first before the Commonwealth law or Australian government law, what would you like to see?
Mr Murray George: I just want to speak my language first on the Radio. I'm putting it through to everyone around Australia so everyone can hear me. I was supporting all Anangu (people) to come in one. So when I was working for APY, I tell the people all Anangu have to come together. I was born in Ernabella, Pitjantjatjara and my other family is Yankunytjatjara. We've got to think about the first customary law was on the land. King George come to Australia and a lot of people have got to support that. Anangu law, Anangu culture is the first law is number one, the first law from Australia today. I need people to support our culture you know, because this culture is still alive and we want to see it happen, it's just important for Aboriginal people. It doesn't matter if they've lost the language, I'll be there, we'll be there, everyone will be there supporting each other. So we've got to work together in Australia an bring it back. So the government have to to think about the first law from Australia is still alive today. I can talk my language very well, but I don't want to talk for myself I've got to support everybody around Australia.
Isolation and resonance of customary law
Kirstyn Lindsay: Do you feel isolated because you want to have that message out to people, do you feel isolated because the message isn't as clear?
Mr Murray George: I'm just going to bring it out in language first. I'm putting this through to you people, we have to make it stronger, this is the first law before white man come to Australia.
Kirstyn Lindsay: At the moment there's a lot of talk about Constitutional Recognition and some people are for it, some people are saying that the Australian Government isn't a legal government, it's a corporation that's not legal (by customary law) because of the first law here. With the Constitutional Recognition, what do you think? What would be your message to the people around that?
Mr Murray George: I'm putting through to in my language to you people, you people have to support this one. Customary law was on the ground in the sky, everywhere. Strong law. I want you people to come back, because you people have a better education from government education. Think about it, you got to turn back. You got to see your country and make it better for us so we can all work together.
Customary law was on the ground in the sky, everywhere. Strong law.
Business, mining and the health of the country
Kirstyn Lindsay: I don't want to upset you but there is a lot happening with the politics and some of the business issues around mining and there's a lot of issues that's happening to the country and the health of the country. What's your message about that? Do you think that they need to go back and use renewable energy and solar power instead of using that electricity that's everyone's crying out for?
Mr Murray George: I feel very sad when I see things happening, we have to think about it. We've got to do something for our country because we've lost everything from Australia. Not only Pitjantjatjara people, everywhere all around Australia too. They lost our country. And to mining of our country we should have ownership. "Not to one person, it's supposed to be on everybody to own the land and saying to culture, it's saying you people are really owner under crown mineral.
Kirstyn Lindsay: Within the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island community, a lot of people aren't at peace with their own people and do you think when they're talking about treaty, do you think people would like to have peace with their own community and nations first? What would you like to see?
Mr Murray George:When I heard that name called Treaty: white mans words, I wasn't really clear with that. But I really understand about Aboriginal is the owner to their country and Tjukurpa, not to one person. That's for everybody. If I'm a leader, work for government. I have to talk to government, I have to talk to government now. I don't want to speak on behalf of my business. I want to speak on behalf of everybody and this is the way we can fit in the white mans business, you know.
Tjungu Festival!Anangu Senior Law Man Murray George dancing at the Inma Opening Ceremony. Ayers Rock Resort Yulara April 2017. Source: Kirstyn Lindsay SBS Radio Living Black
Kirstyn Lindsay: In the Northern Territory they are having a Royal Commission into the Protection and Detention of Children and over the years since the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody there's been a lot of issues in the way that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have been treated and they way that they are put in prison. What would be your message about these young people that have been in custody and some of the evidence, what's coming out of it?
Mr Murray George: Yeah I'm just going to bring it out our business first from Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara. We had a lot of problem with APY and young people get in a lot of trouble and they go to jail and nobody help. No help, but I'm passing to you people because you people have a better education from Australia, whatever what language you are, you still long to us. Because that's the law, Aboriginal people own this. An when the first law older country was really good and white man come to Australia with the politic, with a lot of things you know. They twist it round with their handwriting, with the date, with the months oh everything. And that's not on in our law. You people should say no, it's not right for us. So I'm talking on behalf of you people we have to forget about this white mans law. We have to say white man, just a minute, you were born in Australia, you belong to us.
So don't use overseas law from a different country from England, so white man and black man they all got to come together and make it one voice for people you know. We don't fight with own people you know.
White man education is bad for people you know, we have to say, we have to work together with the white man education, with our language, with their language, we all got to come in as one.
Solutions and the first law on children in prison
Kirstyn Lindsay: When you talk about coming as one, when you've got those solutions would you like more young people have the opportunity to sit with elders and to have that time to learn about themselves properly without the issues around the abuse of being incarcerated and learning another way?
Murray George: Yeah ,that's why people not understand because when the white man law come in to Australia, not white people living in Australia, the first law come to Australia, make it that we can't listen to own people, they listen to white people all the time. Now I'm putting it to you people this is a lot of problem happen throughout Australia. So we have to bring it back Anangu, the whole lot. Put it this one to the Minister and say and this is what we wanted from you. So we all got to work together.
It doesn't matter about the mineral or putting the young people in jail when in trouble. Don't do it that way! Work together please! Think about it like that!
Tjungu Festival. Traditional welcome and Inma ceremony by Anangu Senior Elders Murray George and Alison Hunt. Voyages Ayers Rock Resort Yulara. Source: Kirstyn Lindsay SBS Radio Living Black