Festival divides Indigenous community

(Transcript from World News Australia Radio)

A rift over a multicultural music festival in South Australia's Flinders Ranges has exposed deep divisions in an Indigenous community and led to calls for an overhaul of its management.

The "Hands around the world" Ikara Cultural Gathering near the majestic Wilpena Pound aims to together Indigenous people for musical celebrations from March 19 to 23.

Its organisers include members of the local Adnyamathanha community, and the event aims to raise money for renal dialysis equipment for the region, several hours drive north of Adelaide.

However Adnyamathanha Traditional Lands Association chairman Vincent Coulthard wants the event stopped, claiming it will disturb local spirits.

As Karen Ashford reports, the dispute has raised questions about community leadership and decision making processes.

"We have amazing people coming - we have Kerrianne Cox, a brilliant singer songwriter from the Kimberly. She's coming as a musician. We have Bunna Lawrie, uncle Bunna Lawrie, he holds the Mirning dreaming, beautiful man, he's coming to country. We also have a Maori elder coming to share her culture and to learn from our elders, we have a Hawaiian elder coming with her dancer, we have amazing people coming and everybody is welcome to come."

Deb Nanschild's excitement about helping organise the Ikara festival isn't shared by the chairman of the Adnyamathanha Traditional Lands Association, Vincent Coulthard.

"We will welcome cultural events around Aboriginal culture happening on our country anywhere, but when it comes to mixed cultures doing things not necessarily from that area, that can have any sort of effect on our spirituality, then we do not welcome that."

Mr Coulthard is trying to stop the event and has warned that anyone attending will be doing so against the wishes of elders and is not welcome in the region.

"Bringing foreign instruments like drums, bringing in for that matter didjeridoo, into this part of the world is a foreign object, foreign musical instrument, that could disturb our spiritual ancestors."

Ms Nanschild says no drums or didjerdoos are planned for the event, and points out Mr Coulthard's family uses foreign instruments when they play guitars around a campfire to entertain tourists.

Another organiser Lynne Edmondson, whose partner Joseph Mackenzie is an Adnyamathnha man undergoing dialysis, says many Adnyamathana elders support the event and plan to attend.

"We've had advice, and so have ATLA that there's no way they can legally stop what we're doing - we're on private property, we have no intention of doing anything in any way to harm anybody or anything - we're just a beautiful group of people wanting to support a really good cause."

According to Mr Coulthard, elders have previously opposed a gathering during the 1990s which involved the use of crystals and chanting out of concern about the effect these foreign rituals could have on local spirits.

He says mainstream religions wouldn't accept the practice of foreign rituals in their places of worship and the same applies here.

"Wilpena Pound is a very sacred place, I mean look at it from the perspective of the Vatican. Now if these people were to go and carry out some sort of function in the Vatican, or carry out any sort of ceremony in the Vatican it would be quite offensive to the Catholic religion, well this is the same here in Wilpena Pound. Wilpena is a very sacred place to my people because it's a men's site, and having people completely, just anyone going in there and certainly with women, to carry out any sort of ceremony or ceremonial activity there without having the traditional owners could have all kinds of repercussions."

Elder Charlie Jackson, who was the state's first ATSIC and then Native Title commissioner, says there have been many musical festivals in the Flinders Ranges in the past and the ATLA should take a neutral position.

Mr Jackson thinks there's a simple compromise.

"Traditional owners should say to the spirits "look, we would like you to be able to protect us. We have also brought other family members along that they want to be able to enjoy our country as well, and we would like you to look after them." So that the spirit, our spirits can actually protect those people. And that's normal, that's normal practice for all Aboriginal people to do that."

Mr Jackson says other activities such as mining and associated site clearances by people who may not be properly skilled potentially pose a greater threat to culture than a concert, and he thinks the community would be wise to reflect on its own standards.

He says the Adnyamathanha are sitting on rich resources and some in the community are questioning why they're not enjoying greater benefits, such as being able to afford renal equipment without needing a benefit concert.

Mr Jackson thinks what started as a small dispute over a festival has exposed deeper issues.

"I think what this festival is, while it has not been put in place to undermine Adnyamathanha culture, but I think what's happened now is it's actually brought some of the concerns that Adnyamathanha people have had for a long, long time to the surface, and what we need to do now as Adnyamathanha people, we need to deal with it and be able to bring it to the attention of the Adnyamathanha Traditional Lands Association and let them know for example that we have, we do have concerns about the way that ATLA is currently being managed on behalf of the Adnyamathanha people. "

The argument has become bitter, with Mr Coulthard questioning the Aboriginality of organiser Deb Nanschild.

Ms Nanschild claims she's been bullied and threatened by people she believes are linked to ATLA.

Both sides have appealed to the state government to intervene.

Mr Coulthard wants the event vetoed under the Aboriginal Heritage Act.

"It's on private premises, but those private premises don't take away our native title rights, or those private premises cannot take away our heritage. The Aboriginal Heritage Act protects sites no matter where they are."

Ms Nanschild is asking authorities to ensure the safety of festival goers.

"Well once we realised what might be happening, the organisers who are in country, who are there at the moment, have contacted police, realising that there could be some problems. So police have been notified and we also notified the rangers, but just for the safety of the people and the safety of the event we just let police know and let the local rangers know. "

A spokeswoman for State Aboriginal Affairs Minister Ian Hunter says the gathering is taking place on private land and the Minister has limited powers to intervene but is taking advice on options available to him.

She says the Minister is encouraging the parties to enter into further discussions to attempt to resolve issues in a way that is respectful of the beliefs of the traditional owners of the land.