July 16, 2024 • 33 mins
The Find and Tell finale continues as Mark and Ben battle it out over the theme Lost In Translation. This week we hear from Ben.
In passing conversation at a Christchurch pub, Ben discovered that all New Zealander's learn the Māori language in school. This left Ben wondering why he was never taught his Aboriginal language and he seeks out an answer. Ben's search leads him into deeper questions about Australian Aboriginal language preservation and the ownership of cultural knowledge - and even has his own mind changed.
At end of this episode Jamila Rizvi will crown our Find And Tell Champion, who will it be, Mark Mariano or Ben Haywood?
If you enjoyed Find and Tell, leave a review and share it with your friends.
Find And Tell is co-production between BlakCast & iHeart Australia.
Hosted by Jamila Rizvi
Storytellers are Naeun Kim, Mark Mariano, Ben Haywood & Kate Robinson
Show Producer is Jay Gasser
Mix & Mastering by Ryan Pemberton
Story producers are Indianna Symons, Ryan Pemberton, James Parkinson & Grace Richardson
Theme music by Alex Cox
Video production by All Things All Creatures @allthingsallcreatures
Special thanks to Mundanara Bayles, Corey Layton, Stephanie Coombes, Alyssa Partington, & Bree Steele.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
My name's Kate Robinson. I'm a storyteller on finan Tell.
I am an Iranian Australian podcaster who currently lives on
Warundrii Woong and Bunoran country. I'd like to recognize the
traditional custodians of this continent whose land was stolen nearly
two hundred and fifty years ago, in particular the Camerega
(00:21):
and Warunduri people whose land this podcast was recorded on.
And we extend our respect to all Aboriginal and Torres
Strait islander peoples that are listening. The rich storytelling history
of the world's oldest living culture is what we pay
homage to when we tell stories on Finantale.
Speaker 2 (00:43):
Hello, I'm Jamila Risbe and we have made it. The
search for the next generation of Australian storytellers is about
to end. In this the season finale of Find and Tell.
Over the series, our storytellers Nayan, Kate, Ben and Mark
have onnearthed some really awesome stories, but it now comes
(01:04):
down to the final story on the theme of lost
in translation.
Speaker 3 (01:09):
At the end of this episode, this.
Speaker 2 (01:11):
One that you're listening to right now, we are going
to crown our Find and Tell champion last episode, Mark
shared a story that was.
Speaker 3 (01:20):
A personal one. Guys.
Speaker 2 (01:22):
He got in touch with an ex partner and he
investigated what ghosting feels like and also what ghosting is.
And now it's Ben's turn. From the jump, Ben impressed me.
He is someone who was born to tell stories and
he brings a real originality to what he does. Ben
took us on a true crime investigation about teddy bears
(01:44):
invading a country town, and the next he shared a
personal story about a day that he has carried some guilt.
Speaker 3 (01:51):
Over for a decade.
Speaker 4 (01:52):
Now.
Speaker 2 (01:53):
Ben did have a bit of a stumble towards the
finish line with his last story. He was unable to
lock down the guest he was chasing, but still he
delivered something and he got it to us on time.
So credit there and now for one final time, Ben,
welcome to find and tell.
Speaker 5 (02:11):
Thank you so much, Jamilla. I'm happy to be here
once again. Thank you.
Speaker 2 (02:15):
I've psyched and I feel like you have gotten a
little bit less nervous every time we've chatted. Do you
feel like completely comfortable now?
Speaker 5 (02:22):
I wouldn't say completely comfortable to be honest, but yeah,
it's getting a lot better. I think just the practice
of every single story we've done, and getting more comfortable
with having a mic in front of my own face,
and you know how you get to that stage sometimes
when you're listening back to your own voice message and
you're like, ill, do I sound like that you had.
Speaker 2 (02:43):
The least sort of media experience, I suppose or storytelling
experience of anyone coming into the competition. Has it been
what you expected making podcasts?
Speaker 5 (02:54):
It has been so much more than I expected. I
think just being in a pretty privileged position to have
this behind the scenes like look into what you guys
do on a day to day basis, has been really
special because not a lot of people do realize the
work and effort, the collaboration and the research that you
(03:17):
guys do on every single episode. The entire process has
been an eye opening kind of experience for me. Every
single episode I've done has shown me something about myself.
So I look at the Finding Tell series as a whole,
and I think that, you know, win, lose or draw.
(03:37):
I've just been really happy to have this experience and
be able to step outside of my comfort zone. So
it's been amazing so far.
Speaker 2 (03:45):
Ben, you had a little bit of a stumble on
your last story, you struggled to track down the person
you wanted to interview and you ended up getting in
something just on the line. But I could tell it
really sort of rattled you. What have you learned from
that experience of things just not going to plan?
Speaker 5 (04:03):
It was one of those times where it was not
a loss, it was a lesson. So I learned something
from it. And I think I have come undone a
few times in the past when I've put all my
eggs in one basket and I've relied strongly on other
people to come through, and when they don't, there's a
bit of a learning curb. So I'm glad I had
that stumble with my previous episode, and I'm glad that
(04:26):
I learned from it, so I didn't make the same
mistake in this one.
Speaker 2 (04:30):
Well, I am not going to keep everyone in suspense
any longer.
Speaker 3 (04:32):
Let's get to it.
Speaker 2 (04:33):
This is your final contribution to Find and Tell on
the theme of lost in translation.
Speaker 3 (04:38):
Let's listen to it. Ben.
Speaker 5 (04:41):
Just over a year ago, I was in christ Church,
New Zealand, or a holiday, and as I do, I
made friends with the locals. We swapped stories about homelands
and shared the similarities and differences between each other's cultures. Now,
my new Kiwi friends they were Indigenous, but they explained
(05:02):
to me that when they were in school they learned
the basics of the Maori language. They could count ten,
say basic phrases like hello, how are you? My name is?
They even knew how to sing the Maldi part of
the national anthem. They asked if I learned any Indigenous
languages in school, and I said no. They asked why
(05:24):
we didn't, and I told them I don't know. Even
though that was the end of the conversation. Still over
a year later, that question plays on my mind seriously.
Why don't we learn Indigenous languages in school? I remember
having to learn French in high school, so why wouldn't
we learn the first Nations language on the land in
(05:47):
which we live on?
Speaker 4 (05:49):
Okay, yamando moran, you're naughty, Jeff Anderson, But Dora Rederick
gibbit ah BAKSTI are you well? Friends? Or hello? My
name is Jeff Anderson. I'm a Rojerie man from Parks.
Parks wasn't always called Parks. It was originally called Curajeon
or Garajoon or Galajan by the RAJRII people.
Speaker 5 (06:11):
Jeff Anderson is on the front lines of language revival
in parks, New South Wales. Jeff teaches people of all
ages his native or Adur language. He's an active member
of the Park's Aboriginal Education Consultative Group and the Aduri
Council of Elders. He was exactly the type of bloke
I was looking for to sit down, have a yarn
(06:33):
with and ask why don't we take a page out
of New Zealand's book and teach indigenous languages in our schools.
Speaker 4 (06:42):
New Zealand, that's one language. Australia, we have two hundred
and fifty languages, eight hundred dialects, and it makes it
bloody hard. If you were back in the year of BC,
before Cook, you would have to know seven languages to
go up to Brisbane, because if you had to stop
(07:05):
at one of these towns that had another language, you
would have to know that language to either get food,
get water then you go the next mob, or you
had to communicate in that language. You know, when you
have eight hundred different dialects, it's very very hard for
everybody to communicate under one roof.
Speaker 5 (07:23):
Another challenge we face is a lack of natural language
speakers left in Australia. There's only a very small group
of indigenous communities that can communicate fluently across generations.
Speaker 4 (07:35):
People go, oh yeah, yeah. People up in the north
they speak language fluently. Well what about round you? No
one speaks fluently. I can know Welcome to country fluently,
but no one can speak fluently.
Speaker 5 (07:49):
Jeff's journey to reconnect with culture and language start in
nineteen ninety nine after a critical workplace incident.
Speaker 4 (07:59):
I was a greenkeeper by trade. I was on a
side winning roller going up and down the bowling green
and the seat cable got caught under the roller. The
roller tipped, went over the top of me and squatched
me back. There was very little help around for me
other than the doctor saying, oh here, try this tablet,
(08:21):
Try this tablet, try this tablet. Nothing works. I kept
trying to tell all the doctors the pains in me back,
not in my head. Ended up, I had to have
a back operation. The L five s one vertebrate had
actually ruptured and it had gone down half a vertebrae
(08:42):
and calcified under my spinal cord. So after about eighteen
months so that my head just said basically no more
and I had a complete mental and physical breakdown.
Speaker 5 (08:56):
The feelings of hopelessness and isolation turned into some depression,
which developed into agoraphobia, a crippling fear of being in
public places.
Speaker 4 (09:07):
I couldn't leave the house for about three years. I
was an absolute mess. I was useless. Just to go
to the mailbox was horrific. Ten meters I'd have a
panic attack.
Speaker 5 (09:25):
Then one day, Jeff was visited by a friend, a
Gimillroy woman.
Speaker 4 (09:30):
And she said, Jeff, you probably don't want to go,
but Stan Grant Senior is running language classes over at Forbes.
Something just clicked inside I went, yeah, let's go, let's
do it. So, first time in years i'd left the
house and I'm and I'm going to Forbes was just
(09:51):
thirty five k's away. So I walked in and there's
Stan Grant Senior talking language.
Speaker 5 (09:58):
Stan Grant Senior he is a way Aduri elder who
has been crucial in reconstructing and sharing the way Aduri
language and culture. If the name sounds familiar, he's the
father of acclaimed journalist and TV presenter Stan Grant. Stan
Grant Senior he said to be one of the few
people alive today to have heard native speakers of his
(10:19):
tribe's way Aduri language.
Speaker 4 (10:22):
And then he started teaching a few words, and I
could just literally feel all the three or four years
of absolute hell just wiping out of me. Stan pulled
me aside and he said, you're troubled. No, yeah, I
am uncle, And he said you need to know the
(10:43):
word Jinja MUTTERA.
Speaker 5 (10:46):
Jinja mutter a way Adri word which means respect, but
also it means to go slow, to be relaxed, to listen,
and to be calm. Jinja mutter was the first of
many words that Jeff would soon come to learn, and
his first step towards rekindling a spark inside himself that
(11:07):
he thought long lost.
Speaker 4 (11:10):
Stand tard a song, and that song become my mantra.
You want to know who that song was, because Cook
Kabarda whip Beyona Marden get again a bulk a bulka
better Magoo gen Cook Gabarda, Cook Gabarda get again, the
(11:31):
Moreland Baala and all it was Kokabar sits in the
old gum tree. No, and this is me, This is
where I belong. This is what's been missing in my
life because all my life. There was that one little
black void that was my dreaming, and that little black
(11:52):
void right deep down in your soul up until you
actually find out your heritage that fills out that black hole,
black void. And I just went, wow, I'm home. I
am home.
Speaker 5 (12:09):
Jeff started traveling back and forth between Parks and Forbes
to learn why Adurie, with no real plans of teaching
it himself. He had a chance encounter at the local
library when he stumbled upon a class of school kids.
Speaker 4 (12:24):
There was a teacher there by the name of Angelo Fitzpatrick,
and as I'm leaving, she said, mister Anderson might know
no man, mister Anderson might know what how to sing head, shoulders,
knees and toes in another language. I went, yeah, I
do well. Here I am in front of these big, savage,
(12:45):
kindy kids, and I was starting to have a panic attacked.
She goes, it's okay, it's all yours. So then I
went started to teach him head, sheldons, knees and toes.
B I'm god bunger boll pudding, me, bunker ball pudding. Me.
Kids loved it. So I go home. Next thing, you know,
(13:09):
Angela rings and says the kids want more. So I
was going over to stand ground at Forbes. Then I
was coming back and I was sort of working out
what little bits I could go around and teach the
kindy kids with.
Speaker 5 (13:25):
When you say you taught them in school, was it
exclusively to Indigenous kids or was it to all students?
Speaker 4 (13:30):
He taught all students. It was everybody. I've been in
a few rooms where a couple of teachers have gone,
oh great, I've got half an hour and I can
just do catch up on my work. I'm going no, no, no, no,
you're in on this class. I'm not here to give
you half an hour break. You're in on this class too,
and you're here to learn.
Speaker 5 (13:54):
The spark that Jeff found in his first language class
quickly grew into a passion which in time became his purpose.
His journey to strengthen his personal relationship to country and
culture led him to work with First Languages Australia, whose
job it is to strengthen and preserve Aboriginal and Torres
Straight Islander languages. Well.
Speaker 4 (14:15):
First Language is Australia. We are the national body of
average languages where the go between between the Federal government
and language centers We've gone from doing little, tiny jobs
that we thought were absolutely stupendous to sitting down at
the table with like Turny Burke and Linda Bernie and
(14:36):
getting extra funding for average languages and language centers. So
that's our job, is to make sure that the language
is taught everywhere. I use this catchphrase I have for
many times I go by. You've got to give it
away to keep it. You've got to give it away
(14:57):
to keep it.
Speaker 5 (15:00):
While I didn't get the opportunity to learn my Aboriginal
language in school, people like Jeff Anderson and organizations such
as First Languages Australia are helping to ensure that for
our future generations they have the opportunity to learn Aboriginal
languages in the classroom. With twenty four language centers currently
(15:21):
operating nationwide, there are more resources for language revival now,
more than ever in Australia's history. But not everyone believes
that First Nations languages should be shared so freely.
Speaker 6 (15:39):
Mine's Richard Campbell. I was born in Kyoma. My mob's
are during Gange Mob from down in fast South Coast.
Give me all of the late cultural connections all the
way through to the North Coast. My titles are wum Brother,
Black Duck, We've Good near the Black Swan.
Speaker 5 (15:57):
Uncle Richard Campbell is a renowned cultural educator, artist and
mentor who is dedicated the majority of his life to
preserving and passing on ancient traditions Madara wal and you
and nations. Through his company Kumara, he shares dance, art,
knowledge and language gifted to him from his ancestors. Much
(16:20):
like Jeff, Uncle Richard's return to culture was a calling.
Speaker 6 (16:29):
I was always always on walk about and I couldn't
find my feet. That my old man got sick and
I went down a depression road. I was laying on
the bed there one night and I felt something tugging
on me lean. So that was a sign for me.
That was my old man there telling me to get
back into the culture. And that's them old followers, you know,
(16:53):
the old guide Joe on the right road that you
want to take, especially if.
Speaker 4 (16:57):
You look for culture.
Speaker 5 (17:01):
Why do you think it's so important to maintain language
and pass on the stories to the next generation.
Speaker 6 (17:09):
Well, that's very important. Language was the key to our culture. Okay.
Language identified who we are, where we're from. We introduce
ourselves in language. I asked where they're from in language.
You know, I do welcome the country in language. We
sing in language. All our dancers, you know, greet inner language.
Speaker 5 (17:34):
Well, there's no argument about the importance of preserving language.
Uncle Richard, like many other elders, are reluctant to Russian
into implementing their sacred native language in schools.
Speaker 6 (17:45):
It's got to be our people that text that language.
Because if you say one letter, one roll of the
tongue wrong, and then the next person copies you saying that,
then the next person bang, that word's gone. So he's
got to be pronounce right, said right, everything like that.
So that's why you know, language in the schools, you know,
(18:06):
it's going to be a heart thing. You know, language
needs to be revitalized right back in. But instead of
putting it into the curriculum, first, put it back to
our people.
Speaker 4 (18:17):
First, give our people.
Speaker 6 (18:20):
A chance to speak their native tongue again.
Speaker 5 (18:25):
After decades of government policies banning and discouraging language, it's
no surprise to me that many communities and elders aren't
too keen to hand their language over to just anyone.
Speaker 4 (18:37):
I've discovered a lot of elders who are worried about
when we first started teaching it because you see, when
they grew up, they weren't able to speak it, and
school was not a happy spot for it.
Speaker 6 (18:49):
You know, if we they called us speaking in our tongue,
our language, would get punished for it. I remember my
dad there saying, you know that he's old people or
couldn't speak the language otherwise they get whipped tied to
a tree, things like that.
Speaker 4 (19:05):
There standing around. He showed me a few things where
I couldn't talk about. And that's what I think what
they're a lot of them worried about. We're going to
start talking about stuff that you can't talk about taboo.
There was things we had to cut out mad to
say you can't do this or you can do that.
There's stuff there that will get lost in translation if
you try so we just won't do it. You know,
(19:28):
it's good.
Speaker 6 (19:28):
The educational department are getting it in the curriculum that
he's good. But I just don't want it to jump.
And that's what I'm worried about, because this is another
way of you know, how language could get lost one
hun loss.
Speaker 5 (19:49):
First Nations languages did not simply fade away. They were
actively silenced by governments, schools and missions. Today, our languages
are critically dangered in Australia. They continue to die out
at a rapid rate, faster than anywhere else in the world.
Without intervention. It's estimated that the language knowledge will cease
(20:12):
to exist in the next ten to thirty years. The
loss of First Nations languages is a loss for all Australians.
Cultural knowledge and concept are carried through language. Where languages
are eroded and lost, so too is thousands of years
of Aboriginal wisdom. What would you say to somebody who's
(20:35):
feeling a disconnect from their culture in today's.
Speaker 4 (20:37):
World, Sit down, learn words and just feel that little
spark within you. Just start off. It is the best feeling,
absolutely the best feeling. It basically hels you, that's the
best way to put it. It heals you spiritually, mentally, physically, emotionally,
(21:00):
any other way. We're doing reclamation through education. If we
can reclaim the knowledge and the understanding of everybody through
the kids, you know we're going to have a pretty
good world to look at in the future.
Speaker 6 (21:22):
You know, this is our culture. We keep our cultural
life and doing that is what I do every day.
Whether there's painting, dancing, recording songs for our dance troup,
working out programs, and I've taken men away on country,
making artifacts all their stuff every day, maintaining that continuous
(21:46):
culture connection with.
Speaker 7 (21:47):
The land mothers, with.
Speaker 6 (21:51):
The oldest culture in the world in Australia. They got
the oldest history in the world here in Australia. Everyone
should embrace it, be.
Speaker 4 (21:59):
Proud of it.
Speaker 6 (22:00):
Our cultures being in now for sixty five thousand years,
are still strong. I'm gomari are passing on knowledge to
the next generation who want to carry for another sixty
five thousand years.
Speaker 2 (22:22):
Ben, What an extraordinary job you've done. How do you
feel now that that fourth episode is out there?
Speaker 5 (22:27):
Yeah, I feel really good. I mean, I really wanted
to be delicate with this with this one because it
meant it meant so much to me, so I wanted
to do a lot more thorough research and to make
sure that I was doing the story justice.
Speaker 2 (22:41):
This is the first episode in which we've heard you
exploring your own indigenity as well. And of course Find
and Tell is this joint project of Black Cast and
iHeart that is all about platforming diverse voices, including first
Nations voices. Can I ask if there was a reason
you waited so long.
Speaker 5 (23:03):
I knew that I wanted to do a story about
my indigenous heritage from the get go, and I'll be honest,
I got really worried in the beginning because I thought
I had burnt the three episodes on not mentioning it
as well. That's why I was like so happy that
I got through to the final because I was able
(23:24):
to not only link this to Lost in Translation really
really well. The theme itself kind of made it really
clear to me like what I wanted to do with it,
but also it was the longest episode we got, so
I knew if I was going to give it justice
in any episode, it was going to be on this one,
(23:45):
because I don't think I could get the message across
how I did in this episode in a five to
ten minute episode.
Speaker 2 (23:54):
I think you made the right call. It doesn't feel rushed,
it doesn't feel tokenistic. It feels like it almost feels
luxurious in the amount of information and storytelling that we
were able to receive. I felt like listening, I could
really sit with some of the issues that you and
Jeff and Richard were bringing to the fore there, has
it changed your own understanding about culture and language at all?
Speaker 5 (24:18):
Absolutely? Like personally, I had my mind changed through this episode.
I even could have been considered as somewhat naive thinking
that every Indigenous person who's worried about the extinction of
language would be on board to push it into education,
or would be on board to sharing it more freely
(24:41):
just in hopes that we don't lose it. Even for myself,
an Indigenous person who knows how important language and culture is,
to be able to sit down and speak with someone
like Uncle Richard Campbell, who explained that it's almost scary
to give such sacred language to somebody else other than
our own people, because it means so much to us.
(25:05):
With Uncle Richard Campbell as well, like he's an Indigenous elder,
heavily involved in a lot of my family member's lives
for a very long time. He speaks so passionately about
what he does on a day to day basis, which
is purely and one hundred percent about keeping culture alive. There,
did you redo in the music that you hear that's
(25:26):
actually his that's his dance trape in Gomara as well?
He actually was happy enough to offer that to us
to use for the episode.
Speaker 2 (25:35):
What do you want the listeners to take away from
this episode?
Speaker 5 (25:39):
I never wanted it to be two people's conflicting opinions
like that's not the point of this episode. And I
hope that translated across and I hope it does get
received by audiences like that. I wanted to bring up
the fact that something that is an issue in our country,
and even though we have two different people who are
(26:02):
fully aware of this situation, they still have different approaches
on how to fix the same issue. And it wasn't
to showcase who's right or who's wrong, or the pros
and cons of either. Whichever way you want to sit
on it, you can, but going forward, something needs to
(26:23):
be done.
Speaker 2 (26:24):
Ben enormous congratulations. It is a really remarkable episode. I
hope you are very proud, not just of what you've
created for today, but what you've created over the whole series.
Speaker 3 (26:35):
And we'll talk to you again very soon.
Speaker 5 (26:37):
Thank you so much, thanks for having me, and yeah,
I hope you enjoyed listening to it as much as
I enjoyed creating it.
Speaker 2 (26:46):
So who will be crowned our find and Tel champion
and take home the Grand prize. Will it be Mark
or will it be Ben? That decision in just a moment. Hey,
Mark and Ben, welcome back to Find and Tell. It's
nice to have you both in the studio together. Hello,
(27:07):
how are we feeling? Is that a fake excited voice?
Are we nervous?
Speaker 7 (27:10):
My heart is pounding. It is pounding so hard, like
it is up in my brain. That's okay, that's a normal. Yeah,
it's a moment.
Speaker 3 (27:17):
How are you feeling, Ben.
Speaker 5 (27:18):
I'm actually pretty chill. I'm all right, it's just confidence.
I think I've just Yeah, these last couple of weeks
have just kind of taken every last nerve I have
in my system out, so I don't think there's anything left.
Speaker 2 (27:33):
Fair Well, I'm going to put you out of your misery.
We're going to just crack right on with this, folks.
The time has come to announce the first ever, first
ever winner of Find and Tell, Who between Mark and
Ben has told the best story on the theme of
lost in translation. First, Mark, you told us a story
(27:57):
about ghosting, and you brought your trademark winkanan nod to
the audience.
Speaker 3 (28:03):
I love the.
Speaker 2 (28:04):
Fact that you are willing to break the fourth wall,
that you bring us closer to you. You are so
open to being vulnerable and honest with the audience. I
genuinely think you have Oprah like clarity. And I am
not just saying that about emotional challenges. I think that
is your secret source, your sweet spot, your unique selling point,
(28:24):
let's say. And I very much hope that in the
future I get to hear a Mark All on his
own podcast were you're just counseling me through all my
emotional dark times and helping me get to what's next. Congratulations,
Thank you, Ben. Your story was about First Nations language
in Australia. I think you have a natural curiosity, which
(28:47):
is what makes an extraordinary storyteller. And even the way
in your episode you had two people with different perspectives,
but you didn't set them up as if we were
on Sky News going head to head and telling one
another we were wrong. We just had two slightly different perspectives,
which for me as the listener and for the audience,
it meant that we got to kind of come with
(29:09):
you on that learning journey.
Speaker 3 (29:11):
Again. Very impressive. Congratulations, Thank you so much.
Speaker 2 (29:17):
Well, folks, I have made my decision and the winner is.
Speaker 3 (29:25):
Then Congratulations.
Speaker 2 (29:26):
You are the first ever of by tell you are kidding?
Speaker 7 (29:33):
Wow?
Speaker 2 (29:34):
Wow wow wow, Ben, you look totally shocked there was
a fifty to fifty chance.
Speaker 3 (29:39):
Then make congratulations. How are you feeling? Oh?
Speaker 5 (29:45):
I don't even know what to say. Honestly, I didn't
think there was going to be in the top four
to begin with, and to make it through to the
next stage of Mark, who's obviously just an amazing storyteller
in his own right, to be concer hit it as
a competitor and put into the same league as somebody
who who is very confident in front of a microphone
(30:07):
to somebody like me who's never done it before. And
I thought I was well out of my comfort zone
and my depth. And I think I've found a really
important part of myself that I didn't even know was
there doing this series. So thank you guys so much
for opening up a new door and allowing me to
explore my creative side and actually realize that maybe people
(30:31):
do like to hear what I have to say.
Speaker 2 (30:35):
Who would have thought, I think that is definitely true.
You can be well assured of that you did some
incredible storytelling through this series, as did you.
Speaker 5 (30:43):
Mark.
Speaker 3 (30:43):
Congratulations on being a runner up.
Speaker 2 (30:46):
We're very excited that we're sending you home with an
after's course as well, so that you are going to
be finding and telling into the future.
Speaker 3 (30:53):
What's next for you?
Speaker 7 (30:55):
A sleep? Maybe?
Speaker 3 (30:56):
Yes, I think that's well served for both.
Speaker 7 (30:59):
But also like for me as a runner up, Like
what an honor it is to be a runner up
to a storyteller like Ben, who's so proudly embodies First
Nations storytelling so incredibly well, and like the Alarican Steve
Irwin vibe, you need that, like it's a I don't
know if this is the right term, that it's a
dying breed, but oh my goodness, that that vocal texture,
(31:20):
Like we have to keep hearing that. Whatever route you
take with this, you have to continue, like there's no
other way. We've introduced the public to your voice, and
like now we got to hear it.
Speaker 2 (31:32):
It has been an absolute privilege getting to hear both
of your stories and of course Kate and Naan stories
as well. We wanted to find ourselves a winner, and
we have a very very worthy winner in you, Ben.
I hope that you both and Naan and Kate two
keep telling stories. The idea of this podcast, the idea
of Find and Tell was to go out and to
(31:52):
unearth some new voices in the Australian media landscape and
to find some diverse voices to boot.
Speaker 3 (31:58):
We've definitely done that. I'm so proud of you both.
Speaker 5 (32:00):
Congratulations, Thank you so much you.
Speaker 2 (32:09):
If you've enjoyed this series, share it with a friend
and leave a glowing review. A huge congratulations to Nayan,
to Kate, to Mark and of course to our winner Ben.
To have even been selected from the hundreds of entries
is an incredible feat. Congratulations also to our production team
(32:29):
for their tireless and I mean tireless work on Find
and Tell, and thank you to you the audience. Without
you lending us your ears, we wouldn't have been able
to achieve what this entire series was about, to discover
and showcase the best new and diverse voices Australia has
to offer. Thanks also to Afters and Road Australia for
(32:51):
supporting our storytellers with some awesome prizes. Find and Tell
was a co production between iHeart Australia and the black
Cast podcast network.
Speaker 3 (33:00):
Black Cast empowers
Speaker 2 (33:01):
First Nations people and people of color to reclaim their
narratives to strengthen cultural identity, and to contribute to a
more inclusive Australia by showcasing exciting emerging talent from Australian communities.
My name's Kate Robinson. I'm a storyteller on finan Tell.
I am an Iranian Australian podcaster who currently lives on
Warundrii Woong and Bunoran country. I'd like to recognize the
traditional custodians of this continent whose land was stolen nearly
two hundred and fifty years ago, in particular the Camerega
(00:21):
and Warunduri people whose land this podcast was recorded on.
And we extend our respect to all Aboriginal and Torres
Strait islander peoples that are listening. The rich storytelling history
of the world's oldest living culture is what we pay
homage to when we tell stories on Finantale.
Speaker 2 (00:43):
Hello, I'm Jamila Risbe and we have made it. The
search for the next generation of Australian storytellers is about
to end. In this the season finale of Find and Tell.
Over the series, our storytellers Nayan, Kate, Ben and Mark
have onnearthed some really awesome stories, but it now comes
(01:04):
down to the final story on the theme of lost
in translation.
Speaker 3 (01:09):
At the end of this episode, this.
Speaker 2 (01:11):
One that you're listening to right now, we are going
to crown our Find and Tell champion last episode, Mark
shared a story that was.
Speaker 3 (01:20):
A personal one. Guys.
Speaker 2 (01:22):
He got in touch with an ex partner and he
investigated what ghosting feels like and also what ghosting is.
And now it's Ben's turn. From the jump, Ben impressed me.
He is someone who was born to tell stories and
he brings a real originality to what he does. Ben
took us on a true crime investigation about teddy bears
(01:44):
invading a country town, and the next he shared a
personal story about a day that he has carried some guilt.
Speaker 3 (01:51):
Over for a decade.
Speaker 4 (01:52):
Now.
Speaker 2 (01:53):
Ben did have a bit of a stumble towards the
finish line with his last story. He was unable to
lock down the guest he was chasing, but still he
delivered something and he got it to us on time.
So credit there and now for one final time, Ben,
welcome to find and tell.
Speaker 5 (02:11):
Thank you so much, Jamilla. I'm happy to be here
once again. Thank you.
Speaker 2 (02:15):
I've psyched and I feel like you have gotten a
little bit less nervous every time we've chatted. Do you
feel like completely comfortable now?
Speaker 5 (02:22):
I wouldn't say completely comfortable to be honest, but yeah,
it's getting a lot better. I think just the practice
of every single story we've done, and getting more comfortable
with having a mic in front of my own face,
and you know how you get to that stage sometimes
when you're listening back to your own voice message and
you're like, ill, do I sound like that you had.
Speaker 2 (02:43):
The least sort of media experience, I suppose or storytelling
experience of anyone coming into the competition. Has it been
what you expected making podcasts?
Speaker 5 (02:54):
It has been so much more than I expected. I
think just being in a pretty privileged position to have
this behind the scenes like look into what you guys
do on a day to day basis, has been really
special because not a lot of people do realize the
work and effort, the collaboration and the research that you
(03:17):
guys do on every single episode. The entire process has
been an eye opening kind of experience for me. Every
single episode I've done has shown me something about myself.
So I look at the Finding Tell series as a whole,
and I think that, you know, win, lose or draw.
(03:37):
I've just been really happy to have this experience and
be able to step outside of my comfort zone. So
it's been amazing so far.
Speaker 2 (03:45):
Ben, you had a little bit of a stumble on
your last story, you struggled to track down the person
you wanted to interview and you ended up getting in
something just on the line. But I could tell it
really sort of rattled you. What have you learned from
that experience of things just not going to plan?
Speaker 5 (04:03):
It was one of those times where it was not
a loss, it was a lesson. So I learned something
from it. And I think I have come undone a
few times in the past when I've put all my
eggs in one basket and I've relied strongly on other
people to come through, and when they don't, there's a
bit of a learning curb. So I'm glad I had
that stumble with my previous episode, and I'm glad that
(04:26):
I learned from it, so I didn't make the same
mistake in this one.
Speaker 2 (04:30):
Well, I am not going to keep everyone in suspense
any longer.
Speaker 3 (04:32):
Let's get to it.
Speaker 2 (04:33):
This is your final contribution to Find and Tell on
the theme of lost in translation.
Speaker 3 (04:38):
Let's listen to it. Ben.
Speaker 5 (04:41):
Just over a year ago, I was in christ Church,
New Zealand, or a holiday, and as I do, I
made friends with the locals. We swapped stories about homelands
and shared the similarities and differences between each other's cultures. Now,
my new Kiwi friends they were Indigenous, but they explained
(05:02):
to me that when they were in school they learned
the basics of the Maori language. They could count ten,
say basic phrases like hello, how are you? My name is?
They even knew how to sing the Maldi part of
the national anthem. They asked if I learned any Indigenous
languages in school, and I said no. They asked why
(05:24):
we didn't, and I told them I don't know. Even
though that was the end of the conversation. Still over
a year later, that question plays on my mind seriously.
Why don't we learn Indigenous languages in school? I remember
having to learn French in high school, so why wouldn't
we learn the first Nations language on the land in
(05:47):
which we live on?
Speaker 4 (05:49):
Okay, yamando moran, you're naughty, Jeff Anderson, But Dora Rederick
gibbit ah BAKSTI are you well? Friends? Or hello? My
name is Jeff Anderson. I'm a Rojerie man from Parks.
Parks wasn't always called Parks. It was originally called Curajeon
or Garajoon or Galajan by the RAJRII people.
Speaker 5 (06:11):
Jeff Anderson is on the front lines of language revival
in parks, New South Wales. Jeff teaches people of all
ages his native or Adur language. He's an active member
of the Park's Aboriginal Education Consultative Group and the Aduri
Council of Elders. He was exactly the type of bloke
I was looking for to sit down, have a yarn
(06:33):
with and ask why don't we take a page out
of New Zealand's book and teach indigenous languages in our schools.
Speaker 4 (06:42):
New Zealand, that's one language. Australia, we have two hundred
and fifty languages, eight hundred dialects, and it makes it
bloody hard. If you were back in the year of BC,
before Cook, you would have to know seven languages to
go up to Brisbane, because if you had to stop
(07:05):
at one of these towns that had another language, you
would have to know that language to either get food,
get water then you go the next mob, or you
had to communicate in that language. You know, when you
have eight hundred different dialects, it's very very hard for
everybody to communicate under one roof.
Speaker 5 (07:23):
Another challenge we face is a lack of natural language
speakers left in Australia. There's only a very small group
of indigenous communities that can communicate fluently across generations.
Speaker 4 (07:35):
People go, oh yeah, yeah. People up in the north
they speak language fluently. Well what about round you? No
one speaks fluently. I can know Welcome to country fluently,
but no one can speak fluently.
Speaker 5 (07:49):
Jeff's journey to reconnect with culture and language start in
nineteen ninety nine after a critical workplace incident.
Speaker 4 (07:59):
I was a greenkeeper by trade. I was on a
side winning roller going up and down the bowling green
and the seat cable got caught under the roller. The
roller tipped, went over the top of me and squatched
me back. There was very little help around for me
other than the doctor saying, oh here, try this tablet,
(08:21):
Try this tablet, try this tablet. Nothing works. I kept
trying to tell all the doctors the pains in me back,
not in my head. Ended up, I had to have
a back operation. The L five s one vertebrate had
actually ruptured and it had gone down half a vertebrae
(08:42):
and calcified under my spinal cord. So after about eighteen
months so that my head just said basically no more
and I had a complete mental and physical breakdown.
Speaker 5 (08:56):
The feelings of hopelessness and isolation turned into some depression,
which developed into agoraphobia, a crippling fear of being in
public places.
Speaker 4 (09:07):
I couldn't leave the house for about three years. I
was an absolute mess. I was useless. Just to go
to the mailbox was horrific. Ten meters I'd have a
panic attack.
Speaker 5 (09:25):
Then one day, Jeff was visited by a friend, a
Gimillroy woman.
Speaker 4 (09:30):
And she said, Jeff, you probably don't want to go,
but Stan Grant Senior is running language classes over at Forbes.
Something just clicked inside I went, yeah, let's go, let's
do it. So, first time in years i'd left the
house and I'm and I'm going to Forbes was just
(09:51):
thirty five k's away. So I walked in and there's
Stan Grant Senior talking language.
Speaker 5 (09:58):
Stan Grant Senior he is a way Aduri elder who
has been crucial in reconstructing and sharing the way Aduri
language and culture. If the name sounds familiar, he's the
father of acclaimed journalist and TV presenter Stan Grant. Stan
Grant Senior he said to be one of the few
people alive today to have heard native speakers of his
(10:19):
tribe's way Aduri language.
Speaker 4 (10:22):
And then he started teaching a few words, and I
could just literally feel all the three or four years
of absolute hell just wiping out of me. Stan pulled
me aside and he said, you're troubled. No, yeah, I
am uncle, And he said you need to know the
(10:43):
word Jinja MUTTERA.
Speaker 5 (10:46):
Jinja mutter a way Adri word which means respect, but
also it means to go slow, to be relaxed, to listen,
and to be calm. Jinja mutter was the first of
many words that Jeff would soon come to learn, and
his first step towards rekindling a spark inside himself that
(11:07):
he thought long lost.
Speaker 4 (11:10):
Stand tard a song, and that song become my mantra.
You want to know who that song was, because Cook
Kabarda whip Beyona Marden get again a bulk a bulka
better Magoo gen Cook Gabarda, Cook Gabarda get again, the
(11:31):
Moreland Baala and all it was Kokabar sits in the
old gum tree. No, and this is me, This is
where I belong. This is what's been missing in my
life because all my life. There was that one little
black void that was my dreaming, and that little black
(11:52):
void right deep down in your soul up until you
actually find out your heritage that fills out that black hole,
black void. And I just went, wow, I'm home. I
am home.
Speaker 5 (12:09):
Jeff started traveling back and forth between Parks and Forbes
to learn why Adurie, with no real plans of teaching
it himself. He had a chance encounter at the local
library when he stumbled upon a class of school kids.
Speaker 4 (12:24):
There was a teacher there by the name of Angelo Fitzpatrick,
and as I'm leaving, she said, mister Anderson might know
no man, mister Anderson might know what how to sing head, shoulders,
knees and toes in another language. I went, yeah, I
do well. Here I am in front of these big, savage,
(12:45):
kindy kids, and I was starting to have a panic attacked.
She goes, it's okay, it's all yours. So then I
went started to teach him head, sheldons, knees and toes.
B I'm god bunger boll pudding, me, bunker ball pudding. Me.
Kids loved it. So I go home. Next thing, you know,
(13:09):
Angela rings and says the kids want more. So I
was going over to stand ground at Forbes. Then I
was coming back and I was sort of working out
what little bits I could go around and teach the
kindy kids with.
Speaker 5 (13:25):
When you say you taught them in school, was it
exclusively to Indigenous kids or was it to all students?
Speaker 4 (13:30):
He taught all students. It was everybody. I've been in
a few rooms where a couple of teachers have gone,
oh great, I've got half an hour and I can
just do catch up on my work. I'm going no, no, no, no,
you're in on this class. I'm not here to give
you half an hour break. You're in on this class too,
and you're here to learn.
Speaker 5 (13:54):
The spark that Jeff found in his first language class
quickly grew into a passion which in time became his purpose.
His journey to strengthen his personal relationship to country and
culture led him to work with First Languages Australia, whose
job it is to strengthen and preserve Aboriginal and Torres
Straight Islander languages. Well.
Speaker 4 (14:15):
First Language is Australia. We are the national body of
average languages where the go between between the Federal government
and language centers We've gone from doing little, tiny jobs
that we thought were absolutely stupendous to sitting down at
the table with like Turny Burke and Linda Bernie and
(14:36):
getting extra funding for average languages and language centers. So
that's our job, is to make sure that the language
is taught everywhere. I use this catchphrase I have for
many times I go by. You've got to give it
away to keep it. You've got to give it away
(14:57):
to keep it.
Speaker 5 (15:00):
While I didn't get the opportunity to learn my Aboriginal
language in school, people like Jeff Anderson and organizations such
as First Languages Australia are helping to ensure that for
our future generations they have the opportunity to learn Aboriginal
languages in the classroom. With twenty four language centers currently
(15:21):
operating nationwide, there are more resources for language revival now,
more than ever in Australia's history. But not everyone believes
that First Nations languages should be shared so freely.
Speaker 6 (15:39):
Mine's Richard Campbell. I was born in Kyoma. My mob's
are during Gange Mob from down in fast South Coast.
Give me all of the late cultural connections all the
way through to the North Coast. My titles are wum Brother,
Black Duck, We've Good near the Black Swan.
Speaker 5 (15:57):
Uncle Richard Campbell is a renowned cultural educator, artist and
mentor who is dedicated the majority of his life to
preserving and passing on ancient traditions Madara wal and you
and nations. Through his company Kumara, he shares dance, art,
knowledge and language gifted to him from his ancestors. Much
(16:20):
like Jeff, Uncle Richard's return to culture was a calling.
Speaker 6 (16:29):
I was always always on walk about and I couldn't
find my feet. That my old man got sick and
I went down a depression road. I was laying on
the bed there one night and I felt something tugging
on me lean. So that was a sign for me.
That was my old man there telling me to get
back into the culture. And that's them old followers, you know,
(16:53):
the old guide Joe on the right road that you
want to take, especially if.
Speaker 4 (16:57):
You look for culture.
Speaker 5 (17:01):
Why do you think it's so important to maintain language
and pass on the stories to the next generation.
Speaker 6 (17:09):
Well, that's very important. Language was the key to our culture. Okay.
Language identified who we are, where we're from. We introduce
ourselves in language. I asked where they're from in language.
You know, I do welcome the country in language. We
sing in language. All our dancers, you know, greet inner language.
Speaker 5 (17:34):
Well, there's no argument about the importance of preserving language.
Uncle Richard, like many other elders, are reluctant to Russian
into implementing their sacred native language in schools.
Speaker 6 (17:45):
It's got to be our people that text that language.
Because if you say one letter, one roll of the
tongue wrong, and then the next person copies you saying that,
then the next person bang, that word's gone. So he's
got to be pronounce right, said right, everything like that.
So that's why you know, language in the schools, you know,
(18:06):
it's going to be a heart thing. You know, language
needs to be revitalized right back in. But instead of
putting it into the curriculum, first, put it back to
our people.
Speaker 4 (18:17):
First, give our people.
Speaker 6 (18:20):
A chance to speak their native tongue again.
Speaker 5 (18:25):
After decades of government policies banning and discouraging language, it's
no surprise to me that many communities and elders aren't
too keen to hand their language over to just anyone.
Speaker 4 (18:37):
I've discovered a lot of elders who are worried about
when we first started teaching it because you see, when
they grew up, they weren't able to speak it, and
school was not a happy spot for it.
Speaker 6 (18:49):
You know, if we they called us speaking in our tongue,
our language, would get punished for it. I remember my
dad there saying, you know that he's old people or
couldn't speak the language otherwise they get whipped tied to
a tree, things like that.
Speaker 4 (19:05):
There standing around. He showed me a few things where
I couldn't talk about. And that's what I think what
they're a lot of them worried about. We're going to
start talking about stuff that you can't talk about taboo.
There was things we had to cut out mad to
say you can't do this or you can do that.
There's stuff there that will get lost in translation if
you try so we just won't do it. You know,
(19:28):
it's good.
Speaker 6 (19:28):
The educational department are getting it in the curriculum that
he's good. But I just don't want it to jump.
And that's what I'm worried about, because this is another
way of you know, how language could get lost one
hun loss.
Speaker 5 (19:49):
First Nations languages did not simply fade away. They were
actively silenced by governments, schools and missions. Today, our languages
are critically dangered in Australia. They continue to die out
at a rapid rate, faster than anywhere else in the world.
Without intervention. It's estimated that the language knowledge will cease
(20:12):
to exist in the next ten to thirty years. The
loss of First Nations languages is a loss for all Australians.
Cultural knowledge and concept are carried through language. Where languages
are eroded and lost, so too is thousands of years
of Aboriginal wisdom. What would you say to somebody who's
(20:35):
feeling a disconnect from their culture in today's.
Speaker 4 (20:37):
World, Sit down, learn words and just feel that little
spark within you. Just start off. It is the best feeling,
absolutely the best feeling. It basically hels you, that's the
best way to put it. It heals you spiritually, mentally, physically, emotionally,
(21:00):
any other way. We're doing reclamation through education. If we
can reclaim the knowledge and the understanding of everybody through
the kids, you know we're going to have a pretty
good world to look at in the future.
Speaker 6 (21:22):
You know, this is our culture. We keep our cultural
life and doing that is what I do every day.
Whether there's painting, dancing, recording songs for our dance troup,
working out programs, and I've taken men away on country,
making artifacts all their stuff every day, maintaining that continuous
(21:46):
culture connection with.
Speaker 7 (21:47):
The land mothers, with.
Speaker 6 (21:51):
The oldest culture in the world in Australia. They got
the oldest history in the world here in Australia. Everyone
should embrace it, be.
Speaker 4 (21:59):
Proud of it.
Speaker 6 (22:00):
Our cultures being in now for sixty five thousand years,
are still strong. I'm gomari are passing on knowledge to
the next generation who want to carry for another sixty
five thousand years.
Speaker 2 (22:22):
Ben, What an extraordinary job you've done. How do you
feel now that that fourth episode is out there?
Speaker 5 (22:27):
Yeah, I feel really good. I mean, I really wanted
to be delicate with this with this one because it
meant it meant so much to me, so I wanted
to do a lot more thorough research and to make
sure that I was doing the story justice.
Speaker 2 (22:41):
This is the first episode in which we've heard you
exploring your own indigenity as well. And of course Find
and Tell is this joint project of Black Cast and
iHeart that is all about platforming diverse voices, including first
Nations voices. Can I ask if there was a reason
you waited so long.
Speaker 5 (23:03):
I knew that I wanted to do a story about
my indigenous heritage from the get go, and I'll be honest,
I got really worried in the beginning because I thought
I had burnt the three episodes on not mentioning it
as well. That's why I was like so happy that
I got through to the final because I was able
(23:24):
to not only link this to Lost in Translation really
really well. The theme itself kind of made it really
clear to me like what I wanted to do with it,
but also it was the longest episode we got, so
I knew if I was going to give it justice
in any episode, it was going to be on this one,
(23:45):
because I don't think I could get the message across
how I did in this episode in a five to
ten minute episode.
Speaker 2 (23:54):
I think you made the right call. It doesn't feel rushed,
it doesn't feel tokenistic. It feels like it almost feels
luxurious in the amount of information and storytelling that we
were able to receive. I felt like listening, I could
really sit with some of the issues that you and
Jeff and Richard were bringing to the fore there, has
it changed your own understanding about culture and language at all?
Speaker 5 (24:18):
Absolutely? Like personally, I had my mind changed through this episode.
I even could have been considered as somewhat naive thinking
that every Indigenous person who's worried about the extinction of
language would be on board to push it into education,
or would be on board to sharing it more freely
(24:41):
just in hopes that we don't lose it. Even for myself,
an Indigenous person who knows how important language and culture is,
to be able to sit down and speak with someone
like Uncle Richard Campbell, who explained that it's almost scary
to give such sacred language to somebody else other than
our own people, because it means so much to us.
(25:05):
With Uncle Richard Campbell as well, like he's an Indigenous elder,
heavily involved in a lot of my family member's lives
for a very long time. He speaks so passionately about
what he does on a day to day basis, which
is purely and one hundred percent about keeping culture alive. There,
did you redo in the music that you hear that's
(25:26):
actually his that's his dance trape in Gomara as well?
He actually was happy enough to offer that to us
to use for the episode.
Speaker 2 (25:35):
What do you want the listeners to take away from
this episode?
Speaker 5 (25:39):
I never wanted it to be two people's conflicting opinions
like that's not the point of this episode. And I
hope that translated across and I hope it does get
received by audiences like that. I wanted to bring up
the fact that something that is an issue in our country,
and even though we have two different people who are
(26:02):
fully aware of this situation, they still have different approaches
on how to fix the same issue. And it wasn't
to showcase who's right or who's wrong, or the pros
and cons of either. Whichever way you want to sit
on it, you can, but going forward, something needs to
(26:23):
be done.
Speaker 2 (26:24):
Ben enormous congratulations. It is a really remarkable episode. I
hope you are very proud, not just of what you've
created for today, but what you've created over the whole series.
Speaker 3 (26:35):
And we'll talk to you again very soon.
Speaker 5 (26:37):
Thank you so much, thanks for having me, and yeah,
I hope you enjoyed listening to it as much as
I enjoyed creating it.
Speaker 2 (26:46):
So who will be crowned our find and Tel champion
and take home the Grand prize. Will it be Mark
or will it be Ben? That decision in just a moment. Hey,
Mark and Ben, welcome back to Find and Tell. It's
nice to have you both in the studio together. Hello,
(27:07):
how are we feeling? Is that a fake excited voice?
Are we nervous?
Speaker 7 (27:10):
My heart is pounding. It is pounding so hard, like
it is up in my brain. That's okay, that's a normal. Yeah,
it's a moment.
Speaker 3 (27:17):
How are you feeling, Ben.
Speaker 5 (27:18):
I'm actually pretty chill. I'm all right, it's just confidence.
I think I've just Yeah, these last couple of weeks
have just kind of taken every last nerve I have
in my system out, so I don't think there's anything left.
Speaker 2 (27:33):
Fair Well, I'm going to put you out of your misery.
We're going to just crack right on with this, folks.
The time has come to announce the first ever, first
ever winner of Find and Tell, Who between Mark and
Ben has told the best story on the theme of
lost in translation. First, Mark, you told us a story
(27:57):
about ghosting, and you brought your trademark winkanan nod to
the audience.
Speaker 3 (28:03):
I love the.
Speaker 2 (28:04):
Fact that you are willing to break the fourth wall,
that you bring us closer to you. You are so
open to being vulnerable and honest with the audience. I
genuinely think you have Oprah like clarity. And I am
not just saying that about emotional challenges. I think that
is your secret source, your sweet spot, your unique selling point,
(28:24):
let's say. And I very much hope that in the
future I get to hear a Mark All on his
own podcast were you're just counseling me through all my
emotional dark times and helping me get to what's next. Congratulations,
Thank you, Ben. Your story was about First Nations language
in Australia. I think you have a natural curiosity, which
(28:47):
is what makes an extraordinary storyteller. And even the way
in your episode you had two people with different perspectives,
but you didn't set them up as if we were
on Sky News going head to head and telling one
another we were wrong. We just had two slightly different perspectives,
which for me as the listener and for the audience,
it meant that we got to kind of come with
(29:09):
you on that learning journey.
Speaker 3 (29:11):
Again. Very impressive. Congratulations, Thank you so much.
Speaker 2 (29:17):
Well, folks, I have made my decision and the winner is.
Speaker 3 (29:25):
Then Congratulations.
Speaker 2 (29:26):
You are the first ever of by tell you are kidding?
Speaker 7 (29:33):
Wow?
Speaker 2 (29:34):
Wow wow wow, Ben, you look totally shocked there was
a fifty to fifty chance.
Speaker 3 (29:39):
Then make congratulations. How are you feeling? Oh?
Speaker 5 (29:45):
I don't even know what to say. Honestly, I didn't
think there was going to be in the top four
to begin with, and to make it through to the
next stage of Mark, who's obviously just an amazing storyteller
in his own right, to be concer hit it as
a competitor and put into the same league as somebody
who who is very confident in front of a microphone
(30:07):
to somebody like me who's never done it before. And
I thought I was well out of my comfort zone
and my depth. And I think I've found a really
important part of myself that I didn't even know was
there doing this series. So thank you guys so much
for opening up a new door and allowing me to
explore my creative side and actually realize that maybe people
(30:31):
do like to hear what I have to say.
Speaker 2 (30:35):
Who would have thought, I think that is definitely true.
You can be well assured of that you did some
incredible storytelling through this series, as did you.
Speaker 5 (30:43):
Mark.
Speaker 3 (30:43):
Congratulations on being a runner up.
Speaker 2 (30:46):
We're very excited that we're sending you home with an
after's course as well, so that you are going to
be finding and telling into the future.
Speaker 3 (30:53):
What's next for you?
Speaker 7 (30:55):
A sleep? Maybe?
Speaker 3 (30:56):
Yes, I think that's well served for both.
Speaker 7 (30:59):
But also like for me as a runner up, Like
what an honor it is to be a runner up
to a storyteller like Ben, who's so proudly embodies First
Nations storytelling so incredibly well, and like the Alarican Steve
Irwin vibe, you need that, like it's a I don't
know if this is the right term, that it's a
dying breed, but oh my goodness, that that vocal texture,
(31:20):
Like we have to keep hearing that. Whatever route you
take with this, you have to continue, like there's no
other way. We've introduced the public to your voice, and
like now we got to hear it.
Speaker 2 (31:32):
It has been an absolute privilege getting to hear both
of your stories and of course Kate and Naan stories
as well. We wanted to find ourselves a winner, and
we have a very very worthy winner in you, Ben.
I hope that you both and Naan and Kate two
keep telling stories. The idea of this podcast, the idea
of Find and Tell was to go out and to
(31:52):
unearth some new voices in the Australian media landscape and
to find some diverse voices to boot.
Speaker 3 (31:58):
We've definitely done that. I'm so proud of you both.
Speaker 5 (32:00):
Congratulations, Thank you so much you.
Speaker 2 (32:09):
If you've enjoyed this series, share it with a friend
and leave a glowing review. A huge congratulations to Nayan,
to Kate, to Mark and of course to our winner Ben.
To have even been selected from the hundreds of entries
is an incredible feat. Congratulations also to our production team
(32:29):
for their tireless and I mean tireless work on Find
and Tell, and thank you to you the audience. Without
you lending us your ears, we wouldn't have been able
to achieve what this entire series was about, to discover
and showcase the best new and diverse voices Australia has
to offer. Thanks also to Afters and Road Australia for
(32:51):
supporting our storytellers with some awesome prizes. Find and Tell
was a co production between iHeart Australia and the black
Cast podcast network.
Speaker 3 (33:00):
Black Cast empowers
Speaker 2 (33:01):
First Nations people and people of color to reclaim their
narratives to strengthen cultural identity, and to contribute to a
more inclusive Australia by showcasing exciting emerging talent from Australian communities.
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