December 29, 2024 • 22 mins
Introducing This Glorious Mess' series "Little Love Stories".
In this episode we delve into an important love letter to identity, culture, and belonging. Natasha Lucas has found her place in world through deep connection with her Aboriginal heritage.
In a country where only 3.8% of the population identifies as Aboriginal, Natasha’s journey is one of discovering pride, strength, and sisterhood within her culture. Her story is a testament to the power of self-love and embracing one’s roots and reminding us that true love lies in the essence of who you are.
You can read Natasha's full little love story here
THE END BITS
Listen to more This Glorious Mess HERE
We’ve compiled all the best resources for new mums in a free newsletter. Join the mailing list.
CREDITS:
Host & Producer: Grace Rouvray
Guest: Natasha Lucas
Audio Producer: Lu Hill
Mamamia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we have recorded this podcast on, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.
Become a Mamamia subscriber: https://www.mamamia.com.au/subscribe
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 (00:21):
You're listening to a Mother Mia podcast.
Speaker 2 (00:25):
Mamma Mia acknowledges the traditional owners of the land. We
have recorded this podcast on the Gatagul people of the
Eor nation. We pay our respects to their elders past
and present, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and
Torres Strait islander cultures.
Speaker 3 (00:41):
Hi It's Grace from This Glorious Mess introducing hot Pod Summer.
It's one hundred hours of curated listening across the Muma
Mea network just for you to escape the chaos and
enjoy with the kids at home and the weather warming up.
We're going to share some episodes of Little Love Stories.
Little Love Stories is an open hearted conversation with someone
(01:01):
who has love to share that love can be anything,
a time in someone's life, a person, or even an object.
It's all about discovering the magic everywhere you look. So
I hope you enjoy this episode of Little Love Stories.
Speaker 1 (01:16):
I love you, How you live with your.
Speaker 3 (01:21):
From Mamma Mia and This Glorious Mess. Welcome to Little
Love Stories. I'm Grace Roofraid. On this podcast, we explore
love in all its forms, whether it's love for a person,
a place, an object, or even a seemingly ordinary moment.
Today we're diving into a love story that is as
profound as it is powerful, a love letter to identity,
(01:44):
culture and.
Speaker 1 (01:45):
Belonging in summer rooms. I really do feel invisible, but
when my people are in that room, like I really
do proudly feel like I can be myself. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (01:55):
Natasha Lucas found her place in the world by deeply
connecting with her Aboriginal heritage. Whilst her journey of appreciation
has been to her ancestors and the elements, it hasn't
always been easy. She first encountered racism at just seven
years old. Yet Natasha has drawn on strength from the
bonds she formed with the incredible women who always seem
(02:17):
to arrive at the perfect time.
Speaker 1 (02:19):
It's a sense of longing that I see others search for,
and mine is an inherent birthright. It is why in
the darkest times in my life, I've had my sister's
white tears from my eyes, sharing their words of wisdom
and loving my babies like their own, coming into each
other's lives when it's exactly right.
Speaker 3 (02:36):
In a country where only three point eight percent of
the population identifies as Aboriginal, Natasha's journey is one of
finding pride, strength, and sisterhood within her culture.
Speaker 1 (02:47):
There's such an understanding of each other when you're a
black fellow. There's just common experiences that just make you
be able to connect with someone.
Speaker 3 (02:57):
Natasha's little love story is one of self love and
embracing her Aboriginal heritage and let it be a reminder
that true love can be found in the very essence
of who you are. But before we get to Natasha's
little love story, here's what a little bit of self
love sounds like today.
Speaker 4 (03:14):
Self love for me is kind of hyping myself up
a little bit. Sometimes a lot of people my life
will tell me how great I am. But words of
affirmation is not my love language. So I kind of
have to take a moment for myself to give myself
that words of affirmation and those words of love.
Speaker 5 (03:33):
It means forgiving myself. I have struggled with a lot
of different mental health challenges and anxiety and depression, and
it sometimes stops me from being the person I wish
I was, So loving myself means forgiving myself if I
can't be exactly who I wish I was.
Speaker 6 (03:49):
Self love for me is like mothering myself and doing
things for me that I know my mum would have
done when I was a child, like putting myself to
bed at a good time, or making myself a nutritious meal,
or getting some fresh air.
Speaker 1 (04:04):
That is self love.
Speaker 3 (04:08):
When we've been emailing back and forth, you say Yama
at the beginning of every email, is that hello?
Speaker 1 (04:14):
Yeah, yeah, that's hello, just from where I'm from, Humilliary.
Even though we are so united as Aboriginal people, we
have our own individual language, you know, we have so
many different customs and stuff like that.
Speaker 3 (04:28):
How much is traditional language a part of your everyday life?
Speaker 1 (04:32):
Not enough? Yeah, I don't think it's incorporated into our
lives at all, really, and it's probably still being a
bit a bit gatekeeper. They took our language office and
now they're sort of selling it back to us in
university courses and things like that. It's really really crazy, Honestly,
(04:52):
it really is crazy when you think about it, that
now I'm having to pay to learn my own language,
even now us speaking to each other. When you really
unpack it, it's crazy to me that I'm even speaking English
to you, and that's just what I was born doing,
you know. And I don't know any of my language.
Besides you know, small small words here and there that
(05:13):
I try to use. It's not something that you inherently do,
you know, language is. It's not taught in schools for
the most part, and not where I'm from. I'd love
to see it revitalized. And I don't think that it
needs to stop at Aboriginal people either. I think for
a lot of people around me that have passed on
(05:34):
their wisdom to me, I would say the fact that
for Aboriginal people, a big part of being able to
retain our culture is giving some of that away. We
do have to share it. So I would love to
see it incorporated in our schools. I'd love if my
kids were able to speak language. I know that the
ages that they are, it's something that could be burned
(05:55):
into their brain, you know, something that they could take forever.
But it's not something that I even have the tools
to teach them. So I'd love for that to be
something that could be in the schools.
Speaker 3 (06:06):
Yeah, instead of just I guess a tokenistic what we
learned in school was indigenous music. Oh really, yeah, that's
what I remember. And obviously colonization, we've come a long
way in terms of how we speak about colonization. I
think when I was at school, it was, you know,
talking about the first fleet.
Speaker 1 (06:23):
Yeah, I can remember when I was in year six
and we went to the Maritime Museum in Sydney. We
were on this boat. There was hammocks everywhere, and like,
I had no idea. I thought it was they were like, yeah,
they used to have cats on board because they were mice,
and I thought it was pretty deadly, like oh wow,
imagine all these people in these hammocks. And then later
(06:43):
on I realized it was a replica of the endeavor.
I mean, you have to laugh when you cry. I
couldn't believe it. I couldn't believe that I was even
on that ship. Why was I even on there? That
feels so wrong. I can't believe that was just normal.
They made it very fluffy.
Speaker 3 (07:04):
When we first spoke about your little love story, you
were going to write an essay to Country, but you
changed it. I'd love to talk about the reason as
to why you changed it.
Speaker 1 (07:13):
Yeah. I think it's like again touching back on the
language stuff as well. I don't think it's something that
I've been exposed to enough. I haven't been lucky enough
to know country, my own country at all. I've been there.
I try and go back as much as I can.
It's about nine hours from where I live. I don't
know country. Knowing country is living, being born on country, living,
(07:37):
breathing it, and even where I live now, on dark
and young country, I feel like I have a connection
to country, but definitely not enough that I could write
any kind of letter I wish I could. There are
people out there who I live near the ocean, and
there are some people that are out of my country
that have never seen fresh salt water before. It's a
(07:59):
real commitment knowing country, and that's not a commitment that
I've earned at all.
Speaker 3 (08:15):
I did a little research of the country that I'm on,
category land, and that it means giant swamp. Oh, And
it made a lot of sense because it rains, it floods,
and there's just weeds everywhere. It's like, well, of course
it's a swamp. Why did we build houses here?
Speaker 1 (08:31):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (08:31):
The First Nations people they know that. It's like, no,
this is swamp country.
Speaker 1 (08:35):
Well have you ever heard about the flood of gun Guy?
Speaker 3 (08:38):
No, but I'd love to know more.
Speaker 1 (08:40):
There were two black follows ere was they've got a
statue in town. There a big valley, you know, and
there were big floods, and it was these two men
in a boat, these two black follows, that pretty much
saved the whole town. And they were told not to
build there because of flooding, and it was like one
in one hundred year event kind of thing. And these
(09:02):
two black follows saved the whole town. Yeah, the whole
town was destroyed.
Speaker 3 (09:06):
In your little love story you have written to your aboriginality,
there is a recurring theme of community and family throughout
your letter, and I'd love if you could read that
part out for me.
Speaker 1 (09:17):
I have always felt that you were my best feature
growing up with cousins that were like siblings. Every adult
was an uncle or arnie. You just bring people together
like magnets with a powerful magnetic pool. It's a sense
of belonging that I see others search for, and mine
is an inherent birthright.
Speaker 3 (09:34):
Because of you.
Speaker 1 (09:36):
It is why in the darkest times in my life,
I have had my sister's white tears from my eyes,
sharing their words of wisdom and loving my babies like
their own, coming into each other's lives when it's exactly.
Speaker 3 (09:48):
Right, Yeah, this coming into each other's lives at the
exact time. Do you feel like you also do that
for your sisters?
Speaker 1 (09:56):
Yeah? Absolutely. Growing up, I was raised by a single
mother and also by a lot of my arnies, my
great arnies. I feel like I was raised by not
just one woman. I was raised by many women in
my family, and I feel that same responsibility for a
lot of my sisters as well. Like their children are
(10:18):
like my own children. I really do love and care
them like my own and I'm always there for at
least I believe that I am. It's such a beautiful
little network of women that is created I guess by
that common passion that we have and understanding, Like there's
such an understanding of each other when you're a black fellow.
(10:41):
There's just common experiences that just make you be able
to connect with someone. That's really really hard to describe.
I feel like I did touch on in some rooms,
I really do feel invisible, but when my people are
in that room, like I really do proudly feel like
I can be myself. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (11:00):
So when people often talk about belonging, it is part
of a bigger picture. But in your letter you note
that it's only three point eight percent of the population.
You go through life with your sisters, your community, the
people who make you feel like you're not invisible. You
talk about both the highs and the lows of that.
Could you read that part of your letter?
Speaker 1 (11:19):
Because of you, I feel connected to three point eight
percent of the population, and with that we go through
the many highs and lows. Together. We're like a big
old gum tree, resilient through the harshest conditions, so big,
so strong. I reckon the type of gum tree with
roots above the soil that you always trip over, just
to remind you that part in particular, come from every
(11:43):
single day that I picked my daughter up from school.
There actually is a gum tree and the roots. Every
single day I trip over them. I don't think I'm
the only one. And every single time, especially now that
I've written that, it makes me think of it and smile.
Speaker 3 (11:57):
I love this visual sense of connection that you talk about.
Is there anything when you close your eyes do you
see the roots or what are the other types of
connections that you think of when you're connecting to the
three point eight percent?
Speaker 1 (12:09):
Yeah? I think everything does come back to all of that,
even culturally, everything does have a story when you connect
more with culture and your identity and you are a
bit more in tune with your surroundings. I guess I
do visualize things in a little bit of a different way.
(12:29):
I could probably be seen as a bit woo woo
in you know, a non aboriginal sense. I guess I'm
describing myself like Cinderella or something. But I do really
feel like, you know, a lot of things are messages
and things like that. Being able to notice at the
moment that there's beautiful wattle, yellow wattle. At the moment
it's about mindfulness and connecting and all of those things
(12:53):
make me really really happy and noticing those changes, being
in tune with everything around you. So yeah, I guess
that kind of imagery. I do think about it a lot,
because it's a part of my existence. I will every
day from now on that I trip over that tree.
I will always think that. And that's what I hope
that other people that have read that or listening, I
(13:15):
hope that that happens to them where they remember what
I've written.
Speaker 3 (13:19):
I love that there is this of pride when you
talk about it. When you talk about the tree, you
talk about the roots, you talk about being connected to
your sisters, to your brothers, being connected to the three
point eight percent.
Speaker 1 (13:30):
I really do feel so proud of being Aboriginal, really
often mind blown by just how incredible it is being Aboriginal.
When I look back, it's just incredible to me, just
our existence with megafauna, even thinking about ancestors that may
have seen coal for the first time. Thinking back and
(13:51):
closing your eyes and thinking about the old people, you
get so lost. But we're just an incredible people. And
even you know, we had the freedom Rides in the
nineteen sixties, which was all from protests, and then from
that you think of all the incredible things that people
have done, like the Aboriginal Medical Service, Aboriginal Legal Service,
(14:12):
like all the strength and resilience is just incredible. Even today,
after I leave, I go every week up to Frank Baxter,
the Youth Correctional facility, and they have young Aboriginal boys there.
We have a group every week because obviously incarceration rates
are really really higher, so the number of Aboriginal boys
up there is sad.
Speaker 3 (14:32):
What do you do with that group?
Speaker 1 (14:34):
I'd say it like providing a sense of belonging. That's
what it is. I've been going up there for a
little bit now, and I guess that's one thing that
stands out is a lot of these young ones, that's
what they can be searching for, that sense of belonging.
And as Aboriginal people, that's what we have a born
right too. We have a born right to have a
(14:56):
sense of belonging. They all call you mam and miss,
and it's so funny. But I go up there in
the high risk unit and do weaving with them and
do reflective practice, and because with weaving, I guess a
lot of it is about mindfulness and being reflective, and
I guess that transfers a little bit into their lives.
(15:18):
And that's been really, really great, and I think it's
bec because when you go back and you're sitting with
these boys and you're talking about who they're safe people are,
for the most part, they'll say they're Arnies or their
nan you know, strong Aboriginal women. Going there and providing
that sense of belonging for these boys is you just
(15:39):
have to deal with getting called mam and miss. You
can tell they absolutely love it. And even when you
do end up seeing the boys in the community and
they say hello Toia, like it is a really really
nice feeling, Like you realize the value in just being yourself,
just being me, just being an Aboriginal person with my experiences,
my life experiences. How that can give someone a sense
(16:01):
of belonging and feel heard and feel seen just that
common thread. How special that can feel when you can
really feel alone in this country, you really can, and
you can feel growing up like I have my first
interaction with racism when I was like six or seven
or something, Like I knew I was different from quite
a young age, that something was different about me, even
(16:25):
when you're going through those teenagers, Like you can see
my hair is so curly and so different, I'm so hairy.
I'm just different. You think of what I would have
been in the two thousands, and you think of like
Niki Webster, you think of all these people like I
can't be that. The whole dominant narrative just tries to,
I guess, push it down, like there's things that I
(16:46):
just can't compete with as an Aboriginal woman. I'm about
ten steps behind non Aboriginal people. And I feel strong
that I do, feel so proud. So I feel like
the dominant narrative really doesn't want me to be like that.
Speaker 3 (17:01):
You talk about the uncomfortability of the white middle aged
man in your letter. I think it's important to reference
the part of your letter that you talk about the
term aboriginal and where it comes from. I'd love for
you to read that part out.
Speaker 1 (17:16):
The ancestors had never as much as whispered the word
aboriginal for up to eighty five thousand years before the
colonization of this land. With over two hundred and fifty mobs,
three hundred languages, and around eight hundred dialects, the differences
came with a rich and individual law and culture. The
word aboriginal, we're all guilty of wanting to know what
(17:38):
our names mean, right, is derived from the Latin word aborigines,
meaning original inhabitants, a name bestowed upon us by the colonizers,
while they simultaneously claimed terranalius, a strange twist that remains
my Roman empire. It is ironic, you are a blanket
term used to describe us, used to racially profile stereotype us.
(18:02):
To this day. They created something called the Aborigines Protection Act,
And I know what you're thinking. It wasn't there to
protect yet. The word Aboriginal has been something that unites
us all and through two hundred and thirty years of
resistance and advocacy, stunning your name for all Aboriginal people.
Speaker 3 (18:20):
It's a very complex and painful word. And what is
your relationship with the word Aboriginal now?
Speaker 1 (18:28):
I don't know. It's strange because over the years, we've
been called a lot of things, and I know now
a lot of people say indigenous, a lot of people
say First Nation. Some people aren't even really comfortable with
the word Aboriginal. Some people prefer indigenous or First Nation.
For me, indigenous feels like more of a government word.
(18:49):
I connect first Nations, I guess, but more America. Aboriginal
feels probably more comfortable to me. That's just something that's
always defined me. Yeah, I'm just Aboriginal. I'm Aboriginal, tash.
That's even what I get At times. I guess as well, Aboriginal,
if I take it back. I didn't really know where
I was from for quite some time while my pot
(19:13):
was alive. He was taken when he was a young boy,
taken to Kinchella Boy's home, and like he was really
dehumanized and did not have much to do with his culture.
I didn't grow up knowing what country I was from
or anything like that. And once he passed away, our
family did a little bit more of investigating because it's
(19:35):
something that clearly traumatized him. He didn't ever speak about it.
And once he passed that something that you know, we
all connected those dots. So I guess Aboriginal really did
define me in a lot of ways until I was
a woman, and when I could find out where I
was properly from and I could identify as a Uali,
(19:56):
I woman, as Miri ar Bara.
Speaker 3 (19:59):
And why did you choose to write this letter now?
Like we said, it's so complex where Australia is in
that post the Voice era, but there is still so
much joy. There's a lot of intimacy in your letter.
So why did you write this story now?
Speaker 1 (20:14):
It is that one true love that's always been there
for me. And I think of how much it has
howered me as a woman, How having mob around me,
how having those beautiful sisters around me, By being raised
by these amazing women, you feel so empowered by seeing
so many other black fellows around you do amazing things.
(20:37):
I feel like being Aboriginal doesn't so much feel like
a difference. It feels like an amazing superpower. It feels
amazing Historically within I think the first ten years of colonization,
around seventy percent to ninety percent of Aboriginal people were
wiped out, and I always just think of from that
small percentage the survival in that, just the amazing survival
(21:01):
in that. I feel like we're all here for a purpose,
and I would love to see all Black fellows really
reminded of that and empowered by that. We have all
got something amazing to give. As Aboriginal people, We've got
a lot to teach. We are a beautiful cult, especially
(21:21):
in these times. I think a lot of people could
learn from that.
Speaker 3 (21:25):
Natasha, what does love mean to you?
Speaker 1 (21:27):
I will say that for me, it is respect in culture,
something that you're always taught is being able to respect
each other and with our life experiences making up who
we are. I think if we respect that with each other,
you know, you always learn something. We're all very different,
and especially in a nation where again as Aboriginal people,
(21:49):
we're probably put against each other a bit. Like you
think of the creation of leaning counsels and stuff like that,
I feel like we can sometimes repitted against each other.
I think if we just respect each other's differences, I
think we could see a lot of change.
Speaker 3 (22:07):
That's beautiful and that's a perfect place to end it.
Thank you so much for coming on to Little Love Stories, Natasha.
It's been a pleasure to hear your story and thank
you for sharing it.
Speaker 1 (22:15):
Thank you.
Speaker 3 (22:16):
You can read Natasha's full Little Love Story essay, which
will be dropped into our episode show notes. If you
have a story you'd like to share, you've got a
bit of love, some gratitude for someone or something, we
would love to hear it. We're always on the lookout
for great stories and new perspectives. You can submit your
story to us by leaving a voice note or email us.
All the details are in the show notes. Little Love
(22:37):
Stories is produced by me Grace Rufray, with audio production
by Lou Hill. If you're looking for something else to
listen to, Mumma Me who is presenting one hundred hours
of summer listens from meaningful conversations, incredible stories, fashion, beauty,
and a bit of silliness. There's a link to more
things to listen to in the show notes.
You're listening to a Mother Mia podcast.
Speaker 2 (00:25):
Mamma Mia acknowledges the traditional owners of the land. We
have recorded this podcast on the Gatagul people of the
Eor nation. We pay our respects to their elders past
and present, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and
Torres Strait islander cultures.
Speaker 3 (00:41):
Hi It's Grace from This Glorious Mess introducing hot Pod Summer.
It's one hundred hours of curated listening across the Muma
Mea network just for you to escape the chaos and
enjoy with the kids at home and the weather warming up.
We're going to share some episodes of Little Love Stories.
Little Love Stories is an open hearted conversation with someone
(01:01):
who has love to share that love can be anything,
a time in someone's life, a person, or even an object.
It's all about discovering the magic everywhere you look. So
I hope you enjoy this episode of Little Love Stories.
Speaker 1 (01:16):
I love you, How you live with your.
Speaker 3 (01:21):
From Mamma Mia and This Glorious Mess. Welcome to Little
Love Stories. I'm Grace Roofraid. On this podcast, we explore
love in all its forms, whether it's love for a person,
a place, an object, or even a seemingly ordinary moment.
Today we're diving into a love story that is as
profound as it is powerful, a love letter to identity,
(01:44):
culture and.
Speaker 1 (01:45):
Belonging in summer rooms. I really do feel invisible, but
when my people are in that room, like I really
do proudly feel like I can be myself. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (01:55):
Natasha Lucas found her place in the world by deeply
connecting with her Aboriginal heritage. Whilst her journey of appreciation
has been to her ancestors and the elements, it hasn't
always been easy. She first encountered racism at just seven
years old. Yet Natasha has drawn on strength from the
bonds she formed with the incredible women who always seem
(02:17):
to arrive at the perfect time.
Speaker 1 (02:19):
It's a sense of longing that I see others search for,
and mine is an inherent birthright. It is why in
the darkest times in my life, I've had my sister's
white tears from my eyes, sharing their words of wisdom
and loving my babies like their own, coming into each
other's lives when it's exactly right.
Speaker 3 (02:36):
In a country where only three point eight percent of
the population identifies as Aboriginal, Natasha's journey is one of
finding pride, strength, and sisterhood within her culture.
Speaker 1 (02:47):
There's such an understanding of each other when you're a
black fellow. There's just common experiences that just make you
be able to connect with someone.
Speaker 3 (02:57):
Natasha's little love story is one of self love and
embracing her Aboriginal heritage and let it be a reminder
that true love can be found in the very essence
of who you are. But before we get to Natasha's
little love story, here's what a little bit of self
love sounds like today.
Speaker 4 (03:14):
Self love for me is kind of hyping myself up
a little bit. Sometimes a lot of people my life
will tell me how great I am. But words of
affirmation is not my love language. So I kind of
have to take a moment for myself to give myself
that words of affirmation and those words of love.
Speaker 5 (03:33):
It means forgiving myself. I have struggled with a lot
of different mental health challenges and anxiety and depression, and
it sometimes stops me from being the person I wish
I was, So loving myself means forgiving myself if I
can't be exactly who I wish I was.
Speaker 6 (03:49):
Self love for me is like mothering myself and doing
things for me that I know my mum would have
done when I was a child, like putting myself to
bed at a good time, or making myself a nutritious meal,
or getting some fresh air.
Speaker 1 (04:04):
That is self love.
Speaker 3 (04:08):
When we've been emailing back and forth, you say Yama
at the beginning of every email, is that hello?
Speaker 1 (04:14):
Yeah, yeah, that's hello, just from where I'm from, Humilliary.
Even though we are so united as Aboriginal people, we
have our own individual language, you know, we have so
many different customs and stuff like that.
Speaker 3 (04:28):
How much is traditional language a part of your everyday life?
Speaker 1 (04:32):
Not enough? Yeah, I don't think it's incorporated into our
lives at all, really, and it's probably still being a
bit a bit gatekeeper. They took our language office and
now they're sort of selling it back to us in
university courses and things like that. It's really really crazy, Honestly,
(04:52):
it really is crazy when you think about it, that
now I'm having to pay to learn my own language,
even now us speaking to each other. When you really
unpack it, it's crazy to me that I'm even speaking English
to you, and that's just what I was born doing,
you know. And I don't know any of my language.
Besides you know, small small words here and there that
(05:13):
I try to use. It's not something that you inherently do,
you know, language is. It's not taught in schools for
the most part, and not where I'm from. I'd love
to see it revitalized. And I don't think that it
needs to stop at Aboriginal people either. I think for
a lot of people around me that have passed on
(05:34):
their wisdom to me, I would say the fact that
for Aboriginal people, a big part of being able to
retain our culture is giving some of that away. We
do have to share it. So I would love to
see it incorporated in our schools. I'd love if my
kids were able to speak language. I know that the
ages that they are, it's something that could be burned
(05:55):
into their brain, you know, something that they could take forever.
But it's not something that I even have the tools
to teach them. So I'd love for that to be
something that could be in the schools.
Speaker 3 (06:06):
Yeah, instead of just I guess a tokenistic what we
learned in school was indigenous music. Oh really, yeah, that's
what I remember. And obviously colonization, we've come a long
way in terms of how we speak about colonization. I
think when I was at school, it was, you know,
talking about the first fleet.
Speaker 1 (06:23):
Yeah, I can remember when I was in year six
and we went to the Maritime Museum in Sydney. We
were on this boat. There was hammocks everywhere, and like,
I had no idea. I thought it was they were like, yeah,
they used to have cats on board because they were mice,
and I thought it was pretty deadly, like oh wow,
imagine all these people in these hammocks. And then later
(06:43):
on I realized it was a replica of the endeavor.
I mean, you have to laugh when you cry. I
couldn't believe it. I couldn't believe that I was even
on that ship. Why was I even on there? That
feels so wrong. I can't believe that was just normal.
They made it very fluffy.
Speaker 3 (07:04):
When we first spoke about your little love story, you
were going to write an essay to Country, but you
changed it. I'd love to talk about the reason as
to why you changed it.
Speaker 1 (07:13):
Yeah. I think it's like again touching back on the
language stuff as well. I don't think it's something that
I've been exposed to enough. I haven't been lucky enough
to know country, my own country at all. I've been there.
I try and go back as much as I can.
It's about nine hours from where I live. I don't
know country. Knowing country is living, being born on country, living,
(07:37):
breathing it, and even where I live now, on dark
and young country, I feel like I have a connection
to country, but definitely not enough that I could write
any kind of letter I wish I could. There are
people out there who I live near the ocean, and
there are some people that are out of my country
that have never seen fresh salt water before. It's a
(07:59):
real commitment knowing country, and that's not a commitment that
I've earned at all.
Speaker 3 (08:15):
I did a little research of the country that I'm on,
category land, and that it means giant swamp. Oh, And
it made a lot of sense because it rains, it floods,
and there's just weeds everywhere. It's like, well, of course
it's a swamp. Why did we build houses here?
Speaker 1 (08:31):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (08:31):
The First Nations people they know that. It's like, no,
this is swamp country.
Speaker 1 (08:35):
Well have you ever heard about the flood of gun Guy?
Speaker 3 (08:38):
No, but I'd love to know more.
Speaker 1 (08:40):
There were two black follows ere was they've got a
statue in town. There a big valley, you know, and
there were big floods, and it was these two men
in a boat, these two black follows, that pretty much
saved the whole town. And they were told not to
build there because of flooding, and it was like one
in one hundred year event kind of thing. And these
(09:02):
two black follows saved the whole town. Yeah, the whole
town was destroyed.
Speaker 3 (09:06):
In your little love story you have written to your aboriginality,
there is a recurring theme of community and family throughout
your letter, and I'd love if you could read that
part out for me.
Speaker 1 (09:17):
I have always felt that you were my best feature
growing up with cousins that were like siblings. Every adult
was an uncle or arnie. You just bring people together
like magnets with a powerful magnetic pool. It's a sense
of belonging that I see others search for, and mine
is an inherent birthright.
Speaker 3 (09:34):
Because of you.
Speaker 1 (09:36):
It is why in the darkest times in my life,
I have had my sister's white tears from my eyes,
sharing their words of wisdom and loving my babies like
their own, coming into each other's lives when it's exactly.
Speaker 3 (09:48):
Right, Yeah, this coming into each other's lives at the
exact time. Do you feel like you also do that
for your sisters?
Speaker 1 (09:56):
Yeah? Absolutely. Growing up, I was raised by a single
mother and also by a lot of my arnies, my
great arnies. I feel like I was raised by not
just one woman. I was raised by many women in
my family, and I feel that same responsibility for a
lot of my sisters as well. Like their children are
(10:18):
like my own children. I really do love and care
them like my own and I'm always there for at
least I believe that I am. It's such a beautiful
little network of women that is created I guess by
that common passion that we have and understanding, Like there's
such an understanding of each other when you're a black fellow.
(10:41):
There's just common experiences that just make you be able
to connect with someone. That's really really hard to describe.
I feel like I did touch on in some rooms,
I really do feel invisible, but when my people are
in that room, like I really do proudly feel like
I can be myself. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (11:00):
So when people often talk about belonging, it is part
of a bigger picture. But in your letter you note
that it's only three point eight percent of the population.
You go through life with your sisters, your community, the
people who make you feel like you're not invisible. You
talk about both the highs and the lows of that.
Could you read that part of your letter?
Speaker 1 (11:19):
Because of you, I feel connected to three point eight
percent of the population, and with that we go through
the many highs and lows. Together. We're like a big
old gum tree, resilient through the harshest conditions, so big,
so strong. I reckon the type of gum tree with
roots above the soil that you always trip over, just
to remind you that part in particular, come from every
(11:43):
single day that I picked my daughter up from school.
There actually is a gum tree and the roots. Every
single day I trip over them. I don't think I'm
the only one. And every single time, especially now that
I've written that, it makes me think of it and smile.
Speaker 3 (11:57):
I love this visual sense of connection that you talk about.
Is there anything when you close your eyes do you
see the roots or what are the other types of
connections that you think of when you're connecting to the
three point eight percent?
Speaker 1 (12:09):
Yeah? I think everything does come back to all of that,
even culturally, everything does have a story when you connect
more with culture and your identity and you are a
bit more in tune with your surroundings. I guess I
do visualize things in a little bit of a different way.
(12:29):
I could probably be seen as a bit woo woo
in you know, a non aboriginal sense. I guess I'm
describing myself like Cinderella or something. But I do really
feel like, you know, a lot of things are messages
and things like that. Being able to notice at the
moment that there's beautiful wattle, yellow wattle. At the moment
it's about mindfulness and connecting and all of those things
(12:53):
make me really really happy and noticing those changes, being
in tune with everything around you. So yeah, I guess
that kind of imagery. I do think about it a lot,
because it's a part of my existence. I will every
day from now on that I trip over that tree.
I will always think that. And that's what I hope
that other people that have read that or listening, I
(13:15):
hope that that happens to them where they remember what
I've written.
Speaker 3 (13:19):
I love that there is this of pride when you
talk about it. When you talk about the tree, you
talk about the roots, you talk about being connected to
your sisters, to your brothers, being connected to the three
point eight percent.
Speaker 1 (13:30):
I really do feel so proud of being Aboriginal, really
often mind blown by just how incredible it is being Aboriginal.
When I look back, it's just incredible to me, just
our existence with megafauna, even thinking about ancestors that may
have seen coal for the first time. Thinking back and
(13:51):
closing your eyes and thinking about the old people, you
get so lost. But we're just an incredible people. And
even you know, we had the freedom Rides in the
nineteen sixties, which was all from protests, and then from
that you think of all the incredible things that people
have done, like the Aboriginal Medical Service, Aboriginal Legal Service,
(14:12):
like all the strength and resilience is just incredible. Even today,
after I leave, I go every week up to Frank Baxter,
the Youth Correctional facility, and they have young Aboriginal boys there.
We have a group every week because obviously incarceration rates
are really really higher, so the number of Aboriginal boys
up there is sad.
Speaker 3 (14:32):
What do you do with that group?
Speaker 1 (14:34):
I'd say it like providing a sense of belonging. That's
what it is. I've been going up there for a
little bit now, and I guess that's one thing that
stands out is a lot of these young ones, that's
what they can be searching for, that sense of belonging.
And as Aboriginal people, that's what we have a born
right too. We have a born right to have a
(14:56):
sense of belonging. They all call you mam and miss,
and it's so funny. But I go up there in
the high risk unit and do weaving with them and
do reflective practice, and because with weaving, I guess a
lot of it is about mindfulness and being reflective, and
I guess that transfers a little bit into their lives.
(15:18):
And that's been really, really great, and I think it's
bec because when you go back and you're sitting with
these boys and you're talking about who they're safe people are,
for the most part, they'll say they're Arnies or their
nan you know, strong Aboriginal women. Going there and providing
that sense of belonging for these boys is you just
(15:39):
have to deal with getting called mam and miss. You
can tell they absolutely love it. And even when you
do end up seeing the boys in the community and
they say hello Toia, like it is a really really
nice feeling, Like you realize the value in just being yourself,
just being me, just being an Aboriginal person with my experiences,
my life experiences. How that can give someone a sense
(16:01):
of belonging and feel heard and feel seen just that
common thread. How special that can feel when you can
really feel alone in this country, you really can, and
you can feel growing up like I have my first
interaction with racism when I was like six or seven
or something, Like I knew I was different from quite
a young age, that something was different about me, even
(16:25):
when you're going through those teenagers, Like you can see
my hair is so curly and so different, I'm so hairy.
I'm just different. You think of what I would have
been in the two thousands, and you think of like
Niki Webster, you think of all these people like I
can't be that. The whole dominant narrative just tries to,
I guess, push it down, like there's things that I
(16:46):
just can't compete with as an Aboriginal woman. I'm about
ten steps behind non Aboriginal people. And I feel strong
that I do, feel so proud. So I feel like
the dominant narrative really doesn't want me to be like that.
Speaker 3 (17:01):
You talk about the uncomfortability of the white middle aged
man in your letter. I think it's important to reference
the part of your letter that you talk about the
term aboriginal and where it comes from. I'd love for
you to read that part out.
Speaker 1 (17:16):
The ancestors had never as much as whispered the word
aboriginal for up to eighty five thousand years before the
colonization of this land. With over two hundred and fifty mobs,
three hundred languages, and around eight hundred dialects, the differences
came with a rich and individual law and culture. The
word aboriginal, we're all guilty of wanting to know what
(17:38):
our names mean, right, is derived from the Latin word aborigines,
meaning original inhabitants, a name bestowed upon us by the colonizers,
while they simultaneously claimed terranalius, a strange twist that remains
my Roman empire. It is ironic, you are a blanket
term used to describe us, used to racially profile stereotype us.
(18:02):
To this day. They created something called the Aborigines Protection Act,
And I know what you're thinking. It wasn't there to
protect yet. The word Aboriginal has been something that unites
us all and through two hundred and thirty years of
resistance and advocacy, stunning your name for all Aboriginal people.
Speaker 3 (18:20):
It's a very complex and painful word. And what is
your relationship with the word Aboriginal now?
Speaker 1 (18:28):
I don't know. It's strange because over the years, we've
been called a lot of things, and I know now
a lot of people say indigenous, a lot of people
say First Nation. Some people aren't even really comfortable with
the word Aboriginal. Some people prefer indigenous or First Nation.
For me, indigenous feels like more of a government word.
(18:49):
I connect first Nations, I guess, but more America. Aboriginal
feels probably more comfortable to me. That's just something that's
always defined me. Yeah, I'm just Aboriginal. I'm Aboriginal, tash.
That's even what I get At times. I guess as well, Aboriginal,
if I take it back. I didn't really know where
I was from for quite some time while my pot
(19:13):
was alive. He was taken when he was a young boy,
taken to Kinchella Boy's home, and like he was really
dehumanized and did not have much to do with his culture.
I didn't grow up knowing what country I was from
or anything like that. And once he passed away, our
family did a little bit more of investigating because it's
(19:35):
something that clearly traumatized him. He didn't ever speak about it.
And once he passed that something that you know, we
all connected those dots. So I guess Aboriginal really did
define me in a lot of ways until I was
a woman, and when I could find out where I
was properly from and I could identify as a Uali,
(19:56):
I woman, as Miri ar Bara.
Speaker 3 (19:59):
And why did you choose to write this letter now?
Like we said, it's so complex where Australia is in
that post the Voice era, but there is still so
much joy. There's a lot of intimacy in your letter.
So why did you write this story now?
Speaker 1 (20:14):
It is that one true love that's always been there
for me. And I think of how much it has
howered me as a woman, How having mob around me,
how having those beautiful sisters around me, By being raised
by these amazing women, you feel so empowered by seeing
so many other black fellows around you do amazing things.
(20:37):
I feel like being Aboriginal doesn't so much feel like
a difference. It feels like an amazing superpower. It feels
amazing Historically within I think the first ten years of colonization,
around seventy percent to ninety percent of Aboriginal people were
wiped out, and I always just think of from that
small percentage the survival in that, just the amazing survival
(21:01):
in that. I feel like we're all here for a purpose,
and I would love to see all Black fellows really
reminded of that and empowered by that. We have all
got something amazing to give. As Aboriginal people, We've got
a lot to teach. We are a beautiful cult, especially
(21:21):
in these times. I think a lot of people could
learn from that.
Speaker 3 (21:25):
Natasha, what does love mean to you?
Speaker 1 (21:27):
I will say that for me, it is respect in culture,
something that you're always taught is being able to respect
each other and with our life experiences making up who
we are. I think if we respect that with each other,
you know, you always learn something. We're all very different,
and especially in a nation where again as Aboriginal people,
(21:49):
we're probably put against each other a bit. Like you
think of the creation of leaning counsels and stuff like that,
I feel like we can sometimes repitted against each other.
I think if we just respect each other's differences, I
think we could see a lot of change.
Speaker 3 (22:07):
That's beautiful and that's a perfect place to end it.
Thank you so much for coming on to Little Love Stories, Natasha.
It's been a pleasure to hear your story and thank
you for sharing it.
Speaker 1 (22:15):
Thank you.
Speaker 3 (22:16):
You can read Natasha's full Little Love Story essay, which
will be dropped into our episode show notes. If you
have a story you'd like to share, you've got a
bit of love, some gratitude for someone or something, we
would love to hear it. We're always on the lookout
for great stories and new perspectives. You can submit your
story to us by leaving a voice note or email us.
All the details are in the show notes. Little Love
(22:37):
Stories is produced by me Grace Rufray, with audio production
by Lou Hill. If you're looking for something else to
listen to, Mumma Me who is presenting one hundred hours
of summer listens from meaningful conversations, incredible stories, fashion, beauty,
and a bit of silliness. There's a link to more
things to listen to in the show notes.
Popular Podcasts
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.