June 17, 2025 • 31 mins
In this episode of the Black Magic Woman Podcast, I sit down with trailblazing Woppaburra woman, Angela Barney-Leitch, live from the Human Rights Summit on Yagara Country. From growing up in Woodridge to becoming the first Aboriginal woman appointed Deputy Vice-Chancellor in Queensland, Angela reflects on her incredible journey and the importance of cultural leadership in institutions like QUT.
Angela shares the transformative work happening through Carumba, the Indigenous Research Institute, and how initiatives like the Campus to Country strategy are reshaping what inclusion and sovereignty look like on university campuses. Angela also speaks candidly about the strength of community, the role of education in our liberation, and why standing strong in your identity is more important than ever.
This yarn is a celebration of black excellence, black joy, and the power of returning to and standing on Country. An inspiring listen for anyone navigating the intersections of culture, education, and leadership.
Resources & Links
Books & Authors
Another Day in the Colony by Professor Chelsea Watego
https://www.uqp.com.au/books/another-day-in-the-colony
Black Witness by Amy McQuire
https://scribepublications.com.au/books-authors/books/black-witness-9781922585725
Indigenous Education & Strategy at QUT
Carumba Institute – Indigenous Research at QUT
https://www.qut.edu.au/research/carumba-institute
Campus to Country: Positioning Strategy
https://www.qut.edu.au/about/campus-to-country
QUT Indigenous Strategy
https://www.qut.edu.au/about/indigenous
Indigenous Mathematics & Education
YuMi Deadly Maths – QUT
https://research.qut.edu.au/ydc/about/yumi-deadly-maths/
Dr. Chris Matthews – Griffith University Profile
https://www.griffith.edu.au/advancement/notable-alumni/2021-alumni-award-winners/professor-chris-matthews
Woppaburra Country & Marine Stewardship
Woppaburra Traditional Use of Marine Resources Agreement (TUMRA)
https://woppaburra.com.au/100-2/
Reef Authority – Traditional Use of Marine Resources Agreements
https://www2.gbrmpa.gov.au/learn/traditional-owners/traditional-use-marine-resources-agreements
Indigenous Business Leadership
Master of Indigenous Business
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:04):
Black Cast Unite our voices.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
Black Magic Women Podcast acknowledges the traditional owners of the
land we have recorded this episode on. We also acknowledge
traditional owners of the land where you, the listener of
youer are tuning in from. We would like to pay
our respects to our elders past and present and acknowledged
that this always was Aboriginal land and always will be
(00:27):
Aboriginal land. Welcome to the Black Magic Woman Podcast with
Mandanara Bail. Welcome to another episode of the Black Magic
Woman Podcast. I'm here at the amazing State Library. This
is actually Carilla Point and we do our tours here
(00:50):
which you should have a look at if you're here
in the cultural precinct on Yagura Country here in Brisbane.
And I've bumped into A. It was interesting Angela. Back
in the day, I didn't know whether he was like
an auntie, my mentor he wasn't my supervisor. But I
was very young. I was fresh out of high school,
(01:13):
sixteen and in the government when we're first, when I
first got to meet you, and here we are today
twenty something years nearly thirty years later at this amazing
human rights summit. So I just want to say thank
you for letting.
Speaker 1 (01:27):
Me pull you out of the conference. I feel terrible.
Speaker 2 (01:30):
I've been grabbing a mob to get on this yarn
because it's very rare to have all these deadly peoples,
you know, movers and shakers in one place at one time.
So I've taken, you know, made the most of the opportunity.
So thanks for jumping on. For people that don't know you,
can you please introduce yourself, you name your mob, and
just a little bit about where did you grow up?
Speaker 3 (01:52):
So I'm Angela Varney Leech. I'm a wopple Borough woman.
So our country of the Kepel Islands off the coast
of Central Queensland, off for Campton. It's really only better
to them the Queens and Central Queen's.
Speaker 1 (02:05):
Land stick with Central Queens.
Speaker 3 (02:08):
Yeah, none of us think anything there past Cans, but
there's a whole life up there. There's a whole lot
of deadly things happening up past Cans. And I grew
up in Woodridge, which is out just past Logan there.
Speaker 1 (02:20):
What did Uncle Check say here at the conference?
Speaker 3 (02:23):
Logan?
Speaker 1 (02:24):
Yeah, because you're here. He is Logan where the Bogans are.
Speaker 2 (02:30):
Just like I wasn't expected Check to say that because
there's a lot of deadly people living in Logan.
Speaker 1 (02:38):
Blackfellows you grew up in, So.
Speaker 3 (02:41):
I grew up Logan. The funny thing was the first
couple of years before my family ship to the Lagan,
we lived in Anala. So when people are four zero
seven seven and so we're kind of four zero seven seven,
but orso four door one four you.
Speaker 1 (02:54):
Yeah, I'm going to show the love.
Speaker 3 (02:55):
That's it. And I said to people, you don't know them.
Two suburbs in Brisbane and then you're not a black
feloc That's that's where we all were.
Speaker 2 (03:03):
You must have been living out passip switch over there
in wallk.
Speaker 1 (03:06):
Rakia somewhere, that's right.
Speaker 2 (03:09):
So I used to work at the university that you
now work out, But I met you at Department of
Families and I was a kid doing my trainee ship,
try to find my way in the world, didn't know
what I wanted to be, didn't know what I wanted
to do, and I found myself as an admin trainee
admin trainee in the HR director's office. And then you're
(03:32):
on the same floor in the never Bonner building, Yes,
the beautiful late Uncle never Bonna. So what was you
doing there because I never knew what you did and
I hardly ever got to see.
Speaker 3 (03:42):
You, right, yeah, I just see your walking basket. I
know you like go shopping there at lunchtime down the wall.
Speaker 1 (03:48):
I shot first.
Speaker 3 (03:49):
I had money, Yes, I remember when I first got
my first paybacker and that was like it was money
in that and I was like then days, yeah, then
way back in the dark era and they open that
packet really carefully and to see the money come out.
Speaker 1 (04:07):
Yes, yes, this is mine, this is.
Speaker 3 (04:09):
My I can come buy something.
Speaker 2 (04:11):
I worked hard for this. So what was she doing
in the never A Bonner Building?
Speaker 3 (04:16):
So I was working in HR there. So I did
a degree at Griffith University and I ended up working
in HR at Griffith University and HR was my major
in my degree. And then I went from the university
into the public service, State public service, and I worked
(04:37):
there as a HR advisor for a couple of years
on that floor, but then I moved into strategic kind
of advising and strategic policy area straight after that.
Speaker 1 (04:48):
I didn't even know what HR was.
Speaker 2 (04:50):
The only reason I ended up in HR is because
my supervisor, her best friend, was a black woman, so
she said I would love to supervise, and I'm like,
all right, I better go with someone that's got connections
to MOB And I already knew that I would be
safer culturally as a sixteen year old, but that twelve
months kind of shaped my life into the fact that
(05:14):
I knew that I wanted to well, first I wanted
to wear a suit.
Speaker 1 (05:21):
What do you do with QUT?
Speaker 2 (05:23):
Can we get into that because I am so interested
in a lot of the things that have now happened,
the progress.
Speaker 1 (05:31):
Can I call it progress from when I was there? Yeah?
Speaker 3 (05:34):
I think so. I was the first pro vice chancellor
indigenous pro vice chancellor at QT and then they promoted
me to a deputy vice chancellor at QT. End up
being congratulations, thank you, end up being like the first
bell said, they the first female original female TVC and Queensland.
(06:00):
I thought, oh my god, I thought so many more
deadly people than me. So I end up with that.
But what I do there is usually provide a lot
of strategic advice around Aboriginal torus, straight on the issues
and looking at policies and strategies and what it kind
of needs there. So there's things like I've also the
(06:21):
UTRU unit comes underneath me as well as the deadly
Corumba and the deadly professor.
Speaker 1 (06:28):
What do you go?
Speaker 3 (06:30):
So I look over them, and I also have a
little area that does strategy and policy that works to
me in my office. So since I came to QUT,
first thing I did when I went there is just
to ask all the black fellows.
Speaker 1 (06:44):
You ask it everyone, what what do you want?
Speaker 3 (06:46):
What do you want? What do you think we have
to do? Give me like I want you to tell
me what you want me to do, because I didn't
want to be that black fellow that came in that said, look,
I've got all the answers. All of you just sit
there and wait for me to deliver it.
Speaker 2 (07:00):
It's byway or the highway and less. How we're going
to do things?
Speaker 1 (07:03):
Was it twenty sixteen, twenty nineteen, twenty nineteen, Yeah.
Speaker 2 (07:07):
Because I left twenty I was meant to come back
in twenty eighteen after I gave birth, and I didn't know.
Speaker 1 (07:13):
I still knew what was going on.
Speaker 2 (07:14):
It's going to come back to my job, but black
Card took off, which is fabulous, so I didn't need
to go back and work the nine to five. And really,
you know, it was hard.
Speaker 1 (07:23):
Work and yeah, it was hard work a little ones.
Speaker 2 (07:27):
Yeah, and just trying to bring people along on this journey.
We're trying to get people to understand the university's commitment
which was in the blueprint.
Speaker 1 (07:38):
Still remember this, go and argue with the VC blueprint.
Speaker 2 (07:43):
What are you on the blueprint seven or six or eight?
Speaker 3 (07:46):
We got to six and then we've actually just put
out our strategic plan. But what was really good about
the blueprint and the strategic plans is it really embedded
indigenous exactly. It wasn't about it.
Speaker 1 (07:56):
It wasn't a wrap that was an add on to.
Speaker 3 (07:59):
It was a definite. When I came and they said
when a we're doing a RAP, I said, we're not
doing one. Yeah, because we're at a stage where we
should be building it into every policy, every procedure and
not having a RAP. I can understand why some organizations
have raped it, but a university, I think needs to
(08:19):
start looking at everything it does and just building Aboriginal
people and perspectives and issues into it and not has
something that sits to the side, just a rap.
Speaker 2 (08:30):
What are you most proud of since you've been at QUT.
Speaker 1 (08:35):
A few thinks?
Speaker 3 (08:37):
You know what I really like is our Campus to
Country document? That kind of that says how are we
going to reflect Aboriginal and terrestra on the sort of
culture on campus? And that kind of set the pace
when I said, we need to remember that everybody here
(08:57):
is a visitor, that this is truble Yaga a country.
So the first voice and the primary voice is then
you know, I might be Aboriginal, but I'm not terrible,
so you know we also are visitors. And then it
was kind of like, so how do we get their
(09:17):
voice heard and how do we see them back on
campus because if you walk through campus, it was all
just white and white building.
Speaker 2 (09:26):
Yeah, typical institution, typical university campus.
Speaker 3 (09:28):
That's what it was like. And so now when I
look at all the work that's been done with it,
and it just feels like, I'm much the environment is
a lot of so much better. You feel much better
in it. And it's one it was something that was
done as a partnership between Black Bars and the facilities area,
(09:48):
and it's one awards things, So that's it's one of wards.
It's why I want a state ward and won a
national award. Look at this, it's just fantastic. So that's
been good. Something that's one side, and then the other
side is, you know, I'm really happy with Kurumba, the
way Karumba has turned out.
Speaker 2 (10:06):
So what is Kurumba for people that don't know.
Speaker 3 (10:09):
So Karumba is the Indigenous Research Institute for the university
and the executive director is Professor Chelsea Watergy and it
just gives a lot of advice around indigenous research. It
undertakes indigenous research, and it also does some teaching and
unit coordination there as well. So they do a fabulous job.
(10:32):
So I'm really pleased the way they've shared it turned out.
You know, Udru. I love it when I see them
with the students and a student saying, you know, if
it wasn't for Udru, I would have left, you know.
And it's kind of like I feel good when I
see young people doing that. Because when I went to UNI,
we had a tiny little room and a nun in charge.
Speaker 2 (10:53):
Yes, And so Aililla said the same thing. At you
Q there was a small little room that she was
able to go into with say like Ribner Green or
keV Karmi.
Speaker 1 (11:03):
There's like three black students at UQ.
Speaker 2 (11:05):
And it started with a little just a small little
desk in one chair and it was like the room
that they put the brooms and the mops in.
Speaker 1 (11:13):
That's what only a little told man.
Speaker 3 (11:15):
L was quote time you had one little sink, yes,
and there was like an office, but the nun had
the office. Yeah. But I went to Universe and Deadly
people in Vernon.
Speaker 1 (11:26):
Uh what unit did you go to?
Speaker 3 (11:28):
I went to Griffith. Yes, and Lisa Wadigo was there
and Chris Matthews was there. Like there was just samely
deadly people.
Speaker 2 (11:41):
I went to you anyway, Now, who's Chris Matthews tell people?
Because he's a mathematician.
Speaker 1 (11:45):
Rah.
Speaker 2 (11:45):
Yes, Like there's these deadly black fellows, blackademics that are doing,
you know, just doing doing what they do, what they love.
But most people in terms of mainstream Australians wouldn't even
know who they are what they do.
Speaker 1 (12:01):
Oh.
Speaker 3 (12:01):
Chris so clear about when it came and he started
tutoring other students in maths and eldra. I'm like, I
don't understand alge breakfast and he would explain it by
using fruit things. I think he was the first original
mathematician mathematician, the first person to get a math science
PhD in Queensland. I think, you know, he's like, he's incredible.
Speaker 1 (12:25):
He's a really.
Speaker 3 (12:26):
Humble person and he works a lot in the indigenous
maths space, and he was worked with deadly maths. He
runs around, he goes around running maths programs and computer programs.
He runs his own his own I don't think it
(12:47):
happened in his own consultancy thing. So he was, he's
there and he's just doing great. And then Lisa Watergo
went to she got an am last time. That woman's deadly.
Speaker 1 (12:58):
And what about Amy maguire?
Speaker 2 (13:01):
Come on, now, look at we could just sit here
and talk about all these deadly blackfellows that are actually
doing the work, don't don't always get the recognition. Was
she did she win an award or a finalist?
Speaker 3 (13:14):
She's a Finalistlla, but she's won so many awards, and
and like her books, you know, Black Witness. Haven't got
she and I haven't read Black Witness. Go and get
the book. Read Chelsea's book Another Day in the Colony,
and they're just amazing. And I keep waiting for the
next thing to come out with, you know, because Amy's
(13:38):
Darrenball and my family is wopple Borough. So we sort
of we all speak similar language.
Speaker 1 (13:45):
Kind of a countrymen neighbors.
Speaker 3 (13:48):
And I just love that I go through there on
their way to my country. So I really really love
hearing from Daraball people. And I said, she's darnball and
that's kind of like it's really nice day there, but
it's so clever and so humble.
Speaker 2 (14:03):
And she was Dad's protegan. He used to say that
to us, she's going to take over my talk show
and didn't last long because the management didn't, I don't know,
didn't support her or her views, which are my dad's
views and my dad's style, which is straight up grassroots.
So love Amy, big shout out to you, my sister,
(14:25):
and I'll make sure people know in the show notes
some of the books that you've mentioned, especially with Chelsea's book.
What do you think in terms of for universities, in
particular the opportunities for our mob, for a lot of
these young fellows that are listening, Angela, how do we
kind of encourage them? Because I grew up at a
(14:47):
time where my dad told me that universe is not
for blackfilence. I still remember him saying that to me,
and two years ago I enrolled at Monash Business School
to do the Indigenous Business Leadership Masters and it was
the first time being around blackfellows that I felt like, Yeah,
why didn't I do this earlier? Because the course was
(15:08):
an available to have black knowledge, black perspectives, black academics,
which is at Corumba now, to have that available and
then for us to be able to feel empowered within
that environment, with that literature, with those examples with black
academics being part of the teaching team. To me, I
(15:29):
just feel like our more of our younger move in particular,
don't realize how deadly we are, or we underestimate or
don't value, or we don't know what we're capable of.
How do we get past that? As blackfellows? When you're
being told that you're never going to amount to anything
(15:50):
or you're not going to be able to do this
because you're abrashble, you know those days are over.
Speaker 3 (15:55):
I think they are. And you know it's not shame
to go to UNI. Yeah the other like kids at
school used to call me a book head. Oh you're
a book heading.
Speaker 1 (16:08):
I don't think it's.
Speaker 3 (16:09):
Anyone from wanting your bookhead. I don't know. I love
to read, Okay, I look at the book occasionally. But
the thing I like about university is it opens a
whole world of possibilities for our mob. Yeah, because when
our mob got to hospital, I want to be delusy
(16:30):
a doctor or a nurse there. Yeah. And we see
our mobs opening their own business. It's like Chris has
his own consultancy and people, and Lisa has her own business.
So my sister has her own business. She went to
you and I got two sisters at their own business.
My brother was the first wopper Borough to get a
(16:52):
pH d and he now works for our TAMRA, which
is a traditionally used to marine resources up on our country.
And because he went to UNI, because he had a
pH d, he now can apply for all these grants
for us, you know, and he knows all the words
to use. And we're doing great, you know with that
(17:16):
because he's able to do all the reports, is able
to talk to him and he can go in there
and say I am doctor Harry a listener.
Speaker 1 (17:24):
It carries a lot of weight. Oh, it does those
letters after your name yep.
Speaker 3 (17:29):
And then the kind of what we run though for
our young ones there to come on the country, so
to be able to come on a country and it's
very healing helping country, you know, and whether they go
on and become a arranger, because not everyone has to
go to UNI. Other pathways for people and it's kind
(17:50):
of in order to win our for our people to
be strategized and to think about what is it that
we actually need. We need people who can do lots
of different things. And whether that's the people who reports
work out the strategy, who's going to be we're doing what,
or whether it's people who look after the babies while
(18:12):
other people are out on the front line. We need everybody,
and we need all different types of knowledge to do that,
you know, and that's just all different experience, and I
think our mob was starting to kind of understand that.
I think at first it wasn't oh you've got a
university degree, good, what are you useful for? But now
I think we're all starting to understand that we will
(18:33):
have a different place in here. Let's use everybody, and
let's use that Western knowledge that we gather to help
us to fight them, to fight the system, because we
know what the system is, you know, have different ways
of fighting, different knowledges fighting it. And so I think
it's very emancipating, not only for the person who gets
(18:56):
that degree, but it can be for the rest of
the community as well.
Speaker 2 (19:06):
Talking about fighting the fight the wopper Borough people native title.
Speaker 3 (19:11):
This is we got that title?
Speaker 2 (19:13):
Y long rod is Gina Reinhart up there trying to
build something, an island resort, a house.
Speaker 1 (19:21):
What's going on?
Speaker 3 (19:22):
But she was at one star, she was at one
stage looking. She was looking, yeah, but she decided.
Speaker 2 (19:29):
That there's mob I'm not going to tolerat her.
Speaker 1 (19:33):
So she wasn't going to be welcomed.
Speaker 3 (19:35):
It wasn't something that we particularly wanted, but I think
in the end it was an economic decision for her
not to come. And then the state government came up
with a plan for what they're going to do on
the island, which they work with the wapper Borough to do.
But I'm just not I'm not sure there was in
the money behind it. I think they had the money
(19:57):
to develop a plan, but not the money to implement
the plan. And anyway, that government lost now and there's
another government in and I'm.
Speaker 1 (20:03):
Not sure, so there might be another plan.
Speaker 3 (20:05):
There might be another plan. And what we just ignore.
Speaker 1 (20:07):
Us all for a war. Just let's just be yeah.
Speaker 3 (20:11):
Yeah, But in the meantime, we have the tamra is
going great guns. They want to stay award a little
while ago, and we've got our land trust and we've
got our Native title body and so we're just thinking
we just need to go ahead. You know, we can't
wait for government.
Speaker 2 (20:28):
No, there's these opportunities now for our younger mob to participate.
Whether it's like you said, it's not just about going
to universe. They might want to be a ranger, or
they might want to be they might want to start
their own business. They might want to start weaving painting,
that's right.
Speaker 3 (20:45):
They might want to be a plumber.
Speaker 2 (20:48):
So how does the say the mob, the Whappa Baro mob,
how do you support these younger mob? Is there opportunities
for them to Because I've got our want to real
mob in the Hunter, and we've got this education fund
and a health fund. So if I need a says
to money. It's not that the eight hundred members get
access to money. It's hey, you know, if you go
(21:09):
get a quote for a filling, we'll pay the dentist
for you. If you need a laptop for your kids
in school, then we'll give you a laptop so we've
got these royalties from mines where this money is kind
of safeguarded and nobody actually individually or a family gets royalties,
but the organization has a way of distributing it to
people who need it.
Speaker 1 (21:28):
That's going to last generations.
Speaker 3 (21:30):
Isn't that fabulous? It's very clever, it is. It's really good.
But I'm part of the mob that we don't get
the royalties.
Speaker 1 (21:38):
No rot no royalties, no, but got land.
Speaker 3 (21:42):
They got opportunities, opportunities to develop under the Aboriginal Land
Act from Queensland. We've got land, so that's different from
native title and so we can do something with that.
The main thing we've got going is we join is
the Tamra and that's our land Sea Rangers beneath that,
(22:04):
and we have a lot of casual lancy ranges and
we bring people on to country and the young ones
on the country and we try like whopple Barra first
is of course that and we do a lot of
stuff like look after the coral. We have all these
researchers that we've got working with us and we've just started.
(22:29):
My brother and law went let's do up a little
bit of a scholarship for those who can afford it
to put money into this.
Speaker 2 (22:35):
They might want to be a bio marine.
Speaker 1 (22:37):
Whatever, let's help.
Speaker 3 (22:40):
And I'm thinking there's going to be wise that we
can get money for our mob. So once the we
I think we need to be far more established. But
once we are, we have to look at what we're
doing for our mob. And given that we haven't got royalties,
but we can still bring young ones back the country
(23:02):
and being on country, it's just so amazing.
Speaker 1 (23:07):
You know, you can't even describe.
Speaker 3 (23:08):
Its a feeling. What are the words? What are the
words with that feeling when you're like you're I don't
you know where you're meant to be.
Speaker 2 (23:16):
I don't think there's one word to sum up that feeling.
But only mob feel it. Yeah, only mob feel it
because other people are like, oh yeah, connected to country.
Just it's a feeling when you know your home.
Speaker 3 (23:29):
Yes, then it's almost like it's not like spirits are
watching you or a thing, although that in sometimes they are.
You can feel it, but it's the whole of the country.
You know that that tree is there, you know you
know that sure that that sea when it's like it
knows you, Yeah, it knows who you are and you're
(23:51):
just part of it is kind of hard. Yeah, but
you know you have a conversation with that tree. Yeah yeah,
so it's kind of or just sit there in silence
and listen the breeze and when the breeze comes past
and it touches you think, is that the breeze? Is
that my ancestor?
Speaker 1 (24:10):
You know, what do you hope for the future?
Speaker 2 (24:13):
If you think about our young mob and the next generation,
what are your hopes for the next generation?
Speaker 1 (24:18):
Before we wrap up this shower.
Speaker 3 (24:20):
I think I would like our young people to understand
that they are sovereign people and the strength that comes
from that and the strength from being Aboriginal or Torres
straight older. That's real strong, that's real powerful because it's
our country. We've been here for sixty thousand years at
least at least at least and like I said, we
(24:43):
are part of this and you're sovereign and stand strong
in your sovereignty. You know, they just shut up twenty
minutes ago, or you know, it's kind of like you
be strong in your identity and who you are because
that's where you're going to get your strength from and
down let them tell you anything different. You know you can.
(25:04):
You stand up, you fight because that's what people told
you do that, that's what your ancestors did, you know,
and you've got that in you. You've got that strength
in you. You've got that warrior in you. You know,
stand and be sovereign.
Speaker 2 (25:17):
It's like the ground underneath he was rock solid. No
one can shake it break. It might get you a
bit wild, but there's nothing wrong with them being a
little bit rattled sometimes when you're dealing with people that
might question your identity, and.
Speaker 3 (25:34):
People do question people's identity, but yeah, I know who
I am. I'm strong in my identity, strong way mob
being from Woodridge, having a big Barney family. Yeah, so
you know, I love that. That keeps me really strong.
And when I meet other ones that don't have it,
(25:55):
I do feel sorry for them. But I will say
know that everyone's on a journey. And I was often
think that in some ways I was kind of lucky
in that it was my great grandfather who was removed
from country and my mom grew up with him. Then
(26:16):
I grow with my mum, so we're still that hasn't
had that time for that disconnection that happened, that's happened
with a lot of people, and I think, oh, how
lucky are we that our people found our way back
to our country and got our native title and we
can do stuff with our young people before it's all gone,
(26:38):
you know, and so and I know that other mob
haven't had that, so their journey is much harder, of course.
Speaker 1 (26:45):
And the struggle continues.
Speaker 2 (26:48):
It's not always a struggle, right, those opportunities and time
to celebrate. There is black joy in black knowing.
Speaker 1 (26:56):
Dr What do you go?
Speaker 3 (26:59):
Angel?
Speaker 2 (27:00):
I just want to say, because I know the batter
is going to cut out on this camera soon. You know,
your leadership, cultural leadership, leadership for a lot of them
about QUT has been inspirational for me as someone from
the outside looking in. But I just wish that you
were there when I was there all those years ago
(27:21):
as the seventy second Indigenous person I was working. There
was seventy two of us out of eight thousand and
I it was a place where I would say that
I felt very alone most of the time. And I
took any Little and any Mary in to meet Peter Coldrake,
who was the VC, and we presented a proposal to
him called Embedded in Land. I'm going to send that
(27:44):
proposal to you that we only done four qut. We
showed it to him, had this amazing meeting in his office,
and never heard from him again. So we said if
he was interested, he would have rung his back. So
he's not interested, so let's not bothering in him. I
still got that proposal there, so it makes.
Speaker 1 (28:00):
Me really new VC.
Speaker 3 (28:02):
Now she's lovely at Margaret's you'll chot out to market.
Speaker 2 (28:05):
I love Margaret because I met Margaret at Gama around
Literally I met Margaret at the lining up for food.
We shared stores about how we're dissecting our plate and
eating food. So Margaret remember this little yard. So big
shout out to Margaret, who I know has been a
champion in a lot of the change and the big
restructure that happened at QT after I left. Yes, so
(28:27):
she wasn't people wasn't too. Didn't really like her at
the start because she came in and got shit done.
Speaker 1 (28:35):
There's a lot of respect to her.
Speaker 3 (28:37):
So since she left, Like we have quarterly staff lunches,
we have coffee and yarns every month in a coffee
and a yarn the thing, we've now got a cup
Murray on campus, so all these things. We've got newsletter
that goes out to the staff and did your stuff.
Once a month. We took a whole bunch of students
(28:57):
and staff to the original comedy that was at the Powerhouse.
So you kind of left before these deadly things.
Speaker 1 (29:05):
So I'm still going to be round.
Speaker 3 (29:08):
I'm going email.
Speaker 1 (29:10):
If I need a job, I'll reach out, give you a calls.
Speaker 3 (29:13):
But you're doing fabulous things, so you don't. You don't
need that. And I think that the thing is, there's
so many fabulous people, isn't it, like you go, oh
my god, there's this person's wonderful.
Speaker 2 (29:23):
Will We've been in this room with all this mob,
this black talent, black royalty, blackademics.
Speaker 3 (29:29):
And in the beginning of the blackout, what color do
you feel? And then Chelsea tends me and goes, I
feel black, and I go, oh my god, I feel
black too. That's the that's the color. The colors are black.
Speaker 1 (29:39):
Let's celebrate our blackness.
Speaker 3 (29:41):
That's wrong.
Speaker 2 (29:42):
I know I've got to let you go, but I
can't wait to come and be on campus and to
just experience all the things that you've shared with us
on the podcast today and to all the mob at QT,
big shout out for all the deadly work you do.
Can't wait to come back and say hello. We were
there recently with the from Culture Is Life, so qut
(30:07):
Krumba hosted the Culture's Life Mob. I'm trying to think
about it as kind of not scholarships, the followship program.
So we're over there and I got to go and
see the office space.
Speaker 1 (30:20):
And look at the host students.
Speaker 2 (30:22):
I'm jealous, fantastic and Anie Annie Tires still at QT.
Big shout out because you've been there before I was
even there in twenty fourteen. So look, I'll let you
go and keep up the deadly work, stay black, and
we'll catch up soon. Great, thank you, You're welcome. I
(30:45):
know I say this all the time, but I love
yarning with people where people just don't know who we
are and what we do and all the deadly things
that we do within our work or in our communities,
keeping our culture strong, but also keeping people employed as well.
So hope you've been aoid this deadly yard or you mob.
Speaker 1 (31:06):
Until next time up in now.
Speaker 2 (31:08):
If you'd like any more info on today's guest, please
visit our show notes in the episode description, A big
shout out to all you Deadly Mob and allies who
continue to listen, watch, and support our podcast. Your feedback
means the world. You can rate and review the podcast
on Apple and Spotify, or even head to our socials
(31:29):
and YouTube channel and drop us a line.
Speaker 1 (31:31):
We'd love to hear from you.
Speaker 2 (31:33):
The Black Magic Woman podcast is produced by Clint Curtis.
Black Cast Unite our voices.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
Black Magic Women Podcast acknowledges the traditional owners of the
land we have recorded this episode on. We also acknowledge
traditional owners of the land where you, the listener of
youer are tuning in from. We would like to pay
our respects to our elders past and present and acknowledged
that this always was Aboriginal land and always will be
(00:27):
Aboriginal land. Welcome to the Black Magic Woman Podcast with
Mandanara Bail. Welcome to another episode of the Black Magic
Woman Podcast. I'm here at the amazing State Library. This
is actually Carilla Point and we do our tours here
(00:50):
which you should have a look at if you're here
in the cultural precinct on Yagura Country here in Brisbane.
And I've bumped into A. It was interesting Angela. Back
in the day, I didn't know whether he was like
an auntie, my mentor he wasn't my supervisor. But I
was very young. I was fresh out of high school,
(01:13):
sixteen and in the government when we're first, when I
first got to meet you, and here we are today
twenty something years nearly thirty years later at this amazing
human rights summit. So I just want to say thank
you for letting.
Speaker 1 (01:27):
Me pull you out of the conference. I feel terrible.
Speaker 2 (01:30):
I've been grabbing a mob to get on this yarn
because it's very rare to have all these deadly peoples,
you know, movers and shakers in one place at one time.
So I've taken, you know, made the most of the opportunity.
So thanks for jumping on. For people that don't know you,
can you please introduce yourself, you name your mob, and
just a little bit about where did you grow up?
Speaker 3 (01:52):
So I'm Angela Varney Leech. I'm a wopple Borough woman.
So our country of the Kepel Islands off the coast
of Central Queensland, off for Campton. It's really only better
to them the Queens and Central Queen's.
Speaker 1 (02:05):
Land stick with Central Queens.
Speaker 3 (02:08):
Yeah, none of us think anything there past Cans, but
there's a whole life up there. There's a whole lot
of deadly things happening up past Cans. And I grew
up in Woodridge, which is out just past Logan there.
Speaker 1 (02:20):
What did Uncle Check say here at the conference?
Speaker 3 (02:23):
Logan?
Speaker 1 (02:24):
Yeah, because you're here. He is Logan where the Bogans are.
Speaker 2 (02:30):
Just like I wasn't expected Check to say that because
there's a lot of deadly people living in Logan.
Speaker 1 (02:38):
Blackfellows you grew up in, So.
Speaker 3 (02:41):
I grew up Logan. The funny thing was the first
couple of years before my family ship to the Lagan,
we lived in Anala. So when people are four zero
seven seven and so we're kind of four zero seven seven,
but orso four door one four you.
Speaker 1 (02:54):
Yeah, I'm going to show the love.
Speaker 3 (02:55):
That's it. And I said to people, you don't know them.
Two suburbs in Brisbane and then you're not a black
feloc That's that's where we all were.
Speaker 2 (03:03):
You must have been living out passip switch over there
in wallk.
Speaker 1 (03:06):
Rakia somewhere, that's right.
Speaker 2 (03:09):
So I used to work at the university that you
now work out, But I met you at Department of
Families and I was a kid doing my trainee ship,
try to find my way in the world, didn't know
what I wanted to be, didn't know what I wanted
to do, and I found myself as an admin trainee
admin trainee in the HR director's office. And then you're
(03:32):
on the same floor in the never Bonner building, Yes,
the beautiful late Uncle never Bonna. So what was you
doing there because I never knew what you did and
I hardly ever got to see.
Speaker 3 (03:42):
You, right, yeah, I just see your walking basket. I
know you like go shopping there at lunchtime down the wall.
Speaker 1 (03:48):
I shot first.
Speaker 3 (03:49):
I had money, Yes, I remember when I first got
my first paybacker and that was like it was money
in that and I was like then days, yeah, then
way back in the dark era and they open that
packet really carefully and to see the money come out.
Speaker 1 (04:07):
Yes, yes, this is mine, this is.
Speaker 3 (04:09):
My I can come buy something.
Speaker 2 (04:11):
I worked hard for this. So what was she doing
in the never A Bonner Building?
Speaker 3 (04:16):
So I was working in HR there. So I did
a degree at Griffith University and I ended up working
in HR at Griffith University and HR was my major
in my degree. And then I went from the university
into the public service, State public service, and I worked
(04:37):
there as a HR advisor for a couple of years
on that floor, but then I moved into strategic kind
of advising and strategic policy area straight after that.
Speaker 1 (04:48):
I didn't even know what HR was.
Speaker 2 (04:50):
The only reason I ended up in HR is because
my supervisor, her best friend, was a black woman, so
she said I would love to supervise, and I'm like,
all right, I better go with someone that's got connections
to MOB And I already knew that I would be
safer culturally as a sixteen year old, but that twelve
months kind of shaped my life into the fact that
(05:14):
I knew that I wanted to well, first I wanted
to wear a suit.
Speaker 1 (05:21):
What do you do with QUT?
Speaker 2 (05:23):
Can we get into that because I am so interested
in a lot of the things that have now happened,
the progress.
Speaker 1 (05:31):
Can I call it progress from when I was there? Yeah?
Speaker 3 (05:34):
I think so. I was the first pro vice chancellor
indigenous pro vice chancellor at QT and then they promoted
me to a deputy vice chancellor at QT. End up
being congratulations, thank you, end up being like the first
bell said, they the first female original female TVC and Queensland.
(06:00):
I thought, oh my god, I thought so many more
deadly people than me. So I end up with that.
But what I do there is usually provide a lot
of strategic advice around Aboriginal torus, straight on the issues
and looking at policies and strategies and what it kind
of needs there. So there's things like I've also the
(06:21):
UTRU unit comes underneath me as well as the deadly
Corumba and the deadly professor.
Speaker 1 (06:28):
What do you go?
Speaker 3 (06:30):
So I look over them, and I also have a
little area that does strategy and policy that works to
me in my office. So since I came to QUT,
first thing I did when I went there is just
to ask all the black fellows.
Speaker 1 (06:44):
You ask it everyone, what what do you want?
Speaker 3 (06:46):
What do you want? What do you think we have
to do? Give me like I want you to tell
me what you want me to do, because I didn't
want to be that black fellow that came in that said, look,
I've got all the answers. All of you just sit
there and wait for me to deliver it.
Speaker 2 (07:00):
It's byway or the highway and less. How we're going
to do things?
Speaker 1 (07:03):
Was it twenty sixteen, twenty nineteen, twenty nineteen, Yeah.
Speaker 2 (07:07):
Because I left twenty I was meant to come back
in twenty eighteen after I gave birth, and I didn't know.
Speaker 1 (07:13):
I still knew what was going on.
Speaker 2 (07:14):
It's going to come back to my job, but black
Card took off, which is fabulous, so I didn't need
to go back and work the nine to five. And really,
you know, it was hard.
Speaker 1 (07:23):
Work and yeah, it was hard work a little ones.
Speaker 2 (07:27):
Yeah, and just trying to bring people along on this journey.
We're trying to get people to understand the university's commitment
which was in the blueprint.
Speaker 1 (07:38):
Still remember this, go and argue with the VC blueprint.
Speaker 2 (07:43):
What are you on the blueprint seven or six or eight?
Speaker 3 (07:46):
We got to six and then we've actually just put
out our strategic plan. But what was really good about
the blueprint and the strategic plans is it really embedded
indigenous exactly. It wasn't about it.
Speaker 1 (07:56):
It wasn't a wrap that was an add on to.
Speaker 3 (07:59):
It was a definite. When I came and they said
when a we're doing a RAP, I said, we're not
doing one. Yeah, because we're at a stage where we
should be building it into every policy, every procedure and
not having a RAP. I can understand why some organizations
have raped it, but a university, I think needs to
(08:19):
start looking at everything it does and just building Aboriginal
people and perspectives and issues into it and not has
something that sits to the side, just a rap.
Speaker 2 (08:30):
What are you most proud of since you've been at QUT.
Speaker 1 (08:35):
A few thinks?
Speaker 3 (08:37):
You know what I really like is our Campus to
Country document? That kind of that says how are we
going to reflect Aboriginal and terrestra on the sort of
culture on campus? And that kind of set the pace
when I said, we need to remember that everybody here
(08:57):
is a visitor, that this is truble Yaga a country.
So the first voice and the primary voice is then
you know, I might be Aboriginal, but I'm not terrible,
so you know we also are visitors. And then it
was kind of like, so how do we get their
(09:17):
voice heard and how do we see them back on
campus because if you walk through campus, it was all
just white and white building.
Speaker 2 (09:26):
Yeah, typical institution, typical university campus.
Speaker 3 (09:28):
That's what it was like. And so now when I
look at all the work that's been done with it,
and it just feels like, I'm much the environment is
a lot of so much better. You feel much better
in it. And it's one it was something that was
done as a partnership between Black Bars and the facilities area,
(09:48):
and it's one awards things, So that's it's one of wards.
It's why I want a state ward and won a
national award. Look at this, it's just fantastic. So that's
been good. Something that's one side, and then the other
side is, you know, I'm really happy with Kurumba, the
way Karumba has turned out.
Speaker 2 (10:06):
So what is Kurumba for people that don't know.
Speaker 3 (10:09):
So Karumba is the Indigenous Research Institute for the university
and the executive director is Professor Chelsea Watergy and it
just gives a lot of advice around indigenous research. It
undertakes indigenous research, and it also does some teaching and
unit coordination there as well. So they do a fabulous job.
(10:32):
So I'm really pleased the way they've shared it turned out.
You know, Udru. I love it when I see them
with the students and a student saying, you know, if
it wasn't for Udru, I would have left, you know.
And it's kind of like I feel good when I
see young people doing that. Because when I went to UNI,
we had a tiny little room and a nun in charge.
Speaker 2 (10:53):
Yes, And so Aililla said the same thing. At you
Q there was a small little room that she was
able to go into with say like Ribner Green or
keV Karmi.
Speaker 1 (11:03):
There's like three black students at UQ.
Speaker 2 (11:05):
And it started with a little just a small little
desk in one chair and it was like the room
that they put the brooms and the mops in.
Speaker 1 (11:13):
That's what only a little told man.
Speaker 3 (11:15):
L was quote time you had one little sink, yes,
and there was like an office, but the nun had
the office. Yeah. But I went to Universe and Deadly
people in Vernon.
Speaker 1 (11:26):
Uh what unit did you go to?
Speaker 3 (11:28):
I went to Griffith. Yes, and Lisa Wadigo was there
and Chris Matthews was there. Like there was just samely
deadly people.
Speaker 2 (11:41):
I went to you anyway, Now, who's Chris Matthews tell people?
Because he's a mathematician.
Speaker 1 (11:45):
Rah.
Speaker 2 (11:45):
Yes, Like there's these deadly black fellows, blackademics that are doing,
you know, just doing doing what they do, what they love.
But most people in terms of mainstream Australians wouldn't even
know who they are what they do.
Speaker 1 (12:01):
Oh.
Speaker 3 (12:01):
Chris so clear about when it came and he started
tutoring other students in maths and eldra. I'm like, I
don't understand alge breakfast and he would explain it by
using fruit things. I think he was the first original
mathematician mathematician, the first person to get a math science
PhD in Queensland. I think, you know, he's like, he's incredible.
Speaker 1 (12:25):
He's a really.
Speaker 3 (12:26):
Humble person and he works a lot in the indigenous
maths space, and he was worked with deadly maths. He
runs around, he goes around running maths programs and computer programs.
He runs his own his own I don't think it
(12:47):
happened in his own consultancy thing. So he was, he's
there and he's just doing great. And then Lisa Watergo
went to she got an am last time. That woman's deadly.
Speaker 1 (12:58):
And what about Amy maguire?
Speaker 2 (13:01):
Come on, now, look at we could just sit here
and talk about all these deadly blackfellows that are actually
doing the work, don't don't always get the recognition. Was
she did she win an award or a finalist?
Speaker 3 (13:14):
She's a Finalistlla, but she's won so many awards, and
and like her books, you know, Black Witness. Haven't got
she and I haven't read Black Witness. Go and get
the book. Read Chelsea's book Another Day in the Colony,
and they're just amazing. And I keep waiting for the
next thing to come out with, you know, because Amy's
(13:38):
Darrenball and my family is wopple Borough. So we sort
of we all speak similar language.
Speaker 1 (13:45):
Kind of a countrymen neighbors.
Speaker 3 (13:48):
And I just love that I go through there on
their way to my country. So I really really love
hearing from Daraball people. And I said, she's darnball and
that's kind of like it's really nice day there, but
it's so clever and so humble.
Speaker 2 (14:03):
And she was Dad's protegan. He used to say that
to us, she's going to take over my talk show
and didn't last long because the management didn't, I don't know,
didn't support her or her views, which are my dad's
views and my dad's style, which is straight up grassroots.
So love Amy, big shout out to you, my sister,
(14:25):
and I'll make sure people know in the show notes
some of the books that you've mentioned, especially with Chelsea's book.
What do you think in terms of for universities, in
particular the opportunities for our mob, for a lot of
these young fellows that are listening, Angela, how do we
kind of encourage them? Because I grew up at a
(14:47):
time where my dad told me that universe is not
for blackfilence. I still remember him saying that to me,
and two years ago I enrolled at Monash Business School
to do the Indigenous Business Leadership Masters and it was
the first time being around blackfellows that I felt like, Yeah,
why didn't I do this earlier? Because the course was
(15:08):
an available to have black knowledge, black perspectives, black academics,
which is at Corumba now, to have that available and
then for us to be able to feel empowered within
that environment, with that literature, with those examples with black
academics being part of the teaching team. To me, I
(15:29):
just feel like our more of our younger move in particular,
don't realize how deadly we are, or we underestimate or
don't value, or we don't know what we're capable of.
How do we get past that? As blackfellows? When you're
being told that you're never going to amount to anything
(15:50):
or you're not going to be able to do this
because you're abrashble, you know those days are over.
Speaker 3 (15:55):
I think they are. And you know it's not shame
to go to UNI. Yeah the other like kids at
school used to call me a book head. Oh you're
a book heading.
Speaker 1 (16:08):
I don't think it's.
Speaker 3 (16:09):
Anyone from wanting your bookhead. I don't know. I love
to read, Okay, I look at the book occasionally. But
the thing I like about university is it opens a
whole world of possibilities for our mob. Yeah, because when
our mob got to hospital, I want to be delusy
(16:30):
a doctor or a nurse there. Yeah. And we see
our mobs opening their own business. It's like Chris has
his own consultancy and people, and Lisa has her own business.
So my sister has her own business. She went to
you and I got two sisters at their own business.
My brother was the first wopper Borough to get a
(16:52):
pH d and he now works for our TAMRA, which
is a traditionally used to marine resources up on our country.
And because he went to UNI, because he had a
pH d, he now can apply for all these grants
for us, you know, and he knows all the words
to use. And we're doing great, you know with that
(17:16):
because he's able to do all the reports, is able
to talk to him and he can go in there
and say I am doctor Harry a listener.
Speaker 1 (17:24):
It carries a lot of weight. Oh, it does those
letters after your name yep.
Speaker 3 (17:29):
And then the kind of what we run though for
our young ones there to come on the country, so
to be able to come on a country and it's
very healing helping country, you know, and whether they go
on and become a arranger, because not everyone has to
go to UNI. Other pathways for people and it's kind
(17:50):
of in order to win our for our people to
be strategized and to think about what is it that
we actually need. We need people who can do lots
of different things. And whether that's the people who reports
work out the strategy, who's going to be we're doing what,
or whether it's people who look after the babies while
(18:12):
other people are out on the front line. We need everybody,
and we need all different types of knowledge to do that,
you know, and that's just all different experience, and I
think our mob was starting to kind of understand that.
I think at first it wasn't oh you've got a
university degree, good, what are you useful for? But now
I think we're all starting to understand that we will
(18:33):
have a different place in here. Let's use everybody, and
let's use that Western knowledge that we gather to help
us to fight them, to fight the system, because we
know what the system is, you know, have different ways
of fighting, different knowledges fighting it. And so I think
it's very emancipating, not only for the person who gets
(18:56):
that degree, but it can be for the rest of
the community as well.
Speaker 2 (19:06):
Talking about fighting the fight the wopper Borough people native title.
Speaker 3 (19:11):
This is we got that title?
Speaker 2 (19:13):
Y long rod is Gina Reinhart up there trying to
build something, an island resort, a house.
Speaker 1 (19:21):
What's going on?
Speaker 3 (19:22):
But she was at one star, she was at one
stage looking. She was looking, yeah, but she decided.
Speaker 2 (19:29):
That there's mob I'm not going to tolerat her.
Speaker 1 (19:33):
So she wasn't going to be welcomed.
Speaker 3 (19:35):
It wasn't something that we particularly wanted, but I think
in the end it was an economic decision for her
not to come. And then the state government came up
with a plan for what they're going to do on
the island, which they work with the wapper Borough to do.
But I'm just not I'm not sure there was in
the money behind it. I think they had the money
(19:57):
to develop a plan, but not the money to implement
the plan. And anyway, that government lost now and there's
another government in and I'm.
Speaker 1 (20:03):
Not sure, so there might be another plan.
Speaker 3 (20:05):
There might be another plan. And what we just ignore.
Speaker 1 (20:07):
Us all for a war. Just let's just be yeah.
Speaker 3 (20:11):
Yeah, But in the meantime, we have the tamra is
going great guns. They want to stay award a little
while ago, and we've got our land trust and we've
got our Native title body and so we're just thinking
we just need to go ahead. You know, we can't
wait for government.
Speaker 2 (20:28):
No, there's these opportunities now for our younger mob to participate.
Whether it's like you said, it's not just about going
to universe. They might want to be a ranger, or
they might want to be they might want to start
their own business. They might want to start weaving painting,
that's right.
Speaker 3 (20:45):
They might want to be a plumber.
Speaker 2 (20:48):
So how does the say the mob, the Whappa Baro mob,
how do you support these younger mob? Is there opportunities
for them to Because I've got our want to real
mob in the Hunter, and we've got this education fund
and a health fund. So if I need a says
to money. It's not that the eight hundred members get
access to money. It's hey, you know, if you go
(21:09):
get a quote for a filling, we'll pay the dentist
for you. If you need a laptop for your kids
in school, then we'll give you a laptop so we've
got these royalties from mines where this money is kind
of safeguarded and nobody actually individually or a family gets royalties,
but the organization has a way of distributing it to
people who need it.
Speaker 1 (21:28):
That's going to last generations.
Speaker 3 (21:30):
Isn't that fabulous? It's very clever, it is. It's really good.
But I'm part of the mob that we don't get
the royalties.
Speaker 1 (21:38):
No rot no royalties, no, but got land.
Speaker 3 (21:42):
They got opportunities, opportunities to develop under the Aboriginal Land
Act from Queensland. We've got land, so that's different from
native title and so we can do something with that.
The main thing we've got going is we join is
the Tamra and that's our land Sea Rangers beneath that,
(22:04):
and we have a lot of casual lancy ranges and
we bring people on to country and the young ones
on the country and we try like whopple Barra first
is of course that and we do a lot of
stuff like look after the coral. We have all these
researchers that we've got working with us and we've just started.
(22:29):
My brother and law went let's do up a little
bit of a scholarship for those who can afford it
to put money into this.
Speaker 2 (22:35):
They might want to be a bio marine.
Speaker 1 (22:37):
Whatever, let's help.
Speaker 3 (22:40):
And I'm thinking there's going to be wise that we
can get money for our mob. So once the we
I think we need to be far more established. But
once we are, we have to look at what we're
doing for our mob. And given that we haven't got royalties,
but we can still bring young ones back the country
(23:02):
and being on country, it's just so amazing.
Speaker 1 (23:07):
You know, you can't even describe.
Speaker 3 (23:08):
Its a feeling. What are the words? What are the
words with that feeling when you're like you're I don't
you know where you're meant to be.
Speaker 2 (23:16):
I don't think there's one word to sum up that feeling.
But only mob feel it. Yeah, only mob feel it
because other people are like, oh yeah, connected to country.
Just it's a feeling when you know your home.
Speaker 3 (23:29):
Yes, then it's almost like it's not like spirits are
watching you or a thing, although that in sometimes they are.
You can feel it, but it's the whole of the country.
You know that that tree is there, you know you
know that sure that that sea when it's like it
knows you, Yeah, it knows who you are and you're
(23:51):
just part of it is kind of hard. Yeah, but
you know you have a conversation with that tree. Yeah yeah,
so it's kind of or just sit there in silence
and listen the breeze and when the breeze comes past
and it touches you think, is that the breeze? Is
that my ancestor?
Speaker 1 (24:10):
You know, what do you hope for the future?
Speaker 2 (24:13):
If you think about our young mob and the next generation,
what are your hopes for the next generation?
Speaker 1 (24:18):
Before we wrap up this shower.
Speaker 3 (24:20):
I think I would like our young people to understand
that they are sovereign people and the strength that comes
from that and the strength from being Aboriginal or Torres
straight older. That's real strong, that's real powerful because it's
our country. We've been here for sixty thousand years at
least at least at least and like I said, we
(24:43):
are part of this and you're sovereign and stand strong
in your sovereignty. You know, they just shut up twenty
minutes ago, or you know, it's kind of like you
be strong in your identity and who you are because
that's where you're going to get your strength from and
down let them tell you anything different. You know you can.
(25:04):
You stand up, you fight because that's what people told
you do that, that's what your ancestors did, you know,
and you've got that in you. You've got that strength
in you. You've got that warrior in you. You know,
stand and be sovereign.
Speaker 2 (25:17):
It's like the ground underneath he was rock solid. No
one can shake it break. It might get you a
bit wild, but there's nothing wrong with them being a
little bit rattled sometimes when you're dealing with people that
might question your identity, and.
Speaker 3 (25:34):
People do question people's identity, but yeah, I know who
I am. I'm strong in my identity, strong way mob
being from Woodridge, having a big Barney family. Yeah, so
you know, I love that. That keeps me really strong.
And when I meet other ones that don't have it,
(25:55):
I do feel sorry for them. But I will say
know that everyone's on a journey. And I was often
think that in some ways I was kind of lucky
in that it was my great grandfather who was removed
from country and my mom grew up with him. Then
(26:16):
I grow with my mum, so we're still that hasn't
had that time for that disconnection that happened, that's happened
with a lot of people, and I think, oh, how
lucky are we that our people found our way back
to our country and got our native title and we
can do stuff with our young people before it's all gone,
(26:38):
you know, and so and I know that other mob
haven't had that, so their journey is much harder, of course.
Speaker 1 (26:45):
And the struggle continues.
Speaker 2 (26:48):
It's not always a struggle, right, those opportunities and time
to celebrate. There is black joy in black knowing.
Speaker 1 (26:56):
Dr What do you go?
Speaker 3 (26:59):
Angel?
Speaker 2 (27:00):
I just want to say, because I know the batter
is going to cut out on this camera soon. You know,
your leadership, cultural leadership, leadership for a lot of them
about QUT has been inspirational for me as someone from
the outside looking in. But I just wish that you
were there when I was there all those years ago
(27:21):
as the seventy second Indigenous person I was working. There
was seventy two of us out of eight thousand and
I it was a place where I would say that
I felt very alone most of the time. And I
took any Little and any Mary in to meet Peter Coldrake,
who was the VC, and we presented a proposal to
him called Embedded in Land. I'm going to send that
(27:44):
proposal to you that we only done four qut. We
showed it to him, had this amazing meeting in his office,
and never heard from him again. So we said if
he was interested, he would have rung his back. So
he's not interested, so let's not bothering in him. I
still got that proposal there, so it makes.
Speaker 1 (28:00):
Me really new VC.
Speaker 3 (28:02):
Now she's lovely at Margaret's you'll chot out to market.
Speaker 2 (28:05):
I love Margaret because I met Margaret at Gama around
Literally I met Margaret at the lining up for food.
We shared stores about how we're dissecting our plate and
eating food. So Margaret remember this little yard. So big
shout out to Margaret, who I know has been a
champion in a lot of the change and the big
restructure that happened at QT after I left. Yes, so
(28:27):
she wasn't people wasn't too. Didn't really like her at
the start because she came in and got shit done.
Speaker 1 (28:35):
There's a lot of respect to her.
Speaker 3 (28:37):
So since she left, Like we have quarterly staff lunches,
we have coffee and yarns every month in a coffee
and a yarn the thing, we've now got a cup
Murray on campus, so all these things. We've got newsletter
that goes out to the staff and did your stuff.
Once a month. We took a whole bunch of students
(28:57):
and staff to the original comedy that was at the Powerhouse.
So you kind of left before these deadly things.
Speaker 1 (29:05):
So I'm still going to be round.
Speaker 3 (29:08):
I'm going email.
Speaker 1 (29:10):
If I need a job, I'll reach out, give you a calls.
Speaker 3 (29:13):
But you're doing fabulous things, so you don't. You don't
need that. And I think that the thing is, there's
so many fabulous people, isn't it, like you go, oh
my god, there's this person's wonderful.
Speaker 2 (29:23):
Will We've been in this room with all this mob,
this black talent, black royalty, blackademics.
Speaker 3 (29:29):
And in the beginning of the blackout, what color do
you feel? And then Chelsea tends me and goes, I
feel black, and I go, oh my god, I feel
black too. That's the that's the color. The colors are black.
Speaker 1 (29:39):
Let's celebrate our blackness.
Speaker 3 (29:41):
That's wrong.
Speaker 2 (29:42):
I know I've got to let you go, but I
can't wait to come and be on campus and to
just experience all the things that you've shared with us
on the podcast today and to all the mob at QT,
big shout out for all the deadly work you do.
Can't wait to come back and say hello. We were
there recently with the from Culture Is Life, so qut
(30:07):
Krumba hosted the Culture's Life Mob. I'm trying to think
about it as kind of not scholarships, the followship program.
So we're over there and I got to go and
see the office space.
Speaker 1 (30:20):
And look at the host students.
Speaker 2 (30:22):
I'm jealous, fantastic and Anie Annie Tires still at QT.
Big shout out because you've been there before I was
even there in twenty fourteen. So look, I'll let you
go and keep up the deadly work, stay black, and
we'll catch up soon. Great, thank you, You're welcome. I
(30:45):
know I say this all the time, but I love
yarning with people where people just don't know who we
are and what we do and all the deadly things
that we do within our work or in our communities,
keeping our culture strong, but also keeping people employed as well.
So hope you've been aoid this deadly yard or you mob.
Speaker 1 (31:06):
Until next time up in now.
Speaker 2 (31:08):
If you'd like any more info on today's guest, please
visit our show notes in the episode description, A big
shout out to all you Deadly Mob and allies who
continue to listen, watch, and support our podcast. Your feedback
means the world. You can rate and review the podcast
on Apple and Spotify, or even head to our socials
(31:29):
and YouTube channel and drop us a line.
Speaker 1 (31:31):
We'd love to hear from you.
Speaker 2 (31:33):
The Black Magic Woman podcast is produced by Clint Curtis.
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