Page 3 - 10th Annual International Charles Town Maroon Conference and Festival Magazine

International Charles Town Maroon Conference Magazine June 2018

From the Editor...

ear friends and colleagues, fellow travellers with the Rhonda’s article
Maroon people and the Indigenous peoples of this with Connection
Dbeautiful planet we call home! to Country, that
also connects her
Guudju yiigul! That is, greetings, from me in the language to the spirituality
of my people the Warraimaay of the midnorth coast of New that sustains her
South Wales, Australia. I am honoured to have the oppor- and offers her a
tunity to edit this magazine for the Maroon people of Charles healing journey
Town. I thank the Colonel Kim Douglas and all members of from the trauma
the organising committee for supporting this magazine of her life. Miimi
production and hope that you all enjoy it. Anya Gloudon Morris is also
exercises her skill and particular form of magic to present concerned with this connection as an opportunity for healing,
this magazine to the world in such an attractive way – thank and she seeks to have Aboriginal philosophy, ways of doing
you Anya! And, this production would not be possible and being, incorporated into Social Work practice in
without the steady hand and guidance of Flavius Laidley Australia. Both women are coming from a cultural base that
who worked so closely with the late Colonel Frank Lumsden is in its essence about sustainability – of country, of envi-
and now seeks to have Frank’s vision realised. Frank ronments, of people, of relationships.
expressed a truth, a vision and a strategic goal when he said,
“Indigenous peoples: no borders!”. Thus, this edition of our magazine follows the theme of
Maroon and Indigenous peoples - Towards a Sustainable
Of course, borders are an invention of modern nation states Future and the conference and festival theme, and we have
that seek to exclude, control and criminalise the poor of the a range of articles that explore Sustainability from many
world who are mostly Indigenous peoples, formerly angles. We are very pleased to be able to showcase the
colonised. Before colonisation the borders of Indigenous Maroon resistance, fighting spirit and defence of country in
peoples were porous and less severe. I write this at the time the lead article by Esther Figueroa. Esther, an environmental
of revelations of refugee children from Mexico and Latin activist, was there to support the Maroon people of Cockpit
America being separated from their parents at the United County in their growing rejection of bauxite mining for
States border. The use of children as weapons in this unde- aluminum production. It is stories such as this successful
clared war on the worlds Indigenous peoples is not new. It campaign to defend lands, that highlight the importance of
has also occurred with refugees at the Australian border. Maroonage to the Indigenous peoples of the world.

This edition of the magazine includes articles from people who Racism is at the root of colonisation, borders, policing
are part of Australia’s Stolen Generations of Aboriginal children. practices and the exclusion of people of colour from oppor-
The children are taken from their families as a deliberate attempt tunities and developments. The article Hair Tyranny! Is the
to destroy our culture. Both Miimi Morris and Rhonda Collard- pushback to the normal everyday expression of a racist trope,
Spratt are survivors who now speak out and work to ensure in which people of African descent are policed, demeaned
these practices are stopped and replaced with a more humane and made to feel inferior. Pam Hall delights us with a
support of families living in poverty and despair. humorous take on a deep issue, reminding us of the beauty
of African hair, indeed of African-ness. And the need to
Both Miimi and Rhonda reflect the aims of Aboriginal understand the colonialist basis of many of today’s
people for sustainability of relationships that begins in unthinking bias and prejudice. In a similar vein Debon

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