Action at Roxby Downs

For 5 or 6 nights prior we could see the electronic glow of the mine to the south. Walking over a sandhill the day prior to our arrival we caught sight of its tall grey towers. We've been following the pipeline intermittently passed it humming pump stations and little green boxes since borefield A. Here we see where it leads, to Olympic Dam Uranium mine at Roxby Downs. Uncle Kevin and the Keepers of Lake Eyre have been tending the fire outside the gates for 3 days now. For 26 hours they occupied the main gate entrance and upon exploration tripped over a stockpile of uranium ore. They spent days afterwards with skin rashes and feeling ill internally.

We set up camp on Sunday afternoon beside the mines outer gates, hobbled out the camels, made a salad and drank gin and tonics. The big bully boys employed by WMC stood on the hot tarmac with their sirens and padlocks and fire trucks and flashing lights for the entire 3 days we were there. Roxby mine operates 24 hours and at 5 pm the mine road sounds like a raging freeway. We erected alters and banners and created a peaceful space where we did empowerment and protection rituals. The wind powered cinema played Mad Max 2 that evening, all welcome.

Monday, 2 uranium trucks left the mine. Support vehicles were on the chase. We planned Tuesday's action, rehearsed, made costumes and props, wove baskets, collected seeds and flowers and camel poo. Most of the Humps NOT Dumps women went into town to feel out the communities stance in regards to the dump. Through just speaking with people we met or asking opinions from people who did not look to busy, there was of course var;ying attitudes about different nuclear issues. Many people had a fatalistic view of "well we're all going to die anyway, smoking cigarettes, driving cars e.t.c.:" Many had personal concern about the dangers but said "what can I do, the Gov makes the decisions?" The most important point was that the residence of Roxby Downs do not want nuclear waste stored near their community (see transcripts of taped interviews and reviews of conversation, Roxby). Three of us spoke with the principle of Roxby Downs school and teaed up a visit to speak with the students, some who have been studying the proposed dump.

Back at the mine Uncle Kevin has built the sacred fire in the middle of the t-intersection where the uranium truck snuck out. His genocide case lawyer had arrived and they were busy collecting evidence from a meeting with WMC PR man Richard Yeeles. He was asked if he had permission for the mine from the Kokatha people and was unable to give a sraight answer.

That evening many wonderful people arrived. The Kungka's were unsure about camping on the mine lease as in previous experience demonstrating at Roxby Downs they had been harrassed and arrested by WMC and police. Our action wasscheduled for 10 am Tuesday so they decided to risk it and stay. They have such a powerful, warm and heart felt presence. Their attendance is a reassarunce that all is on track.

Tuesday, some of our mob went on a mine tour at 8:30 am and see the nasty reality firsthand. More evidence was collected. At 10:00am we gathered at the t-intersection. The procession was led by the Kungkas in their banner draped Toyota and Uncle Kevin and the Arabunna lads wearing gas masks and carrying Aboriginal flags. The drum ryhthm set the camels and the camel sisters in motion behind them with everybody else by our side. Australia associated press and Peter Mack were in attendance documenting the days events. We tied the camels to the gates and began to drum and dance in a circle, in side a mandala was created out of red sand, ;yellow straw flowers, camel poo and stones. It was uranium symbol with a camel poo slash across it. Silence. The drum broke in with energetic rythym and loud war cry. Silence. Kachink, kachink, kachink, the hobbles around the women's wrists and ankles hit the tarmac. We sang a strong song from the spirit with versus made up whilslt walking (see Hobble Shuffle lyrics). We pulled in our full power and invoked the earth mother and broke the nuclear chain (symbolised by the hobbles) We stood in silence with our arms outstretched and palms facing the mine in the NO! stance (this hand gesture is used in Australia as a powerful anti-nuclear symbol (see Jabiluka symbol). The Kungka Tjuta's sat backs facing the mine. They sang and clapped. Uncle Kevin played clap sticks. One of the oldest women splattered in white paint, representing the pain and sickness they have already experienced from radiation poisoning, danced the anti-uranium dance. She used the outstretched hand symbol to say NO! to the mine at the end of the dance. Uncle Kevin, Trevor and Rodney, of the Arabunna, lit a fire under the mine gate and called out WMC's Richard Yeeles. They presented him with a statement written by the Kungka Tjuta's telling of the significance of the dreaming creation story of the land WMC's industry is desecrating. We all turned and walked away peacefully. The jokes of the boys behind the fence petered off and Richard Yeeles was left shuffling uncomfortably on the hot spot. Peter Mack who had been photographing the days activitites claimed to have seen a shift in the attitudes of the security as a result of the days peaceful and powerful ceremonies.

We camped closer to town that evening and sat and spoke with the elders. They sang and were keen to eat vegetarian food. They taught Lu the chorus of the Hobble Shuffle in their language and we watched the short doco filmed at our launch that has been screened world wide on BBC worldservice TV. Their have been sightings of this report by some of the women's friends and relatives in England, France and Singapore.

Wednesday, we visited the school taking our camels across busy bitumen roads and green grass ovals for the first time. Their eyes were bulging and browse lifting (except Tjulta, cos' nothing seems to amaze him), it always amazes us that they trust us enough to just keep on following. Enter the school yard where several classes of young kids were waiting excitedly. A sceptical bunch of teenagers came in, we introduced ourselves and our camels. Interesting to us that the girls seemed to be me responsive, ask more relevant questions and were willing to sit up front close to us. We're as most of the boys sat up the back and asked questions like: "were you born like that or what?". We spoke about our journey and its purpose, the current ecological crisis on our planet earth and what part uranium mining and radioactive waste plays in that. We discussed the consequences of this National/International? dump, alternatives and the choices we can all make in the way we live our lives. We spoke of how we became concerned about this issue and why we choose to look and live the way we do. This discussion, although regularly interupted by our camels taking off across the oval was most enlightening for all involved. Two girls in particular had serious concerns about radiation and the global environmental situation. They had been doing their own research and projects and we were all glad to make that connection. One of the girls quoted "my father is an underground miner. He know's what he is doing is dangerous, basically he is risking his life for our family". The girls wrote comments in our comment book (see comments book scan of original). We spoke extensively with these students and other interested teachers. A mass of small children came swarming out surrounding us and our camels which were almost too stunned to move, getting out of that one was quite a scene. The positive feed back from that visit came our way for the following couple of days. A teacher walked with us expressing her gratitude for telling another side to the nuclear story.