Wren's Page

    Walking alongside this majestic hairy lipped mammal, striding half time to mine with double the legs. 'Palya'('alls cool' in native tongue) ma grand new friend, ma humble, observant camel. He's the wise watcher, the warner, the wanderer of the mob always gazing to the north to their place of birth. In a traditional Arabunna naming ceremony he was also given the name 'Tinnie din tinna' meaning Willie Wag Tail. He does give me the run around regularly with his bum in the air when tied down to saddle up...most appropriately named.

    Stories first hand from the old women of the land, they feel the poison pain present in their bodies, they bear the horrid memories of the black mist descending and of their clean nomadic existence bending. It be their message we be sending. Their elders have died from radiation and the new life they have created has been tainted by white mans poison, carcinogens and mutnogens. I cry and ask WHY....? WHY do we create destruction, the sad paradox.

    These beautiful, spiritual people have been sacrificed as guinea pigs to Nuclear testing, now in the form of lethal waste the threat returns jeopardizing the future 250,000 years of generations to come. Yes, they sing of bombs in their songs, yes of radioactive afflictions to innocent victims. Is their any other motivation for this genocide continuation other than pure greed, ignorance and corruption?

    These wise women elders were themselves only children at the time of the Maralinga testing, they were travelling these wide red lands with their families by CAMEL train, it is from their inspiration that we now do the same.

    I, as a child knew little, but sensed a strong scare of the viscous nuclear cycle, I remember resisting falling asleep for fear that tomorrow we may not be here. Will the bombs burn us all up tonight as we sleep? I now find myself guest here experiencing all the elemental extremities of this arid land. Yeah, Im on a quest to thrive and to survive this crazy adventure and expose the this nuclear nightmares grim reality to all. Yeah Im daring to care.

    So these old Kungkas they dance, they smile and they chant, they call upon the ancient spirits of creation. In contrast to this they dance the more recent story of radiation, splattering their bodies with white paint symbolic of burns and sores they say so strongly NO MORE!!!!

    Our proud young dromedaries they prance, content as soon as they're moving, deep in their spirits they got that nomadic groove thing.

    And these strong sisters are getting their share of foot and lip blisters. We feel the seasons a changing the winds, sun and flies crecending. Dragging our camels through raging head winds over sharded stony ranges, gliding so smoothly between red dunes and through white salt encrusted river beds, were doing it, day in day out day off. Often we have drifted back in time in following the old camps, sharpened stones, flints and grindstones scattered around.....walking on sacred ground. We enter now mound spring country and I ride Palya when his load has lightened. He took me far off over a stone sea on a bareback adventure one evening following the setting sun.

    We are deeply challenged by this critical issue that we feel is well creepy. We are asking questions, learning, listening, feeling that for our future we may have a few suggestions ;
LEAVE URANIUM IN THE GROUND WHERE IT WAS FOUND, DON'T SPREAD IT ALL AROUND, MAN MADE TOXIC WASTE IS A DISGRACE, THE NUCLEAR INDUSTRY IS UNSOUND.

...Wren Redback

    In the distance I spy a white salt streaked rise shimmering. Time and distance distorts out here. As finally we approach, the quickening pace and flaring nostrils of our Camels tells us water is near. The springs pop up in clusters, nestled atop of their own individual mounds are reeded ponds trickling out filtered waters from our precious underground sea, the Great Artesian Basin. This is Arabunna land, mound spring country, woven rich with dreamtime creation stories.

    This first series of springs we pass is the 'Seven Sisters' most significant to the old women, the Kungka Tjutas who inspire this journey. It also co relates to the seven sisters star constellation or Pleaides. The Kungkas taught us the stories dance and song of the Seven Sisters at our trek launch solidarity gathering. The elation of finding natural water in the desert is astounding but unfortunately this first spring we marvelled at was shat on chomped and trampled by cows.

    Next we were welcomed to Coward Springs campground to stay, utilize the stock yards, soak in the natural spa and meet the resident racing and wagon camels. We spoke at length with Prue, camprground owner. Her and her family expressed deep opposition to the proposed dump plans and are disgusted by the inadequate community consultation on the governments behalf.

    10 km from Coward Springs we were privileged to be met by Arabunna Elder Uncle Kevin Buzzacott at 'The Bubbler' or 'Wobmna Gadabba' (snakes head). This is a most important sacred site. It is the spirit of the snake that makes the spring bubble, it likes people to greet and acknowledge it and bathe in it if you come in the right respectful way. For a moment it seems calm... then an eruption of gurgling gas, sand and water will rise beneath you. The sandy tingely sensation of being pushed upward is like that of no other. You can get your leg down the ever moving tube of rising gas sometimes up to your thigh. Uncle Kevin blessed us weary walkers to absorb the minerals of the water and spirit of the spring in that most special place. He was also sad to see that the water level of the spring was lower than ever before. Like all mound springs, it is being threatened by over consumption of groundwater by Western Mining Company ... presently up to 29 million litres a day, free of charge for their Uranium/Copper mine at Roxby Downs. Much of that water will end up contaminated in the tailings dam evaporation pond. Some of it is sold to the townships of Roxby and Andamooka. To the residents displeasure they now must pay for their water because rainwater tanks are likely to be poisoned by radon dust particles. The life and health of the springs represents the life and health of the people to the Arabunna and that is why Uncle Kevin is dedicated to shutting Roxby Down!!!

    We arrived at Keepers of Lake Eyre camp and round grandmother moon rose over the sandhills, the old white lake was glowing strong, luminescent in the moonlight. A ceremonial fire was lit to open a traditional humpy - the new government house. This is a sacred structure in which to speak truth and be guided by the old spirits. Humps NOT Dumps used the humpy for a much needed communication session to resolve some issues. I felt we reached a new level of clarity and understanding necessary for our progression in addressing one of the most crucial issues of our time. Having that space to get things sorted was invaluable.

    We feel welcome here because we come in the right way...the way of respect. Our colonial forefathers came onto this country's shores the wrong way, waging death and destruction. Aboriginal people have never surrendered this land and though our government systematically tried to annihilate their race, their spirit is still strong. Yesterday I was devastated to see the gutless process of denial perpetuated yet again. The Federal court came to a decision that GENOCIDE IS NOT A CRIME IN AUSTRALIA!!! Even though middle Australia may be feeling comfortable and secure in its consumer lifestyle, aboriginal people, the original people are still struggling to survive. At their expense we, the decedents of the invaders thrive. Aboriginal people must be respected, their wisdom and insight integrated into our contemporary culture before we can become a legitimate nation.
A TREATY FOR PEACE AND JUSTICE MUST BE NEGOTIATED NOW!!!

    In travelling on the road we get a chance to chat to tourists, locals and passers by about the dump proposal. We estimate that about 80-90% of these citizens share our concerns about Australia's increasing involvement in the Nuclear Industry. This along with all other support from sponsors and endorsers directly contradicts Senator Nick Minchins dismissal of us as a extremist minority. When will the Government listen to the people? To us the government is deaf but to the multinational money mongers its all ears open.

    One balmy evening since being here at Lake Eyre, Catherine and I were slightly too casual about herding the camels during feeding time and entered into a musical jam trance. By the time we emerged we had little clue of which way our beasties had wandered but presumed for some time they'd be just over the next sandhill or the next (this presumption prevented us from following their tracks initially). We ran around the dunes, lost each other and began running toward small brown bushes under mirage delusion that they were our camels. Our eyes and imaginations were working overtime in the fading light to make anything look like a camel. The sun set and we hesitantly approached the campfire volunteering for a group spanking. I am suprised no-one took that one up... Uncle Kevin was on the case and used his determination, inherited tracking skills, full moonlight and a 4wd to cut their tracks. It was an all night rotation shift venture but we brought them in as the sun was rising. It was a joyous time walking them back, I think they were actually glad to be found.

    We visited Ronnie and Blanche Dodd the Arabunna custodians of Finniss Springs Station, yesterday. We learnt much about the history of the family, station and Western Mining's interests in their property and the problems that they have created. (An interview with Ronnie Dodd will be on this site soon)

That's all for today

tomorrow we saddle up and move onward

Wren Redback