Billy Bain and his special connection to First Nations culture
A road trip along the coast is a rite of passage for many Australians — particularly surfers.
But how many of us take the time to see past our favourite holiday destinations to experience the Indigenous culture that has thrived there since long before the tourists came?
Billy Bain is a surfer, an artist with work in this year's Wynne and Sulman prizes at the Art Gallery of NSW, and a Dharug man whose ancestors came from the land where Western Sydney sprawls.
But Bain grew up on Sydney's Northern Beaches, Garigal country, and was raised in the salt water.
As an anxious kid, the ocean was Bain's salvation. It was where he felt confident, powerful.
"Saltwater therapy is a real thing," Gumbayngirr woman Amber Hamer told Billy when he travelled to Coffs Harbour. "As Aboriginal people we're connected in ways that people might think it's cliche ... but the ocean is our family." (Photo: Matt Davis)
"I've always felt like I've had a deeper connection to the ocean than anywhere else," he says in Changing Tides, a new episode of Compass that follows Bain as he journeys north of Sydney to surf where First Nations communities have lived for tens of thousands of years.
Bain took it slowly. From Gadigal land in the heart of Sydney to the land of the Garigal in Sydney's Northern Beaches, to Worimi, Dunghutti, Gumbayngirr and Bundulung, for the first time Bain did more than surf. He stopped to spend time with local First Nations communities along the way.
You might know these famous tourist beaches from the names given to them by white men: Avalon, Anna Bay and Forster's One Mile Beach, Crescent Head, Coffs Harbour and Byron Bay's Broken Head. Being welcomed to salt water country by the local custodians filled Bain with hope and changed his view of the coast forever.
Ahead of NAIDOC Week, Bain shared his highlights of the trip, which will be featured on ABC Compass tonight, with ABC News Breakfast presenter and Gamilaroi man Tony Armstrong — their conversation below has been edited for length and clarity.
Billy Bain's journey begain in Garigal country in Sydney and continued north along the coast, ending in Bunjulung country (Reconciliation NSW)
TONY ARMSTRONG: You've done that trip up and down the coast so many times from Gadigal country in Sydney to Bundjulung country at Byron Bay. But this one had such a different impetus behind it and such a different purpose. What were you hoping to get out of it?
BILLY BAIN: I have done this trip probably 100 times. Most of those trips were for surfing competitions when I was younger. I was very focused on winning [back then] so this was a completely different experience.
I still had fun when I was younger. I went away with family and there were great times, but you aren't really there to experience deeper things that are going on in those areas. I've travelled to all these places, they're all kind of destination surf breaks, but I'd never really spoken to the locals.
So this time you had the chance to meet the mob from all these different communities on different countries. It is lovely to see you connecting with them.
For me it was a massive growing experience. I didn't know much of the local history. So going back to all these places that I'd [previously experienced meant] looking through a completely different lens. It was pretty humbling, actually. I never experienced anything like this growing up. To see culture alive and thriving — it just blew my mind.
You grew up on Sydney's northern beaches where I think less than 1 per cent of the population is Indigenous. That's even lower than the national figure. Yet on this trip you [experienced] just how strong the culture of mob was in the salt water. It is awesome and also eye-opening.
Where I grew up on Garigal land on the northern beaches, it's one of the whitest places in the world!
In the film [we saw] just how welcoming those surfing communities you [visited] up the coast were. From a Blackfella perspective, what was the thing that struck you the most?
Just rocking up and [finding] 20 mob in the car park ready to go surfing. That was very special [seeing] such a presence on land and out in the water.
Dunghutti country near Crescent Head on the NSW coast (Photo: Matt Davis)
It was just so amazing to see all these young Blackfellas surfing in the salt water. I get frustrated sometimes [by] how rarely you see city mob, let alone salt water mob, represented on screen. It's always desert mob. They've got such a rich history on film, TV and radio with so many great storytellers. And now to see Blackfellas surfing on screen, the young ones, I had to check my own perception. How did you feel when you saw them all?
Being in the water with them and feeling that energy, [watching] 20 young kids paddling out and just playing around with each other, or running around with Indigenous flags on the beach. That's so cool. I'd never seen that before. Imagine seeing it in Sydney!
I was on the dunes up at Foster, on Worimi country, [and local mob are] all painting each other with ochre, singing in language, dancing. They are actually practising culture on the beach in these tourist towns. It is just amazing.
Paiting Worimi surfers before a cultural dance: "When we get our ochre out we paint it on their feet, legs, upwards from their bodies, because when we do that obviously the ochre comes from our mother earth. We are connecting with our mother earth," Worimi man Will Smith told Billy (Photo: Matt Davis)
One of my favourite characters is Lehani. Seeing her paint you up before you went in to surf … I'm getting emotional now thinking about it. She is 10. It's so cool seeing someone like that so connected with their culture, wanting to do their culture proud, but also being so good already at what they do. The environment that she's been given to be proud in.
It's something that I didn't have as a kid. When I was sitting with her on the beach and she was painting my face with the ochre, or even just talking about being an Indigenous professional surfer and carrying the flag on her shoulders, I teared up when she told me. That was something I never [experienced] for myself.
Seeing that these kids can go and be proud of themselves, be proud of where they come from, and also be role models for other Indigenous kids to feel proud of themselves is so special.
We all wish it had happened decades ago, but the fact that it is happening now is heartwarming. You can feel change, the changing tide.
Lehani was born north of Perth on Yued country but now lives on Bunjulung land in northern NSW. She is a talented surfer with a goal to turn professional (Photo: Matt Davis)
These kids are going to be leaders in their communities. As you said, these changing tides are going to remind people that these aren't tourist towns. These are towns that have been populated for tens of thousands of years by our mob.
There are people only a generation ago who never got to speak about this sort of stuff. It was hidden in the background. These kids have already got strong voices. It's going to be phenomenal.
You are an artist as well. How much of what you've been through filming Changing Tides is going to impact the way that you perceive things from a creative point of view?
I've been thinking about this a bit and I think [it will be] in a non-direct way. It's building up confidence to be able to tell stories. Seeing all of this mob practice their culture, tell their story, be proud of themselves. It inspires me and it gives me the confidence to be able to tell my own story and know that it's valid.
That's so sick. I was looking at the film and thinking you can't not get strength from all these people.
A big part for me is leaning into all of this stuff and trying to grow as an Indigenous person. It's not been easy. Where I grew up, people didn't really allow me to be Indigenous. I would tell my friends, they'd laugh at me and bring up blood quantums and ask, "What are you? 20 per cent [Indigenous]?" Or they'd say, "You just want more dole money."
That was kind of the attitude towards me when I was young and I told people I was Indigenous. [These comments came from] good friends of mine.
So every experience I've had since I was younger has helped me overcome this imposter syndrome. It's made me confident. Now I feel I can tell my story through my art.
Billy's painting 'Blak Men Can't Surf' is a 2023 Sulman Prize nominee. "This painting epitomises what I found along the coast, that we are all here, we are all surfing." (Photo: Matt Davis)
If you were to present Changing Tides to a bunch of people, what would you hope that they took away from it?
I'd hope next time they go on a road trip they recognise that this place had something going on, a very special culture.
Before there was a caravan park, or the local pie shop, or even the walkway to get down to the beach … I just want people to think and be aware of what was happening and what is still happening at these beaches. In a nice way. In a warm and uplifting way.
"Australian society doesn't see the coast as a black place. They see it as tourist destinations. We're still here. This culture isn't surviving, it's thriving," Worimi man Will Simon explained to Billy. (Photo: Matt Davis)
These cultures are welcoming. I was welcomed in and made to feel so warm and fantastic. It is a joy to be out in the water with and connect with these people. It's a balance of knowing your place and embracing these warm people and just having a good time.
That's what surfing is at the end of the day. Being in the salt water, having fun and feeling the benefits.
“Surfing is the healing place. It has got no prejudice. It just teaches every human, welcomes every human, washes every human, bathes every human and actually it heals most humans that go to it, “ reflects Robbie Page, standing behind Billy, who is the first Indigenous surfer to compete on the world tour. (Photo: Matt Davis)
Your uncle, Robbie Page, who has the part-surf shop, part-museum at Crescent Head had an almost 22-second monologue where he's drifting and thinking about surf and salt water and how it cleans you, nourishes you, washes you.
That is just what it is. I travelled around with my dad doing the pro circuit during the first few years of my life. Robbie was a professional surfer, he was the first Indigenous surfer on the world tour. So when we met up on the shoot we had a special little surf and it was good. We just took a couple of long boards out and went cruising and it was really nice, under a beautiful sunset. It was a great moment.
I think sometimes he gets caught up and hangs out at his shop a bit and doesn't get out in the water as much. So it was really special getting him out there and having a wave with him.
//TONY ARMSTRONG
© Australian Broadcasting Corporation. All rights reserved.
Comments
Tony Armstrong, excellent work, well done.
More power to you Billy & Co. That was so good, very enjoyable half hours viewing.
Our Anglo based society has lost its way, maybe we really never had a ‘way’ in the first place., possibly the root of our problem, no connection to anything.
They did, thats for sure.
I’d be lying if i said a tear didn’t roll down one cheek. AW.
Amazing vid, beautiful stuff ;)
- we always have more to learn.
…’white australia is pretty spiritually bankrupt.’
wise words.
“ ’white australia is pretty spiritually bankrupt.’”
I haven’t watched the film yet so I don’t know what context it was said in but do you reckon comments like that help when it comes to achieving the goal of everyone getting along?
We need to stop the “us vs them” mentality.
Looking forward to watching this.
Totally agree goofy.
Yes.
To clarify… the statement/quote was more in the context that because of this there are opportunities to be open and move forward together in encouragement and celebration.
Watching the vid of course clears that up, apologies for any confusion …
in the context of the film the "white australia is pretty spiritually bankrupt" makes perfect sense and it also provides an opportunity for the whole society to recognise the past and each other.
and aboriginal mob have every right to say this in the context of the history of the treatment of their people and country which has created a relatively wealthy white society that a lot of aboriginal people still miss out on...its all really part of a truth telling process that we haven't gone through as a country like Canada and NZ and other countries have gone through
there are always exceptions and diversity of people and opinions in society, but on balance I agree, we are overall as a society spiritually bankrupt from the history of disrespecting this country and its First Nations people and culture which has directly led to a prosperous country from stealing then exploiting its natural resources.
It doesn't mean we can't get along and make things better, but truth telling is a key part of all this and we shouldn't be afraid of it
Is he wrong in that statement though?
The closest most White Australian's get to a spiritual awakening is reading Live, Love, Laugh.
I think potentially combative language is perfectly fine given the legitimacy of the grievances that many indigenous people rightfully hold. Additionally, far worse things could have been said and still been entirely true.
Not singling you out just can't be bothered with another reply, but this thread has a few examples of people feeling like they've got it tough when they lose the position of ultimate power...
Position of ultimate power? Ffs, your comment was going pretty well until that sentence.
Watched it last night, unreal film.
There needs to be more like it.
You're right I probably should have said privilege not power.
I personally believe that if you try to deny that white Australian's hold more power in the dynamic between Indigenous and Colonial peoples then you're being a bit naive (whether intentional or not).
Agree, it's a fantastic film on an an aspect of Australia that needs way more attention. Billy's a great bloke too.
I'm looking forward to watching it too.
I agree with you Goof- if there is to be any meaningful way forward, how about easing up on the always 'white fella oppressor, black fella oppressed'. It gets a bit tedious.
Trying to maintain and recover your culture and people that have been shattered by colonisation and a decent bout of genocide probably gets a little tedious too hey?
spot on, dude.
Well said @ Surf Turkey.
Best story and film I've seen in a long time
Always was Always will be. Excellent work connecting Throw ya phone there is a better world out there!
By voting yes not only will Australia be better placed to avoid a repeat of historic mistakes, but a yes vote also helps to return some of the dignity stolen from mob. Systemic racism has caused inter generational disadvantages that must be addressed for the benefit of all Australians. The wounds can only heal from within and healing will be hindered if the no vote wins. This referendum is to important to all of us to leave to chance, now is the moment all of us need to make an extra effort to start discussions with people of all opinions regarding the the difficulties of improving the community while lacking the basic dignity that a yes vote will enable. The scare tactics and debate blocking smoke screens must be exposed as the myths they are and only we can do it. Talk it up
They already get $31 BILLION per year which they piss up the wall. Yah the aboriginal industry is great for those inner city 1/1000th part aborigines cashing in.....
Vote NO!
Factcheck (from 2016): "Only a small proportion of the overall Indigenous expenditure is on Indigenous-specific programs. The rest comprises the cost of providing mainstream services, such as schooling and health care, that all Australians enjoy."
https://theconversation.com/factcheck-qanda-is-30-billion-spent-every-ye...
If you're genuinely concerned about the misuse of government funds, I'd love to hear your thoughts on PWC. Or the Sports Rorts. Or any of the dozens of financial scandals facilitated by non-indigenous people.
Well said @thermalben
I do fear it went in one ear and our the other though as people like that are not interested in facts.
Sorry those facts don't align with my opinion, so I will choose to ignore them...
Now I'll get back to Sky News ...
Robodebt.
For some real perspective.
"In 2015-16 total government expenditure on Aborigines was $33.4 billion, or $45,000 per Aborigine, twice the $22,400 spent on non-Aborigines"
However it's actually much worse than that because that figure is based on the total indigenous population and the reality is
" 80% of Indigenous Australians live lives with roughly equal outcomes to non-Indigenous Australians."
So if you actually took that total figure and divided it between the 20% of indigenous people who should be getting the money spent on them that figure is going to be a much much higher crazy amount. (cant be fkd doing the maths)
It should also be noted that money spent on non indigenous services also often used by indigenous people, while its rare for non indigenous people to use services meant for indigenous people. *
BTW. Unlike your examples of misspending which aren't really good examples, they are one off misspending issues, this black hole of money on this issue is an ongoing one that in reality doesn't have an end point and more likely to get worse than better because things like property ownership are only getting harder so the cycle of intergenerational poverty for the 20% isnt going to improve.
Stats and quotes from the book
"The Burden of Culture: How to Dismantle the Aboriginal Industry and Give Hope to its Victims"
https://johnanderson.net.au/booksreviews-gary-johns-burden-of-culture-re...
* Ive been enough lucky enough to regularly use an indigenous & torres strait health centre on the Goldie in the late 90s as I only lived 100 metres away so was in that small % of non indigenous who got to use the service and i can tell you it was much better than a standard doctor clinic, always free appointment's, no waiting cause rarely anyone else in there and lots of extras like free meds when i was going on an indo trip.
Sigh.
I personally dont care too much about the money, money is blown all the time by government but still some real perspective needs to be had on the money spent every year for no real return.
If the figures are to be believed that the No campaign are putting up on social media, the indigenous spending that is said to be now 39 billion a year is pretty much the same as Medicare spending 40 billion.
I mean it would almost be more worth while for the government to just give the 20% who are in real need a house and land package, at least we could see where the money is spent and actually have something for it.
"if the figures are to be believed that the NO campaign are putting up on social media."
Yeah probably not to be believed....
Probably total BS ..
But carry on.....
Yeah thats why i said "to be believed" just incase it wasn't correct, but a quick google, shows the figures are correct or in that ballpark.
"Medical services and benefits, consisting primarily of Medicare and Private Health Insurance Rebate expenses, will account for $39.5 billion, or 37.3% of total health expenses in 2022–23.
Spending is expected to increase by 2.5% in real terms from 2022–23 to 2025–26, driven primarily by growing Medicare expenses."
https://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Parliamentary_departments/Parlia....
And indigenous spending hard to find a complete figure but the Conversation fact check link above from 2016 for 30 billion is correct, so you would expect 7 years on it would be about what they claim.
Indeed :)
@indodreaming
"For some real perspective."
With all due respect, the only way any of us white Australians could have some real perspective is to live life as an aboriginal.
I am happy to hear your opposing views on these issues as it's important everyone has a say. You're views are however not from someone who has ever walked a single day in a black man's shoes.
To grow up locked away from your stolen land, language, culture and family......
and to watch the same thing happen to your kids, and your grand-kids, and great-grand-kids with no end in sight.
The least we can do is try and imagine it must be a soul destroying experience and accept there is way more here than meets the eye. No one is asking you to understand it, just to accept that you never will unless you've lived it.
You and I can't ever know what that feels like, so thinking we know all the answers to the problems faced by FNP is not helping here. Same reason every "White" government has failed. They thought they understood the issues and had all the answers. The proof of that is all that money you quoted was wasted and hasn't moved things forward. I'm sure they had good intentions but it failed due to not inviting FNP to the table to discuss a way forward.
Also worth mentioning is intergenerational trauma in all this context. It's effects are proven in scientific studies all over the world and is only now slowly being realized how big of an impact it has. It actually damages the DNA of your offspring. So you can imagine it would take quite some time to repair that damage over many generations, even once the trauma has stopped. [By the way, the health, incarceration, life-expectancy, childhood mortality, etc statistics prove the trauma hasn't stopped.]
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6127768/
ha ha surely this has to be a new profile for Blue diamond/souther Raw
@indo-dreaming No mate. I'm just another random guy trying to get you to see the light of day.
Seems you are too busy looking for an old nemesis though. How sad.
Spot on.
@indo-dreaming, you can throw all the money you need at a problem that it won’t solve and be upset about it or you can think about it a bit differently like surf.rat just laid out for you.
Can you understand why some Indigenous people see non-indigenous Australians as spiritually deficit. The governments we keep voting in keep throwing money at a problem it won’t solve. We’re putting a colonial and capitalist white solution out there for a black persons problems that arise from having their country, culture and families stolen from them.
As Surf.rat said, least we can do is try to imagine what it must feel like to take a walk in those shoes, maybe show a bit more compassion and realise that money isn’t going to solve it all.
@ Surf Rat & Surf Turkey
Firstly there is no one set of indigenous shoes, indigenous people life's and situation's vary hugely mostly due to geography as do their skin shades some are whiter than me, some are olive like my kids some are brown like my wife and some are truly black
My indigenous mate that has olive skin and comes from a good family and now has done very well in life with his own family, also has no idea what its like to walk in the shoes of disadvantaged black fella in a remote community either.
80% of indigenous peoples standard of life's are not much different to other Aussies(like the guys featured in the vid), most are in urban areas some regional areas, those in remote communities make up most of the other 20% that really blow out the stats in a negative way (and ironically in most cases are the ones still on country, still speak language, still have family around them, and still can practise culture, busting you mindset surf rat)
And yes you are correct surf turkey, money alone isnt going to solve anything, neither will a voice, only a change of lifestyle and cultural habits will change things that can only come from on the ground from people themselves, along with education, employment, and other services to break the cycle of intergenerational poverty.
Even Linda burney this week said said she will advice the voice to focus on these key aspects, which was kind of funny because its suppose to be the voice advising the government, not the government advising the voice and its suppose to be independent of government, but yeah the mix messaging on the voice as we know is off the charts.
The real question is how do you change and improve these things and outcomes without being perceived as taking or encouraging people from country, because its just not logistically possible to have these things on country all across the land, especially the employment aspect, its even worse when you have people living on country but often not owing any land with land councils locking up land, almost 50% of Australia is now owned or under indigenous management. (so much for the notion of you will own nothing and be happy)
BTW. If Australia had never been colonized in the same on going manner it had and indigenous people joined the modern world in the same way we see in PNG, there is actually nothing to say all the issues we see here now would also still not be issue's, because PNG has very much the same issues especially in regard to violence or domestic violence towards women etc and it impossible to blame their problems on white fella and colonisation or intergenerational trauma or racism etc
Anyway if you want to continue the discussion is a CIVIL manner, the indigenous thread in main forum is a better place, although its all been said and done many times and does get a bit tiring for everyone.
Cheers Mick
@ Indo-dreaming
It's pointless trying to have a conversation with people like yourself as you think you already know all the facts and have all the answers, and therefor have no reason to take on the thoughts/ideas of others.
I'll leave you with one last thought....
You are not an indigenous person, so you don't know what's best for them. Leave that for them to decide.
You might think you're being civil Indo but as I've said before, if you tried the "the closer they are to their culture, the more violent they are" argument out in the real world, you'd find that people, especially indigenous people, would sort you out pretty quick.
Fk im sick of you always trying to twist my words or take old conversations out of context to mix in with current conversations to try to twist things, low life.
Anyway a hell of a lot of things people say here in the real world would end in tears.
You’ve been very clear with what you said.
Great watch on Sunday night. Me and my three boys were glued to the tv. We need more of this
Watched it. Really enjoyed it..
But, if I'm going to be honest with myself, I take exception to the white Australia spiritually bankrupt quip. I don't think 'white' Australians have the monopoly on that.
You know, I just wrote a big comment trying to justify the above but fuck it. I'll leave it at that. Pretty unfair I reckon. It's not as if people are not trying.
Oh poor fella zenagain... still feeling a bit tedious? You don't think those colonisers were a little spiritually bankrupt when "displacing" those tedious blackfellas? You don't think the self-entitled self-interested capitalist world of the West could be a little spiritually bankrupt? Have a Bex and a good lie down till the tedium passes.
Hey Harry, you wanna wear that white oppressor, spiritually bereft hat forever, go for mate. Knock yourself out. You too Turkey.
I've got a future to look forward to and will happily do so with my FN family and friends.
By the way, I loved that piece. Compulsory viewing imo. And I saw the future there, with those kids and their elders taking back their culture and not feeling sorry for themselves like you two.
"not feeling sorry for themselves like you two"... huh?
Alright, change it to guilt.
Whatever fits.
Huh?? No wonder yr confused
Enlighten me then Harry. Set me on the right path.
Seek and ye shall find Grasshopper... the truth shall set you free.
you kooked it, brah
Anything to contribute brah?
no
Well there you go champ.
Continue remaining part of the problem.
no
Awww., c'mon Jasper. You ran that mouth of yours now gone all silent.
i'll run deez nuts through your mouth.
nailed it
So you're a homosexual resorting to threats?
Maybe stick to nailing your 'brahs'.
Brah.
lmao
Don't laugh too hard sweetie.
Don't you need to save that arse of yours for your brahs?
:|
White Australia is humouresly bankrupt once it needs to resort to homophobic attacks to to try to avoid explaining its point of view. I’ve read many well written comments from you in the past though this one is just embarrassing.
Calm down turbo. If you lie down with dogs, sometimes you get fleas.
And I am far far far away from being a homophobe. My best friend of over 40 years just so happens to be gay.
Yeah I know my best mate of 41 years happens to be a homophobe
Sad to hear.
Seaweed, I don't know if you read down this morning but I apologised for yesterday in the way I conducted myself and I'll extend that apology to you too. I was not myself yesterday and I broke my own rule of not engaging with a fool. I hope you can accept that. I know your last smarmy comment was a backhander towards me, but I'll wear it, I deserved it. Moving forward, I hope there is no bad blood.
Peace.
No bad blood mate, I think the world would be a better place if more people had the courage to apologise and I’m sorry also for not mentioning that the first homophobic slander was directed at you. Thanks
"Indigenous culture is not surviving it is thriving!" The indigenous are robust with non-divisive admirable innate qualities. I love their athleticism. Hopefully they will retain their amazing qualities and lead the way how we should treat the planet , have respect for the land, sea and sky that all life on earth rely on for survival. But Billie, so taken with your sculptures, they are just amazing! Congratulations for having your creations displayed in the NSWAG, time defining, very special!
Middle class white westeners seem very keen to embrace aboriginal (viz Aus and NZ) spirituality, while hellbent on chucking their own traditions on the pyre.
"“ white australia is pretty spiritually bankrupt.’”
Just the phrase "white Australia" in 2023 is so cringey.
Like seriously it's not 1960 anymore, Australia is so diverse especially in urban areas but even regional areas like where i live, Australia is made up of countless ethnic group's and whole range of skin colours, not to mention these days you can be both white and indigenous.
As for spirituality i dont believe in spirits or religion, but i do agree that believing in these things can be a positive, many of these things like ritual and prayer in various forms is a type of mediation and also brings people together.
If you want to focus on white/Anglo saxon people, its been the letting go of Christianity that has seen the demise of spirituality, but i think spirituality loses out mostly because science and knowledge answers many questions that spirituality tried to explain.
And yes spirituality doesn't have to mean just spirit's or religion but generally speaking its linked spirituality is basically believing in unknowns or things that cant be proven or disproven, like claims of connections to the land that others dont have.
Personally i feel connected to the ocean and nature in a very strong way both here or Indonesia especially when alone in these places, it brings a kind of peace inside and clearing of the mind and a familiarity even in an unfamiliar place.
To say i dont have this based on my ancestry or skin colour is silly.
Anyway, the Collins dictionary meaning of spirituality is:
in British English
(ˌspɪrɪtjʊˈælɪtɪ IPA Pronunciation Guide)
NOUN
Word forms: plural -ties
1. the state or quality of being dedicated to God, religion, or spiritual things or values, esp as contrasted with material or temporal ones
2. the condition or quality of being spiritual
3. a distinctive approach to religion or prayer
the spirituality of the desert Fathers
BTW. Nice little docco and he seems like a nice guy good surfer and seems familiar maybe there has been another docco with him.
No names but 19:01 chased a swell up the coast in my old Kombi, checking spots on the way, pulled up here and it was pumping, had such a good surf.
and queue the unsurprisingly fucking whack take from indo dreaming
@ Jaspo
Mate If you are going to criticise why dont you actually post something of substance?
And say, no this is why i think you are wrong.
Instead of some random piss weak trash talk, playing the man and not the ball which says a lot more about you than it does me.
BTW. I did make the comment more in reply to what was being discussed in the thread above, before watching the doco, and it was actually only one throw away line by Pagey and the docco itself was fairly good and positive.
because there's nothing i could say that is going to change your dumbass mind. so i'd rather just sit behind my screen and throw insults at you, because i think you're shit and you deserve them.
fwiw, idgaf about you or anyone else with their slowest two brain cells fighting for second place
Ha ha okay.
Translation "I dont actually have a proper counter argument, just an angry bitter person"
Indo. There is actually no point having a counter argument to you, because you never listen, and you never learn. Sitting on the bench calling you names is all the time and energy anyone should expend on you. It truly is all you deserve.
@ Hiccups
Yep you are another one, 90% of your comments on Swellnet are just random lazy cheap shots at people you dont agree with and not just at me ive seen you do it to others, you pop in and then pop out not to be seen until your next random cheap shot.
Great example in this thread, instead of commenting on the docco/article, you are here just having your random cheap shot. (quick go post a comment below on the docco/article)
You are basically a fascist in the modern misused meaning of the word, your intolerant of views that dont align with yours and would love to silence views that challenge yours and your clearly not capable of having a discussion where your views are not reinforced by others, hence why you say things like.
"There is actually no point having a counter argument to you, because you never listen"
Because your mindset is everyone must hold your belief's and must listen to you because you are right.
While its always great to change peoples minds thats not my aim, i accept many will never change their minds or even consider other view points, but i will still throw them out there and challenge people to look deeper or consider aspects they never have, its called conversation and debate, you should try it one day.
One word of warning though, it is much harder than random cheap shots or name calling because you actually have to think about things a little.
:|
further to hiccups' point, it's not our responsibility to take you to task on your shitty views. you're a tin full of logical fallacies, and not much else.
- we always have more to learn ;)
https://m.
The First Inventors has been very enlightening also
https://www.sbs.com.au/ondemand/tv-series/the-first-inventors#:~:text=Do....
brilliant show, reeally wish it was on dvd. did you see the one on land-burn management with the guy taking millennial core samples?
Whats with all the Politics.
Isnt this a website for Surfing ?
Actually riding a wave might not be political, but everything leading up to it is and I think it's a good thing to talk about it to be honest.
And after a Surf I might go watch NRL.
So lets start talking about NRL on a Surfing Website aswell.
@Gowsa It's your choice to read these forums mate, as no one is forcing you to. You can talk AFL as well if you want. It's a free country and a free forum so go for it.
I missed the doco, anyone know if i can restream it...?
all good found it..
Not sure exactly how to define ‘spirituality’…
It certainly transcends race - and is expressed and celebrated and explored through so many varied and often controversial mediums.
https://m.
;)
Spirituality can also provide and promote unity and growth, regardless of opinion or bias, and create connections to a shared existence ;)
The value or ‘meaning’ of connecting creates awareness and understanding - enabling progress, education and furthering the ability to gather accurate and balanced information. Surely this lays a platform for a better future…
Hopefully the article, and vids like the one with Billy, inspire debate and open people up to new insights… the images of shellfish piles in the dunes was enough to invoke some wonder - and as we tackle issues of sustainability and health in the modern world, it is impossible to ignore the wealth of knowledge that First Nations people still possess and it would be foolish to think there isn’t more we can learn.
Maybe we gotta try stop the needless head banging against each others take on words or opinions and find a way to come together as one mob, in one mosh… regardless of beliefs. It’s possible ;)
https://m.
That resonated with me too Jelly. The middens are a very visual example of what preceded modern Oz history by thousands of years. It gets the mind wondering about the thousands of meals had in that spot and the millions of footsteps that preceded those. I see it as a connection to the unseen- the spiritual part. It must be a pretty powerful place to just sit and wonder.
https://m.
&pp=ygUQcm9iIHBhZ2Ugc3VyZmluZw%3D%3DGood doco... Good humans....
More goddam surfers.
Seems like every person with a mental health issue or marginalised group on Earth is taking it up.
Just what we need eh????????
Good vid with a great vibe.. Recognised a few people I know or have met.
I've seen heaps of midden sites in my time, and they always take my thoughts to what life was like then.
Not all coastal blackfellas have a spiritual connection with the sea though.
Nice one Tubeshooter. Very funny show.
Great write up Tony!
Thankyou.
’white Australia is pretty spiritually bankrupt.’
To all the people offended by that statement. how about we change it to
’white Australia is pretty morally bankrupt.’ does that make you feel any better?
I hope that makes you sleep better at night in your nice cozy homes built on Aboriginal land that you don't pay rent on.
If anyone struggles to understand that simple concept then they lack proper empathy.
To anyone who thinks it all happened a long time ago and it wasn't their fault, then why have the aboriginal people failed to move onwards and upwards? It's because we are still holding them back to this day. Please have a look at the current statistics for indigenous peoples and you will see how far behind we have left them. Ever heard of "Closing the Gap" the government task-force setup to try and even things out a bit. Well it keeps failing because we are still not making the effort to share this land properly.
https://www.closingthegap.gov.au/
I am only 50 years old and indigenous people of this country were still not allowed to vote only 5 years before I was born. The stolen generation , ever heard of that? That shit was happening when I was a young kid in the 1970's. How many people are still dealing with the repercussions of that insane policy? " There are currently more than 17,000 Stolen Generations survivors in Australia. Over one third of all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are their descendants. In Western Australia almost half of the population have Stolen Generation links."
The quote above was taken from the website below
https://healingfoundation.org.au/who-are-the-stolen-generations/
You can disagree on words that are spoken, but you can't disagree with statistics, and the statistics on every level show aboriginal people are still getting a raw deal from White Australia.
To all those people who think indigenous people have an equal share in this country, either enlighten yourself by taking a look at the cold hard facts or remain an ignorant racist, the choice is yours.
I agree with surf.rat 100%. Well written and well articulated post.
But, I'm sorry but I still take exception to the spiritually/morally bankrupt broad brush all-encompassing statement. Maybe our generation or the preceding ones, I can't say. But I don't consider myself that and based on the passionate comments above I don't see you or many others as that either. People are trying real hard to enact change and for the better. I just personally feel that comments like that hold us back.
If you go back a long way in these threads you will note that I have a quite a lot of FN people in my family, both by birth and through adoption. I'll focus on adoption quickly. My two cousins are full blood aboriginal ladies adopted as toddlers by my late Aunt and Uncle. They are from up around the Mt. Newman area in WA. Their mother was a good friend of my aunt. Through circumstances well known, she was unable to care for them properly. She went so far as to offer them to my Auntie and as they practically were raising them anyway, they willingly took them in. With the blessing of their mum they offered to adopt them as well and raise them as their own with their kids. That's when the problems started as they had agencies actually fight them every step of the way trying to prevent it. Long story short, the judge threw it out and they became legally part of our mob (the spiritually bankrupt white ones). Now some people might call them stolen. But if you ask them, they say they were raised in a safe, loving and nurturing environment like ALL kids deserve. They have gone on to live happy and productive lives. One made a national sporting team and the other is doing well and has connected with her art.
Sorry, have to go now, I would love to finish this but busy.
I will say, yes, a proportion of white Australia are spiritually and morally bankrupt but the vast majority I would hazard a guess are like you and me that want to see meaningful change and a path forward and a better life for all Australians. Language is powerful and when we work together we can facilitate change. When we use divisive words, irrespective of the past at the very least imo it leads to apathy at best and resentment at worst.
Also, I apologise for yesterday, I wasn't at my best.
I’m with you Zen.
It’s certainly possible to have understanding and empathy, and also want real change while still having reservations about generalisations and blanket statements (which could themselves be perceived as possibly racist).
For example, I was at university only a few years ago and in certain areas the narrative that was quite strongly pushed was that of White Australians having no culture and no spirituality while indigenous people were the only ones capable of any real connection with the land.
I see this sort of talk as being generally unhelpful.
Good posts from Zen and Andy, imo.
First time I've seen you lose your rag a bit, Zen. Don't be too hard on yourself, we all do it.
Andy, your Uni example what in line with what I'd commented earlier. There is no reason to feel only shame and aversion to our culture and spiritual traditions. That is, indeed, unhelpful.
I agree 100% with you AndyM. I should have clarified that I am against all white people being painted with the same brush. Humans are individuals and defined by our actions/ideas and not our skin colour.
I agree with you Zenagain that Broad brush strokes painting everyone with .the same ideas & morals is unhelpful. I'd have to say though, that the majority of generations prior to the Baby-boomers were down right racist. All my grandparents, although respectful and loving people were racist to the bone even though they wouldn't even understand it was racism. To them it was just the narrative around that time period and not many ever questioned it.
I agree it's the older generations that are the bigger problem regarding resentment at us all moving forward together as one. Thankfully the generations after them understand what racism is, and are working on ways to end it.
The hardest question to answer seems to be....how do we bring every one along for the ride when some don't know where the bus is going, some just don't care either way, and some are actively against it, even to the point of stopping others from getting on the bus? That's society for you, like herding cats!
It's hard for me not to feel there is a spiritual vacuum within the majority of white society, and It's not just a lack of caring for our fellow FN peoples, but the way we have also treated "country" that has made me think this way.
I know the blame game and victim mentality and is not for people like you and I who can see a way past it. It's for those still stuck in this cycle of hatred and don't even know they are in it. It's step one in a long healing process that needs to be acknowledged and overcome though, as it's not until we truly own our actions and thoughts that we can start to change them.
And if you got upset yesterday, [as I did recently with the WSL/KellyS wave pool article] it's because you care deeply about these things, so don't be too harsh on yourself.
Thankyou mate, and again, another great post.
I guess I fired up because I hate being labelled and I hate the fact that I am in some quarters considered racist, morally bereft and spiritually bankrupt purely by virtue of my skin colour.
You don't know me, you've never met me, you've never talked to me, you've never asked where I've come from or where I've been. But because of no fault of my own, I was born into white skin and you think you can label me?
I'm talking to you Robbie Page. It's a two way street brother.
Thankyou Surf Rat.
I am over the 50 mark as well!
You have reignited
Memories of my youth in regional
NSW in regards the stolen generation!
@Komodo
Hope you got through it alright mate. Sorry if it brought up some hard memories but rest assured plenty of us have a deep compassion, and won't easily forget the [many] past wrongs done to the FN people over the centuries. I can forgive these injustices perpetrated by white Australians who thought they knew better , but I will not forget.
All good surfrat,
I needed it.
Regards Komodo!
As an immigrant I feel...
Australians are proud, regardless.
Almost all Australians acknowledge there is a problem.
Almost all Australians would like to be able to do something about it.
Hardly any Australians want to let the First Nation peoples help with this process.
Spot on.
Zen, your apology above for yesterday's input was well received by me. You seemed very out character. Hope everything's okay
All good Mugs. Cheers. Bit of background stuff going on, not worth mentioning.
Just watched, beautiful, thanks for posting.
Another interesting thread, the Voice debate seems to be making many people explore their views in relation to these issues which can only be a good thing, whatever your view may be. Light being shed on issues too long existing in the shadows, we are all learning.
I've learned here that Zen can fire up when pressed which impressed me and that Indo actually owns a dictionary which I found surprising.
As for the 'white Australia is spiritually bankrupt' argument, well yes it is an unhelpful generalisation that holds some truth, but if you look at some of the revelations from the Robodebt Commissioner's report this week I think you could expand it to say that Australia itself is capable of not just spiritual bankruptcy but moral, ethical and legal bankruptcy on a grand scale right up to the highest levels of public policy and public administration. It's not only FNP that suffer from this malaise. There is a sickness in this country. Part of the cure I believe lies in embracing the wisdom and kindness our FNP exhibit and making the effort to do what we can to help heal their loss and hear their voices. I'm looking forward to watching these videos when I get some time and learning some more.
Watched the piece, enjoyed it.
Makes me think of embracing the large part of me that loves nature, takes notice of the seasons, those around me and makes me very grateful to live this connected surfing life.
We don’t have to reinvent the wheel to live a sustainable and wholesome life, it’s already been done for many millennia before us.
Just watched it and really loved it. Would love a longer version or series going around the entire Aus coastline
But old but relevant.
https://m.
&pp=ygUiSHVnaCBqYWNrbWFuIGFib3JpZ2luYWwgY29tbXVuaXR5IA%3D%3DHere is my idea of one solution.
Create 'Rewilding Apprenticeships' for young aborigines based on what the scientists in this Australian Story program are doing.
https://iview.abc.net.au/video/NC2202Q007S00
The two aims would be to systematically eliminate all feral animals from Australia by giving young aborigines the ownership of this task and teach them to do all the jobs these scientists are doing, such as fencing off areas and hunting down and eliminating all feral cats and rabbits, then reintroducing native species.
I think this would be a fantastic way of reconnecting with the land by marrying science with aboriginal culture.
ha, beautiful doco - why would anyone find another's pride and truth threatening? There are many truths, they overlap and contradict.. as an Aussie whitefella, I found these blokes' (and womens') stories joyous and empowering.
Very emotional for me and a really good presentation of surfing and the lost culture that is hopefully being revived. I lived in Avalon in those days and are familiar with the Bain family..a mob of dignity for sure. Moved after many years to Crescent Head and became immersed in the culture and community...very rich. Now am living and surfing in the Andaman Sea and seeing the slow demise of this culture from a lack of understanding and respect from other nations...it is a common thread..lack of understanding. Seeing the locals surfing for pure fun is a joy and we are all saltwater people..no matter what background or language...lest we forget.
It is the deep and hidden currents that make all oceans one ……
Wow, that,
‘sure got tongues talking, back at the homestead and then in the town, from little things big things grow’. AW.