From an episode of The Mission
Interview
The Mission: Uncovering The Story Of The Yirrkala Bark Petitions
Guest host Uncle Charles Pakana (of Victorian Aboriginal News) speaks with award winning author and film-maker Larissa Behrendt about her new documentary One Mind One Heart, which explores the rich legacy of the Yirrkala Bark Petitions.
Presented to the Australian Parliament’s House of Representatives in 1963 by the Yolngu people, The Yirrkala Bark Petitions were the first documents incorporating First Nations language and relationships to land that were recognised by the Commonwealth.
One Mind One Heart tells the story of how one of these bark petitions found and brought home to the Yolngu people.
“What I wanted to show was all the things that the Yolngu had thrown at them from the initial mining that was done on their country without their consent through all these other historical moments where they’ve stood their ground and continued to fight. I wanted to show their resilience, their strength, their political and legal savvy and how it will always be Yolngu land.”
One Mind One Heart premieres Sunday January 19 on NITV, SBS and SBS on Demand.
Photo credit: Bernard Wright and NITV
