by Di Morrissey
Silently the protesters who had been removed to the roadside returned and, this time, lay down in the soft red dust. The police continued to remove them, but eventually lost their patience. It was at this point that they began to arrest people.
*
‘I was lucky not to be arrested myself, but then I wasn’t locked on, which made it less risky,’ Jacqui told Lydia the next morning as they caught up over a coffee at the organic café.
Lydia sighed. ‘It went on for hours, I’m told. The protesters never fought or struggled, and stayed silent, only giving those tired policemen their name and address. You should have been down at the courthouse. As soon as someone was arrested and driven back to town the word went around and a cheering support group was there to meet them. Of course, this didn’t stop people from being charged and fined. I saw your friend Palmer there.’
‘I’m not surprised. He was pretty defiant. I don’t know what Lily will say about it, but I imagine she’ll be supportive. Palmer was always a bit of a rebel, I think,’ said Jacqui.
‘I heard Peggy got fined for climbing the crane,’ said Lydia. ‘That was quite a feat.’
‘Yes, it took them ages to get her down. I think Phillip was wonderful, letting her take such an active part in the demonstration. They’re so close, that pair. It’s lovely. And Peggy certainly got a lot of coverage in the media. Mum said she saw a story about it in her Sydney paper, but of course there was little sympathy for yet another protest and it was dismissed as a rabble-rouser making trouble.’
‘They might think that, but Peggy and Phillip did a great job. As well as the rallies, it’s nice that individuals feel so strongly that they get out and do something about it. Even if it’s just hanging a banner in the front yard. And wasn’t that letter from Riley Mathieson fantastic?’ Lydia exclaimed.
Riley had written a very measured, very persuasive letter to the editor of the local paper, calling for transparency of process and saying how important it was to make sure everyone’s voice was heard.
‘Yes. That’s the sort of balanced, irrefutable argument we need. It’s so wonderful to see so many people coming out in support of the cause. And all those creative protests,’ agreed Jacqui. ‘The grandmothers bolting themselves inside their broken bongo van in the middle of The Point Road was a challenge! Manmade towers just keep cropping up in the middle of the road out there!’
‘And don’t forget the water towers, they’re the Holy Grail for our protesters. They’re so high that a banner on top of one is a big statement,’ said Lydia. ‘Mind you, I think we’ll need more than just protest stunts.’
‘What are you thinking?’
‘I’m going to Perth. The legal eagles who came up here have gone back east to work on our case. But I think we need to find a way to take Chamberlains to court to stop what they’re doing on environmental grounds. It may not be enough since the state is ignoring Aboriginal rights. These big corporations, they literally and figuratively bulldoze whatever’s in their path to get their way. And they don’t expect anyone to challenge them.’ Lydia shook her head in exasperation and took a sip of her coffee. ‘And now, to top it all off, Chamberlains’ tentacles seem to be spreading throughout the region; they’re even claiming that in other parts of the Kimberley, no one has lived or done ceremonies on or looked after the land and so any ownership claims have lapsed. The trouble is, that’s partly true. The elders have died out in some places, but that doesn’t mean there is no remaining connection with the land, not if someone still holds the knowledge, the stories. So we have to prove the ongoing connection, and that’s not easy.’
‘No, I don’t imagine it is,’ said Jacqui sympathetically. ‘When are you off?’
‘End of the week. I’m taking Eddie Kana as senior law man and another community leader, Arthur Nidgeworra. He’s going to present a petition to the state government on behalf of his people and other tribes up here, objecting to the construction of the hub. I’ve lined up plenty of media. I’ve also heard from an entertainment agent who says he’s managed to persuade some big-name entertainers to come to a huge concert to raise awareness. And there are other people in Perth who want to help us as well.’ Lydia drained her coffee and sat back, thinking. ‘Hey, do you reckon you could possibly come down, too, and lend me a hand? It will just be overnight. The schedule is frantic. Sometimes Eddie and Arthur are doing individual interviews with different stations at the same time, and I don’t want either of them to have to go alone. I’ll need an extra set of hands, someone I know is competent. Do you think you could ask Sylvia to hold the fort at the bookshop?’
‘Of course, if you think I can help. This is so important, I’ll make it work! It’s only overnight. I’m sure Sylvia will be able to manage without me.’
‘The Save Our Coast fighting fund will cover our airfares, and we can save money by staying at my friend’s house,’ said Lydia. ‘Thanks, Jacqui. It would be an enormous help. Just look at the schedule!’
Lydia showed her the detailed and crammed itinerary of meetings and media events in Perth.
‘Shall I ask Damien if he wants to film any of it?’ asked Jacqui.
Since the protests had started gearing up, Jacqui had been so busy with the shop and helping out the protesters that she and Damien hadn’t managed to speak much. His cheery, flirty texts were charming, though, so she felt reassured that the awkward conversation they’d had in the tent at Kunaan was no big deal.
‘No, it’s probably not his sort of thing. Better we use people who can get it on the news that night and then we can send it out through our social media.’ Lydia glanced at Jacqui. ‘Unless he’s a stringer for one of the TV outlets, which he’s not, there wouldn’t be much point.’ She picked up their schedule and looked through it again.
‘Oh, I see. You sure it’s all right for me to stay at your friend’s house?’ Jacqui asked.
‘Uh-huh, absolutely. Denyse has a huge house, close to the city,’ Lydia replied absently.
Since Lydia was engrossed in her work, Jacqui decided to give Damien a quick call to tell him she was going down to Perth with Lydia at the end of the week.
‘Good for you guys,’ said Damien. ‘Good luck with it, sounds hectic. Sorry, I won’t be here, sugarpuss. Richie and I are shooting a big commercial down south.’
Jacqui sighed. ‘What a shame. That’s great for you, I guess, but really disappointing for me.’
‘Yes, it’s disappointing for me, too. But it’s a car ad, and good money, so I can’t cancel it.’ They chatted briefly and Jacqui told him about the fundraising concert in Broome that Lydia was organising.
‘Well, I hope the trip goes well for you,’ said Damien. ‘I don’t know if the pollies will be swayed, though. They see the dollar signs. But keep me posted. Miss you heaps,’ he added warmly.
‘Me too. Hope your ad sells lots of cars.’
‘Just send me the cheque, I say, that’s all I care about. Frankly, I wouldn’t be seen driving their cars, they’re a pile of rubbish.’
‘Well, I’m sure you’ll make them look great all the same.’
Jacqui ended the call and re-joined Lydia.
‘Yes, a bit of a shame about Damien,’ said Lydia, when Jacqui told her that he wouldn’t be in Perth. ‘Anyway, it might have been tricky for you to see him as we have so much to cover in such a small time. Maybe you could take him down a couple of mud crabs? Make up for missing him. Freeze them and stick them in a box on ice. I’ve done that before. Keep them in Denyse’s freezer till you can deliver them.’
‘Really? What a great idea! Damien and Richie are crazy about them.’
‘I’ll get one of my cousins to get you some.’
The café door tinkled as it opened and Jacqui looked over to see Natalie and Colin coming in. ‘Hey, Nat!’ she called out. Lydia stiffened slightly.
Natalie smiled tentatively and wandered over to their ta
ble, Colin trailing behind her. ‘Haven’t seen a lot of you two since the writers’ festival. How are you both?’ she asked.
‘Just fine. Busy with all that’s going on in town,’ Lydia replied shortly.
‘I’m sure you are,’ said Colin without a smile.
‘Thank God some of us aren’t willing to sell this town down the river,’ retorted Lydia.
‘You have no understanding of the benefits Chamberlains will bring to this area, and how damaging these stupid protests are to tourism and town businesses,’ Colin snapped back. ‘Come on, Nat. I’m hungry.’
With that he took Nat’s arm and bustled her to a table on the other side of the room. Nat looked back over at them, a concerned expression on her face.
Jacqui let out a breath. ‘Oh Lydia, that was so awful. Nat and Colin are my friends!’
Lydia shrugged angrily. ‘Maybe they are. But they also seem to be pretty good friends with the heavyweights in the mining business,’ she said. ‘Just the same, at least they’ve nailed their colours to the mast. Not like some people around here who won’t commit until they see who’s going to win. Then they’ll jump on the bandwagon. Those sorts of people annoy me even more than Colin. Come on, let’s get back to work.’
*
After they’d landed in Perth, Jacqui was run off her feet keeping everyone on their whirlwind schedule, calling ahead to appointments, taking care of all the little details like making sure they got to the right address on time and that the information packages Lydia had put together were all in order, so that Arthur, Eddie and Lydia could concentrate on what they wanted to say at each interview. As the hectic day progressed and they went from radio stations to TV stations to newspapers, Jacqui marvelled at the calm assurance and humorous curiosity of Eddie and Arthur.
‘Them like a bunch of bees, buzzing here, buzzing there. What they all doing?’ chuckled Arthur to Eddie.
But it was Eddie’s measured yet passionate words that caught the media’s attention, as he spoke to the press on windswept William Street immediately after a meeting inside the government offices.
‘Our future, for everybody, is in that land. We all got to live together, with common ground and same values. Everybody, all together here. Time to fly up like the old eagle and watch out for our country.’
There was a rush of questions, asking who Eddie and Arthur had seen in Perth and what had been said, but Eddie shook his head.
‘They don’t listen, and they don’t see. Those people, they need to come to our country and walk the land, hear the songs and stories . . . sit down and talk so we hear each other, two-way talk, then maybe they understand better.’
Arthur nodded emphatically.
‘Eddie is marvellous,’ said Jacqui to Lydia. ‘Gentle yet quietly powerful. Very impressive.’
‘If the media run that footage it will make him a hero. They’ll have a hard time throwing Eddie in gaol for protesting after that,’ said Lydia firmly.
‘Be interesting to see what sort of damage control Chamberlains come up with,’ said Jacqui. ‘Also, while I was waiting for you in one of the radio stations, I heard that Sheila Turner will be speaking at the library in town. Since we’ve got an hour or so to spare before our next meeting, do you want to go and hear what she has to say?’
‘Why not?’ said Lydia. ‘My feet need a bit of a rest and at least we can sit down.’
Eddie, Arthur, Lydia and Jacqui found a seat in the back of the audience and listened to Sheila talk about her books to an enraptured crowd. She mentioned how much she enjoyed being in the west and had loved being in Broome for the writers’ festival.
‘I’ve ended up staying around much longer than I expected, but this state has been so full of surprises for me,’ she said.
At the question time at the end of her talk, a woman asked Sheila about her time up north.
Sheila paused. ‘In my opinion, there’s enough material for several PhD theses, and some deep investigative reporting in the Kimberley. I had the opportunity to visit some outback communities and, I can tell you, some of them could do with a lot of help. Maybe you’ve heard about the plan by an international company to put a massive LNG plant on the coast, which is magical and sacred land. This presents a dilemma, of course. Some indigenous people don’t want to see their land interfered with, and while I can see their point of view, I can’t agree with it. I think that dollars from mining, well spent, well supervised and controlled, will only help those marginalised and neglected communities.’
Jacqui felt Eddie shift uncomfortably in his seat. Arthur whispered to Lydia, who raised her hand and then stood. Sheila looked at her in surprise.
‘Ah, Lydia. I met Lydia when I was in Broome,’ Sheila explained to her audience. ‘She is a very passionate advocate for her people.’
‘With respect, Ms Turner, I agree with you that some of these communities in the Kimberley are in need of support and help but, as you say, there is a dilemma. There’s a lot more at stake here than just monetary returns from mining. Opportunities city people take for granted – wealth, welfare, education – are important, but living on one’s own country, being able to follow the ancient traditions, which include hunting and ceremonies, is important, too. If this project goes ahead, the traditional people won’t be able to do those things which are so vital to their culture. So, yes, funding is needed, but at such a cost? In the Burrup, the mining people got native title extinguished and, as a result, nearly a quarter of the world’s oldest and largest rock carving gallery was destroyed. We don’t want something like that happening to our country and we don’t want a huge industrial precinct with a major port, either. That’s why these senior law men, who represent our people, have come to town to try and talk sense and wisdom to the state government people – and make people here aware of what is at stake.’
She sat down to a smattering of uncertain applause.
‘As you say, Lydia, it’s a divisive and debatable subject,’ said Sheila smoothly. ‘But I’m sure there are alternatives.’ She glanced around. ‘Any more questions?’
‘Honestly,’ said Lydia as they left the library. ‘That woman makes me furious. What do they say? “A little knowledge is a dangerous thing.” She thinks she is such the expert, and she knows nothing about our culture. But the real problem is that because she has such a high profile, people will listen to her spouting ignorance.’
‘Take no notice,’ said Eddie gently. ‘We’re used to that sort of thing. Just means we have to work harder to make people see our point of view.’
‘Lydia,’ said Jacqui as they walked towards a taxi rank, both checking their mobile phones. ‘I’ve got a text from Cameron. He said he called Red Coast Books to speak to me and Sylvia told him what we’re doing down here. He wonders if we’d like to have dinner with him tonight. He said he’d like to meet Eddie and Arthur, too.’
‘That sounds a bit strange,’ said Lydia. ‘What do you think?’
‘It sounds really odd to me, too. I can’t imagine why he’d want to meet Eddie and Arthur. He made it pretty clear to me last time we met that he wouldn’t be on their side,’ said Jacqui tightly. ‘Anyway, we don’t have time, the schedule’s full.’
‘Actually,’ said Lydia, checking her text messages again, ‘our interview this evening’s been cancelled. So we might as well meet with him and see what he has to say.’
Reluctantly, Jacqui texted Cameron back to say they would meet him. She wasn’t looking forward to it, as she couldn’t help feeling he might have some ulterior motive.
‘You know he’s on Chamberlains’ side,’ she said when she’d finished texting. ‘He could cause us more problems.’
‘Chamberlains isn’t my problem,’ said Eddie. ‘I’m their problem.’
*
When they arrived at the discreet and elegant restaurant Cameron had suggested, Lydia set off to the table, with Jacqui and th
e two law men behind her.
‘What kinda tucker they have here, Jac?’ asked Arthur.
‘I’d say anything you jolly well want, by the look of it,’ answered Jacqui. Then she stopped in shock.
Cameron was already at their table and with him was none other than Daryl Johnson. She wondered why the entrepreneur on Chamberlains’ board was joining them. They continued to the table and Jacqui made the introductions.
‘Pleased to meet you, Eddie,’ said Johnson. ‘You’ve been making a bit of a name for yourself here in Perth.’
‘Not for myself, Mr Johnson, for my people,’ Eddie said gently.
‘Yes, well, that’s most commendable. Look, call me Daryl. You too, Arthur.’
‘Thanks, Mr Johnson,’ said Arthur.
‘Please, everyone, sit down. What about some drinks? Champagne?’
‘Do you have something to celebrate?’ asked Lydia.
‘I hope so,’ said Johnson.
While Eddie and Arthur ordered a beer, Cameron ordered French Champagne for the rest of the table.
At first the conversation was desultory. Cameron asked about the writers’ festival and their media blitz and when they were going home.
‘How about we order dinner?’ he finally said, as Johnson was studying the menu.
Arthur leaned over to Eddie and said, ‘I think this place is having a lend of us. Look at the price of that mud crab. Them stupid prices for everyday food.’
As they were ordering, Jacqui realised that after the initial introductions, Johnson had said very little. Cameron had done all the talking, while Daryl sat back and watched.
As they were waiting for their main courses to arrive, he leaned forward.
‘I’m pleased that you were all able to meet with me tonight,’ he said.
‘We didn’t know you’d be here,’ said Lydia. ‘But it is interesting to meet the opposition.’
Johnson ignored the comment and, turning to Eddie and Arthur, he continued, ‘You men are both respected leaders among your people but I can’t say that I agree with your campaign. Don’t get me wrong: I respect your feelings for your culture. But you can’t ignore progress. To me it seems that you’re stopping the progress of your people.’
