THE BLACK TRUTH - 'THERE'S STILL HOPE' (Kempsey, NSW)

Desert Pea Media is proud to present a new collaboration with the Dunghutti Community in Kempsey NSW.

This production was created in November 2022 - an outcome of a unique, collaborative creative process between Desert Pea Media artists, staff at Melville High School, local Dunghutti Elders, community members, cultural leaders and an incredibly talented group of Melville High School Students.

The overall purpose of the project was to facilitate an important, inter-generational conversation about social and emotional well-being for Original Nations young people. Focusing on knowledge, education, cultural identity, wellbeing and connection to country.

Desert Pea Media projects involve a dialogue-based storytelling process that encourages participants to analyze 'the real', 'the ideal' and 'the bridge'. In simple terms this means critically thinking about how to create positive change for yourself, for each other and for our communities.

The project was funded and co-produced by Melville High School.

The DPM team feel deeply honoured and grateful to learn, share and create with the Kempsey Community. These projects not only uplift and inspire audiences and community members, but everybody involved.

Special thanks to Andrew Ryder, Uncle Bob Smith and Aunty Jackie Welsh from Melville High School for all of your hard work, trust and support to make this project possible.

Special thanks to all the Dunghutti People, and all of the mob in the region that participated, welcomed us and shared their time, their stories and their country for the creation of this production. We are humbled and grateful for your trust and friendship.

CREDITS

Toby Finlayson - Project Director/Film Director/Facilitator/Co-Writer/Co-Producer
Roy Weiland - Film Co-Director/Co-Facilitator/Co-Writer/DOP/Editor/Graphics
Josh Nicholas - Music Producer/Co-Writer/Co-Facilitator
Scott Large - General Manager/Co-Producer/Photographer/Graphic Design
Sari Mann-Wills - Trainee/Co-Writer/Co-Facilitator
Nathaniel Sherwood - Audio Mixing/Mastering.

STARRING

Latarnie Kennedy
Shaylah Thompson
Yatalie Donovan-Dickson
Janaali Ward
Margaret Bull
Teneisha Triplett
Skye Dickson
Jakaya Holten
Ashanti Dickson-Holten
Shamike Louden
Safiyah Clancy
Mis Thompson
Amalie Iliffe
Maddison Shanney
Shanoma Campbell-Cook
Zailen Campbell-Cook
Jardie Morris

LYRICS

Our rivers (Bita) – Our plains (Warrawa) – From the mountains (Bandungakayi) – To the sea (Mulumangu)
It’s my dreaming (gurrigan) – My people – This country – Is me

Dhitiyn barri Dunghutti (Thungutti)
From the mountain range to the sand
For generations, we built foundations and roamed this land
Ochre on my face, connected to this place since time began
Sugarloaf… down to the sea – my people meet for song and dance

What are we? Too black for yah? Can’t handle a yarn ‘bout massacre.
Thousands of people murdered, my trauma, I’ll give it all back to ya.
They tried to – get rid of us. Unspoken genocide.
They tried to wipe us out but *surprise*, us mob survived

Old Burnt Bridge, let me take ya back – 1863, living in a tin shack
Flour, sugar, tea never gave us jack. But we have a culture and you can’t take that.
Mish man pulling up, 3 cars in black,
running next door so we don’t get snatched.
knock knock knock Shhh it’s the welfare pack –
they take our kids and they don’t come back.

What’s that Mr. Prime minister? Won’t answer the boys from Kinchela.
Uncle told us he asked ya “Why?”. But ya didn’t say nothing, did ya brah?
Let’s talk about Cootamundra. And the girls 16 & under.
Kids taken into slavery, names became a number.

CHORUS:

I have a feeling that
My Dreaming’s coming back
Because my history’s Black
We put Dunghutti on the map

I get a feeling like
My dreaming’s still alive
We still fight, we still grow
We still learning, so we know
there’s still hope

From Southside, Green Hill to Burnt Bridge
Still on the Mission Still on the track
Still got the vision Still got the facts
And ya still can’t handle that

We survived – we still alive
And We still deadly proud and black
We still listening, we still learning
And we still Bringing our culture back

Our knowledge is our power and that power makes them scared
They tried to silence us voice became weapons instead
More black teachers, black leaders, black thinkers, black dreamers, believers (Brrrrt)
Black seekers, fact speakers, and more black cultural keepers