The Avon Valley and Wheatbelt Advocate has sat down and interviewed some key personnel involved in Northam’s new Indigenous Environmental and Interpretive Centre, Bilya Koort Boodja.
Here is our sit down with Aboriginal Elder Kathy Davis.
Read more: Bilya Koort Boodya Q&A with Ross Rayson
AVA: What did you think when you first heard about the development of the centre?
Kathy: The first time I heard about it, it was a mystery to me because of the name of it. To me environmental meant anything. Aboriginal means one thing and so does environment. All the meetings I went to, it eventually changed to Bilya Koort Boodja and that gives us ownership to that building.
AVA: How has the relationship been with the Shire of Northam during this process?
Kathy: We highly respect them for doing it. Eventually it’s going to be given to us in the near future. I am so proud of the Northam Shire Council. The only other place I’ve seen this sort of project is in Canarvan when I lived there. People can come from miles, all over the world to see. It’s good because it gives the tourists the insight of Aboriginal people and how we lived many years, how live has changed. Northam was the most racist town I had ever been to and now you walk up the streets and you get a hello. Before they would truly walk on the other side of the street. I’ve been in Northam 51 years and I can see the change and I was part of it, my grand kids were part of it. They made friends with the non-Aboriginal kids, they play netball alongside them, they play football alongside them. Years ago you weren’t allowed to join them. That’s gone and that’s in the past. Now I want these people to come to the centre just to make them aware that this did happen. It’s not a fairytale, it’s the truth. The council is brilliant. Without them being there it would never have happened. Previously councilors may not have thought the way these ones do today and it should have happened a long time ago. I can’t wait. Northam’s going to be buzzing.
AVA: What sort of input have you had into the centre?
Kathy: It’s like I get a phone call everyday. I love doing it because I know my people of Northam will have some say as to what can go in the building. We nurtured it all the way through. We’ve picked what goes in there, story lines about families in Northam, recent pictures of the kids dressed up in traditional dress. We don’t know everything but we know what people want to know. My kids are going to come from miles to see. They’re going to be so facinated. There are going to be things even Aboriginal people don’t know about in there.
AVA: What do you think it means for the younger Aboriginal generation?
Kathy: With my great grand kids they’re going to walk in there and see my face up on the screen and they’re going to read about me. That’s the proudest thing. They can see it. The legacy will stay. The kids will know what happened. Now they can do anything they want, go to university and school. So they can see how it’s changed. We’ve got lawyers and doctors. You name it, we’ve got it. It’s going to mean a lot of other businesses is Northam as well. What’s open in Northam on a Saturday and a Sunday? McDonalds. Businesses are going to have tourists come from all over the world. It’s going to go out there and they’ll come from miles.
AVA: What do you want people to take away from the centre?
Kathy: I want them to walkaway with a sense of belief. As in what we’ve seen is what really happened and take it on board. We don’t want people to feel guilty. We just want people to accept it. We want to be as one. We don’t want to be segregated anymore.
AVA: What do you say to the people in the community who don’t understand the importance of this building?
Kathy: It’s not about the colour of your skin. It’s about coming together and understanding and respecting both sides; black and white. We can live together. All we ask for is one building to get people to understand. We want to help educate the schools with the dream time.
AVA: What are you most excited for?
Kathy: Opening day! They keep putting it back because they want to make it perfect. I want to stand there and watch everyone going through and see their expressions. It’s going to be magic.
Stay posted for our interview with Bilya Koort Boodja centre coordinator Michelle Winmar.
