Women also participate in our certificate programme – in fact so far
they have out-numbered the men (61 to 42). One thing I can say without a
shadow of doubt is that the future of Indigenous leadership is in good
hands if the AILC certificate graduates are any guide. Be confident – I
am.
The second initiative I’d like to talk about is mentoring. Recently,
I agreed to mentor a younger Aboriginal man in Canberra. While our
relationship will continue to evolve over time, the reason I agreed to
this was I know just how important it is to have another man you can rely
on and trust. For advice, for friendship for support and to help you up
when you fall. Or to tick you off when you are being an idiot. For that
word of encouragement at the right time. For teaching you new things, for
making you see the other point of view, for understanding, for being there
when you need or just for the that gentle inquiry from time to time of –
How ya doing brother?
These are some of the reasons we need each other.
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You know we have some extraordinarily gifted Aboriginal men in this
country.
One of them is a poet called Steve Barney. He wrote
a poem entitled Black People Cry.
Black people cry
And the white people wonder why
Some really try to understand
This strange human, the Aboriginal man
Some wonder what is it this man wants
Is it to relive the past, with tribal hunts
What is it, this thing, they call the dreamtime
Come, don’t be afraid of what you might find
Look, white leaders, do you see a broken race
Then look again, what do you see in their face
Look closely now, at the sparkle in their eye
Justice, equality and land, no longer, will black people cry
The challenges are many but we can, again, be warriors.
When will you make your stand?
This is an edited version of a speech to The National Indigenous Men’s Issues Conference at Coolangatta on 25 October 2002.
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