Dolphins up the Murray by Roderick Collard

Medium: TBC
Size: 920×920

I am an aboriginal artist from the South West of Western Australia. My ancestors were from the Metropolitan/Whadjuk and Wilmun/Upper Great Southern Regions. I was born in Pingelly and raised around Wandering, Banister, Boddington, Pinjarra and Armadale.

There are many atrocities that have happened to my family across our history, including lack of acknowledgement and the Pinjarra Massacre, of which my great grandparents survived.
Throughout Marradong and The Hotham River Country we have Bauxite and Mining Production. We believe our aboriginal people have been and still are unfairly dealt with in reference to compensation and royal payments to our Traditional Owners (TO’s). It is our land always was and always will be.

Why do they call us Traditional Owners and yet we don’t officially own anything. Why can’t we have new agreements between the TO’s. mining companies and government sectors. Surely as TO’s we have that sovereign right.