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The Walgett Warriors - 'The Gate'

from Song Nation Volume 1 by DPM Records

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about

Another classic from the DPM archives - created with students from Walgett High School in partnership with Outback Arts and Walgett Shire Council over 9 days in August 2012. This song has over 20,500 views on the Desert Pea Media Youtube Channel.

‘The Gate’ begins with an excerpt from a speech made by Charles Perkins, who was a prominent Australian activist in the 1960’s & 1970’s – he was responsible for ‘The Freedom Rides’ – a protest movement that revealed for the first time the shameful discriminations suffered by Indigenous people in Walgett, and around Australia.

This story acknowledges the struggle for social change for Indigenous Australia – creating dialogue around the issues that effect young people today - such as teenage pregnancy, school attendance and lack of opportunities in remote and regional communities to name a few.

But most of all, this song is an anthem for change – a call to arms for Indigenous and non-Indigenous people around Australia, to ‘stand up and be counted’ – take responsibility for change, and work together to create a positive future for all Australians.

Thanks to Roslyn McGregor, James Pike, Anne Dennis, Tanya Coelho, Rob Holden, Walgett Local Aboriginal Lands Council, Susan Lawrence, Outback Arts, Walgett Shire Council and the Walgett community.

We pay our respects to the Gamilaraay / Yuwaalaraay people - traditional owners of the country upon which this story was told.

lyrics

Let’s take a ride way back in time
To ‘The Gate’ in 1965
My Kamileroi people lived a life
In the shadow of cultural genocide

No pride, no rights like a living hell
Black warriors banned from the RSL
Flora and fauna, break the spell
Walgett mob got truth to tell

Freedom fighters - freedom riders
White students stood beside us
Despite those laws that tried to divide us
Still one people - blood unite us

Past behind us - future ahead
But we never be forgetting about the bloodshed bred
Raise ya hands, shake a leg,
One mob, one people. Nod your head.

Time’s right now to stand up and be counted
Black fella, white fella, gunna get it together to do better
Can you hear this listen when we shout it
Black fella white fella. Blue, white, red, black and yella.

Yo - Time passed, not much has changed
In some ways things stayed the same
Still have a hard time playin’ the game
Still get held back by fear and shame

Kids having kids, think school’s a joke
No education, no job, no hope
Rope gets tighter - gap gets wider
Time to release that spirit inside ya

Anyone can talk the talk
It takes courage to walk the walk
Coz this is a new age and the main attraction
Close that gap, cause chain reaction

Shoulder to shoulder, black and white
See through the darkness, shine the light
Takes understanding, knowledge and insight
If you’re with me, bounce on the track tonight

Time’s right now to stand up and be counted
Black fella, white fella, gunna get it together to do better
Can you hear this listen when we shout it
Black fella, white fella. Blue, white, red, black and yella

credits

from Song Nation Volume 1, released July 11, 2014
Toby Finlayson - Director/ Co-Writer/ Cinematographer/ Editor
Joel Westlake – Composer / Music Director/ Co-Writer
Rosalyn McGregor – Cultural Consultant/ Mentor
Reyne House – Audio Mixing

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Desert Pea Media Australia

Creating change through collaborative storytelling - empowering Indigenous young people through truth, hope and a mantra of positivity.

Our journeyman team of artists work in remote and regional Indigenous communities all over Australia - working with young people, elders, schools, and many more to create dialogue around social and cultural issues, through music, film and performance.
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