Formations Events: Discussion on Indigeneity

Overview

• Series of public events focused on global inequalities at Nottingham Trent University.
• Led by Jenny Ramon in collaboration with Nottingham's Bunnington Gallery.
• This month's topic: Indigeneity, connected with the documentary film "In My Blood It Runs."

Event Details

• Participants: Valentina de Rizo (Moderator), Nahuia Harrison, Danny Oliver.
• Valentina's Background: Doctoral researcher focused on Indigenous narratives from First Nations, Metis, and Inuit women.
• Nahui's Background: Artist and doctoral candidate studying marine legislation impacts on her tribe (Northland, New Zealand).
• Dany's Background: Researches Indigenous school stories and their use to confront colonial legacies in education.

Film Overview: "In My Blood It Runs"

• Plot Centric: Follows Duwan, a 10-year-old Arrernte healer in Alice Springs.
• Highlights:
  • Duwan's struggles with a Western education system that undermines his knowledge.
  • Experiences surveillance from child welfare and police.
  • Portrays the campaign for change led by Indigenous families.

Key Issues Discussed

Education and Colonialism

• The Western system fails to value Indigenous knowledge.
• There’s an institutional surplus of surveillance on Indigenous children, leading to criminalization.
• Need for a new narrative that centers Indigenous voices.

Indigenous Resilience

• The importance of family and community in the film.
• Duwan's perspective and agency as a counter-narrative against colonial myths.
• Recognition of Indigenous love and care for children amidst systemic oppression.

Voice of Indigenous Youth

• The significance of listening to Indigenous children.
• Duwan exemplifies resilience, articulating the message: “Stop taking kids away.”

Themes in the Film

• Blood Memory: Connection between history, trauma, and resistance.
• Education System Critique:
  • Outdated materials and culturally irrelevant curriculum.
  • Duwan's learning environment contrasts with the confinement of Western education.

Conversation Highlights

• Nahuia and Dany reflect on the differences in struggles faced by Indigenous peoples in Australia and New Zealand.
• Emphasis on the vital role of cultural knowledge in education for Indigenous children.
• Discussion on the need for genuine acknowledgment and inclusion of Indigenous knowledge in curricula without colonial biases.

Closing Thoughts

• The film not only serves as a documentary but as a powerful campaign for change reflecting Indigenous resilience and the fight against systemic violence.
• Thanking the organizers and participants for contributing to a crucial conversation on Indigenous issues.

Call to Action

• Encouragement for the audience to engage with Indigenous narratives and support ongoing conversations on these topics.

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