Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander viewers are advised that this film may contain images and voices of people who have died.
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Sabrina Nayarri: This beautiful country is my home, Elcho Island. This place when I was growing up and you see those rocks? That’s my mother’s dream.
And this tree is special because I learned my culture here as a little girl.
[To camera]: Because this was my school as a little girl – I was schooled here. I like this tree.
But things are different on Elcho today.
[Reenactment of Girl 1 on phone: “Let’s go find some petrol” Girl 2 on phone: OK, I’m coming” Girl 1: “OK, let’s go”.]
My great grandfather said this [petrol sniffing] is happening because many of our young people have lost touch with our traditional way of life.
Richard Ganduwhuy: The olden day life was the natural life. The olden day is a life of nature with no drugs, no anything, no secret, no anything.
Sabrina Nayarri: But on Elcho Island we are working hard to fix this problem.
Old women like Dorothy work with our youngest to show them our culture.
Dorothy Ganambarr: We teach our children about the bush – our traditional way of life.
Sabrina Nayarri: They are learning the right way to live at a young age.
Dorothy Ganambarr: They are sniffing everyday. That’s no good! Come here and learn with us.
Richard Ganduwhuy: I used to be playing around with my Mum and Dad here, enjoying my life, natural life, everyday. I learned the opportunity to stop petrol sniffing. Starting up petrol sniffing – involved with other people’s drugs and secrets, doing all those silly things in the community – bring them, their thinking, thought, back to the nature, back to the culture. That’s what it is.
Sabrina Nayarri: We’re working hard at Galwin’ku, Elcho Island, to make life better for the future. See you next time.
