2011 - Theses - Flinders University

White Lives in a Black Community: The lives of Jim Page and Rebecca Forbes in the Adnyamathanha communityTracy SpencerVolume Three Appendices: Creative Life WritingSection C: Contact Zone‘He’s the messenger bird, don’t you forget. He come dancing ‘round, singing out at you,he’s got a message. Sometimes good news. Sometimes it means something’s wrongsomewhere, with someone.’ The small black bird with its elegant tailfeathers and full whitebib flits off with a final chirrup.They camp at Moolawatana, under the tall and shady river gums and snap off smallacacias to use for a brush shelter. 4 There are some familiar faces in the arngu—the cluster ofbrush widlya that makes up the camp— but many are strangers to Becky.‘This is Mrs Rebecca Forbes,’ says Jack, a small smile twitching his moustache.Women gather around to pat her and touch her hand.‘Nangga, udnyu artu?’ (Hello, how are you, white woman?)‘Nangga,’ ventures Rebecca in return.‘Nangga, Mrs Forbes,’ sign the men who are standing back a little.As Rebecca smiles at them, she sees their glance shift to Jack, and they grin at him.‘Nangga means, “How are you?”’ Jack says casually, bending near her ear, ‘And you’restill the white lady, but udnyu artu here.’ Rebecca lets out her breath, and says nothing. Jackrests his hand on her shoulder. ‘You say, “Wandu.” That means, “Good, thanks.”’ 5Pichi Richi Campsite, near Quorn, 1998Denise Champion was an Adnyamathanha church worker, a gracious and smiling culturalconsultant who taught countless well meaning whitefellas Adnyamathanha stories andgreetings, and not a little theology. We sat in a circle, and she was asking each participant inturn to greet her as we had just been taught. It was my turn next.4