- Ray Monde
Back tracked, collage of Aboriginal tracker
After Azaria Chamberlain was taken by a dingo, Aboriginal trackers traced dingo footprints in the sand that was carrying a large bundle. There were clear imprints of knitted clothing where a dingo had rested a large bundle.
This testimony was inadmissible as the man giving evidence spoke on behalf of his wife, but in first person, which was the local way.
This collage is of a Anangu man in a woman’s dress; him speaking on behalf of his wife. There’s a tree of knowledge in the background to his left and a quote on the right from Luke 18:16 “Suffer little children”.
There’s also the word “Deadly” in the Aboriginal man’s right arm, which refers to the death of Azaria Chamberlain but also to the indigenous slang meaning of the word; a reference to the integrity of indigenous culture.
It’s a difficult piece, as a white Australian, I was concerned about making a cultural faux paus but I felt it was a vital part of the story that needed to be told.
