In My Blood It Runs: an Aboriginal child seeks his place

«Dujuan, stop running away,» pleads Megan, holding her son in her arms. It is the evening, the sky is gradually darkening, and it is a moment of peace where the family gathers after the day. Days that do not seem to be at rest for this Aboriginal family whose little boy, Dujuan, is the one who has to deal with it all. It is also difficult to find his place in this school where they teach the history of Australia told by Europeans when he would rather like to know his own history: that of the Aborigines. Dujuan is 10 years old, he possesses healing powers, he knows three different languages, he can hunt and speaks with wisdom, but he does not manage to integrate into this Western world that does not resemble him and spends his time trying to escape it. Interview with Maya Newell, the director.

How did you meet this little boy?

About ten years ago, when I was 21, I had the privilege of being invited to the Akeyulerre Healing Centre in Alice Springs to make films with them about the work families do to educate their children in language, culture and identity. I sat with elders while they recorded songs for their grandchildren, afraid that they would be lost; I saw children visiting their country for the first time; and I also heard three languages being spoken with confidence and fluency. But I was shocked to learn that our general education system perceives these same children as being academically failing. And that’s not surprising, since in Australia, as in many other countries, education is only provided to children in English, and their success is measured by Western values. We rarely see or appreciate the inner life of Aboriginal children who have to grow up adapting to the rich and complex bicivilizational society in which they are born.

How the documentary was created In My Blood It Runs ?

Based on many years of work with the Akeyulerre Healing Center, where he developed naturally from these relationships. I met Dujuan, Megan (Dujuan’s mother) and Carol (Dujuan’s grandmother) during several trips to the country, during which we filmed about learning the Arrernte language and knowing the land. Then, about 3 years ago, Dujuan came to talk to me in a very eloquent way about the world as he saw it. What an intelligent, charismatic, witty and daring child! He needed to be brought to the spotlight, with his shocking clairvoyance, his childlike sense of morality and his adult vulnerability. He was so excited to be in a film! Thanks to the trust established over previous years, we were able to take the plunge.

For how long did you follow Dujuan and his family?

The film was made over three and a half years, but based on ten years of relationships. So it’s quite difficult to say!

What were the objectives of the documentary?

The most important message of this film is that Aboriginal families love and care for their children. Unfortunately, this is not the message that is often conveyed by the mainstream media and tabloids. In My Blood It Runs It highlights the interconnectedness. As I spent time with Dujuan and his family, I realized that change must be approached holistically, because the cycles of human rights violations experienced by Indigenous people are not a single «problem» in isolation at any given time. These cycles nurture and perpetuate harm and poverty, and actively maintain people’s vulnerability. Thus, the only solution that works for Dujuan is the one that comes from his family, and not from the systems put in place to «help him.» The film demonstrates the idea that the solutions proposed by Indigenous people are fundamental to the future.

Is Dujuan an exception in Australia or is he an example of what many Aboriginal children are going through today?

After many screenings with various people, we think we can say that the story of Dujuan is unfortunately not an isolated case. We live in a country that has implemented active policies to assimilate indigenous children into the dominant culture, and education is the area where the dominant culture exerts its worldview. Many Aboriginal people involved in the making of this film felt silenced by the obliteration of their identity, knowledge, and languages in the field of education.

As Carol says in the film, the Aboriginal peoples should not have to choose; they should be able to raise their children with both Western and Arrernte education. In this Aboriginal upbringing, attention, teaching, as well as love and the constant efforts to support the children are often ignored and rarely valued by Western systems. We wanted to show this invisible part of history, the parallel education that, despite a lack of recognition, beats together as one heart with life and strength.

What has become of Dujuan today?

Dujuan lives with his father and grandparents in Borroloola, where the film ends. There, they have better access to their native lands, police presence is lighter, and Aboriginal culture and identity are more integrated into the school curriculum. He is about to enter high school this year!

Projections:

Tuesday 9am – Petit Theatre and Muriavai Hall

Wednesday 12:30 – Petit Theatre and Muriavai Hall

Thursday 19h20 – Grand Theatre

Lucie Rabréaud / FIFO 2020