Chapter 8

It was late in the afternoon when they returned to boobook’s house. He was talking to the gathered children, telling them about Galaru. He stopped to address Patrick and Jos.

“The schoolteacher told the children that the dam had failed and that the water had flooded the Ord valley. I had told them of the Rainbow Serpent and now I talk of Galeru.”

“Galaru is the sky-snake personage associated with the more dangerous aspects of cyclonic rain and lightning,” said Patrick.

“You know much,” boobook said.

“I met my carpet python far to the southeast of here, near the northwest tip of Garden Island. I was directed in my sleep to meet her there.”

“My mother was Noongar, where owls were greatly feared and were believed to be associated with malevolent spirits. And there was dismay when the boobook took me. The Noongars have always been frightened of owls because they are night birds and are associated with evil spirits. When camping in the bush as kids, our parents were always terrified if they heard an owl at night. The old people would want to kill it because they said if you don’t kill it first before it kills you, someone will die. They were very scared.

“I remember the ‘old people’ telling us when we were kids that on still nights when they were sitting around the campfire, they would freeze in terror at the sound of the mopoke because that bird could see you, could hear you and could fly without making a sound. They believed that it was like a spirit in the night and could do bad things to you.

“The old people called them night hawks because you could hear the squeals of the mice as they swooped on them and scooped them up in their claws. These night sounds really scared them.

“The old fellas used to respect the owl and teach young children not to misbehave or go walking around at night-time. They used to tell scary stories.

“When we were kids we were so scared at night, we didn’t look around, we just hid under the blanket and didn’t move a muscle.

“I remember my parents telling me the worst thing that can happen is to hear the call of an owl because that was a sign that someone would die, unless you found that bird and killed it before it killed you.

“But I learned that what is true in the southeast is not true in the Kimberley. When owl wings its way into your life, you have the opportunity to become far more observant, to settle down on a tree limb and watch. As do I and frogmouth.”

“Thank you,” said Jos. “That was a good telling.”

The children went off.

“You never explained about indigenous areas, Patrick,” Jos continued.

“No. In some ways it’s simple, in others it’s obscure. It started over a decade ago, I think in Rudd’s first term. And several areas were created. Uunguu in early 2011, for example. But Gilliard confused the issue and then Abbott really fouled things up. So, to begin with, there was a programme under which a designated indigenous group could petition the Ministry of the Environment to have an area put under their care, to protect the wildlife and other aspects of the environment. And members of the group, called Rangers, would receive training to survey and protect their area. But in 2012 or 2013 Gillard reorganized the ministries and the programme was transferred to the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. I say it then became unclear, because the most recent publication I’ve seen was dated ‘November 2015’ -- there are over 40 Indigenous Protected Areas, but who knows what that means.”

“And that’s why you mentioned the Minister.”

“Yes. He’s the first Aboriginal cabinet member. He’s also a politician who might like to be seen being gracious, cooperative and responsive in his home state.”

“You are a devious python,” said boobook.

“I live with doubleness. There was a map issued in September 2018 with areas numbered up to 75 and vast areas that were unlabeled, but colour-keyed as either ‘aboriginal lands’ or ‘other protected areas.’ Nothing very near here.”

“What do you suggest?”

“Suggest? Me? I am but a lawyer sent by the powerful to report on what I see!”

Boobook snorted and Jos laughed.

“Will you have anything interesting to report?” Jos asked a minute later.

“I think I will report that few dozen Aborigines appear to be setting up a village in the previously uninhabited area south of Lake Argyle Road and west of the WA/NT boundary. I will remark that they are a mixed group from several settlements.”

Boobook interjected: “There may be a large number from Timber Creek.”

“Really?” said Jos.

“There are under 150 left. And they have been very unhappy since the Ngaliwurru and Nungali lands were confiscated and sold (by the Territory) for commercial development.”

“Yes,” Patrick added, “The decision of the High Court of Australia in 2008 found that the provisions under the Lands Acquisition Act meant the Minister could legitimately acquire land for any purpose, despite the Native Title Act of 1993. I studied the case in law school. It’s a clear case of whitefellas stealing from the blackfellas. And that part of the Territory has been hostile since Wave Hill in 1966. And that was only settled a decade later by Whitlam.”

“Will not the rock wallaby want to stay?”

“I expect so. But the younger folk will flee.”

“I have a question for Jos,” Patrick said.

“Yes?”

“You spoke about the anarchists. When did you begin reading them?”

“When I was in school. In Luurnpa. It’s Lasallian and one of the brothers, Father Anselm, told me that he was a utopian. And, together with him I read More and some of the later writers. I discovered the utopian side of anarchism and Anselm obtained a number of books for me, some borrowed from distant libraries. My white name is Josiah Day, after Dorothy Day, an American who advocated the Catholic economic theory of distributism, which she considered a third way between capitalism and socialism. [Distributism is concerned with improving the material lot of the poorest and most disadvantaged.] Anselm was very good to me. He retired just before I left. I have heard he is no more. I do not fear to mention his name.”