Native Title Rockets

Story

This hybrid documentary series invites us to see the world according to Aboriginal Senior Kokatha Elder, Sue Coleman- Haseldine, who is refreshing, tenacious, funny, sharp and loveable. Straight to camera, raw and real, Aunty Sue shares her ideas and views of the world together with her deep spiritual connection, the matriarchs lore and tireless ambition to protect ‘country.’ Visual warmth immersive landscape aerial footage takes us on a journey through the country of focus. We gain an intimate insight into Aunty Sues world, Kokatha dreaming stories, and the struggles she has had with government, defence and resource industries. A beautiful creative balance of animation using traditional paintings, projections (onto landscape, characters and significant objects) and archive footage will guide the audience through the story. Auntie Sue takes us on a road trip to visit other Elders, out on their country and they share their stories of challenging the misuse of their land, in a personal and candid conversation, around the fire and walking on country. Soaking in the living and thriving eco system and wild life that inhabits these spectacular landscapes the Elders narrate their animated dreaming stories. We visit Aboriginal elders, Kevin Buzacott, Andrew and Robert Starkey and Regina McKenzie. Each Elder opens the story to relevant and current public discourse of military operations in Australia. Cultural sites of importance threatened by rocket booster re-entry and guided missile experiments, uranium mining leeching over 50 megalitres daily from the Great Artesian Basin, drying out the sacred Arabunna springs. The Starkey brothers talk about finding an unexploded ordinance on a Kokatha sacred site and testing of weapons on their country without permission. Regina talks about their communities fight against uranium waste dump, drawing focus on the AUKUS agreement, establishing Australia’s defence operations using nuclear fuel for submarines and housing a US base for B-52 bombers which have capability to carry nuclear weapons. Following the first part of the series that focuses on the battle Aboriginal people have with government and industry in protecting country. Part 2, continues with Aunty Sue’s point of view of the first Aboriginal Self-Government in Australia, through intimate portraits of Elders who are building the framework, guided by Culture and Lore. This episode provides an exclusive insight into the preparation of a legal challenge driven by Aboriginal Elders based on the founding document of South Australia (SA). Challenging the government conceived, ‘Voice’ to parliament, with a referendum scheduled for late next year. Many Aboriginal grassroots groups in South Australia are building a framework for the beginnings of self-government, a legal team works closely with Elders to prepare the case. This story is an ignition of hope offering a fresh perspective to the sheer exhaustion in attempt to challenge and change policy or claim rights under Native Title laws and Cultural Heritage that are made to fail the Aboriginal people.