Clinton Pryor left Matagarup (Heirisson Island) on September 1. It was the start of his long walk to Kalgoorlie, then on to Uluru, south to Adelaide, then Melbourne and Sydney. He plans to finally arrive in Canberra in the second week of January, 2017.
Clinton is a young committed Aboriginal warrior for justice and is a supporter of Green Left Weekly.
“The thing I cherish most in my life was living in community out on country with my mother and my people. My mum was a very happy and lovely lady. She was a person who believed in happiness," he told GLW.
“When my mum was alive, before she passed on, she was teaching me about bush medicines and how to live off the land, like our old people. She wanted me to understand the ways of our people and never be ashamed of being a part of the Dreamtime.
“I'm doing this walk for our people, for myself and also for my mum.
“I do not want to see communities closed down and see my people lose their home because the government has decided to not fund services for them. It is not right. I am doing the walk to save my people from losing their homes and being forced to live homeless.”
Clinton’s walk for justice has been ignored by the mainstream media. They think he will not make it, as he supposedly does not have the commitment to complete such a massive journey.
The surprise is that at towns along the way people have made him and his small crew welcome, which has encouraged him to continue on his journey.
A few weeks ago Clinton finally made it to Kalgoorlie. He told Green Left Weekly he found the town very tense following the murder of 14-year-old Aboriginal boy Elijah Doughty.
Clinton and his crew have now left Kalgoorlie and are heading towards Leonora and Laverton. They are about to head into the interior of Australia, using the ancient Aboriginal song lines and ill defined roads.
Clinton aims to speak to the Prime Minister about the injustices suffered by the Aboriginal people, including the closure of remote Aboriginal communities and I wish him well.
[Clinton Pryor’s historic Walk for Justice needs our support. You can support Clinton and his three-person support crew at his crowd funding page here.]
Video: SI: 21/16 - A Matagarup Story: Clinton Pryor's Fight For Justice. Streetkid industries.