Yanagai!, Yorta Yorta, Melbourne Workers Theatre, Playbox, Andrea James, David Adamson, Bryan Andy, Lou Bennet, Lisa Maza, Tony Briggs, Judge Olney, Munarra ">
Yorta Yorta! Here to stay!
Yanagai! Yanagai!
Melbourne Workers Theatre and Playbox
Written and directed by Andrea James
With David Adamson, Bryan Andy, Lou Bennet, Lisa Maza and Tony Briggs
The Playbox at the CUB Malthouse
Until September 27
REVIEWED BY VANNESSA HEARMAN
Nineteen seconds was all it took for the Federal Court Judge Olney to read his decision in 1998 to deny the Yorta Yorta people's native title rights to their traditional lands and waters. On December 12, the High Court upheld his decision that the Yorta Yorta's ties with their land had been washed away by "the tide of history".
In response to this, Andrea James, a Yorta Yorta, asked permission from the elders to showcase Yorta Yorta culture and heritage on stage to disprove Olney's decision. She wrote Yanagai! Yanagai!, which is the latest production from Melbourne Workers' Theatre, in collaboration with the Playbox.
Yanagai! Yanagai! were the first words that confronted uninvited white intruders into Yorta Yorta territory. It means "go away". Clearly, the Yorta Yorta people's request was disregard by pastoralists such as Sir Edward Curr (played by David Adamson), who grew rich by appropriating land for cattle grazing, felling the forests and fouling the Dhungala (Murray River).
Yanagai! Yanagai! is a deceptively complex play, interweaving the spiritual and the physical. This is ably assisted by the evocative use of lighting, music and imagery from Yorta Yorta country, as well as whimsical puppets and clunky wooden animals, lending humour to the production. Lou Bennett, formerly of the internationally acclaimed Tiddas, not only acts in diverse roles, but she also composed the music, together with the Baldheads.
Two parallel stories are told in the play. In one, snippets of the Native Title Tribunal hearings into the Yorta Yorta land rights claim are interwoven with the characters' personal stories. Their personal stories highlight the continuing relationship the Yorta Yorta have with their land.
Uncle Albert (Tony Briggs), fishing on the edge of Dhungala, recalls times with his sister Mae, swimming and gathering wildflowers. The contrast between old and modern is symbolised by encounters between Lyall (Bryan Andy), a young Yorta Yorta lawyer working on the Native Title case, and Uncle Albert, who is cynical about the process. The tradition of oral history and story-telling clashes with white court's procedure, which demands concise answers to questions designed to undermine evidence of Indigenous ties with the land. To show continuing ties with the land, the tribunal placed the burden of proof on the Yorta Yorta; the settlers were never asked to prove the notion of terra nullius.
The other story is that of Munarra, a spirit from the Dreaming, sent to save the land and its people. Munarra is shocked by what has happened to the land. "The Dhungala is crying", observes Munarra. It is a privilege to gain an insight into Indigenous beliefs and traditions.
Yanagai! Yanagai! reminds us that the very being and existence of Indigenous people are not determined by court decisions. Yorta Yorta! Here to stay!
From Green Left Weekly, September 24, 2003.
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