20/08/2019
https://tinyurl.com/y5nqk4oj
๐จ๐จ๐จ ๐๐ ๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ก๐๐ฌ ๐ฅ๐๐ค๐จ๐๐ฆ๐ง ๐๐ข๐ฅ ๐ฆ๐จ๐ฃ๐ฃ๐ข๐ฅ๐ง ๐ข๐ ๐ง๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ช๐จ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐จ๐ก๐ ๐ฆ๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ ๐ง๐ฅ๐๐๐ฆ ๐๐๐ ๐ฃ๐๐๐๐ก - ๐๐ฉ๐๐๐ง๐๐ข๐ก ๐ฆ๐๐๐๐๐จ๐๐๐ ๐๐ข๐ฅ ๐ช๐๐๐ก๐๐ฆ๐๐๐ฌ ๐ฎ๐ญ๐ฆ๐ง ๐๐จ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ง ๐จ๐จ๐จ
Polyester Records stands in solidarity with the Djab Wurrung and all First Nations peoples in their ongoing resistance towards the use without consent of, the colonisation of, and desecration of their sacred lands. Now is a crucial time for the ongoing battle for preserving the Djab Wurrung trees. In short, there are 3000 trees, of which 250 have been deemed sacred or culturally significant, set for demolition to build a highway that will save drivers THREE MINUTES of travel timeยน.
This conflict encapsulates so many issues with how the Victorian government deals with issues around Indigenous Sovereignty, and issues of climate and environment more broadly. The Andrews government has expressed that they are โcommitted to working with Aboriginal [people] towards Australiaโs first treatyโยฒ, and positioned themselves as a government interested in repairing fractured relationships with Aboriginal communities across the state. This action is completely contrary to this - there has been a massive ongoing, vocal and united voice of the Djab Wurrung people and other Aboriginal peoples pleading and fighting to preserve the trees, and have the highway redirected. Former Greens MP and Gunnai-Kurnai Gunditjmara woman Lidia Thorpe, who has been an ongoing voice on the issue, has stated that this is reflective of shoddy planning by VicRoads, and that there are safe and quick alternatives that do not involve the desecration of sacred cultural landsยณ.
There are immediate and meaningful cultural and environmental consequences of the loss of close to 3,000 trees, some hundreds of years old. The trees of this land are tremendous carbon sinks, currently storing โsolid carbon equivalent to almost 38.5 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, which is about 70 times the countryโs annual net greenhouse gas emissionsโโด. Any action plan to combat climate change needs to factor in protecting and planting trees. First Nations peoples have millennia of cultural knowledge on how to care for and manage the land and both their wisdom and autonomy is both being wilfully ignored here. The way First Nations people have been practicing their custodianship of the land is sustainable and governed by thousands of years of knowledge passed down through generations. This wisdom is priceless in the fight against climate change. It is always important, but particularly so right now, to pay attention to the will and judgment of First Nation peoples.
โ[๐๐๐ก๐ก๐๐๐๐ ] ๐๐๐โ๐ก ๐ข๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ก๐๐๐ ๐คโ๐๐ก ๐๐ก ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ก๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ก ๐กโ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ข๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐กโ๐๐๐ข๐โ ๐ฆ๐๐ข๐ ๐๐๐๐ฆ ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ก๐๐๐ โ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ก ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ก ๐ก๐๐๐๐ . ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐ก ๐๐ ๐ ๐ก๐๐๐ ๐กโ๐๐ก ๐ ๐๐ค ๐ฆ๐๐ข๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐กโ๐๐, ๐ฆ๐๐ข๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐, ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ค ๐ฆ๐๐ข๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐โ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ก๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐กโ๐๐ก ๐กโ๐ ๐ธ๐๐๐๐๐ โ ๐๐๐๐๐ข๐๐๐ ๐ค๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐๐ก๐ข๐๐ โฆ ๐โ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ก๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ฆ ๐๐ โฆ ๐๐๐๐ก๐๐ ๐๐ข๐ก ๐กโ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ก๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ ๐กโ๐๐๐๐ก. ๐ผ๐ก ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐กโ๐๐ก ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ข๐ ๐๐๐โ๐ก๐ ๐ก๐ ๐กโ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐. ๐โ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ก๐๐๐ ๐๐ข๐ ๐ก ๐กโ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐, ๐๐ฆ ๐กโ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐กโ๐ ๐ ๐๐ก๐ก๐๐๐ ๐ ๐ก๐๐ก๐, ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ก๐๐๐ฆ๐๐.โ - Nayuka Gorrie, a Kurnai/Gunai, Gunditjmara, Wiradjuri and Yorta Yorta freelance writer
Traditional custodians (the Djab Wurrung people) and those in solidarity with them are set to be evicted from the site on Wednesday the 21st of August. ๐๐ ๐ช๐ง๐๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐๐ก๐๐ค๐ช๐ง๐ฃ๐ ๐ข๐ช๐จ๐๐ ๐๐ค๐ข๐ข๐ช๐ฃ๐๐ฉ๐ฎ, ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ค๐ข๐ข๐ช๐ฃ๐๐ฉ๐๐๐จ ๐๐ซ๐๐ง๐ฎ๐ฌ๐๐๐ง๐ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐ค๐ก๐ก๐ค๐ฌ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ง๐ช๐๐๐๐ก ๐๐๐ฉ๐๐ค๐ฃ๐จ:
1) ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ป ๐ป๐ถ ๐ป๐ฏ๐ฌ ๐บ๐ฐ๐ป๐ฌ ๐ฐ๐ด๐ด๐ฌ๐ซ๐ฐ๐จ๐ป๐ฌ๐ณ๐
The most urgently needed thing is more people present to support the blockade, and protect the Djab Wurrung Heritage Protection Embassy from police who are expected to arrive on Wednesday 21st August. If there is enough of a human presence there, the police will not be able to evict the protestors and the works will have to be postponed, again. All people who want to stand in solidarity with the Djab Wurrung people are strongly encouraged to attend, and the contingent at the camp is a diverse group of people from all walks of life, ages, and backgrounds.
For location, directions to the site, and further details visit: https://dwembassy.com/come-to-camp/
The site is located approximately 2 hours west of Melbourne via car.
When you are there: document police presence, interactions, and any evidence of destruction. Tweet, share and post as much as possible. Tell your friends and family about it, and urge them to join you.
2) ๐น๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐บ๐ป๐ฌ๐น ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐น ๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐น๐จ๐ฎ๐ฌ ๐ฉ๐ ๐ช๐ถ๐ต๐ป๐จ๐ช๐ป๐ฐ๐ต๐ฎ ๐น๐ฌ๐ณ๐ฌ๐ฝ๐จ๐ต๐ป ๐ด๐ท๐
If you are not able to attend in person, the next best thing you can do is to contact relevant MPs to voice your concerns and disapproval of the project.
Calling an MPโs office if you havenโt before can feel intimidating. It is important to remember that hearing from voting citizens is an MPโs responsibility. They are obligated to listen to your concerns - it is literally their job, and you are exercising your right as a member of a democracy to communicate with them! If you phone the below numbers, you will likely speak to an administrator who you can register your concerns with, or you may be asked to leave a message. Be brief and clear - you donโt have to provide evidence or do anything more than register your concern. You may say something like:
โ๐ผ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ก๐๐ ๐๐ฆ ๐๐๐๐ก๐๐ ๐ก ๐๐ ๐กโ๐ ๐ฟ๐๐๐๐ข๐ ๐๐๐๐ก๐ฆโ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ก๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ค๐๐ฆ ๐๐ฅ๐ก๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐กโ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ก๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ท๐๐๐ ๐๐ข๐๐๐ข๐๐ ๐ ๐๐ก๐๐ . ๐ผ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ก ๐ก๐ ๐กโ๐ ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐กโ๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ค๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ก๐๐๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ก๐๐ ๐๐ฆ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ก๐๐๐ ๐ข๐๐ก๐๐ ๐กโ๐ ๐ก๐๐๐๐๐ก๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ข๐ ๐ก๐๐๐๐๐๐ โ ๐ค๐๐ โ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ก๐๐ข๐๐ฆ โ๐๐๐๐.โ
Further scripts, contacts, and email templates can be found here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-GTkdfwZDfvW26yvRuOMmx4p4hM73Im5dxk-GMElSJI/edit?usp=sharing
The three most important offices to call are as follows - weโd recommend calling all three, it only takes a few minutes and can make a huge difference.
๐ฝ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ท๐๐๐๐๐๐: ๐๐๐ง๐ข๐๐ฅ ๐๐ง๐๐ซ๐๐ฐ๐ฌ
[email protected]
Phone: (03) 9651 5000
๐ฝ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ท๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ด๐๐๐๐๐๐๐: ๐๐ข๐๐ก๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐ฒ๐ง๐ง๐
[email protected]
Phone: (03) 9415 8901
๐ฝ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ป๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ด๐๐๐๐๐๐๐: ๐๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ป๐๐ฎ ๐๐น๐น๐ฒ๐ป
[email protected]
Phone: (03) 8392 6100
If there are enough voices expressing concern and registering protest against the project, it is extremely possible that the Victorian government will not want to upset too many of its constituents and will plan an alternative route that will not involve the desecration of sacred sites.
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So many forms of music we all know and love were forged in political contexts around resistance and fighting for marginalised voices. This is a pivotal opportunity for us to come together as a community and create change for the better. Please like, share, tag your friends, ask questions, attend camp and call your ministers. Letโs fight this battle together.
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1 - https://dwembassy.com/why-we-are-here/
2 - https://w.www.vic.gov.au/aboriginalvictoria/treaty.html
3 - https://www.sbs.com.au/nitv/nitv-news/article/2018/06/18/removal-sacred-djap-wurrung-trees-act-cultural-terrorism
4 - https://www.themonthly.com.au/issue/2019/july/1561989600/sophie-cunningham/djab-wurrung-birthing-tree
