Message Stick

Sunday, 19 October 2008
1.30pm

Gurrummul: Son of the Rainbow Serpent is a two-part documentary about Geoffrey 'Gurrumul' Yunupingu, the Indigenous musical phenomenon coming out of Elcho Island's Galiwin'ku in North East Arnhem Land.

Sunday, 07 September 2008
01:30pm

Producer Jeremy Geia has travelled to some of the most beautiful places in Australia, but it wasn't till he came to Pormpuraaw that he understood what heaven on earth was. He became a convert to the community, its relaxed way of life and now has close family connections to Pormpuraaw.

Postcards From Pormpuraaw uncovers the tiny and remote coastal village of Pormpuraaw on the Western side of Cape York Peninsula in North Queensland. This coastal getaway is renowned for its fishing, croc spotting and summer lightning storms.

In episode three we visit a community organisation called Pormpuraaw Paanth. From its humble beginnings as a women's shelter this group is full of passion and drive. They have some interesting ideas on fundraising for the local footy team - so watch out for the drag show!

Sunday, 31 August 2008
01:30pm

Producer Jeremy Geia has travelled to some of the most beautiful places in Australia, but it wasn't till he came to Pormpuraaw that he understood what heaven on earth was. He became a convert to the community, its relaxed way of life and now has close family connections to Pormpuraaw.

Postcards From Pormpuraaw uncovers the tiny and remote coastal
village of Pormpuraaw on the western side of Cape York Peninsula in North Queensland. This coastal getaway is renowned for its fishing, croc spotting and summer lightning storms.

Sunday, 24 August 2008
01:30pm

Producer Jeremy Geia has travelled to some of the most beautiful places in Australia, but it wasn't till he came to Pormpuraaw that he understood what heaven on earth was. He became a convert to the community, its relaxed way of life and now has close family connections to Pormpuraaw.

Postcards From Pormpuraaw uncovers the tiny and remote coastal village of Pormpuraaw on the western side of Cape York Peninsula in North Queensland. This coastal getaway is renowned for its fishing, croc spotting and summer lightning storms.

In episode one we meet some fanatical anglers and experience the spectacular lightning and downpours that typify tropical Queensland's wet season. But there's work to be done in Pormpuraaw too.

Sunday, 17 August
1.30pm

Paul Fleming is ambitious to win Olympics gold. His journey on the road to Beijing began seven years ago when, as a thirteen-year-old, he started training as a boxer in the gym set up by his father Steve at the family home in Tully, Far North Queensland.

It wasn't long before Paul's talent for boxing became apparent, and the tough decision was made for Paul to leave home at the age of 16 for the bright lights of the Sunshine Coast where he received training from Mike Foley.

The featherweight 'southpaw' recently beat Australian national champion Luke Jackson for the 57kg title at the Oceania Championships in April to take the spot on the Australian Olympics boxing team.

Sunday, 10 August
1.30pm

The four Yarning Up stories that comprise this series of short films, recently screened at the United Nations in New York. They speak of an intimate connection to country and culture; dreamtime legends, history and personal stories from the Tiwi Islands, Katherine and the east Arnhem Land island of Galiwinku.

Each one tells a 'grass roots' story from the respective communities of these locations, and gives a unique perspective on remote community culture, tradition and life.

One River, All Rivers - Director: Tom E Lewis
Arnhem Land lawman Roy Ashley Moyngumbi receives a message from the crow spirit to stop the destruction and drainage of the local river system. With time against him he creates a message stick and hangs it as a prayer on the tree in the hope it will be found.
One Tree, One Man - Director: Jedda Puruntatameri

Sunday, 03 August
1.30pm

The late Michael Riley is one of the most important contemporary Indigenous visual artists of the past two decades. Over his 20 year career he created an impressive body of work ranging from black and white portraiture, to film, video and large-scale digital photography.

This two-part special, Sights Unseen, is an intimate account of Michael's short but prolific life. Riley not only looked at the world through a different lens, he wanted the world to view what he saw. His films and photographs challenge perceptions of Indigenous life, particularly in eastern Australia.

Episode two focuses on Michael's filmmaking - its inspiration and impact. Friends reflect on him as a friend and professional, and talk about his tragic early death from renal failure, which was triggered by childhood rheumatic fever, a common disease among the Aboriginal community.

Sunday, 27 July
1.30pm

The late Michael Riley is one of the most important contemporary Indigenous visual artists of the past two decades. Over his 20 year career he created an impressive body of work ranging from black and white portraiture, to film, video and large-scale digital photography.

Sights Unseen, a two-part special, is an intimate account of Michael's short but prolific life. Riley not only looked at the world through a different lens, he wanted the world to view what he saw. His films and photographs challenge perceptions of Indigenous life, particularly in eastern Australia.

Episode one features Michael's friends, colleagues and family and shows how a young boy from Dubbo achieved international acclaim through his art and vision.

Next week's final episode features Michael's films as well as his photographic work Clouds which received international acclaim for Michael and is now hung in the new Musee Quai Branly in Paris.

Sunday, 15 June
1.30pm

On Australia Day 1972, four young Indigenous activists arrived on the lawns of Parliament House in Canberra. They had little idea their small protest would turn into a major defining period of Australia's modern history.

Part two of Embassy Days starts from February 1972 and follows the impact that the Aboriginal Tent Embassy had on Australian society and politics. "We've achieved recognition just by being here, by being part of the country, not just alien," Aboriginal activist Ambrose Brown said about the Tent Embassy. "We haven't made the Government change its policy but we've embarrassed it, and we've made people think about the Aboriginal cause."

Sunday, 08 June
1.30pm

On Australia Day, 1972, four young Indigenous activists arrived on the lawns of Parliament House in Canberra. They had little idea their small protest would turn into a major defining period of Australia's modern history.
The Aboriginal Tent Embassy became a national voice for Aboriginal Australians, and played a major role in the creation of the first Australian Land Rights legislation.
With rarely seen images and interviews, Embassy Days presents this raw and emotional time as it was captured.
Directed and Produced by Ivan Sen, with appearances by Charles Perkins, Gough Whitlam, William McMahon, Cath Walker, Gary Foley, Paul Coe and Dennis Walker .
Message Stick: Embassy Days: Pt 1 will be repeated on ABC2 – Monday, June 09 at 4:30pm

Sunday, 01 June
1.30pm

The Australian circus has a long and rich history of featuring Aboriginal performers both nationally and internationally. Freakshow To Big Top looks at the dark and light side of that circus history.

In the 19th century Aborigines were exhibited as 'sideshow savages'.

In the early 20th century the famous Con Colleano and his family of trapeze artists - who pretended they were Hawaiian to avoid social prejudice - were stars of Barnum and Bailey, and one of the highest paid circus acts in the world.

And now the 'Bre Circus project' features contemporary Indigenous circus acts incorporating Hip-hop and traditional dance with circus acrobatics.

Freakshow To Big Top acknowledges the power of the Aboriginal spirit to both survive and entertain when provided with the opportunity to shine. It's a story of pride and empowerment through the ages.

Message Stick: Freak Show To Big Top will be repeated on ABC2 – Monday, June 02 at 4:30pm

Sunday, 25 May
1.30pm

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's eloquent and emotional apology to the Stolen Generations brought much of the country to a stand-still, and tears to the eyes of many Australians.
Saying Sorry tells the story of that historic day in Canberra and the profound impact the apology had on members of the Stolen Generations, and the broader Australian community.
The program provides an historical understanding of the Stolen Generations’ story and insight into what is regarded by many Indigenous Australians and their supporters as the most significant step towards reconciliation and bridging the cultural divide in Australia.
Through a mosaic of pre and post apology interviews and emotive footage of people's responses during Rudd's famous apology, Saying Sorry captures the core of emotion in response to the apology, and the grass roots hope for a reconciled nation.

Sunday April 27 at 1.30pm on ABC1 and Monday April 28 at 4.30pm on ABC2

Meet the Lovett’s, an indigenous family who have had family members serving in the Australian military through WW1, WWII, Korea, Vietnam and Timor. Message Stick’s Miriam Corowa presents this truly inspirational story.

For the next six weeks, Message Stick will screen a special series of chat programs.

In the six part Talking Stick series, Message Stick ventures into the studio to explore the dynamics of Indigenous and non-Indigenous perspectives on subjects such as our national identity, literature, film, performing arts, business and youth.

In this episode, the spotlight is turned on literature as Miriam speaks to Indigenous author and academic Dr Anita Heiss, and literary collaborators Boori Pryor (Indigenous) and Meme McDonald (non-Indigenous).

All three authors speak about writing stories which transcend the separate identities of race, and employ universal themes and emotions which bind all people - black or white - as a way of bridging the cultural divide.

Sunday, 23 March 2008 at 01:30PM on ABC
Repeated on Monday, March 24 at 4:30pm on ABC2