Tue 10 August: Larrakia (Darwin) Legal History and Cultural Tour

A truly unique and invaluable experience for any person closely connected to law and the legal system.

About this event

• Date: Tuesday 10 August 2021
• Time: 12.00 pm - 4 pm
• Where: Supreme court of the Northern Territory
• Click here to purchase a ticket 
• Click here to download the flyer

Tour

This tour is open to attendees of the CLANT Conference and any person who works or is associated with the legal system including the judiciary, law firms, CDU Law School and related legal organisations.

Lunch will be provided, and also a bush tucker experience. The tour will take attendees to select sites across Darwin and return to the Darwin CBD by 4 pm.

Background

Senior leaders and key speakers will present the Larrakia (Darwin) Legal History and Cultural Tour as an immersive experience into the criminal legal and legal history of Darwin.

This is the first tour of this kind where the primacy of Aboriginal voice is the foundation and where Larrakia, expert historical and lawyer Aboriginal perspectives are incorporated and shared. These voices will speak directly to the historical accounts and will share context of how history shapes the present.

The system of Aboriginal law is verbal, and so it is only through direct engagement and the practice of deep listening where a sense of true justice can be heard. There can be particular insights and value gained as a result of direct engagement. This format of learning sets the context.

The tour is an immersive experience closely connected to place. It is Aboriginal-led and directed and presents as a unique legal educational and continuous learning opportunity.

• Richie Fejo and James Parfitt (Fejo) will lead the Larrakia perspectives of sites across Darwin and will host the saltwater welcoming ceremony.
• Don Christophersen will present on how kinship systems are impacted by legal processes and will speak to the history of Darwin with a focus on criminal legal events.
• Guest Aboriginal lawyer perspectives of the legal history of Darwin and how this shapes the contemporary context.

The tour format will be different to, and will build on, the Larrakia Legal History and Cultural Tour provided for participants of the 2021 CDU Indigenous Pre-Law Enabling Program.

Participants of this tour shared the following:

People need to hear this information directly from Larrakia people. It will give a completely different perspective to their previous knowledge. I would encourage anybody who works or resides in Darwin so they can get the real story of this place. Colleen Rosas.

It can give insight into how Indigenous people struggle with today’s laws and how we should be addressing the problem to change that. – Naomi Hanson

We are not the problem. We are the solution to create unity. Amelia Kunoth-Monks quoting her grandmother. – Rosie Kunoth-Monks

It is extremely important for people to understand the history and significance of these sites, especially if they have an interest in Aboriginal injustices. – Nikita Dos Santos

Quotes to ponder:

“What did the tree learn from the earth to be able to speak to the sky?” – Pablo Neruda

“Trauma travels through family lines until someone is ready to heal it. Your ancestors celebrate every time you do the work” – unknown