The 1834 Massacre of Pinjarra
There are many examples where music has been used to provide an alternative narrative to that presented in official documents. In some cases these musical narratives, having being brought to public attention, have prompted changes, injustices to be corrected, laws to be changed. Bob Dylan’s ‘Hurricane’ highlighted the false accusation and imprisonment of Rubin ‘Hurricane’ Carter. It ultimately led to him being released and the case dropped. It took twelve years.
Typically history is written by the victors, the strong, the dominant.
This weeks blog explores the concept of ‘truth telling’ and what part music education can play in ensuring history is being told from various perspectives, not just from the dominant culture. It expands on this by looking at the ‘Battle of Pinjarra’ and folk music as a source of conveying history in Australian culture.
‘Voice Treaty Truth’ is a catch-cry of Reconciliation Australia and the National Aboriginal Day of Celebration (NAIDOC) Committee. They are concepts that are considered to have been integral in achieving the Uluru Statement from the Heart agreed to in 2017 by the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Referendum Convention. The delegates at this conference and the supporters of this statement believe that the acceptance and adoption of the recommendations will achieve a fair and truthful relationship with the people of Australia and a better future for all our children based on justice and self-determination.
Giving voice to Aboriginal people through the resources and repertoire choices is one way we as teachers can give support to Aboriginal people and the Uluru Statement From The Heart.
Another way is by supporting ‘truth telling’.
Song writing, composing and performing have engaged with truths and untruths for thousands of years. Music teachers whose truth are we choosing to re-tell through the choice of repertoire we are basing our teaching around?
In Western Australia there was some media coverage last month regarding a significant anniversary of ‘a battle’ on the banks of the Murray River near Pinjarra. 185 years ago a massacre of Noongar people was led by Captain James Stirling. Initially it was documented that 14 Aboriginal people were killed and one policeman died after the incident. Detailed investigation has revealed it was a lot more. Up to 200. Almost two centuries on, local Noongar people are still waiting for proper recognition of the bloody killings, still officially described as ‘a battle’. Evidence by both the settlers and Aboriginal people clearly shows there was no battle.
Musically this event has been explored by some local non-Indigenous musicians. One great example of truth telling about the Pinjarra Massacre is a collaboration Jenny Gaunt and Ashlea Reale. These gifted folk musicians teamed together to form the duo ‘The Littlest Fox’. Their album ‘Under The Apple Tree’ includes a song ‘Battle Of Pinjarra’. Like the European Renaissance troubadours and minstrels, this is news telling through song portraying a different story to official history books and local council. This CD is still available by contacting Jenny Gaunt Music on Facebook. It would be a great addition to secondary teachers repertoire. Particularly if studying folk music. Whilst it is not an ‘Aboriginal voice’ it does provide truth telling and an Aboriginal perspective.
Another song on the bloody events in Pinjarra in 1834 is by New Zealand born Ray Pritchard and is called ‘The Pinjarra Massacre’. I came across it on YouTube and it tells of brutality and greed for land and highlights the injustices suffered by indigenous Australians in recent history. Ray is a Perth based musician with more than forty years experience. This song, like The Littlest Foxs, is a great example of folk music.
I was privileged to attend a Pinjarra Massacre memorial event run by local Noongar Elder and singer songwriter George Walley. To hear the story of the killings on the banks of the river from one of the descendants and to be invited to help the country heal through knowing and sharing his stories is held as a precious and important time in my life.
Activities
Is there a significant event or story from your region that you could share with your students? Research and discuss and have students write a song in a folk style similar to The Littlest Fox or Ray Pritchard examples.
Some suggested topics include
- the first Australian Cricket team to tour England in 1868 which was an Aboriginal team headed by Captain Charles Lawrence.
- the protests defending the 800 year old Djap Wurrung birthing trees from being bulldozed. These trees are significant and sacred to local Aboriginal women but are slated to be destroyed to make way for a 12km duplication of the Western Highway between Buangor and Ararat in Victoria.
- After reading the picture book ‘Alfred’s War’ by Rachel Bin Salleh and Samantha Fry, write a song about ‘Alfred’.
- Read the picture book ‘Free Diving’ by Lorrae Coffin and illustrated by Bronwyn Houston. As a class, in groups or individually, write a song about the divers. Later listen to the song by Lorrae Coffin and/or watch the video clip. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8Ha4gt2cb0
For an easy relief lesson have your students listen to and compare Dylan’s ‘The Hurricane’ and The Littlest Fox’s ‘Battle of Pinjarra’.
References and Information
Ray Pritchards ‘The Pinjarra Massacre’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Puv73KqRYpk
Information about first Australian Cricket Team to Tour England https://www.sl.nsw.gov.au/stories/first-indigenous-cricket-tour-england-1868
https://monumentaustralia.org.au/themes/conflict/indigenous/display/61063-pinjarra-massacre-site Information about the Pinjarra Massacre
http://inherit.stateheritage.wa.gov.au/Public/Inventory/PrintSingleRecord/1214b928-d904-41f1-89ba-8dea7bd452a0 Information about the Pinjarra Massacre
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-10-26/the-scars-of-the-pinjarra-massacre-still-linger-185-years-on/11639642 article about the Pinjarra Massacre by Jessica Warriner
‘Battle of Pinjarra’ is from ‘Under the Apple Tree’ CD by The Littlest Fox. It is available through Jenny Gaunt Music. The contact for Jenny on WWW is http://www.jennygaunt.com/. Her Facebook contact is @jennygauntmusic.