A BARDI-JAWI DESCENDANT INFLUENCES YOUNG PEOPLE THROUGH SPOKEN WORD
BY MEGAN BOYCE
Bebe Backhouse. Credit: Supplied.
A descendant of Bardi-Jawi people of the Kimberley region, Bebe Backhouse, started writing poetry when he was 18 years old as a form of therapy. After a 10 year relationship took a sour turn came the birth of his debut poetry collection ‘more than these bones’.
“What was interesting for me was that as each day passed, the pieces that I was writing started to slowly shift from a very painful place. To a hopeful one,” he said.
“With loss comes rebirth. It was a very beautiful process and one that allowed me to rediscover myself.”
Mr. Backhouse poem, The Inner City, focuses on his own future path. Using it as a tool for introspection, allowing him to be completely emancipated and freed from who he used to be.
“It was the first real introspective observation that I had for myself and I wanted to be a blank canvas,” he said.
“I wanted to be an enigma at the same time. I wanted to be something that meant something.”
Listen to the poem:
Not only has he written a poetry book, he is a man of many talents. He has become a leading spokesperson for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander creatives.
His grandmother worked in Pediatric Health and he wanted to follow in her footsteps. Within this position he was finding ways that he could improve the lives of First Nation people, promoting the importance of art and culture and creativity in these places.
This then led him to more community-based work within a government setting.
“I think it's really important to be able to broaden our perspectives and thinking around not only the issues that are affecting Aboriginal people but the solutions that can be identified," he said.
“One of the biggest myths that I've encountered and that still exists today is that the government has been the one to hold the power but it's actually the community.”
He signified the importance of Aboriginal storytelling and truth telling through arts and creativity.
“That will always be at the forefront of everything that I do ensuring that we have ongoing opportunities that we are acknowledging the value of Black Arts.”
Listen to the full interview: