“I’ve spent the majority of my life fighting for the rights of Traditional Owners. This has put me in the firing line. But I chose this job, I chose this political path. My family did not.’ ”
“[Wayne’s] path led him to one almighty David-and-Goliath battle that is retold with deft narration and incisive comments from interview subjects.’ ”
It’s Broome, 2010. Nyikina man Wayne Bergmann has just received a death threat. His wife has watched a friend cross the road to avoid speaking with her. His children are subject to intense schoolyard bullying.
Bergmann, a boilermaker by trade, and lawyer, is chief executive of the Kimberley Land Council during the controversial James Price Point gas hub negotiations. It’s an event that will tear the Broome community apart.
Wayne’s story starts on Nyikina country and encompasses backbreaking station work, buried treasure, a Swedish bone thief and traditional magic love songs. His is an electrifying tale of resilience, determination and optimism, which shows what it takes to be an Aboriginal person walking in two cultures in a country where racism runs deep.
The book was shortlisted for a Hazel Rowley Fellowship and was supported by Regional Arts WA, a Neilma Sidney Travelling Scholarship, Kimberley Land Council, Kimberley Aboriginal Law and Culture Centre and Yanunijarra Aboriginal Corporation.