Michael Anderson—
Interview with an Aboriginal leader

About Michael Anderson

Michael Anderson (Nyoongar Ghurradjong Murri Ghillar) is an Aboriginal rights activist, leader of the Euahlayi tribe of 3,000 people living in north-western New South Wales, and Native Title claimant to their traditional lands on their behalf.

From 1969 Mr. Anderson was a leader in the Australian Black Power movement and was appointed by his peers as the first Aboriginal ambassador to white Australia after he and three comrades established what was later called the Aboriginal Tent Embassy on the front lawns of Australia's parliament house in 1972.

He was taught Euahlayi customs and traditions through his people's sacred ceremonies. In 1979 he was appointed to the Office of the Public Prosecutions in criminal law as an instructing officer (the equivalent of a solicitor) in the state of New South Wales.

Mr. Anderson has lectured in Aboriginal studies and Aboriginal politics at several Australian universities, writing and teaching units in Aboriginal studies that were inclusive of traditional Aboriginal society. He is the National Convenor of a new political movement in Australia that is promoting worldwide the continuing sovereignty of indigenous peoples.

Mr. Anderson is also involved in connecting the sacred songlines of the ancient traditions of Aboriginal peoples around the world in an attempt to prove that they have a Dreaming that links them to the original creation.

Mr. Anderson has also played professional Rugby League football, a game not too dissimilar to the American Grid Iron. He also paints in the dot technique.

He lives on and runs a sheep and cattle property on his ancestral lands on both sides of the New South Wales and Queensland border in the lower Ballone river system.

Mr. Anderson is available to give talks.

About the interview

This interview covers issues anyone who's barely heard about Aboriginal people might be wondering about:

• martial resistance to the invasion
• missionisation
• stolen generations of children
• walkabout
• religious beliefs
• the spiritual importance of land
• artistic expression of the culture
• exploitation of their art by non-Aboriginal people
• deprivation of rights now
• and many more.

Adelheid Farid conducted it in December 2000 for Senioren Medien Forum, a citizens' radio station in Bonn, Germany.

Zu jeder Geschichte gehört ein Lied. Zu jeder Geschichte gehört ein Tanz. Zu jeder Geschichte gehört eine Person. Zu jeder Geschichte gehört ein Ort. Und sie alle verbinden sich, wenn wir durch die Zeremonien gehen. — from the German version

Download the interview

If your bandwidth is limited you can also order the interview. In this case I only charge the costs of the CD and postage. Please contact me and let me know which version you want.

English original

These files are ZIP archives containing mp3 files.

• Michael Anderson interview (English original), part 1 (10 MB)
• Michael Anderson interview (English original), part 2 (10 MB)
• Michael Anderson interview (English original), part 3 (10 MB)
• Michael Anderson interview (English original), part 4 (9 MB)
• Michael Anderson interview (English original), part 5 (10 MB)
• Michael Anderson interview (English original), part 6 (10 MB)

German version

The German translation is voiced over the English original. All files are ZIP archives containing mp3 files.

• Michael Anderson interview (German version), part 1a (11 MB)
• Michael Anderson interview (German version), part 1b (10 MB)
• Michael Anderson interview (German version), part 1c (10 MB)
• Michael Anderson interview (German version), part 1d (11 MB)
• Michael Anderson interview (German version), part 2 (11 MB)
• Michael Anderson interview (German version), part 3 (12 MB)
• Michael Anderson interview (German version), part 4 (10 MB)
• Michael Anderson interview (German version), part 5 (8 MB)
• Questions and answers as pdf file (140 kB)

Please note that the copyright of the interview remains with the Senioren Medien Forum in Bonn.