tiwi islands
The 2007 Northern Territory Intervention was a policy aimed exclusively at Aboriginal People. Met with protest, it involved a military intervention in Aboriginal communities throughout the Northern Territory.
The NT Intervention introduced policies such as a cashless welfare card, child and a state-wide alcohol ban while also taking away traditional land. It took away any sovereignty that was left in Aboriginal Communities.
"Our island life has changed...
...Before, we used to be fishermen, fisherwomen, we (Tiwi People) still do our hunting and stuff like that, but now we've been so modernised. We forgot to have a day to ourselves, a spiritual day to ourselves."
- Crystal Love, Tiwi activist
The Tiwi Land Council and local government is turning to tourism, farming and what can essentially be labeled as a primary or commodity economy - the selling of natural resources.
Since 2010, art has been our way to document life on Bantayan Island. While this process has been motivated by a need to understand the place we are from, it is also been our way to respond to social, economic and environmental issues.
bantayan island exchanges
projects supported by
national commission for culture and arts (ncca)
bantayan island exchanges
small projects
dienst kunst en cultuur (dkc)
Transnational Institute for Grassroots Research and Action
"We need to start realising that we need to start getting involved in politics, getting involved in law changing. And you know, we need to encourage our Tiwi People that we can make a change. And the change that our people need to do is to start lobbying and to start being activists and start talking about it. Not let other people tell us how we can govern our own people."
- Crystal Love