Country Through Indigenous Eyes

Country

through Indigenouseyes

Determined to tell his people’s story, local Broome legend Neville Poelina has paved the way for a thriving Indigenous tourism culture.

By TORI WILSON | Images TOURISM WA

Neville Poelina was destined for a life in tourism. Born storyteller and Nykina man from the Kimberley, from the age of nine Neville was catching bait and selling it to those he calls ‘sunset travellers’ – retired folk, or grey nomads, who made up the bulk of tourists during that time – with a convincing guarantee he’d top up the bait until a catch was made.

As a third-generation pearl diver, Neville grew up surrounded by hard hat divers who, through sheer hard work and impressive bravery, carved the foundations for the thriving industry it is today.

Having come from Timor to become a hard hat diver in Broome, Neville’s father developed a respected reputation in his field; inspiring Neville, among cousins and brothers, to follow suit.

“I grew up in Chinatown. When I was a kid I walked that street of Chinatown and the old divers respectfully called me diver’s son,” says Neville, who always new he was destined to dive.

Neville personally spent over 20 years of his life dedicated to the pearling industry, predominately diving. In that time, he witnessed a world of change in how the job was done.

Neville says the origins of the pearling industry were tough years and in his dad’s day, hard hat divers risked their lives for little reward.

“I went into that industry and had an awesome time, but my dad’s life was hard. When I first went to sea, nine iron men went out on a wooden boat and when I retired, 13 plastic people went out on a steal boat,” says Neville.

“I was there from the change of the guard from hard hat to wetsuit. The wetsuit industry came in and completely changed the way of diving.”

Neville says after decades of diving he grew weary of spending so much of his life underwater. That’s when he began an aqua culture course at TAFE to broaden his horizons.

Neville speaks with conviction and exemplifies competency in all his endeavours, so it came as no surprise when he said, in 1996, a twist of events had him becoming a lecturer at TAFE when he was just halfway through his course.

“If I’m going to do anything, I do it wholeheartedly,” says Neville.

PROTECTING INDIGENOUS TOURISM

Wholehearted perfectly expresses Neville’s approach to Indigenous tourism once it entered his line of sight.

“Tourism was starting to take off thanks to an old chap called Sam Lovell,” he explains. “That old Aboriginal fella opened the Kimberley to tourism.”

Regarded as the father of Indigenous Tourism in Western Australia, Sam Lovell pioneered tourism within the Kimberley after cutting the 647km long Gibb River Road through the red dirt of the remote Kimberley outback. He made it accessible for tourists to discover sacred Indigenous sites, ancient art, impressive rivers, gorges and more.

As the touring industry started picking up in the Kimberley, so did the opportunity for people to showcase and share knowledge about Indigenous culture. It was a unique opportunity for Indigenous stories to be told, and Neville was determined to ensure it was being done right.

“I got into tourism because I got tired of other people telling the wrong story.

“I was walking around doing my TAFE course and I see these people telling (incorrect) stories about my culture and so I thought, ‘there’s no point whinging about it, I better make a change’.”

From there, that’s exactly what Neville did. He created a wave of change through the sector. Joining forces with several other likeminded Indigenous people in the Kimberley, together they founded KATA

(Kimberley Aboriginal Tourism Association), and in 2002 he was an integral founding member of WAITOC (Western Australian Indigenous Tourism Operators Council), which he chaired for several years.

Neville said while travelling abroad on behalf of WAITOC and hearing the stories of indigenous people of other countries, he realised every indigenous culture around the world must share similar issues.

“Other people tell our stories but not the way they should be told, so from there we created a World Indigenous Tourism Alliance (WINTA),” he says.

The organisation produced a declaration establishing global guidelines on how entities should partner with indigenous people and groups in any country, in relation to tourism. The purpose being, to protect the rights of indigenous cultures and ensure broadcasted messages concerning those cultures were true and authentic.

A firm believer that ‘high tides float all ships’, Neville championed collaboration between people from all walks of life and ‘competing’ businesses in pursuit of an ecosystem that supports tourism on a macro level.

“The whole village can prosper from tourism if they want to work collectively and cooperatively,” says Neville.

“I was a commissioner for Tourism WA. I’ve built partnerships between black and white businesses because it would enhance their value to partner together.”

TOUR WITH NEVILLE, IT’S UPTUYU

It’s not only the framework and theory that Neville has had a hand in, he’s also put his words into practice through the development of his cultural touring business, Uptuyu.

The agenda of Uptuyu’s tours is exactly as it sounds – up to you.

“It’s about two (or more) mates going for a ride. I don’t want to travel with a tourist, I want to travel with friends. It’s about designing people a safe package and then once you’re in the car, saying ‘my world is your oyster,” says Neville.

Neville says his guests tend to call up, give him an estimate of how much time they have available and a few experiences on their radar and he takes it from there, making each tour distinctly unique and customised.

“When you plan a tour with me, that itinerary is a skeleton. When you’re in my car, that’s when we put the meat on the bones.

“Being Aboriginal and local, I can read the weather and tell you the best thing happening on the day.

“I know the whole Kimberley and I like to immerse you in the country. You need to see our country through our eyes.

“What I’m trying to do is inspire my people to say, ‘hey, we’re born with this asset, we know our culture, we know our song, we know our story’. We have an obligation to tell our story.

“We try and impart knowledge onto the people who come to our country. If you walk this land peacefully, this country will show you so much more.”

KOOK KOO’S OWN

Bush medicine is just one gift bestowed upon those who can interpret the land with skill and understanding.

Neville has been healing his family through natural remedies most of his life and recently decided to share this gift through his business Kook Koo’s Own (pronounced Goog Goo’s Own).

“It’s not my ‘new’ business, I just finally put it in a jar... We walk through a supermarket and chemist (out bush) every day.”

Neville forages for bush medicine with his children and grandchildren before processing and packaging by hand. He says the bush offers remedies for most ailments, from skin conditions to back aches.

“If you make it with your hands, it’s made with love,” says Neville. Book an Uptuyu tour at visitbroome.com.au/ members/bingi-through-a-porthole-uptuyuadventures

READING THE LAND

Take an Uptyu tour with Neville Poelina and allow him to guide you with local Indigenous knowledge and expertise.