Key Points
- Deborah Wall and Glaiza Victor-Calderon are Filipinos who have built a lasting relationship with Indigenous Australians.
- Deborah had a project involving Filipino women and Aboriginal elders.
- Glaiza learned bush tucker cooking from an Indigenous Australian community.
Listen to the episode
Indiginoy Episode 3: Pagtanggap sa mga Filipino ng Katutubong komunidad
SBS Filipino
02/06/202216:46
“We have our eye on the same destination – a sustainable future where Indigenous people are recognised for their wisdom and honoured for their culture.” - Kirstie Parker, CEO of National Centre of Indigenous Excellence
Deborah Wall is an author who was able to bridge the gap through thoughtful research.
Glaiza Victor-Calderon connected through learning about bush tucker, an enduring culinary tradition.
Both are of a Filipino lineage. Both were accepted into Aboriginal communities because of their genuine respect and appreciation of Indigenous Australian culture.
[L] Chef Glaiza Victor-Calderon and [R] author Deborah Ruiz-Wall Source: Glaiza Victor-Calderon/Deborah Ruiz-Wall
An introduction
Genuine relationships of any kind should be founded on trust and respect; more so if that relationship is with someone from the Indigenous Australian community.
According to Kerri-Lee Harding, emerging elder and the Indigenous Head of SBS, “Trust is such an important thing in welcoming people to the community. This is important because of the injustices [afflicted on] Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island people. It’s hard for us to trust others because of the many bad things that have happened to our people in the past.”
When Deborah had a project involving Filipino women and Aboriginal elders, she had empathy for the reasons why Indigenous Australians had a mistrust of others.
[L-R] Aunty Beryl, Aunty Ali and Deborah Wall Source: SBS Filipino/A Violata
“You can understand that they’ve had so many bad experiences. For instance, their children were taken away to supposedly protect them from their parents…They miss out on opportunities that are available to others and it’s not right. They’re stereotyped as drunkards and thieves. So, I understood why they wouldn’t trust people.”
Glaiza understood the mistrust as well and made all efforts to make sure she clearly conveyed respect.
She shares, “To be honest, I was uncomfortable at first because I didn’t know if I was approaching them correctly.
Chef Glaiza Victor-Calderon felt honoured learning bush tucker cooking from Indigenous Australias. Source: Glaiza Victor-Calderon
“I also knew that I had to ask how they wanted to be addressed. You don’t want to mispronounce their names, so it’s best to address them using a specific terminology. Most prefer to be called ‘auntie’ or ‘uncle’, but it’s always best to ask.
“I did all of these because I wanted to show my gratitude for the welcome. I wanted to be as respectful as I could be.”
When trust is gained
Respect gains trust and according to Kerri-Lee, different communities and elders deal with vetting and acceptance in different ways. Some elders may do ‘Welcome to Country’ ceremonies in either a formal or informal way.
“Our elders play a very special role in our community. They are held in very high regard. Many of them are involved in culture aboriginal heritage business. They also play important parts in our families as they are the ones we must listen to and respect when it comes to culture and seeking advice in community.
“They are our gatekeepers and our respected knowledge keepers.”
These respected knowledge keepers gave their trust to Glaiza and taught her one of the most important aspects of their culture – cooking bush tucker.
“They use food as medicine. I was shown every aspect of how this belief is integrated into bush tucker cooking.
Wild Rosella [left] and barramundi [right] are bush ingredients. Source: Karijini Eco Retreat
Her relationship with Indigenous Australians saw her not only learning bush tucker cooking, but also sharing a meal with them.
“We were all seated around a table, full of food. The food was in beautifully carved wooden bowls. It reminded me of the boodle fight [military-style eating using hands, with a giant spread] we have back home. No one eats until everyone is at the table. Everyone says a prayer before the meal. Everyone gives thanks. Everyone eats together. It reminded me so much of how we do things as Filipinos as well.”
A lasting relationship
Glaiza’s relationship with Indigenous Australians have gone beyond her training. She shares that she values their openness and willingness to help.
“When ingredients are out of season and I can’t get them in the market, I’ll call one of the grandchildren of the elders and ask if they had those ingredients. They’re always so happy to help. If I requested a rabbit, let’s say, when I get to their home, they’ve butchered and cleaned it for me. I appreciate it so much and I always make sure I thank them in person.
“It’s a wonderful thing that they’ve accepted me. And personally, I want to be able to impart my culture to them as well. We are so much more similar than we are different.”
Deborah with the Dorante sisters and Peter Sabatino Source: Deborah Ruiz-Wall
“My relationship with them is even stronger now because they know that I really am their friend. That friendship is genuine.”
"Bigyang respeto ang kapwa tao, hindi dahil sa kailangan o gusto mo, ngunit dahil ang pagbibigay nito ay repleksyon ng iyong pagkatao." [“Give respect to everyone, not because you need to or want to, but because giving it is a reflection of your own humanity.”]
