Uncle Jack Charles, the legendary mainstay of stage and screen, has been around long enough that no one could begrudge him a self-bestowed title.
"I like to call myself the Granddaddy of Indigenous theatre," he tells NITV.
We're discussing NITV's new brand position Reimagine Australia. It's a complex topic, one that raises plenty of strong emotions; even that title, 'Australia', can be a difficult word and concept.
The campaign asks audiences to rethink our identity as a nation and work towards a future fuelled by the vibrancy of cultures in Australia, underpinned by 60-thousand years of traditional, resilience and strength of First Nations people.
As NITV launches its brand new look, we've invited some of our ambassadors, including Adam Goodes, Sasha Sarago and Uncle Jack himself, to reflect on what being 'Australian' means to them.
For Charles, that means turning to First Nations culture and storytelling, "the Blak arts", as he calls it.
"I look back to the past, to where there was nothing really being shown on our screens, (or) in our stories on the radio.
Blak theatre's Granddaddy, Uncle Jack Charles, says First Nations art and culture is stronger than ever. Source: Supplied
"I saw Jedda, one of the first films that I ever saw, and was quite taken aback by the story of Jedda."
That film, released in 1955, was the first to star Aboriginal actors, Robert Tudawali and Ngarla Kunoth. The strength of Indigenous presence in all aspects of the country's arts has grown exponentially since then.
Just last week, , David Gulpilil AM, a towering figure of cinema.
"So I'm rapped today that so much is being handed to white Australia, to all Australians, by the tenacity and the valiant effort of theatre practitioners, filmmakers, writers, poets, dancers, people in the Blak arts, even young rappers.
"They're telling their stories. We're being re-educated, and it's about time."
He names companies from across the states and territories, Bangarra Dance, Tandanya Cultural Institute, theatres from Sydney, Melbourne and Perth; all, he says, making contributions to First Nations storytelling.
"We have been trying to educate white Australia about Blak history, about who we are, where we've come from, give you a little taste of our culture."
Charles says the telling of these stories, sometimes so much more possible in the realm of the arts, is making significant strides in reasserting an honest history of the country.
"We have a long way to go towards really addressing this business of the 'Australian' culture... a lot of people have been working very hard to decolonize ourselves from the British. But we're still we're still tied to the (them).
"Australia is uniquely and peculiarly, offside, largely with indigenous people, but we are learning. They're learning about us. They're learning through the films that have been made recently."
A good example is a movie Charles says he viewed recently, 2020's High Ground, that tells the story of a massacre in northern Australia around the time of the First World War, on the part of white policemen.
"The story that took 30 years to develop... Indigenous law pitted up against white man's law, and 'High Ground' was the outcome of those conversations.
"It's got the creme de la creme of performing artists, Blak and white."
Charles says it's not just film or theatre that is important in telling these stories. The small screen has a big role.
"I believe it's very important, truly important to have a television station, NITV, here in Australia, telling Australian stories about Australian people to the wider Australian audience."
"I would love to give a deep sincere rap to NITV for their ability, their longevity so far in putting across Indigenous stories, Indigenous news, Indigenous people onto our television screens.
"Tune in, because you'll get to know more of Australia, and more of Indigenous culture!"
NITV launches its new re-brand on 12 December.
Uncle Jack Charles, Adam Goodes, Samantha Harris, Ella Havelka and other notable First Nations people will be appearing as ambassadors as a part of the new NITV brand campaign.
Join Karla Grant and John Paul Janke as they reflect on some of the highlights over the years on NITV and introduce new content coming to NITV screens in 2022. Looking Forward, Looking Back airs Sunday 12 December at 7.30pm
