Words help heal Hindmarsh wound
The Hindmarsh Bridge affair of the 1990’s is long forgotten by many people but not the Najarrandjeri. The bridge links Hindmarsh island to the mainland and they fought long and hard against it on the grounds that it interfered with sacred women’s business in the area . A Royal Commission rubbished their claims, causing great distress. In 2001 Justice Von Doussa ruled that the secret women’s business was genuine, but noone seemed to listen and ‘secret womens business’ continued to be a running joke for many. Yesterday as part of NAIDOC week South Australia’s Minister for Aboriginal Affairs Paul Caica spoke by the bridge and acknowledged that the royal Commission findings were wrong- Anthropologist Di Bell who wrote a book about the Hindmarsh Bridge affair was there. Ngarrandjeri elder Ellen Trevorrow chose to walk across the bridge for the first time yesterday and said it was a day of great healing.