Thread by @dhadjowa

Greetings from Arrernte Country. Today is the first day of the coronial inquest into the death of Kumanjayi Walker. The inquest is being live-streamed so you can listen in here: justice.nt.gov.au/attorney-gener…

This is the first inquest we are aware of that is being translated in Warlpiri and using interpreter services. As the event is being live-streamed, today we will be tweeting highlights only. #JusticeForWalker

Coroner Libby Armitage takes the stand and opens by giving an Acknowledgement of Country and making some opening comments. This coronial inquest is being live-streamed and translated into Warlpiri. #JusticeForWalker

Coroner Armitage states that many people may have heard news, opinions, podcasts and seen images of the events leading up to death of Mr Walker and of the trial of Constable Rolfe. #JusticeForWalker

Coroner: “What does policing look like in Yuendumu? Are there examples of policing where the risk of this kind of confrontation can be minimised or even avoided altogether? Perhaps the community... can help us understand what that might look like, or how that might work”

Peggy Dwyer is counsel assisting in this inquest. She introduces Ned Hargraves, a Warlpiri Elder from the Yuendumu community. He speaks in English and Warlpiri at the same time. Unfortunately none of us speak Warlpiri! So here we live tweet just the English bits.#JusticeForWalker

Hargraves: “At the beginning, we are the warriors. The Warlpiri clan are warriors. We are bold. In the 40s, our people, our beloved, were moved to settlements or as we call now, the communities.” #JusticeForWalker

Hargraves: “Our Elders worked very very hard. They were slaves, right from the beginning… they could not escape. You know what they worked for? Flour, tea, sugar, tobacco. They were the only things they would ever get for what they worked for.” #JusticeForWalker

Hargraves:Our people have suffered. They have been strong, and we know it, because most of us have seen what they have gone through. And right to today we still have those memories, the trauma. But our nation of Warlpiri warriors, we are strong in our laws, strong in our culture.

Hargraves explains that even today, Warlpiri still continue teaching children and raising them strong in Warlpiri culture. He says, “we have not lost our culture. Warlpiri are still here strong. We were never afraid of white people, of what they were doing.” #JusticeForWalker

Hargraves: Our ways of dealing with problems, we did it our way. A lot of our countrymen were afraid, but they knew how to deal with it. Not with a gun, not with a shotgun, not with a machine gun but our way, within our culture.

Hargraves: “We call it the community, we call it home, because that’s where we belong to, that’s where our culture is. And we want to continue teaching our children, our future children to be strong and to keep our culture alive.” #JusticeForWalker

Hargraves explains how Kardiya (white) law differs from Warlpiri law: “For example, my young sister passed away. A man had done something very bad. But the man had to pay the punishment. For what he had done, he had to face the punishment. This is what we call justice.”

Hargraves explains that, “In our culture, justice is the answer. It wasn’t a gun to solve the problem. It was a spear. And we could not argue with that.”

#JusticeForWalker

Hargraves explains that KW was his Uncle. In his words, “He was someone very special. It is important to understand, to have someone like him was very special. Within our culture, we have these protocols that we must not disobey.” #JusticeForWalker

Hargraves: “This is Arrernte Country. We are all guests on their Land. What we need and what we want is for the coroner to come out and sit with Warlpiri Elders. We hope you accept our invitation and listen to what we have to say. Thank you” #JusticeForWalker

The next witness to take the stand is Samara Fernandez-Brown. She explains the night that Kumanjayi died and how his wife and mother were denied the right to be with him in his last moments. She says, “I can’t think of any circumstance where this was acceptable or excusable.”

Samara Fernandez-Brown explains how he loved animals, music, candy and that now all they have left of Kumanjayi are memories. She says, “as a community all we have ever sought is justice. We have been respectful and we have stayed graceful.” #JusticeForWalker

Samara Fernandez-Brown: “You can not understand how deeply [Kumanjayi’s] loss sits in our bodies, how it tears our spirits apart, how it will stain our Country for years to come. So we ask you, give us the truth.” #JusticeForWalker

Samara Fernandez-Brown: “Listen to our truths, not just what you want to hear, not just those parts that are palatable… Feel our loss and feel the urgency that we feel to change the conditions of this community.” #JusticeForWalker

Next to take the stand is Jodie Clarkson. Clarkson provides a detailed presentation on Warlpiri and desert languages for the inquest. The purpose of the session is to explain the importance of plain English in white settler courts. #JusticeForWalker

Ian Freckelton, who is representing the Northern Territory Police, talks about contempt of court and puts everyone “on notice”. He then puts forward a Suppression Order on the brief of evidence.

Dwyer asks the media to report in a way that is “fair, accurate & calm”. She refers specifically to police officer Julie Frost, who she says felt “intimidated” by the reporting. No mention is made of the unethical & dehumanising reporting of Kumanjayi in the corporate media.

Court has resumed and counsel assisting Peggy Dwyer is now delivering an opening statement. Dwyer quotes Samara Fernandez-Brown: “People are hurting. And not just Warlpiri people. All mobs.” #JusticeForWalker

Peggy Dwyer is now referring to the last-minute objections of Rolfe’s lawyers to 13 questions on the issues list relating to recruitment, training and systemic racism. “This is unfortunate… [and] I will have more to say about that on Friday." #JusticeForWalker

In outlining the inquest process, Dwyer emphasises the importance of listening to families. “Often the best recommendations come from families.” #JusticeForWalker

It's disappointing that Dwyer frames colonisation solely in historic terms: “Kumanjayi’s death needs to be seen within the context of Australian history. That’s a history that includes colonisation & ill-fated policies. I acknowledge the backdrop of our colonial past.”

Dwyer is now providing a brief account of the Coniston Massacre of 1928. “The consequences were devastating for Aboriginal people across the region… Warlpiri still mourn the loss of family who were killed.” She notes parallels in the death of Walker. #JusticeForWalker

The court is now being shown a video of Kumanjayi’s older sister Roxanne talking about his love of dogs, riding horses, and swimming at the water hole.

This ends the first day of the inquest. #JusticeForWalker

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