Tuesday Lockyear

Robe River Kurumu Elder
Pilbara Region, WA

‘There are two sorts of elders. Elders within a family when it comes to age and where you sit within a family. And the other one is lore and culture. I am both.

You can be a really good leader if you are able to actually listen. You know, everybody hears, but how many people actually listen. It’s a skill that a lot of people don’t have.

I was born out Bush, I’m a Bush baby and spent a lot of time out Bush with our old people. You’ve got a responsibility that has been handed down through generations. We’ve learned a lot of information and taken on information from our elders. It’s an obligation that we have to look after country and to pass stories down to the younger generation.

Some things we talk about are not easy to talk about… difficult topics. However, when you mix it with humour, the message gets across, but just in a different way’.

Artist: Russell James

Size: 152cm x 152cm

Medium: Canvas