In an article for this morning’s Daily Telegraph, Indigenous surfer, Otis Carey, made it apparent he is far from happy with a piece that appeared in the latest issue of Australian Surfing Life. www.dailytelegraph.com. The highly insensitive article by Nathan Myers employed racial overtones and has been the subject of major criticism from the Indigenous community.
Otis featured in a recent Tracks feature, which profiled several of Australia’s leading Indigenous surfers. In the story by Kirk Owers, Otis discusses his Indigenous heritage and the important role it played in shaping his identity. “My Nan is from the Gumbayniggrr people and my Pop was from the Bundjalung people. My Nan was born in the dunes up around Red Rock, so we have very strong connections to the land and oceans up around Coffs. I feel a very strong sense of belonging when I am back in my people’s country. ”
In the Tracks article, Carey also reflects on Kevin Rudd’s decision to apologise to the stolen generation in 2008. “I think it was 50 years too late but in saying that I know that it gave a lot of closure and mended a lot of wounds. It disgusts me to think people out there think Rudd was in the wrong by apologising to the traditional owners of the land. You wouldn’t tell a veteran of war to get over it, people need to open their minds and realise it’s not okay to think Aboriginal people need to get over it.”
The full transcript of the Otis Carey section of the Tracks feature Red Yellow Black appears below
