Water connects two worlds: Uncle Bill Wilson at Voices from the Bush 2024

Held in Mparntwe (Alice Springs) on Arrernte Country, Voices for the Bush 2024 continued to create a space where truth, cultural strength and open dialogue could flourish between First Peoples and the wider water sector.

Guided by Conference Committee Chair Kiara Johnson, a proud Aboriginal woman from regional South Australia, the gathering brought together leaders, Elders, knowledge custodians and water professionals to confront inequity and strengthen relationships grounded in respect.

In this heartfelt address, Uncle Bill Wilson – a proud Ngarrindjeri and Kaurna man and a respected educator known for bringing people together across cultures and contexts – reflects on living between two worlds and the emotional weight of seeing those worlds meet with honesty and care at Voices.

Drawing on decades of experience supporting Aboriginal people to stand proudly in who they are and where they come from, Uncle Bill speaks to the power of listening, cultural safety, and the connections formed when people show up with openness. He also names the reality of racism, sharing a confronting incident that underscored why these conversations remain essential.

His message is clear and deeply grounding: water is life, identity and relationship, and the work of protecting it must hold both Western knowledge and First Peoples’ knowledge side by side, with cultural safety at the centre.

Uncle Bill Wilson

I didn’t know much about this space before I jumped on the plane. I certainly didn’t expect to be as emotional as I have been. Maybe it’s my age, I don’t know. But I didn’t expect to be sitting up here, looking down at a community of committed people who are coming from two different worlds, if you like.

When I deliver cultural capability training, I often say that we all live under one roof, but I live in two worlds, and so do my brothers and sisters out there from First Peoples groups. We live in two different worlds.

What I’ve seen this week is people being given an opportunity to talk about the world that they live in, appreciating the fact that we do live under that one roof. We have an opportunity to integrate knowledges – the western science, the Traditional Knowledges, the thought processes, the decision-making processes, the care and concern for the communities that we live in – and that’s for both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people.

Standing up and speaking out

I certainly didn’t expect to be as emotional as I was this morning. Commentary from the early presenters had a great impact on me.

When you’re talking about water and the connection to water, and its importance for all of us – the connection to family and community, the care that Aboriginal people and non-Aboriginal people can show toward each other in this space – and the good people you meet that I won’t forget, it all hits you. I’ve got every intention of reintroducing myself to many of the people in the room. I appreciate the openness and the preparedness to go off script.

And I don’t want to make a big point of this, but it feels important to address an incident that occurred last night, an incident that reflected racism in this country – an incident involving me. Following our wonderful dinner last night, I was in the company of some new friends I made here at Voices when I witnessed a young Aboriginal woman who was spoken to so rudely that it disturbed me.

The young woman was sitting on a ledge, charging her phone innocently and having a good night, and the bouncer spoke to her in a way that was unacceptable. I felt obliged to stand up for her rights as a human, not just as a young Aboriginal woman. Long story short, five minutes later I’m being escorted out of the premises because I had the cheek to stand up for a sister.

The way that young woman was spoken to was unacceptable. I don’t tolerate, and I don’t think anybody should tolerate, racism.

Connecting with purpose

Now, I’m mentioning this incident because I’ve now had wonderful and supportive conversations with people I’ve met here at Voices that, up until yesterday, I didn’t know. I have made friends here – I feel a connection.

For me, that’s a successful outcome for this conference. This room is full of people who will go back to their home communities, their cities – whether regional, remote or metropolitan – with that same sense of connectedness.

That’s what I’ve got out of this experience, but many other things. The knowledge that’s in this room. The cultural safety that’s been achieved here is what’s made this one of the most successful conferences I’ve been to in 41 years in Aboriginal affairs. And it’s because of the people in this room. It’s because of the structure of the conference.

I feel privileged to be invited from Adelaide to be here. The stories that have been shared are wonderful. I have been crying, crying is cathartic – as cathartic as a laugh. I feel heartened, I feel energised.

But I also feel concerened because we simply can’t do without water. It is important to all of us. It not just about management and science, it’s about life. And the connection to water and community is inseparable.

Interested in learning more about Voice from the Bush, returning in 2026? Take a look at what's on offer here.