Dujuan’s Story
My name is Dujuan. I am 13 years old and I am from Arrernte and Garrwa Country. I grew up at Sandy Bore outstation and at Hidden Valley Town Camp in Alice Springs
My name is Dujuan. I am 13 years old and I am from Arrernte and Garrwa Country. I grew up at Sandy Bore outstation and at Hidden Valley Town Camp in Alice Springs.
Last year I spoke to world leaders at the United Nations and showed them my film In My Blood It Runs. The film tells the story of me when I was 10 years old. It shows what it’s like to be an Aboriginal kid and how we are treated everyday in Australia. The film shows me getting in trouble with school. They were going to take me away with welfare. I was getting in trouble with the police and I nearly got sent to jail.
I was lucky because of my family. They are strong. My family love me. They were worried for me. They found a way to keep me safe. I am alright now, but lots of kids aren’t so lucky.
In the film, I watched the kids on TV being tortured in juvie and it scared me. I know lots of kids that have been locked up in Don Dale. The coppers tortured Dylan Voller. They treat him like they treat their enemies. I don’t know why those guards didn’t get locked up for treating kids like that.
I want you to stop cruelling 10-year-olds kids in jail. I know I was real cheeky, but no kid should be in jail. I needed help, why would you do that?
I hope you can listen to my families. They are clever. They have answers and they are asking you to let us run our own schools, Aboriginal schools. They are teaching our little kids already. They are trying to change education and they need more support to do this properly.
What I want is a normal life of just being me. I want to be allowed to be an Aboriginal person, living on my land with my family and having a good life.
I hope you leaders, the Prime Minister will watch my film and listen.
“We want juvenile detention changed. In the Northern Territory, 100 percent of kids in juvenile are Aboriginal. This is so sad and not right.
We need to change the age of criminal responsibility from 10 years to 14 years. Going to jail as a child trains them to be ready for the big jail.
We want the right to look after our kids when they muck up in town. They need to be grounded in culture out bush. We need to help them not harm them.
We think that running our own schools is a way to stop kids getting in trouble. My grandson’s film story shows how it’s all connected. The problems our children are facing are all in the film, but so are the solutions.”
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For further information/comment:
Paris Lord (he/him), PHAA Media Manager 0478 587 917 plord@phaa.net.au
