“A traditional owner and Elder, an Aboriginal woman, an African-American woman and a fully fledged Englishman came together with an idea and an intention to create a piece of work that reflected honesty, healing, repatriation and above all respect and recognition of the Yuggera people, the traditional owners of so-called Brisbane,” they said.
Hogan, a proud Aboriginal and South Sea Islander woman raised in Logan, and Tien, an African American-Australian, met while working for the ABC.
‘Bloodlines to Country’ was produced by East Coast Studio in Brisbane. Credit: East Coast Studio
The pair conceptualised Bloodlines to Country in response to the Australian media landscape, a fast-paced environment that they felt often overlooks “fair representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives”.
“After working closely with Aunty Kerry, we realised the need for a more thoughtful and intentional approach to creating and sharing First Nations stories,” Tien said.
Hogan added: “For us, this podcast is about unlearning the way stories have been told about First Nations people, a lot of the time without First Nations people.”
The podcast’s win is particularly potent in light of the newly elected LNP government’s decision to pause Queensland’s landmark First Nations Truth-Telling Inquiry.
The purpose of the three-year inquiry was to create “the authoritative record” of European colonisation, in the past and present, with the aim to help lay the groundwork for state-based treaties with First Nations communities.
“The podcast’s importance has only grown in light of this decision,” Hogan said.
“It underscores the critical need for platforms like Bloodlines to Country that prioritise truth-telling and healing, even when political frameworks falter.”
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