Spaces - Seri Stephen

Please note that this transcript includes translated responses from Sari's support worker which may approximate the actual words spoken.

Sam Drummond 00:03

What makes a great space? And how does a space influence the way we live, who we interact with, and ultimately, where we see ourselves in our communities? I'm Sam Drummond, and this is Spaces on Powered Media. Each episode, I'm taking our guests to their favourite place. We'll get an insight into why that space works for them, share some of the moments that have changed their lives, and hopefully learn something along the way.

We're talking to Sari Stephen today, and Sari's a descendant of the Ugaram Le from the Magaram tribe and was born in the Torres Strait and grew up in Cairns. The place that we're going today is Thursday Island, which is somewhere that I don't think a lot of people are lucky enough to go to. And so what I want to do, Sari, and welcome to the show, welcome to Spaces. I want to find out about this place that I've never been to. Thursday Island, can you tell me a bit about it?

Sari Stephen (and with translation from suppret worker) 01:16

It's a very beautiful family. Yeah. And it's very laid back. And it's a little bit hard for wheelchair. But I do just the way you want to get on.

Sam Drummond 02:29

And so how much time during your childhood did you spend on Thursday Island?

Sari Stephen 02:38

I was eight when I left because I wanted a better education.

Sam Drummond 03:13

Hmm. And and what are your memories there? You said it was laid back. Is... that a thing that you really identify with? Is it the time that I've spent with you? You seem a very chilled person, Sari.

Sari Stephen 03:34

That is a very, very important thing. It's very, it's very much family oriented, I can get to know everyone on the island.

Sam Drummond 04:01

And leaving there as an eight-year-old, if it's very family oriented, how hard was that to leave?

Sari Stephen 04:10

It was very helpful to me when I am there. I had to believe in my character. It was very hard for me because I had to leave my culture behind.

Sam Drummond 04:35

Yeah. Have you brought that to the mainland? Is there a way that you've brought your culture to your life now?

Sari Stephen 04:45

Yeah, I've met a lot of people with disabilities, just by moving down here from Cairns to Brisbane.

Sam Drummond 05:15

And tell me about a normal day on Thursday Island, what would you be up to on the island?

Sari Stephen 05:24

I'll be out going around visiting my family, and sometimes I'd go on the boats and cruise.

Sam Drummond 05:59

And was there any... fishing on these boats? Is that something that you got up to?

Sari Stephen 06:09

Oh, sometimes if I was lucky. 

Sam Drummond 06:23

And was it that sort of family oriented activities? Is that the best thing about the island?

Sari Stephen 06:35

Yeah, I'm talking with the elders, about how it used to be, about the history of the island people.

Sam Drummond 06:58

And when it comes to disability, what's the history of people with disability on the island?

Sari Stephen 07:05

Well, they don't really say disability. They just say like, he can't walk. Or he can't talk.
Yes, although we are alone, we have our families who want to help.

Sam Drummond 08:07

And you were talking to elders and you're talking to your family. What point were they talking to you about the option of coming to Cairns or coming to the mainland?

Sari Stephen 08:19

Yeah, my family, my dad was sad to lose his child but my birth mother couldn't look after me. And my adopted parents had to come to the mainland, so I had to come with them and leave my people on the island. Yeah.

Sam Drummond 09:24

Mm. That would have that would have been such a hard decision. What's the thing that... [?]

Sari Stephen 09:33

So, I went to my grandparents and they decided to adopt me while I was young. But I kept my name.



Sam Drummond 10:16

And what are the things that you miss about the island? What are the things that you think when you think of Thursday Island? You've talked about fishing and going out on boats, but are there things that you're really, you just picture in your mind that, that's not the thing I want to be doing?

Sari Stephen 10:41

I love my hard work, the artwork. Because my people are very good at painting.

Sam Drummond 11:15

And is that artwork is that connected to place as well? 

Sari Stephen 11:24

The artwork is connected to land and water that we like to go to, so we can face life more easily. We also like, apart from painting, we like singing. Yeah.

Sam Drummond 11:53

Do you sing? Do you sing, Sherry? [ support worker]

Sari Stephen 11:56

Yeah, I used to because normally every person in the island knows how to sing, so have to sing - I live with this lonely, lonesome heart.

Sam Drummond 12:25

Well, I, you'll have to give us a song at the end. Let's... so I've met you, I didn't meet you on the island. I didn't meet you on the mainland, I met you half a world around in New York. And you were at the UN giving a speech.

Sari Stephen 12:48

And I was happy to be on campus doing free stuff, free dishes... it was a big honor to be the only tourist who has a difficult disability there.

Sam Drummond 13:17

I understand that you're also been invited to the federal parliament in Canberra as the first Torres Strait Islander with a disability there too. What does it feel like when you're walking into those enormous halls of power where decisions have been made about you, but not necessarily for you or by you? Do you feel like that when you walk into those places?

Sari Stephen 13:54

Yeah, I open up, and it's a really big opener for me, and I can give them what I think about my people.

Sam Drummond 14:33

There were two things that I remember from the UN in New York. One was that there weren't enough wheelchair places. People just sit in that hall in wheelchairs... and there was a protest out the front. Were you part of that?

Sari Stephen 14:51

I would have done my best to be... I was too busy at the time, but he remember their passion.

Sam Drummond 15:17

And then the other thing that I think perhaps more relevant to our discussion, but there are a bunch of Australians and New Zealanders and Canadians in a session about Indigenous rights, which you were talking to. And we wanted to acknowledge country in this place now known as Manhattan, and we couldn't find the traditional custodians.

Sari Stephen 15:49

I am... over centuries, the First Nations people of that land have largely been forgotten.

Sam Drummond

But do you feel like you're maintaining your culture here in places like Brisbane or Cairns or definitely Thursday Islands?

Sari Stephen 16:16

I'm glad that we thank them for all they've done. Yes, we are trying to retain our culture.
We are one leader, all of us. We're just one leader. Because we're one of the oldest cultures.

Sam Drummond 16:50

And what responsibility do you feel? Do you feel the weight of your shoulders as someone from the Torres Strait or a person with a disability? What's the, what weighs heavy on your brain?

Sari Stephen 17:07

It's that listening, it's a bit difficult for me because he's from a great family there, and one of his ancestors was once the king of the island. And we have to represent our purpose, everywhere we go I have to represent my family and behave in a good manner and temperament. Because I have one of my grandfather's names.

Sam Drummond 18:51

But I imagine you, I get the feeling that you find that difficult sometimes, and sometimes you want to misbehave.

Sari Stephen 19:03

When I get there, maybe I used to misbehave when I was young, but now I'm trying to not do that. 

Sam Drummond 19:45

That sounds like you're on the journey then to becoming an elder, and that there's some sort of maturing then.

Sari Stephen 19:54

Thank you so much for watching this video.

Sari's support worker 20:06

Well, he already has great hair.

Sari Stephen 20:08

Yeah.

Sam Drummond 20:11

And how much of that connection to place do you feel when you're in Cairns or Brisbane? Is it different, is being in a space different for you as someone who has travelled to Brisbane or traveled to Cairns to get an education and to make the change that you're making? Do you feel a different connection to space when you're on Thursday Island?

Sari Stephen 20:43

I can go to my family. I can go to my family. It feels very different because I can talk to my family about different things that I can accomplish. But when I was younger, going back for all the things I was listening to was hard, I think I lost some of the things, some of the language. 

Sam Drummond 21:58

Can you see yourself going back there to live ever?

Sari Stephen 22:03

Yes, when I inherit the island, I can go back. My goal is that I can survive, whenever I want to I can go back because they are my family. But I don't know if that can happen, whether there are carers there to take care of me. With the distribution of the money they don't know what to do with my disability, how to help me exactly.

Sam Drummond 23:28

So you've been to the United Nations, you've been to federal parliament. Is there anything that these places can do to make experiences for people with disabilities in those Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities around the country? Is there anything that politicians can do, or is it more about communities to make life more accessible for you?

Sari Stephen 23:56

Back then, all day, I learned to dance and dance. Now, there's a lot of things that they can...
sometimes the wheelchair breaks down, and there's no way to get a new one fixed. Yes, and then... the message, and we have to say it's the only thing that I have to say is they can definitely improve the medical situation there, so we don't have to stay in hospital for a long time.

Sam Drummond 25:26

And, Sari, just one more question, and I suppose this is a broader one, but you came here when you were eight to the mainland for an education - do you ever regret that decision or do you feel like you would have liked to stay, or are you just hoping that one day you'll get to go back and it'll all be, you know, everything will be accessible and it'll all be worth it?

Sari Stephen 26:01

It's all in me, it's both... because I'd like to go back there and learn myculture more.

Sam Drummond 26:32

Well, Sari, thanks for coming on and sharing just a little bit about the space that inspires you. And I do hope that I do get to come visit soon. It's been such a privilege to talk to you about your favourite space and about the change that you're making around the country and the world. So I want to thank you for that.

Sari Stephen 26:51

And I'm hoping we can do more.

Sam Drummond 27:07

I'm sure we will. 

That was Seri Stephen, Seri's a descendant of the Ugaram Le from the Magaran tribe in the Torres Strait. Spaces was recorded on Wurundri, Jara and Bunnurong land. Spaces was produced by Humdinger for Powerd Media. The series was created by Sam Drummond with support from Emma Sharp and Lucy Griffin at Humdinger. Field audio recording by Matthew Hoffman. Editing by Simon McCulloch.