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CF: In talking about the problems with Black women and white women working together in various areas, perhaps the first thing we might talk about is the situation of Aboriginal women in Australia in relation to the circulation of their ideas within the Black Community and within the white community -- probably two rather different things.
JH: Yes. The dominant discourse for Aboriginal people is through our oral traditions. The way in which we communicate to our own people and to white fellas is very much determined by what the oral tradition is dictating to us and is putting across. Of course, there are all sorts of different dynamics associated with how one communicates, and structures their communication with whites as opposed to Blacks, and I guess throughout the course of this interview we'll probably be able to draw some of those parallels or those differences out. I think at the moment there are probably more differences than parallels.
IT: With the oral history it is very important that Aboriginal people do have the base of oral communication and we work upon that. It doesn't matter where we are coming from, basically we have to build on that oral tradition and I think that is where we get our strength.
JH: One of the central things is the way we use Aboriginal English as opposed to how we talk to white fellas. Of course we have to Europeanise our talking and our dealing -- and very much, too, our writing -- when it comes to what's going to be acceptable to white fellas. Aboriginal people will certainly pick up and hone in on things like non-verbal cues and so forth. But we have to keep stating the obvious -- and stating the obvious is quite tiring sometimes; there is so much energy drain associated with it, though I think it is a dialogue that we have to keep up. I myself at times get very frustrated with why am I answering such simplistic questions. Why am I getting angry about something that I have already said, which I thought that I had addressed through half my presentation. Sometimes white fellas will look at you and they think, you know: `You're speaking a real alien tongue...