Reconciliation is just a word to many, but to poet and photographer Deborah Ruiz Wall, bringing Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australia together is a way of life, writes Michelle Baltazar.
The first time I met Deborah was at a peaceful rally in Redfern to educate people about the impact of a big oil project in Broome on the local Aboriginal community there.
Seeing an Australian-Filipina onstage, passionately advocating for Aboriginal rights, was astonishing to me. There she was, a petite woman with big hair and a big voice, pushing an ambitious agenda. But while this was new to me, it was old news to many. Deborah has been relentless in her pursuit of telling the story of reconciliation, either through her academic work and through organised events.
A multi-talented woman, who is always generous with her smiles, Deborah also tells the story of reconciliation through two other powerful media: poetry and photography. Some of those poems and photographs can be found on her blog: http://debrwall.wordpress.com. Below are just three of the remarkable photographs she's taken that capture the essence of outback Australia.
Winged Kangaroo Paws
Winged Kangaroo Paws by Deborah Ruiz Wall
Conversation by Deborah Ruiz Wall
Secret Bush Dance by Deborah Ruiz Wall