Barbara Shaw
Channel: Kanka Kanak
Date: 2021-08-07

Born in 1952, Barbara Shaw grew up in the Mount Nancy Town Camp on the edge of Mparntwe (Alice Springs). She spent the bulk of her adult life in Aboriginal community development and engagement. At a national level, she was appointed to the National Women's Consultative Council (now defunct) the follow up organisation to the National Women's Advisory Council, and worked with the National Australian Museum Committee. In the Northern Territory, Shaw made significant contributions to the Central Aboriginal Congress and an Aboriginal investment corporation, Centrecorp, where she was the first chairperson, a position she held for four years. 

Throughout the 1980s she worked extensively in developing the concept of Women's Councils in organisations such as the Central Land Council and the local Tangentyere council. While her concern has always been to advocate on behalf of all Aboriginal people, her activism on behalf of women was designed to counteract the tendency of white officials and bureaucrats to marginalise Aboriginal women and their areas of concern.

Shaw drew her inspiration from her mother and grandmother, both very tough women whose survival despite hard lives taught her resilience.

In this interview, Barbara will share the situation of her people and what lies behind the apartheid policies implemented by the various Australian governments with the natives.

Song "Yedjudjima" composed and performed by Toka Era.