Owen whyman

For the past three years, the dry riverbed has been attributed to drought, but the banks of the Barka are green this year and, according to the Department of Primary Industries , Wilcannia is no longer drought-affected. There is some water left in the riverbed from rain, but is there no flow. Instead, the river is stagnant and algae is starting to grow. The management of the river is complex as it's part of the Murray-Darling Basin, which crosses four states.

There is a sharing plan in place, but Uncle Owen Whyman, a Barkandji man and the father of Amelia and Kathalka, believes the town is not represented. Disappointed by the slow pace of government action, Mr Whyman is taking the fight to Canberra himself by creating the Indigenous Party of Australia, described as 'an Indigenous party run by Indigenous people to tackle Indigenous issues' at the federal level.

It can't be officially registered with the Australian Electoral Commission without those numbers, but he says he has seven candidates who could run in different seats.

Indigenous representation on the Murray-Darling Basin Authority Board, which manages the sharing arrangement, was promised by Minister for Agriculture - and former water minister - David Littleproud, last year. But 12 months on, that position is yet to be filled. In a statement provided to SBS News, the new Minister for Resources, Water and Northern Australia Keith Pitt said he is working on a framework for implementing the water entitlements program with Aboriginal communities.

So to attract the attention of passers-by, and hopefully start a conversation about the fight for the river, a mural is being painted in town. She usually travels the world painting large collages, but when COVID cancelled her plans she agreed to come and paint for this cause. The eagle is one of the totem animals for the Barkandji people; they believe when they die they turn into the eagle and fly over the land and look after one another.

Storylines like this are based around the river, and the community believes its health is important for passing knowledge on to future generations. Sign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

Explore SBS. Picture: Dion Georgopoulos. The river has since began flowing again after a decade of drought and water mismanagement but the small remote community is now facing a new challenge. With a vaccination rate far lower than the major cities and regional towns, it threatened to cause serious illness and deaths.

A slow vaccine rollout coupled with a lack of official information and resources on the vaccine for remote regions meant towns like Wilcannia had been forgotten. But while his dream was born out of Wilcannia's struggles, it will be a party advocating for Indigenous issues across the nation, he said. But even if the battle with COVID is still raging on when the federal election comes around, Uncle Owen vowed it wouldn't spell the end.

To successfully form a political party, Mr Whyman needs people to join and so far nine people from around the state have committed. He will be holding a meet and greet in Wilcannia this coming Saturday at the Burke Park Oval at 12pm, where there will also be a free sausage sizzle.

People will be able to come and learn about the Party and sign up. Mr Whyman said the main concern out in this area is their Baaka, and all the rivers around Australia too. Mr Whyman says membership of the Party is free and open to both Indigenous and non-Indigenous people 18 years of age and over. Can't log in?