Cameron Ross Kemarre

Three Little Birds (The Kadatji Man)
Jan 2nd 1983 hottest day, Wallace Rockhole, west of Alice Springs no tfar from Ntaria, Hermannsburg, Aranda Country Central Australia. Wallace Rockhole was a place young juvenile male kids, teenagers. My mum and dad dropped me there on the 2nd Jan. It was still mid morning when they left.
The boss person told me I could do whatever I liked. For it was very hot and everyone at this small community had all been resting in their tin houses. It was quiet not even dogs around too hot.
Before the boss person walked off, he told me not to go over there near some old cattle yards, and pointed over to the west of the property.
Oh, no worries, I said to him. Then he went and laid down in his house.
As soon as he was out of sight, I walked straight over to the old yards, walking around looking at everything around trying to figure out why he didn’t want me to come over here. Anyway it was boring absolutely nothing to see, nothing to do it was just hot, I was only 16 years old, pretty energetic so I wasn’t going to sit in the shade. Then I a little red robin I thought at first, moved in the tree next to me, then another this one blue. Then above them another, this one yellow, wow, is what I thought straight away cos I’m into nature, creation, everything. This blew my mind and the whole time I didn’t think of what the boss person told me. This was why. The three pretty little birds turned out to be fairy wrens was the Kadatji Man. He do these things, he’s standing next to me somewhere, invisible, in my mind he do these things, he’s telling me he’s not there instead he’s put these prettiest little birds in front of my eyes, for me to become fascinated in the moment. I still get goosebumps, this never happens to many people in a lifetime, especially my people, and three different coloured ones. So after maybe half an hour following them that’s when some kinda warning alarm went off in my head, my heart was pounding fast I ran back to the houses, I never ever spoke of this to no one. Later on I was told all the kids were playing over days before I first arrived, and a Kadatji Man was standing up on one leg, spear, and really painted up, feathers full makeup, so I met him, and he followed me for many years after this. I left in November 83.

– Cameron