We will make them together of grasses and winds
We find along the river of time, made of smooth stone
~ Joy Harjo and Ali Cobby Eckermann from 'Story Tree'
Fair Trade First Nation poetic conversations
Created by Red Room Poetry and led by producer Anne-Marie Te Whiu, Fair Trade invites some of the world’s leading First Nations poets to weave words across lands and seas, gathering collaborative threads and shining a light on First Nations poetry from Australia and across the globe.
Fair Trade set sail on World Poetry Day (21 March 2021) with the release of the first commissioned poem 'Story Tree' by Ali Cobby Eckermann and Joy Harjo. Throughout Poetry Month 2021, the remaining commissioned poems were published as part of 30in30 alongside reflections from each of the paired poets exploring their creative processes in finding common poetic ground.
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Poets
“This collaboration was a chance to catch up, to speak about where we were, we earthly beings who are in the middle of profound changes, initiated by our human forgetfulness of our connection with earth and all the beings that are Earth or Ekvnvjakv.”
“When I was asked to write this poem with Joy I felt elated. Our words can sit together as we have done. I hope it is still possible to travel to see her traditional lands. I would like to stand in that place with her. She is my sister, my kangaru.”