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First Contact: Sneak peek 2:30
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Take a look at 'First Contact', the all new series from SBS taking six white Australians with strong opinions about Aboriginal Aussies into the Outback. Courtesy SBS
- news.com.au
- 18 Nov 2014
- Entertainment
Veteran journalist Ray Martin led the six participants on a journey none would forget. Source: SBS
TRENT Giles admitted he had some pretty strong opinions when it came to Aboriginal people.
His fellow First Contact participant Sandy reckoned they’re a bunch of drunks who party a lot and don’t work very hard.
“If you think that’s racist, I don’t f***ing care,” she said.
She also thinks how they party is dirty and we give them houses to “burn them down.”
Bo-dene thinks Aboriginals get a free ride.
But the trio, along with three other First Contact participants, were forced to question everything they know in the eye-opening and confronting SBS documentary which goes to air tonight.
First Contact, hosted and led by veteran journalist Ray Martin has been described as provocative with a few surprises along the way, including one contestant who actually does leave the show.
All six participants were taken on a journey which tested them to their limits, emotionally and physically, forcing them to confront their own stereotypes and prejudices.
Martin warns them it will not be an easy journey.
For law enforcement officer Trent, the truth was even more shocking than he ever imagined.
The 28-year-old found himself stripsearched and incarcerated in a prison full of indigenous inmates during the four-week filming.
Mr Giles said filming the program made him realise just how tough Aboriginal Australia had it. Source: SBS
It was a moment that almost forced him to walk out of filming, admitting his own stereotypes and prejudices came crashing down in one huge heap.
But he also said those views were based on his exposure to indigenous people on a daily basis in his line of work, which was one of the reasons he wanted to appear on the show.
And he said learning the truth was one of the best things he ever did.
“I’m the first person to put my hand up and say I’m not a racist, but I believe everyone should be treated the same,” he told news.com.au.
“I had some pretty strong prejudices to be honest which were totally based on ignorance and taking a lot of things on face value without questioning things.”
The law enforcement officer said First Contact had been an amazing and eye opening experience. Source: SBS
Mr Giles, who admitted he broke down several times during filming, said ultimately finding himself behind bars showed him how bad things truly were for Aboriginal Australians.
“When I was stripsearched and processed, it was a real challenge for me because prison is everything I’m for and everything I’m against — and that was the point I almost walked out,” he said.
“I actually felt sick, but was so glad I stayed because I got to hear so many amazing stories.”
He said one inmate mentioned he felt safe in jail and had food, warmth and shelter while others said how harshly they had been treated, sometimes at the hands of police.
“Going on this journey, I have learnt a lot and four weeks really opened my mind and gave me a much greater appreciation and understanding of the culture of the Aboriginal community,” he said.
Mr Giles said having undertaken this journey, he didn’t believe the majority of non-indigenous Australians were racist.
Trent Giles said he learned so much from appearing on the show. Source: SBS
Instead he said many were ignorant when it came to the challenges many Aboriginals faced such as higher suicide rates, higher incarceration rates, alcohol issues, family breakdown, domestic violence, deaths in custody along with lost culture, language and heritage.
He also said by talking with those on the show, who were nothing but open and welcoming to the group, he realised just how much discrimination they faced, especially when it came to work and employment opportunities.
“Aboriginals don’t get a free ride,” he said.
“They don’t get anything more than we do, I wouldn’t swap places with them for anything. It’s not cushy, it’s a tough battle for Aboriginals and a real struggle.”
Mr Giles added he believes he is now a much better law enforcement officer through this four-weeks of filming and he wishes all Australians could experience what he and the other contestants had.
Participant Jasmine also faced her prejudices. Source: SBS
“My exposure means I can now approach things differently and looking back with hindsight made me realise how I would have approached things differently again given the understanding and education I have now of the issues they face,” he said.
“I’ve had a big turnaround and not only learned a lot about Aboriginals but also myself.
“I’ve taken so much for granted.”
Mr Giles said some of the people who he stayed with literally had nothing but welcomed them in like family, something he learnt was so important to the indigenous community.
Like Mr Giles, Bo-dene also changes her view from thinking Aboriginals were just welfare recipients to breaking down and realising there’s a lot more to some people’s situation than meets the eye.
“She’s such a strong, smart woman,” she says of one of the Aboriginals she meets during her journey.
Host Ray Martin told news.com.au that he had been humbled by all six of the group who all had their opinions and prejudices but who all had learned something from their experience.
“They all asked questions and they learned,” he said.
All six who appeared on the show were confronted with their own fears and prejudices. Source: SBS
“And everyone of them broke down and had a Road to Damascus moment.”
Martin said he didn’t believe any of them were racist but were rather ignorant or ill-informed.
He said asking questions like why school attendance rates were so low wasn’t racist, but that many of the prejudices the participants had, such as free housing and higher welfare rates were
based on urban myths.
The presenter said ultimately the aim of the program was simply to educate mainstream Australians on the many challenges indigenous Australians faced and was a small step towards closing the gap between white and black Australia.
Bo-dene was among the participants who gained the most out of the experience. Source: SBS
“Aboriginal people get nothing more than other Australians, things like free housing and interest free loans and urban myths and simply not true,” he said.
“What you see during filming is really compelling, this is real.
“This show shines a light on how bad, pitiful and shameful it is for indigenous Australians.”
Martin, whose great grandmother was Aboriginal, said he wasn’t suggesting it was an easy problem to solve, but that simply talking about it was just the first step.
First Contact screens tonight, tomorrow and Thursday at 8:30 on SBS One.
Ray Martin leads six people on an incredible and eye-opening journey in First Contact. Source: SBS
