In Conversation: Some People Want to Shoot Me

Discover the remarkable story of Wayne Bergmann, a Nyikina man and Kimberley leader who has dedicated his life to his community, in this moving memoir of living between two cultures.

As a Nyikina man who straddles both traditional and modern cultures, Wayne Bergmann became widely known for his role as the head of the Kimberley Land Council when tensions surrounding the proposed James Price Point gas hub peaked over a decade ago. Bergman has faced criticism and condemnation but remains unwavering in his commitment to his community and their needs, playing a crucial role in shaping the future of the Kimberley region. He has worked tirelessly to promote independent Aboriginal economic development and reclaim what has been lost due to racism and discrimination.

Join Wayne Bergmann and Co-Author Madelaine Dickie as they discuss the story of a prominent Aboriginal leader who has often paid a high price for sticking up for his people.

This event is proudly presented in partnership with Fremantle Press.

Panel

Wayne Bergmann is an Indigenous leader from the Kimberley region. He is recognised as one of Australia’s leading advocates for Indigenous self-determination through economic empowerment and opportunity, specialising in native title and mining negotiations, capital and business structuring. Bergmann is a Nyikina man, boilermaker-welder, lawyer and entrepreneur. He has served as Executive Director of Kimberley Aboriginal Law and Culture Centre, as well as CEO of the Kimberley Land Council and KRED Enterprises Charitable Foundation. Bergmann was proud to have chaired the Expert Indigenous Working Group for the Coalition of Australian Government investigation into Indigenous Land Administration and Use. He is currently Managing Director of Leedal Foundation, an Indigenous enterprise that operates hotels, pubs, a supermarket and a mechanic vehicle servicing business; serves as Executive Chairman of National Indigenous Times, Australia’s largest independent media news business; and is a Professor of Practice at the UNSW Business School of Management and Governance.

Madelaine Dickie loves to write, loves to surf and loves fishing with her hundred-pound handline. In the last twelve years, she’s wandered and worked in Jakarta, Broome, Wyndham, Tokyo, Exmouth and Arnhem Land. In 2022, she took off on an eight-month surf drift through Mexico with her husband and eighteen-month-old son. They had a pistachio-coloured Nissan. The car’s transmission blew just shy of a mountain pass boobytrapped with bandits. A week later it caught fire at a border crossing. When Madelaine takes a break from living dangerously you can find her at the desk, writing. Her debut novel Troppo won the City of Fremantle Hungerford Award and was shortlisted in the Dobbie Literary Awards and for a Barbara Jefferis Award. Her second novel Red Can Origami was written with the assistance of an Asialink Arts Residency at Youkobo Art Space in Japan. She’s won a Prime Minister’s Asia Australia Endeavour Award, an Illawarra Mercury Journalism Prize and has twice been shortlisted in the Western Australian Premier’s Literary Awards. In addition to writing novels and non-fiction, Madelaine has served as editor in chief of National Indigenous Times and spent over ten years working for Traditional Owner-led organisations as a graphic designer and media officer. She’s currently a Director of The Skill Engineer, a bold social enterprise that’s creating purposeful futures for young people.

Access information

The venue is fully accessible. Please contact reception@museum.wa.gov.au or call 1300 134 081 a minimum of five working days prior to the event if you are attending and would like the organisers to arrange Auslan interpretation.

More information is available on access to and within the Museum, plus how to prepare for your visit here.