Cory Bernardi has been criticised by Adelaide’s traditional owners for mocking the Kaurna language in videos posted to social media.
The lead candidate for One Nation in the upcoming South Australian election has posted two videos to Facebook highlighting use of the traditional language on major landmarks, describing it as “empty symbolism” and saying using Aboriginal language was “trying to erase our history”.
In the first video posted in mid-February, Bernardi is standing outside Adelaide University and talking about a banner with words printed on it which say “Niina Marni”, which translates to, “are you good?” or “hello, how are you?” in the local Kaurna language.
Sign up: AU Breaking News email
“Here I am at the Niina Marni centre,” Bernardi says in the video. “I don’t know what that is and nor does anyone else to be honest.
“Why are we putting names or banners or flags on our university campuses that don’t mean anything to anyone?”
The wording was a “respectful greeting to people”, Kaurna elder Lynette Crocker told Guardian Australia.
“If you go to Italy, you’re expected to know some Italian, and that’s just the same respect that Aboriginal people are wanting to have, the same as everybody else,” she said. “It’s just about respect for one another as human beings and how we communicate with one another.”
In a second video, posted on Saturday, Bernardi stands outside the Women’s and Children’s Hospital and gestures at a sign with Aboriginal language printed on it.
The sign says: “Ngangkiku Ngartuku Kukuwardli”. In Kaurna language, it translates to, “a place of health that cares for women during pregnancy and birthing, babies, children, and young people”.
In the video, Bernardi mispronounces the words, then says:“Why? Why are we doing this to ourselves? No one knows where the Googa Waggly centre is. They just know where the women’s and children’s hospital needs to be.”
Together, both videos have more than 50,000 likes on Facebook.
Crocker said the videos were “disappointing”.
“I think it’s unfortunate that they have to pick on Aboriginal people to display their disgruntledness,” she said. “I think it’s the lowest form of communication when he picks on Aboriginal people and [we are at] the bottom end of the spectrum when they [One Nation] have got nothing to say or offer.”
The SA government did not directly address the videos when asked but said the Labor party was “focused on an inclusive society that brings people together, not tearing people apart with division”.
The Liberal party spokesperson for Aboriginal affairs, Josh Teague, said Bernardi’s comments were “grossly offensive”. He said that while he thought some dual naming was “over the top”, Bernardi had “misjudged the practical nature of South Australians’ views on this subject”.
“His focus shows how little One Nation cares about the important things to South Australians, like affordability, a better healthcare system and safer communities,” he said. “The notion that some South Australians will get an extra vote on polling day due to the colour of their skin is fundamentally wrong.”
On Saturday, the state opposition leader, Ashton Hurn, announced that her party will preference One Nation over Labor in all seats.
Kaurna elders have been working on dual naming policies with both the Adelaide city council and successive state governments since the early 2000s. Elder Jeffrey Newchurch, who has been leading that charge, told Guardian Australia he wanted to gain recognition for his people and further reconciliation.
“We are working together with the non-Aboriginal community to correct the wrongness that’s been done to us and the denial that’s been done to Aboriginal people,” he said. “To have dual naming and to have that language on display is a sense of identity that brings us together and the importance of knowing country.”
He said political rhetoric such as Bernardi’s was “damaging” to the cause and that it enabled people to “spew hatred”.
“It allows for people to launch their discriminating views upon us Aboriginal people and they’re targeting a language and a people that were denied,” he said. “They’re growing that position for people to come out of the darkness and put these views forward.”
Adelaide University (Tirkangkaku) said it was “proud to share, honour and promote its legacy and continued practice of First Nations languages, culture and people as an important part of Australia’s heritage”.
One Nation SA has been contacted for comment.
