The great echo chamber

The great echo chamber is my response as an Aboriginal woman to political debates in a house of parliament. The drama of ceremony and speeches contrasts with the ordinary, mundane embodiment of power. This ‘heart of democracy’ is idealised as representative, yet many of the faces are similar. Decisions are made for Aboriginal peoples. Alienated in this room of white governance, I explore how I inhabit the centre, sitting in the seats and performing the bodily language of members of parliament: bored, excited, inspired, angry, jaded, chewing gum and asleep.