6 Times Redfern Now Showed Us Indigenous Power

Joel Shields is a young Indigenous boy who has just won an Indigenous scholarship to one of the best private schools in Sydney – Clifton Grammar. In this scene he is questioned by his English teacher, Mr Parish, about why he wasn’t singing the national anthem at assembly.
Mr Parish asks Joel what the national anthem is, but most importantly he asks Joel why he wasn’t singing at assembly. Joel replied, “I don’t know the words, sir.” His voice towards Mr Parish sounded disappointing or worrying. He must have thought he was expecting the worst. A close-up of Joel (Aaron McGrath) looking quite nervous and embarrassed towards the teacher, makes the audience feel concerned or worried for him. You would think that he would get in deep trouble for not knowing the words, but he was just told to learn the words of the anthem and write a page about the origins of Advance Australia Fair.

For this scene, we have Joel’s father explaining why he’s never liked the national anthem. His father says to him “It’s not our song, it doesn’t belong to us, you don’t need that stuff to have pride.” This is a very good reason why Indigenous Australians don’t sing the national anthem. It doesn’t belong to them, and they don’t need it to have pride.
When Joel’s father (Marley Sharp) explained what the national anthem meant to him, his facial gestures, such as his eyes looked quite aggressive, which is shown in the close-up. His voice sounded deeper than usual too, and all of which showed he had passion for this issue. This shows how brave he is to show Indigenous power.

It’s another day at Clifton Grammar, and Joel had to stand and sing the national anthem at assembly – but he didn’t. This then lead to another consequence. In this part of the episode, Joel is questioned once again about why he wasn’t singing the national anthem at assembly. Mr Parish is very confused as to why Joel hasn’t been singing the national anthem, and Joel replies with “It just doesn’t feel right.” A close-up of Joel (Aaron McGrath) in this scene shows his facial expression, which is discomfort and maybe even disappointment and that tells it all. He doesn’t feel comfortable singing the anthem. He may also feel disappointed in himself because he is letting Mr Parish down. As much as it is important to obey the school rules, Joel just doesn’t feel comfortable, and he should be supported by people in power because of that.

Joel and his parents have been sent into the principal’s office because Joel, again, didn’t sing the national anthem. He now faces expulsion. Joel’s father (Marley Sharp) is very strong about this issue, as indicated by his body language and tone of voice. When the camera is focused on him, his hand gestures and deepness and anger of his voice shows how strong and brave he is towards Mrs Macann, who looks defensive when the camera is switched to her.
He talks to the Principal, Mrs Macann, about multiculturalism, the referendum, and how Indigenous Australians were able to have the right to vote. He then talks about Joel and says, “As my son has the right to be counted and the right to vote, he has the right to make a stand.”
Joel’s father wants Joel to understand that it’s okay to stand up and trust what you believe in. He is standing up and fighting until the very end. He is never letting his son sing the anthem. Basically, we see that Indigenous Australians have the right to make a stand for what they believe in. They are not mentioned in the national anthem, so why should they sing it?

Joel has been expelled from Clifton Grammar, and the news has gone around. Other students in the school have decided not to sing the nation anthem too. Mrs Macann makes them stay back after assembly to talk to them and she also threatens to expel them. The students are very brave to stand up to the principal, especially Chloe (Madeleine Madden). A close-up of her in this scene shows strong facial gestures, such as her eyes showing attitude and she also gives a defensive voice. She says to Mrs Macann, “Our parents are right behind us, they’re proud we’re standing up for something, and if we get expelled, so be it they reckon.” The other students agree with what she says. The fact that young Indigenous Australians are standing up for what’s right is really good, and they have their parents support behind them. These young Indigenous Australians are the next generation, and they are the ones who will continue standing up for what’s right.

After all that’s happened, Mrs Macann has made the decision to bring Joel back to Clifton Grammar, under his terms – he is now allowed to not sing the national anthem.
In this scene, the facial expression on Joel (Aaron McGrath)’s face explains how he now feels. His expression was relief. His eyes seemed to be brighter in a way, as well as his smile when he drove off to school. He is happy and this is what the audience would feel too after seeing him that way. He is happy to now belong and stand up for what he believes is right. It’s important to stand up for something that needs to be heard. If you can’t, then there would be no one to listen to you, or understand you.