I'd like to provide some commentary on this as a Blackfella whose Country is in the NT and as someone who has worked for many years in the blackfella arts industry, most of my family have worked in blackfella arts industry, and I have worked in social enterprise and fashion. https://twitter.com/AmyThunig/status/1277564427655540736

Magpie Goose is a good business doing good work with Black artists in remote communities. It takes a LOT to get a clothing line up. MG is a way for artists to connect with the fashion and textiles industry where they don't have to do arduous work of setting up a fashion business.

Many mob in (not just) remote communities rely on income from art for their livelihood. Connecting your art to income is a difficult process. Diversifying income and monetizing art through fashion, homewares and other merchandise is a good thing but can be difficult.

There are def problems with non-Indigenous owned businesses. The way Bundarra markets AT our mob to make money makes me feel suss about them. But remote community art centres and businesses such as MG take artists' work to bigger markets they would not always be able to access.

It's not perfect. There is a lot of exploitation still and most art centres are still run by white people. But overall, the situation is complex. Denying blackfella artists in remote communities an income stream without providing an alternative is off IMO.

Yes yes yes - def support black run businesses. But I don't think cancelling MG is productive to the work of supporting Indigenous art, fashion and business. It's a more complex and nuanced convo than just saying "it's run by white ppl, don't buy from them" and...

...there are experts leading the way in advocating for and changing this part of the Indigenous arts sector. Self-determination in the Indigenous art (and now associated fashion) industry has a long history. I encourage people to learn more.

On the phone with my sister (who works in the industry) and she reminded me that our family were part of founding Tiwi Designs an art centre running since the 1970s, the first to work with Indigenous textiles (and continue to). I wanna say one more thing about MG:

MG provide a service. They take the burden of BUYING textiles from art centres and artists, then make clothing patterns, manufacture clothes and market and sell. It sounds simple, but it is NOT. It is expensive and requires networks and expertise to run a successful fashion biz.