“Nganyji Nguju Bina Bambiji”
Translated from Gimuy Wallubara Yidindji: “We will remember them. We WILL remember them.”
The old people who lived and died during the Frontier Wars, truly gave their lives to protect their families and the beautiful Land which they had lived with and told stories about for thousands of generations.
They suffered gross indignities and injustices: murder, disappearances, poisonings, pandemics, torture, massacre, rapes, detention, dispersion, stolen children, dislocation, social disintegration of clan and band and much more.
It’s 250 years since the British first invaded. They made no treaties. The white settlers warred upon the first peoples and stole their land.
“Nganyji Nguju Bina Bambiji” We will remember them.
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In 2011 Ghillah Michael Anderson initiated the first Lest We Forget the Frontier Wars Anzac Day march to the Australian War Memorial. David Bradbury’s movie Wage Peace documents the Frontier Wars march of 2015. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e315HCFtXcQ
Gimuy Wallubara Yidindji and non-indigenous people who live on their land have been commemorating the Frontier Wars in Cairns for the past 5 years.
Nowra based florist Hazel Davies has been active in getting the Desert Pea recognised as the native blood-on-the-Earth equivalent of the Flanders Poppy.
She has been teaching Desert Pea wreath making and conducting wreath laying ceremonies at the Australian War Memorial and elsewhere.
In this year of contagion, we move on line – and we ask YOU to participate wherever you are.
Lest We Forget the Frontier Wars.
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- You can do this by creating your own Anzac Frontier Wars ceremony and sharing it on FaceBook.
- Make some smoke with a small fire in your public and private space. Your driveway for example.
- Light candles, Improvise a wreath with flowers. Or photocopy one of Hazels Wreaths.
- Name the massacres and the local people who suffered them.
- Share your ceremony with FaceBook friends.
- Join the Zoom session and share there too.
Register here to make a contribution live on Zoom
https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJUucOuqqD4pEtURHeI2ryOmpy5kY-49xJ3R
Starts 6 pm Friday 24 April.
The Zoom session will show you a Frontier story from a previous ceremony.
Other stories will be available on the Facebook Event Page. You might have a Frontier Wars story to add.
Bring a response that express ‘lament” – a personal sorry story, a poem or a small live performance. We will show 4 or 5 of the offerings and put the other ones on line.
Watch live from 6pm On FaceBook www.facebook.com/wagepeaceau/