Remembered by Heart by Sally Morgan

Author:Sally Morgan
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Fremantle Press
Published: 2014-04-23T04:00:00+00:00

Abridged from Speaking from the Heart

edited by Sally Morgan, Tjalaminu Mia and Blaze Kwaymullina, 2007.

Lola Young

GROWING UP WITH FAMILY

When I was a young girl my grandparents teach me everything. That’s why I know all the bush plants, but they only teach me the important plants, they never teach me about all the other shrubs, only the name and if it has flowers and things like that. They say, ‘Don’t teach that one, that’s just the shrubs, that’s just the plant and thing, not good for anything else.’

When I first going with them I used to worry. I was frightened of them because they growl too much. You got to get used to them, nobody else around. Nothing I could do, when Mum and Dad say you staying with the grandparents, you stay, whether you crying or not. You stay! My cousins, sisters and brothers never used to be left with the old grandparents, only me. Mum and Dad say to me, ‘You stay. That’s where you learn. You stay right here.’ If I still want to run and chase Mum and Dad when they leaving, they get off and give me a hiding and send me back. So I couldn’t do nothing, I had to learn.

My grandparents reckoned I was the chosen one for them, to learn all these things, because I was the first grandchild. I went through all that, like you go to high school, you know. I never been to school, but they teaching me proper. They got to give you mark for it just like you going to high school. They give me top mark because I know everything about the bush and everything. That’s only my knowledge, to learn all them things. I have that special skill.

My name, my Aborigine name, is Ngamingu; I was born at Rocklea Station, in the station just at the back, on 12 February 1942. I was the first child. Then was Nicholas, my sister Doris (Minga) and Colin. My dad passed away after that and Mum remarried. Then she had Kevin, Brian and Aquinas. Nicholas and Doris were born at Cobor, outstation from Rocklea, Colin was born on Kooline Station. Kevin, Brian and Aquinas were born in Onslow Hospital.

My dad’s name was Cookie; Cook, they called him. His Aborigine name is Kurubungu. He was born in Hamersley Station. My son Rodney named after him now. My mum’s name is Dora. Her Aborigine name is Mithakunti; she was born in Mithakunti – Sandy Creek, they call it. My mother and my grandparents are from Rocklea. My stepdad’s name is Dan, Danny Gilba.

Mum was Kurrama, my dad Panyjima, and I follow the Yinawangka way. I never followed the two parents; I followed the grandfather, Yinawangka. I don’t know how that comes about. I was the oldest and the grandparents teach me all the culture things and I have to follow my grandparents. My grandmother was Kurrama. I should have followed the grandmother, but too late now. I speak a mixture of Panyjima and Kurrama, but not Yinawangka.

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