tribute Ceremony to sing a beloved uncle home By WOOLOMBI WATERS He built bridges OW do you even begin to explain to non-Aboriginal to cross the Hpeople that the last true language speaker you have left chasms of race, in your family has just passed? His ochre was brought up colour and from home in near in north-west NSW creed, to bring for a final ceremony as family and friends sang our dearly us all together beloved Uncle Reg/Roy Knox home, led by Buddy Hippi as people, and (Knox), his great nephew. Known in his early years as carried love as Reginald Roy Knox (McGrady), Uncle later settled in Logan, his philosophy. , more than 40 years ago, where he became all move forward together.” known by immediate family and Uncle never showed any community as Uncle Reg. But hate, never asked you for ten he was always known as Uncle dollars you didn't have, but Roy back home in NSW and in would let you know he could particular by his Toomelah change the ten into a fifty on the family. horses – many an electricity bill We are blessed to have and car rego was paid this way. many traditional Gomeroi/ He would never raise his /Kamilaroi dancers voice in anger and we are and language speakers today – blessed in carrying on his yamma nginda Gomeroi legacy. winnunguuldah dhirriaa yumbuli He was softly-spoken, loving, – but we have had to relearn caring and understanding in how to speak our language and carrying the grace and dignity of to practise our culture after the his Elders. evils of colonisation. As a young man growing up This Old Fella, he was born in Toomelah, Uncle became the speaking Gomeroi and had to custodian of our language. learn English. He was the last He was destined to become gayaangal (child) rolled in the an Elder (a term we use all too ash, covered in the charcoal often today) and he carried this while buried in the sands of title with the highest calibre and Boobera lagoon, traditional way would always say “I am just – proppa way, after he was Reggie Knox, an old Blackfella born. from Toomelah, 4th-grade How do you compensate this dumb” to inspire others to make loss? No remuneration could the most of what they were ever compensate for what we given. felt on Monday, April 20. An “You learn for you,” he would entire nation woke up in always say. mourning after hearing the news His grandson Laroi, 13 years our beloved Uncle had passed old, said to me as we painted away the day before. up, getting ready to dance to The tributes starting flowing send his Poppy home: “Poppy immediately as grief poured out was no myth Uncle. He was a on social media with heartfelt legend and as a legend he will testimonies from family, friends live on in our hearts forever.” and community across . For now, he is still with us This included many non- Reginald Roy Knox (McGrady), known as Uncle Reg by some and as Uncle Roy back home in NSW, is and with every memory Indigenous students whom revered as the custodian and last true speaker of Gomeroi language. contained within the tears of our Uncle had taught art to in grandfather and his brother held and grieving and pain these Michelangelo and Reg/Roy heart we hold onto the schools across south-east thousands upon thousands of Queensland. Such was his in the top hand corner by their intruders built. Knox all hanging out together as mother Amelia and grandmother But as did our Old People, the old masters. years his love represented, the influence and acceptance. ways of our old people – and The comparison of so much Florence Wightman. we will continue to survive and And during his passing we To then try and say it we will build on our Uncle’s had politicians and governors- we will hold onto those love conveyed is in complete memories and simply say we opposition to what we observe happened so long ago, when we legacy, and in his memory we general messaging the family only danced a few weeks ago will continue to find strength, their personal condolences. love you and we thank you and with people hoarding food, safe journey home. essential items and turning on for my Uncle, who was born love and compassion. Uncle was formally from this time, only maintains Uncle Reg/Uncle Roy was recognised as Logan City Ngiyani ngiima yilaadhu one another in our current crisis. yalagiirray ngiyani gimiyandi How would this mob have the hurt, the trauma we feel raised in Toomelah, along with Citizen of the year, NAIDOC today. my grandfather, his first cousin- Aboriginal Elder of the year and gaalanha yilaalu-gi gi (We are survived if they had suffered the here today as we were way our mob did? These people Rather than fend for brotha . My our knowledge-keeper and last themselves and hoard grandfather would go on to true Gomeroi language speaker. yesterday and will be forever) have privilege and wealth today. Uncle Reg/Uncle Roy Knox. But 90% of our people died possessions, our mob shared all become a war hero, a fighter He built bridges to cross the through disease, poison and the that they had, built communities pilot; Reg/Roy Knox, a world- chasms of race, colour and l based on hard work, love and famous artist who taught tens of creed to bring us all together as Woolombi Waters is a guns brought by the colonisers. regular Koori Mail colomnist. For this is when our Uncle caring for one another and from thousands of children of all people and carried love as his was born. There is a famous old this our Uncle was born and colours and races and religions, philosophy. He would always carried his legacy. We know his never judging a single soul. His say, “We can’t go back into the This article is photo taken at Boomi with the supported by survivors of this atrocity. Uncle’s knowledge and his love have artwork now hangs in the past but we can use our the Judith passed on and with his passing Vatican in Rome, where we experiences to build a better Neilson Institute mother, my great Aunty Carrie, for Journalism is standing out front with my we have been left with the hurt have Leonardo da Vinci, future together and we should and Ideas.

24 | THE KOORI MAIL, WEDNESDAY, MAY 6, 2020 www.koorimail.com