Home work 10th July - The Red Chief

[Wendy Seddon]

I am Joe (called Old Joe now) my totem’s of the crow,
the crow, we call him Dilby, black as night.
To be gaayungaal of the crow means never let your feelings show,
display no fear or favour, only might.

Kamilaroi, my nation and my tribe - the Gun-e-dar,
respected as a force to reckon with.
On equal footing we would stand against the fiercest in the land
to us the warring spirit was no myth.

The last one of my tribe, I keep the ancient stories close,
my silence is expected come what may.
A whitefella should not be told the things the tribal council hold
as sacred to our nation’s native way.

The fiercest fighter, and by far, our chief, the Cumbo Gunerah,
the victor in a thousand tribal wars,
was buried here as all chiefs are, sat up against the coolibah,
respectful of our strict internment laws.

Ancient tools in skilful hands carved totems in the wood -
(a century before the white man came)
Were we to err we’d pay the price, neglecting spirits not so nice,
bestowing on our tribe remorse and shame.

White man said “Blackfella’s tree must be cut down today,
and Cumbo Gunnerah must be removed.
Listen Joe, they have to go, the township needs more room to grow.”
They didn’t wait to see if I approved.

The women set up wailing and I took off to the bush
to set up my lamenting from afar.
For what then would the spirits do when faced with such a brutal coup?
The sacred site become a gaping scar.

They dug up Cumbo Gunnerah which means ‘Red Kangaroo’,
And built their massive houses on the place.
They took his head and took the tree into a place for all to see,
another hundred years there was no trace

Then someone thought it m8ght be right, to mark the place somehow,
to honour such a stratagen of war
Maybe one day whites will care about sustainable and fair,
desist elimination of our lore.


NB: The Gunn-e-darr Chief, Red Kangaroo, was referred to as the Red Chief only from as late.as the mid 20th century

He was buried against a box tree not a Coolibah. (Rhymed better!)

[Shelley Hansen]

Great story, Wendy!

Cheers
Shelley

[Maureen K Clifford]

Love it Wendy - well done, and a little poetic licence should never be allowed to stand in the way of a good yarn