Born and raised on Ngunnawal Country, I am Kamilaroi, part of the Aboriginal diaspora. I posit the question: Who am I on Ngunnawal Country? What is my identity?
As a child, I visited Cumbo Gunnerah’s (the Red Chief’s) Country—the ancestors’ Country. My grandfather rests there, but two attempts to find him have failed. Diagnosed with cancer at 75, I took a journey back to see my traditional Country again, perhaps for the last time. The journey was with learned men steeped in Barkindji and Kamilaroi knowledge. This paper concerns this trip, my Dreaming stories, and also my personal past, including still vivid memories of a Canberra of the 50s and 60s—a time that led to my younger brother and me being institutionalized. A photographic montage helps relate those stories of the past to the present as I journey back to Mt Kaputar, the sacred site of my ancestors.
Assoc. Prof. Wayne Applebee is Kamilaroi man, Indigenous cultural specialist, and former member of the Galbany Circle Court. Wayne has lectured in the faculties of Arts and Design, Health, Law and Science and Technology at the University of Canberra and is Adjunct Associate Professor with the Centre for Creative and Cultural Research.
This presentation was accompanied by slides. To view the slides head to WayneApplebee_Presentation.pptx