Activism, truth telling a bedrock for change
From a legacy founded in advocacy, trailblazing and changemaking with connections to Mabo, Leonie Taylor knows what it means to work hard for better, resting upon a foundation of strength and knowing oneself in spirit.
The Senior Coordinator for Indigenous Student Engagement at CQUniversity is a proud Djaku-nde woman and is this week reflecting on how blessed she was to have the strength of her parents and Elders in her community, who were pivotal in passing down knowledge and instilling the culture and truth of generations passed, that formed who she is today.
“My parents were activists and I’m proud of what they did for us, because they made us alert to what we should be fighting for,” Leonie said.
“Growing up they didn’t have access to education and they fought for the services they got, so they instilled in me the importance of getting an education so that we could advance.”
Leonie’s activist parents were involved in the movement with the late Eddie “Koiki” and Bonita Mabo, who initiated the first ‘Black Community School’ in Townsville – where Leonie also attended.
She said the school was integral in instilling the values of her culture and identity, along with learning and speaking language that was carried on from her Elders.
One of seven children, Leonie was the first in her family to attend university, completing a Bachelor of Social Work and she says if not for the activism and encouragement of her parents, and the Elders who came alongside them, her story would’ve been very different.
“I initially dreamt of becoming a flight attendant!
“But when my parents saw my high school scores, they made it clear that I was to go to university. From my time there I was also blessed to make some beautiful connections with people, and as graduating social workers we founded Gallang Place, which is an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander counselling service, as there was a real need in the community for those services,” Leonie said.
Looking back at pivotal moments in her life, Leonie can only attest her resilience to the path paved by her Elders, honouring them and their profound impact.
“The year’s NAIDOC theme ‘For Our Elders’ is so close to my heart – I truly honour my ancestors and my Elders who not only created the pathway, but helped me to become strong in spirit so that I could pass that onto my children,” Leonie said.
“You never forget the words that have been spoken over your life to become and to lead, and instil in the future generation to be proud, to be strong, to be deadly – and to never forget who you are and where you come from.”
As a proud mother, stepmother and grandmother, Leonie has taught her children that even through trauma, there’s healing and strength to be found.
“It reminds me of the importance of reconciliation – but that can’t come until there’s truth telling and our people themselves find out who they are.
“Some of us are still on that journey and it must be known that we are here to support them, and we as a nation need to recognise that.
“But with the foundation and legacy of our Elders, with the resilience and activism they showed to keep on that journey to show initiative like they did in the 1967 referendum, it has provided us with the pathway to be empowered to see this nation prosper.”
NAIDOC Week is regarded around the nation as one of the most pivotal key dates on the annual calendar, as we move further towards reconciliation, closing the gap and celebrating the rich history of this country and the tapestry of those who’ve forged the path.
Transcript
hello my name is Leonie Taylor and I've
just spoken some of our language that
we're recovering from the Djaku-nde and
Wokka Wokka who I'm a proud descendant of
and
I want to honour today the beautiful
Darumbal people on the lands that we're
meeting and just pay my respect to their
Elders that have allowed me to live and
raise my children on beautiful Darumbal
country
I also honour my ancestors and Elders
that have created the pathway and helped
me become strong in spirit so that I
could then pass that on to my children
I'm not only honoring my elders but I
also honour those that have come
alongside them
and this beautiful
shawl that I'm wearing today was made by
the late Auntie Muriel thing but Auntie
Muriel is a special lady through our
family and our community in Brisbane she
headed up the one people of Australia
League where it allowed children to come
in from those areas where they've never
seen the ocean to go to the ocean and
she was also a founding member of the
Aboriginal School in Brisbane and she
was a volunteer until she retired and so
I just want to honour those that have
come alongside and they are also our
respectful Elders that have been those
activists to support our mob to get
where they are today
and my story starts
um I'm a one of seven children
and I have I'm very proud of my
Aboriginal Heritage on my both sides of
my father and mother
and some of that Journey with Australian
history we've had to recover ourselves
like we're saying with our language but
we're recovering and and that's what
makes us strong in spirit and I'm very
grateful for them I'm grateful because
uh they taught me about our Aboriginal
Heritage and then on my mum's side the
Aboriginal and Australian South Sea Islander
Heritage and we have these lovely
connections back to Tanner Island and so
I'm honouring those Elders too and it
similar to The Stolen generation there's
a place where our families still have
those connections and I've taken my
children back and to find that we still
have those relationships and land and
it's such an honour to know that even
though they were brought out here to as
a part of the blackbirding to work in
the cane fields that we still have those
connections and they kept they kept that
space in the same way that our stolen
generation that were taken from their
homelands and dispossessed that they
have a place when they are returned and
so I think I'm so thankful for that that
I've been able to do that and part of my
journey is also just acknowledging those
elders and so on my
outside I have my granddad and Grandma
Wes
Granddad was growing up as a free
Aboriginal so he wasn't under the
protection act but he wanted to marry my
grandmother who was a domestic and grew
under the act and they needed permission
to marry so they got that permission to
wear it marry but they were very strong
in who they were and although they had
to stop speaking their language or
practising they still in secret spoke
language and passed on what they could
and then on my mum's side that's where
there's that beautiful connection back
to Tanner and you know for Jack and
Topsy yeah so but my that's my great
grandparents but my grandparents on my
mum's side are Fred and Olive Power so
Fred yes Fred um Power and Olive Yasso
and so I just want to honour them today
growing up it was
um my parents were activists so I'm very
proud of the what they did for us
because they made us Alert in terms of
you know
where they didn't have they fought for
the services that they got so education
my parents were part of the movement
with the late Uncle 'Koiki' Bonita
just to get the black community school
so I was able to attend the black
community school in Townsville and that
shaped me in terms of culture and
identity because we were able to speak
language and learn language not only
um
within the Torres Strait Islander
community of which we were adopted into
you could say because we were they had
that respect with it and then my mum's
initiated the first
kindergarten in Townsville and it's
still going to this day so it's 53 years
at 53 years since she started that and
it's still going strong and the other
part of the journey is you know just
growing up and knowing that they didn't
have the access to education my mum
finished school I think I think it was
grade four and dad was a grade three and
they always instilled in us the
importance of education and getting that
um
white men's education so that you know
you could advance and um
so we it was always about you know
making when we had that opportunity and
that's what I had I had that opportunity
to go to university to study
social work and I you know and through
that Journey I've met some other
Beautiful People which I still stay
connected with and we started Galang
Place Aboriginal counseling service and
because that was a need and that service
is still going to this day and that's
something else as a founding member I'm
very honored to be part of that journey
and yeah still seeing other ones coming
through
my childhood you know there's a trauma
there but we don't focus on the trauma
you know we know that that's part of us
but that's what we also use to get
strength from that and heal and there's
been lots of healing over the years and
that's why I can stand strong in who I
am and I've taught my children to stand
strong in who they are and yeah I'm just
very grateful that yes I think as I
think of those on my journey today
summer with me in spirit
and you never forget the words that have
been spoken over your life to to be
become
and to lead and to instill
uh-huh
in the future generation
to be proud to be strong to be deadly
and never forget who you are and where
you come from
I think the important things of me
instilling being strong being you know
being courageous and also being deadly
is my children so all of my children
have been blessed in the way that you
know they've all been given traditional
names and those traditional names are
passed down by my dad so they don't get
their name until they've actually been
observed for a year and then we have a
little ceremony and their names given to
them and so my firstborn is Shea and his
name's mangana which means spotted gum
because my dad's seen the strength and
how he was he was a strong staunch young
man that had leadership qualities and so
Dad gave him the name of mangana my next
one down is Leon and his name one gamma
because he used to sleep on his belly
all the time and he and that's how he is
he's very cool Carmen collected and one
camera is a little sand frog so that's
my second boy and then the third boy is
Josiah and his name's burigum and he
just loved to he had lots of energy and
boroughgum in our languages Rock
kangaroo and that's uh and he just
bounces all over the place and he's
still the same very active and um very
healthy and then the my youngest
daughter
um her name was given on the day she was
born so um the the journey with her is
that I was told at the age of 18 that
I'd never have children so my dad was
with me and so when the girl came along
he knew that she was coming along and
because my husband is uh he we have
connections also to noogie down near
stradbroke Island so he's a guruful man
and also has connections to the younger
country my girl my dad gave her the name
of Miramar which is Morningstar And he
as soon as he held her on the day that
she was born he goes I've got her name
and I'm naming her now so everyone else
had to wait 12 months but my dad was
like no I've been waiting for her and
it's just lovely how he knew that she
was coming I had no idea I did and then
just I just want to acknowledge that as
a stepmom I have two beautiful
um older girls too that you know they've
helped shape me and as a person and I'm
just grateful for them too so I just
want to acknowledge them too and my
beautiful four grandchildren so thank
you
[Music]
so I just like to you know the theme for
our elders is something that's very
close to my heart because we are we
wouldn't be who we are today if it
wasn't for our elders and the many
Pathways and the activism that they
showed and the initiative and they were
resilient and they empowered not only
themselves to keep on that journey of
you know getting recognized and being
part of the community you know the 1967
referendum was you know a big turning
point and we've got other turning points
that are coming up when we're talking
about voice and treaty and Truth telling
in this country so there's still a long
journey to go but I'd like to just end
with a quote from my parents and it says
it's important that people recognize us
and our culture and understand that the
spiritual mental and physical well-being
depends on being able to connect
physically with our country when we
achieve this goal along with all other
Aboriginal people Australians overall
will benefit and we as a nation will
prosper and I you know it just reminds
me of the importance of you know
reconciliation but reconciliation can't
come until there's truth-telling and our
people are themselves find out who they
are I was so privileged to know who I am
and I have that you know that I'm strong
in spirit but there's many others that
are still on that journey and we're here
to support them and as a nation we now
need to recognize that so thank you for
allowing me to share my some of my heart
with you today
[Music]
