Aboriginal activists remember Pemulwuy's legacy

uA group of Kooris have the evoked spirit of Aboriginal resistance warrior, Pemulwuy, in a push to rewrite history.

A group of Kooris have the evoked spirit of Aboriginal resistance warrior, Pemulwuy, in a push to rewrite history.

They have called for a more accurate history that reflects Indigenous history in the wake of the white "invasion", and have taken as inspiration Pemulwuy and his 13-year campaign of resistance.

Advocates believe that any real hope of reconciliation begins with an acceptance of the facts.

Sovereignty campaigner, Jenny Monroe, believes that Australia's darker history needs to be a compulsory part of the school curriculum.

“If you know our history, you know we resisted the invasion from the time they came here,” she said.

Another advocate of Sovereignty, and descendant of western Sydney's Darug people, Richard Green said that all Australians needed to know more about the past.

“People know more about Geronimo and Sitting Bull than they do about their own heroes in their own country,” he said.

Sovereignty supporter Dave Eden also acknowledged the many parallels between Pemulwuy and Maori resistance heroes in New Zealand.

“He fulfilled that role here where ours were back home doing the same: fighting the colonials, identifying the wrongs that they were committing on our people, doing atrocious things to our people…someone had to stand up,” said Mr Eden.

Last weekend's gathering is likely to become an annual event to push the issues of Indigenous people.



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Published 5 August 2013 5:30pm
Updated 26 August 2013 2:01pm

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