Derek Oram Sandi speech on 26 January 2022 at Queens Park In Meanjin: "Budyari mullinawul … Good morning, to all the people out there, I’d like to acknowledge, firstly acknowledge Uncle Desmond Sandi … my great uncle …. my nanna’s eldest brother ….. the elder of our tribe and tribal homelands … the Yuggera … (and) Yerongpan people in southeast Queensland, I’d like to thank him for grounding us, and keeping us grounded in this country, in the good spirit of our ancestors, through that ‘Welcome to Country ‘ that will keep our spirits content as we march through this city, reminding this country of the genocide that still continues to oppress our people.
Invasion Day Rally in Meanjin (Brisbane)
And I want to open that acknowledgement out to the ancestors of my father side, the Gangalu, the Burrawrung of the Woorabinda mission area, (and) up to the Northern Territory, Lake Nash, up to the Doomadgee (inaudible) area, the Waanyi country in the Gulf area, the one country, acknowledging my ancestors and my songlines … I want to acknowledge the Wakka Wakka people in the West, my grandfather, Leroy Hart and the Wakka Wakka country, acknowledging the Gabbi Gabbi in the north …. part of my grandfather, Brian White’s country through my Mum’s father’s side, acknowledging the Yugambeh to the south, also part of my ancestry, which Aunty Debbie Sandi spoke about from the strong lineages down there part of the family … the right down to the Tweed
And to the non-indigenous people in your country as well, where you come from around the world, because we are only 3% … 3.3% of this population, and is anything that we know is majority rules in Western system that should be abolished … and should be rebuilt, with our lore (applause). Because community is important and the government show us time and time again, that they don’t know how to keep community strong. The health is in the tribe, the tribe is in the health, the community is unity. (Murri motorcyclists arrive)… That’s why we are here today showing that maybe they want (inaudible) to our people …
Channel Nine and Channel Seven
Our old people never had live streaming in marching for their rights, we have to remember that our old people never had anything online and live streaming, back in the day. They had to extend their human rights, understanding for all, and educate in ‘resist way’.
This is the original way …. I don’t learn how to speak like this, from when I was a djarjum, to when I’m a man, in no school in no University … I listened to the older people like Aunty Debbie and Uncle Desmond an the many (inaudible) elders that speak proper in lore up on these microphones. That’s how our future is going to be strong and rebuilt. And that’s the same with the non-Indigenous djarjums, the children that we have here today. Joining our djarjums in unity. Let them come and listen to the truth. Standing in front of this gubba (?) (Queen Victoria statue) here … someone who claimed the land that she knew nothing about and continues to know nothing about.
We are the oldest continuous culture in the world with over 1500 languages and dialects, and many 1000s of songlines that are sung for mother earth and Barkarun (sp??), the great light, the Father and spirit that’s in the, the land beyond the skies … those totems up in the skies, and they remind us of our lore.
So I thank you all for joining us today in this fight, and you see, I look out there and might see a couple of hundred people … but if you look out and you feel with all that energy, I feel thousands and thousands of spirits … right back to the beginning that will be joining us … we got to stick to this way.
This is a part of our tradition in the contemporary sense when they see us marching through with our colors it reminds them … it brings up the guilt that’s why they drink grog on this day … to numb their guilt … to numb guilt to numb what they done to our ancestors and what they continue to do in this genocide system.
