Professor Grace Karskens is Emeritus Professor of History in the School of Humanities and Languages at the University of New South Wales. In 2020 Professor Karskens, joined Hornsby Shire Libraries to discuss her book ‘People of the River: lost worlds of early Australia’ in conversation with Dr Mariko Smith (Chair of Hornsby Shire Council’s HATSICC, and Head of First Nations Collections & Research in the First Nations Division at the Australian Museum).
In 2020, these ‘experts’ made no reference to the GuriNgai, no reference to a Grandmother Tree or trees, and no reference to ‘Grandmother Law.’ The reason is these experts in 2020 were only just beginning to experience the sublte, yet constant, attempted inclusion of false, modern GuriNgai fictions and fables into the ‘historical record’ by the GuriNgai group.
https://epress.lib.uts.edu.au/journals/index.php/phrj/article/view/7787
Since that time both Dr Mariko Smith, and the GuriNgai group worked together to normalise and incorporate the results of the GuriNgai groups twenty-one year campaign of Cultural Appropriation’ and profound ignorance, into the actual historical record.



Ms Tracey Howie presented to Hornsby Shire Council and HATSICC the report commissioned by the GuriNgai group, and authored by Dr Jim Wafer to support their claims.
It can only be assumed that these representatives of Hornsby Shire Council did not make it to the concluding chapter of Dr Wafer’s Report, and so missed the following:
“The foregoing account of the language history of the Central Coast is to a large extent, such a sorry saga of misunderstandings, blunders & confusion, that I have seriously questioned my own ability to get it straight – or, simply put, to tell the truth. “
The Hornsby Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Consultative Committee (HATSICC) were satisfied of the GuriNgai legitimacy, because the GuriNgai told them they were legitimate, explained away contradictory facts and evidence, and this was all it took to gain the recognition and support of Hornsby Shire Council, and Dr Mariko Smith.
https://australian.museum/learn/first-nations/tear-it-down/
While this was happening in and around Hornsby Shire, Amanda Jane Reynolds became familiar with the contentious South Australian concept of Grandmother Lore, while engaged in the following paid project:

Alleged creator of ‘Grandmother Lore’ Sri Devi Mulara, aka Grandmother Mulara, aka Debbie Nanschild, who has been accused in court of falsifying and distorting Aboriginal culture.

Curiously this discovery of Amanda Jane Reynolds appears to have taken place prior to Ms Reynold’s beginning to claim to be a Yuin Woman – and prior to her being able to confidently claim to be a GuriNgai Woman:
The GuriNgai spent their time somehow convincing Dr Mariko Smith and the rest of the Hornsby Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Consultative Committee (HATSICC) of their legitimacy (in spite of the clear evidence this evidence was insufficient) so once we reach 2024, both Dr Mariko Smith, and Amanda Jane Reynolds are so confident in their own myth making (or so blind to the reality that this is what their ‘research’ actually is) that in their hubris, they acquired funding and endorsement from Australia’s first museum, the Australian Museum of Sydney (AM) to hold the following event over NAIDOC Week, 2024:
The inclusion of categorically false GuriNgai fables, presented as genuine Aboriginal Culture is harmful to Aboriginal People, non-Aboriginal People, the Australian Museum, and their unsuspecting patrons.
Patrons attend a museum to learn to gain knowledge, and to broaden their appreciation for the real world. Yet the AM have denied their patrons this, while dismissing the concerns and pleas for reason and respect from members of the Aboriginal Community, including me.
I was told I am only one person, as if I am not representing my family, my mob, and everyone that came before me and guides me from the beginning of time right up to and including this moment.
The AM dismisses us, because they think they are better, and know better than us, about us.
Yet the best they can offer during NAIDOC is a mockery of Aboriginality, that they are foolish enough to consider ‘family friendly.’
All the key figures involved in this travesty unfolding within the Australian Museum are already subject to investigations for their involvement with, and benefiting directly from, the many crimes of the GuriNgai group – including but not limited to the multitude of crimes committed with Hornsby Shire Council and their HATSICC.
The day can’t come soon enough that the ‘authorities’ take action.
The evidence has piled up, and it’s frankly embarrassing that this blatant crime is continuing in 2024.

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