The following email was sent from the account of GTLAC and Wannangini Pty Ltd Director, and GuriNgai cult leader, Tracey Howie, on Monday, 19 October 2020 3:22 PM.

Tracey Howie <tracey@guringai.com.au<mailto:tracey@guringai.com.au>>

Subject: Re: Emergency GTLAC meeting

Dear Mob,

Please see the Agenda below for Saturday’s Emergency meeting at Girakool NPWS Picnic Area (Somersby) at 1pm.

As previously indicated, if you are unable to attend due to the extremely short notice (I do apologise for that) or other circumstances, please send your responses back before Friday afternoon, or appoint a proxy that you know will be in attendance.

So far that is;

Tracey Howie

Warren Howie

Kyle Howie

Tyler Howie

Trudy Smith

Marc Smith

Laurie Bimson

Neil Evers

Dennis Jones

Trudy McKay

Please add yourself to this list and circulate if you will be attending.

AGENDA

GURINGAI TRIBAL LINK ABORIGINAL CORPORATION

EXTRA-ORDINARY MEETING 24TH OCTOBER 2020

@ GIRAKOOL PICNIC AREA SOMERSBY, 1PM.

1. WELCOME

2. SILENCE FOR REFLECTION & RESPECT – UNCLE DAVID PROSS

3. APOLOGIES & PROXIES

4. ISSUES AT HAND

5. DANIEL BYERS/ATTORNEY GENERAL, PROGRESS OF NATIVE TITLE CLAIM

6. NAME CHANGE TO GARIGAL-WALKALOA ABORIGINAL CORPORATION

OR AMALGAMATION WITH AWABAKAL & GURINGAI PTY.LTD.

CLOSE

Some clarification for those unable to attend. (and a little bit of me speaking my mind.)

Sadly, (actually, extremely sadly) on the 4th October, one of our most respected and knowledgeable Elders, Uncle David Pross, left our world for eternal life after a short but vicious battle with an illness. We farewelled Uncle David at the Greenaway Crematorium at Green Point on Monday 12th October. We will always remember Uncle Dave with respect and continue the legacies he leaves. Uncle David is survived by his life-partner, dear Aunty Christine Walsh, Kiel, Catherine, Sonia, grandchildren and a great grand-daughter.  Rest in peace Uncle David.

4. Issues at hand – our reasons for calling the meeting.

If you haven’t already been privileged (actually, that should be Unprivileged ) to the waffle and rantings of one Mr. Robert Syron, please contact Laurie, Neil, Trudy, Kyle or myself for an update as it is too much to write in this email.

Simply though, he is a diagnosed mentally disturbed x-soldier that has launched an attack on Guringai (the word Guringai and our use of it) and put full page articles in the Koori Mail, sent emails to federal and state government, NPWS, education department, local councils ect, discrediting us for the use of the word Guringai. Apparently he owns it. 

I have been in contact with Mr.Syron in the past and tried to explain to him the meaning behind the word Guringai (to us) and that we are fully aware that his Mob were also identified as Guringai (by Fraser in 1865). I also informed him that we are fully aware that our correct name of Country is Wannangine and we the People, are Wannangini and that we are collectively of the Garigal and/or Walkaloa family clan groups. Yes, Guringai is of our language and does have merit in it’s authenticity, as far as our use of it.

I am however, not prepared to be slowed down or distracted from the path I need to be on (for us) by trivial western-minded thinking, in regards to the use of the term Guringai and having to explain myself to those who think they have a right to have a say. I’m done with explaining to those ones, that are on their $80k + pay packs, disrespecting us and Country, ON OUR COUNTRY. My $30k pay just doesn’t allow me time for that. My obligations and responsibilities are to Country and preserving what we can for future generations, not off half-cocked with a big gubba job and eating lobster and thinking i have a right to any say at all!. I seriously doubt they have the faintest idea of exactly what is entailed with the role I fulfil.  Too worried about their own $$$ and careers. They are all disrespecting this Country and the memory of our Old ones without batting an eyelid.

This issue has escalated all the way to the Attorney-General and I do have an email reply in response to their opinion of Mr. Syron’s rantings. If you contact me personally, I can supply you with that outcome but as it is a conversation between myself, our NT Lawyer and the State, I will not circulate it in this email chain.

A cluster school area here on the coast has also decided through their AECG, (Muru Bulbi) that they didn’t agree with the boundaries and have revisited them and due to this, only Darkinjung and Awaba are to be acknowledged, because Guringai don’t exist. Staff at Mannering Park Public have been advised to change all references to Guringai, including language and on the internet, as we don’t exist.

I have had discussions in relation to this with Muru Bulbi but was lied to, directly to my face and was told that that was not the case and that the principal must have misunderstood or not been paying enough attention, but this has since been verified by several other schools within that cluster and a formal complaint and a cease and desist order (if required) will be lodged on Muru Bulbi AECG and Lesley Armstrong, the Chair and supplier of false information. I’m also considering a full page article in the Koori mail of my own…..this is genocide!!! By fellow Goories. Do black lives matter when it’s black against black?? No!! That’s what they refer to as self-determination. A mechanism concocted by the government to keep us all fighting and arguing.

With that said (and please don’t hesitate to contact either Trudy Smith, Laurie Bimson, Neil Evers, Kyle Howie or myself for further information on this) we will be proposing that, should there be more Mob prepared to put their hand up and take some of the load, GTLAC can simply change it’s name to Garigal-Walkaloa AC if all (majority) agree, eliminating any and all controversy and business as usual….or……no show of hands and commitment to assist when required (this also means showing up at events and meetings. The turn up at our important ILUA meeting at St.Ives was a disgrace to say the least.) Thank you so much Michael Robinson for driving up that morning from Canberra for the meeting. Solid cuz! I was extremely disappointed after the years of hard work – it’s not an expectation to attend all of course) and be known within the Aboriginal community….or we are prepared to amalgamate with Awabakal & Guringai Pty.Ltd, which is our Native Title Trust Account for the entire Mob. This would of course, also include the Guringai Green Group.

I hope I have given enough information or an avenue for you to seek it, to have your say. Please, please, if it is not enough and you still need further information, don’t hesitate to contact either Trudy, Laurie, Neil, Kyle or myself. Your thoughts and voices are important to us and they will not be discounted if you send them in.

Food for thought;

Gomillroi/Kamillaroi comes from their language and means ‘gomil’ = ’no’. Just like Wiradjuri. ‘Wira’= no. In other words, Kamillaroi/Gomilroi and Wiradjuri are the people that use the words ‘gomil’ or ‘wira’ for NO. So essentially, they are the ’NO’ people. In QLD they used ‘yes’ to name those mobs. At least were described as ‘men and woman of this place’

Oh, what’s that you say….that’s right, appears we weren’t the only ones hey. Is there the same disrespect forced onto the Gomillroi and Wiradjuri right now, just like us??? I think not! No million dollar properties or massive gubba pay packs out there. Or maybe just no blow-ins that think they have a right. Nor do they care about the effects on our health, mental health and well being, directly from their actions! Shameful!

Take care everyone,

Nyah-nuu

Wangi Wunyungah

M: 0404 182 049