Ronnie Wavehill

Ronnie Wavehill also known as Ronnie Wavehill Wirrpngayarri Jangala (c. 1936 – 20 May 2020) was a Gurindji stockman who was born at Wave Hill Station. He took part in the Wave Hill walk-off and he was a cultural storyteller, Indigenous cultural informant and singer.

Life in the Northern Territory

Wavehill was the son of Cracker Jarluyarri Jampin and Mariah Yakngarri Nangari and was one of seven children. He many years of his early childhood travelling through Gurinji Country, and further afield, with his grandparents by foot. They would travel hundreds of kilometres to follow seasonal ceremonial gatherings and connect with Country and Countrymen. This time with them, who were elders among his people, gave him Gurindji language proficiency significantly higher than many of his peers.

It was on one of the trips that Wavehill learnt the Wanjiwanji (Laka) songs that he brought to Wave Hill Station. This song came from Yawulyurru Tjapangarti, a Pintupi songman, and he shared it with dozens of language groups with the lyrics remaining unchanged. Wavehill remembers sharing this song and says if it:

In 1945, when Wavehill was 10 years old, Ronald and Catherine Berndt arrived for a visit to Wave Hill Station and reported the inhumane working and living conditions of the Aboriginal people living there; additionally they noted that children under 12, like Wavehill, were employed illegally as stockmen.

Wavehill continued working as a stockman, for no pay, until the Wave Hill walk-off, where he and his people protested not only their living and working conditions but also began their fight for Land Rights.

After the successful strike Wavehill worked as a rubbish collector for the Daguragu and Kalkarindji local councils.

In the 1990s Wavehill began working with linguists, including Erika Charola and Felicity Meakins, and other researchers to share his knowledge of Gurinji language and culture. To do this he often worked alongside other Elders to produce publications. He was also a contributor to Native Title proceedings and Aboriginal Lands Trusts activities throughout the region.

Wavehill was also an informant regarding numerous massacres of Aboriginal people which had been recounted to him by previous generations; one of the names provided was Owen Cummins who he identified as someone who, in the "eearly days", had shot Aboriginal people the Wave Hill Station Massacre/s between 1920 and 1922.

Wavehill was quoted as saying of the Blackfellows Knob Massacre, at Tartarr, that:

Although he remembered past atrocities he did not generalise his opinion of kartiya (non-Indigenous people) and he said that there "were bad kartiya and good kartiya, bad ngumpin (Aboriginal people) and good ngumpin.

Wavehill died on 20 May 2020 on Gurinji Country and it was noted that his Dreaming was the Ngapa (Rain) Dreaming and it rained for three days on Gurinji Country after his death.

Select publications

* ''Bilinarra, Gurindji and Malngin Plants and Animals'' (2012)
* ''Gurindji to English Dictionary'' (2013)
* ''Yijarni: True Stories from Gurindji Country'' (2016)
* ''Mayarni-kari Yurrk: More Stories from Gurindji Country'' (2016)
For a full list see AustLit.

Legacy

Wavehill was quoted by Pat Dodson in his censure motion against Fraser Anning following the Christchurch mosque shootings in New Zealand.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wavehill, Ronnie
People from the Northern Territory
Australian Indigenous rights activists
Gurindji people
Australian stockmen
2020 deaths
1936 births