As a wave of settlers moved out to the Bathurst region, competition for land forced my tribe from our homes and put strain on our traditional food resources. Native animals were harder to access as the white people killed them. Wattle trees were stripped and burnt for land, bush tomatoes were harvested and we were no longer able to harvest, land was destroyed for their tilted land. Settlement also restricted access to some of our sacred sites. Our elders were worried, so with our survival and our traditional lifestyle under threat, I took action. I led a campaign of resistance to the European invasion.

Attack after attack, our numbers diminished quickly because of these armed men. As I was fighting on a specific day, some white men sneakily went around us, on the outskirts of town and found my resting place, where my family slept. I don’t remember how long they died ago, but the scene I went back to after losing was gut wrenching. My wife’s body was mauled, her legs spread apart and pinned. Blood spilled out of her, dampening the floor in a dark red. We were expecting our 3rd kid in a month. My first child’s body was strewn about, as her head wasn’t attached to her body. My son was burnt to a crisp, a stake going through his stomach. The elders were dead, all sitting against a trunk covered with blood.Without my family, and the diminishing numbers of my tribe, I had no one to pass my stories onto. 

I decided to offer peace two weeks later. I led a group of my tribes across the Blue Mountains to Parramatta to meet Brisbane. I tried my best to impress the people there with my strength and dignity. The governor formally pardoned me and I was able to live freely. Yet everything was different. I had no family to pass my stories on, my tribe was only ⅓ as big now, with important ceremonial cites taken away for agricultural purposes.

• Loss of Stewardship: Before colonisation, Aboriginal communities had been the custodians of their traditional lands for thousands of years. They had developed intricate systems of land management, including practices like controlled burning, sustainable hunting, and agriculture. Dispossession severed this age-old stewardship, leaving the land vulnerable to environmental degradation and the loss of ecological knowledge.

• Disruption of Traditional Practices: Dispossession forced many Aboriginal communities into situations where they were no longer able to engage in their traditional practices and ceremonies. These practices were not just cultural, but also had ecological and environmental significance. For example, traditional burning practices were essential for land management, reducing the risk of catastrophic wildfires, promoting regrowth of certain plant species, and maintaining biodiversity. Dispossession often meant that these practices were interrupted, affecting the health of the land.

• Cultural Loss: Dispossession often resulted in the separation of Aboriginal people from their sacred sites, cultural landscapes, and places of spiritual significance. This separation weakened the spiritual and cultural connections that underpinned their responsibility to Country. Many Dreaming stories, songs, and ceremonies were tied to specific locations, and without access to these places, cultural knowledge and responsibilities were compromised.

• Degradation of Land and Resources: The influx of European settlers brought new practices, such as large-scale agriculture and resource exploitation, which often resulted in environmental degradation. Over time, these activities damaged the natural ecosystems, impacting the availability of traditional resources and altering the ecological balance. Aboriginal people could no longer fulfil their responsibility to sustainably manage these resources.

• Struggle for Recognition and Land Rights: Despite the dispossession, many Aboriginal communities have been engaged in ongoing struggles for recognition, land rights, and self-determination. These efforts are aimed at restoring their connection to Country and reaffirming their responsibility as custodians. Land rights cases and agreements have led to the return of some lands to Indigenous ownership, allowing them to regain a measure of control over their traditional territories.

In summary, dispossession disrupted the long-standing Aboriginal responsibility to Country by severing cultural and ecological connections, damaging the land, and challenging the ability of Indigenous communities to continue their custodial roles. Despite these challenges, many Indigenous groups are working to restore and uphold their responsibilities and relationships with their ancestral lands.