My Grandmother, Regina Turner by Aaliyah Turner

My Grandmother, Regina Turner

Aaliyah Turner | Year 9

Name: Regina Turner (Nee Dorante) Occupation: self-employed in partnership with her husband, who is the key creative in their business called Panipan Designs - https://www.panipan.com.au/

Childhood

I was the youngest of seven children. It had its good and bad sides; the good side was being spoilt and the bad side was that I was being told what to do. One of my favourite memories was coming to Hammond Island as a child from Weipa and spending Christmas with my father’s parents, his siblings, cousins, and family. I loved swimming when the tide was a king tide, and I loved eating mangoes. Another favourite memory was living in Weipa, and my favourite place to swim was Six Tunnels.

Culture

My clan is Waggadagum from Mabuyag and Daurareb from Murry/Mer Island. Culture is important to me because learning my language and traditional practices, events and ceremonies are things that you must remember and learn because it is a part of you. Another reason why culture is important is because it tells us who we are, and where we come from, and we can identify our family through our totems. My totems are the Torres Strait Island pigeon and the crocodile, from my mother’s side, and the Frigate Bird and the Mackerel, from my dad’s side. There are other totems, but these are my main ones.

What was racism like for you?

When I went to Gordonvale State High School in 1984, I first experienced racism from a boy who was a bully. He criticised me for the colour of my skin. It was very hurtful and wasn’t a very good experience. It made me feel unhappy about my appearance, but now I’m older, I do not care, because I know what to say to them, but I did not know how to respond back then.

What are you most proud of having achieved in your life?

I’m proud that I have got a diploma in government. I’m proud that I graduated in 2010. I am also proud that in 2020 I achieved my certificate for training and assessment which means I’m a qualified trainer and assessor. These qualifications supported me while I have been President (since 2010) of the Mura Kosker Sorority, the leading Torres Strait Islands women’s organisation. The society provides emotional wellbeing for women and families, including domestic violence prevention, family wellbeing, old people’s action programs, and parenting programs. I am also a wife and mother to three and grandmother to seven. And finally, my husband and I started a small business, Panipan Designs, which was a real achievement, and we have been operating this since 2017.

What advice would you give to young First Nations people today?

Go to school every day, study hard, get a good education and graduate school and go to either TAFE or university. Find out what you love doing because that will help you choose the right job. Be strong and proud of yourself, your culture and your family, and if you have a problem, always share it with someone you trust. A quote from my mother (Kailang) I hold close to is ‘a problem shared is a problem halved, always laugh and have fun’.