Never forget where you came from by Elyne Tighe

Never forget where you came from

by Elyne Tighe, Year 10

I am Elyne Tighe and I am from a small town in North West New South Wales called Moree. I am a member of the Kamilaroi tribe, and have been raised in a very large, close-knit family. Recently I remembered a conversation I had with my uncle, the week before I first left to begin boarding school in Brisbane. The memory of this conversation made me realise what I wanted to include in my section of the magazine – something which would help people to understand the importance of Indigenous heritage and how vital it is to preserve our culture. Just before I left for St Margaret’s, my uncle said to me: “Elyne, never forget where you come from, your family or who you are. Stick to your morals and the ethics of our family and you will be fine.” He told me to “keep home close, even though it is so far away”. Similar to the conversation I had with my uncle over three years ago, it is words spoken by the founder of Yalari, Waverly Stanley (pictured opposite with Elyne and Bella Griffiths), which remind me of what is important. In a recent video which was sent to all returning and new students with Yalari in 2020, Waverly said, “You are not any less Indigenous just because you go to a private school. Don’t ever forget where you come from, don’t ever forget your family.” Waverly reiterates this to us at each camp, foundation dinner, in each magazine and each video every year. Clearly, it is important. I am fortunate enough to be on a Yalari scholarship, and I knew I would be in safe hands when I first got to St Margaret’s. Both Uncle Wav, and my Uncle Rod are significant role models and people who I look up to. It is their words of wisdom which I wanted to write about in the magazine, in a hope to display the importance of listening to others and understanding the importance of your family, heritage and culture.