INDIGENOUS POEM
From: Lilly Urquhart
Grade: (redacted)
School: (redacted)
Hi, you all might know me as Lilly, yes the girl that’s name sounds silly, but I’m here today to share my words, my story, my life the things I’ve heard. I’m in grade nine, and I’ve made a poem, one to share because I need to show him. Show him that I’m much more different than a white girl, who’s got “no spirit”, or culture or pride, but do you not see me standing on stage showing my side, the side to the story that no one knows my name is Lilly Urquhart and my middle names rose. Yes, I’m that young and talented girl, who said the acknowledgment in a bit of a whirl. But to stand up those days and have the nerve, to be a white girl I still deserve, every right of also being “black”, because my heritage follows all the way back. I will not deny my skin colour is pale, but you do not know the other side of the tale. My tribe is Palawa and its very unique, founded in Tasmania, and more messed up than you might think. As aboriginal women they were touched up, real bad, I won’t go too graphic, but it’s the truth and it’s sad. The white man had raped them and took all they had, the children grew up without a real dad, they’re mother looked different, and had different skin, and they were always told that they didn’t fit in. “I’m doing you a favour” the white man replied. She said the only thing you’ve done is destroyed all our pride. As the years passed, our skin colour faded, it went from darker to lighter and suddenly shaded, as white as can be, just like you and me. And that’s my point that I wanted you to see. I won’t name any names but I overhead some things, that we need a dark girl that just somehow brings, brings the true beauty, and matches the standards, of a girl that looks indigenous, is what he answers. All our life we are taught, don’t judge a book by it’s cover when, it’s the students and teachers that are judging our features, and don’t want to discover, not my life not yours, not even their peers for today is the end of sheltering our tears.