Identity

Eddie “Kookaburra” Kneebone was a Pangerang Elder and Aboriginal Reconciliation campaigner, teacher and painter. In 2001, Eddie received the Pax Christi International Peace Prize for his work. He created cultural awareness programs through education and his art.

“Because of history and the events which shaped the situation today, as Aboriginal people we are continually discovering ourselves. We are not one group indigenous of this (North East Victoria) region but we are the survivors of history and its devastation. We are a multiracial group intermingled with every other group because we needed to survive, we are the first generationsof the future.

Today, 240 years later, the remnants of the clans of the region face their greatest challenge to exist in the future as identifiable people known as Indigenous. The Indigenous community today are neither black or white, one or the other, they are in the middle of two cultures. As Aboriginal, we are endeavouring to find a place in a society that for 200 years has restricted and ignored us. Although the doors are now open and access freely provided, there is still the learnt behaviour of history, which restricts us in our thinking. On the other hand because we are of mixed race, the non-Indigenous identity is trying to find its place and belonging in this country.The colour of your skin is important to your identity but it is not important in your understanding of who you are. We are all humans.” ~ Eddie “Kookaburra” Kneebone.