Eulogy for a Black Man

Native title is not Land Rights and Reconciliation is not Justice
– Gary Foley at Sam Watson’s funeral.

revisiting childhood through that time-gauze of greying
feather,
back to a time
when the road seemed wider
but had the same volume of insanity

Dad always concrete at the wheel
Mum in the “Worry” seat
sharing with Dad,
the worries sometimes reaching the backseat
as the sporadic vapours got too heavy
and did their backdraft thing
upon our small foreheads
breathing in the pockets of
blackness
yet, we ride
our little bodies fading into the upholstery

the rear-view mirror
keeping its eye on us

– Sam Wagan Watson, Back Road in Smoke Encrypted Whispers UQP 2004

We offer our condolences to Auntie Cath, Sam’s son, Sam Wagan and daughter, Nicole, to the Watson family and all his relatives, friends and to the aboriginal community generally for our great loss.

Paradigm Shift 4ZZZ fm 102.1 29 Nov 2019 Friday at Noon.

Tribute to Sam Watson

the very first Australians around
the very first people to be down
and why we fight, is to be recognised
only to be failed by your blind eyes
yes, only to be failed by your blind eyes
– Brisbane Blacks by Mop and the Dropouts

Intro
It is true that Sam Watson was the leader of the Brisbane Blacks like Pastor Don Brady was before him. Aunty Kath Walker, Oodgeroo, had a great influence on Sam as she did on many others, myself included. And of course Sam Watson Senior, his father and his grandfather all share the same name. The Watson family is a strong very talented clan, Uncle Ross Watson set up Murri Radio at 4ZZZ and then Tiga Bayles obtained a licence for 98.9FM.

Over time Sam became more than the voice of Brisbane Blacks. There are very few like him. Sam was confident of who he was and where he was from. He was grounded in this place, something that made him easy to relate to. This gave Sam confidence to know and understand others. In a few words he could sum people up, in a kind way, never disparaging. This, combined with his sense of humour, made Sam very easy to like.

Sam told me a story once about an accident at railway bridge near where I live. He asked me if I had heard of the time that a lorry that was too high had run into the bridge, wedging itself firmly underneath the railway sleepers. Queensland Rail brought out all their best engineers to work out how to extract the big semi without damaging the bridge. This was important because the line above the road carried commuters home from the city and grain and goods to the port of Brisbane. The experts were scratching their heads, until, Sam said, a blackfella walking by said: “let down the truck’s tyres and then you’ll be able to tow it out without damaging the bridge.”

Now that’s Blackfella ingenuity, brother Sam said.

There’s a lot of reasons to criticise our generation (of activists), but Sam Watson wasn’t one of them.

Recordings played on the Paradigm Shift
Sam Watson speaking at UQ Union Forum 25 Feb 2019
Sam Watson gives welcome in King George Square at Muslim Lives Matter rally after Christchurch mass murder
Sam Watson speaks at parliament against kids incarcerated in watchouses
Sam Watson’s grandson speaks out for Mapuche, West Papuans and Palestinians.

Ian Curr
29 Nov 2019.

Playlist
Robert Wharton – River of Life
Brisbane Blacks – Mop and the Dropouts
Janice Joplin – Mercedes Benz
Kev Carmody – Eulogy for a Black Man & River of Tears

Please Note
** Sam Watson’s funeral will be held at 11am on Friday 6th December at Musgrave Park, Brisbane. Sam’s family welcomes all to attend.**