In a few days, people from across the region will come together to honour the victims of the Pinjarra Massacre, a massacre which claimed the lives of dozens of Aboriginal men, women and children in 1834.
The Back to Pinjarra Day event, organised by the Shire of Murray and the local Bindjareb community, hopes to commemorate the ancestors that died in the battle in order to move forward towards reconciliation.
For Bindjareb traditional owner Karrie-Anne Kearing, the event is a symbol of acknowledgement and respect towards her people, and a significant step to move forward as a community.
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“It's like an ANZAC Day for our people,” she said.
“So come along, acknowledge, remember our fallen and celebrate or commemorate the Bindjareb people.
“If most people acknowledge that it did happen and what it is then I suppose it brings the community together instead of us saying one thing and the community saying another.”
Ms Kearing, who has also spoken in support of changing the name of the region to erase any reference to settler Thomas Peel, said to her it wasn’t about an apology but rather a recognition of the battle of Pinjarra as a massacre.
“People sweep it under the table, because they've always told that it's been one thing,” she said.
“We see it as a massacre and all we want is acknowledgement, we don't want people to say sorry because they weren't a part of it.
“But for people to acknowledge it, will be a big step forward.”
She urged residents to come to the event to learn from their local elders and recount the horrific events that occurred across the road from the Pinjarra Cemetery in 183 years ago.
The Back to Pinjarra Day event will be held on the massacre site on Saturday from 10am to 1pm, starting with a Welcome to Country followed by a minute of silence and a smoking ceremony.
Representatives from the Nyungar community will then perform traditional dancing, followed by an open mic session including slam poetry, dreamtime stories, live music and didgeridoo performances.
The event will also include traditional Aboriginal food, billy tea and children’s tribal face painting and cultural wristbands.