Community fighting back
Resilience in face of tragedies
A REMOTE Cape York community, which has been overwhelmed by tragedy, is striving forward in the face of challenge.
Kowanyama has had a horror 18 months. Dozens were hurt and one killed after a ute was deliberately driven into a home full of mourners.
This sparked a sense of despair resulting in a public cry for help after multiple suicides and attempts. And in March the community was struck by Cyclone Nora.
Leslie “Monty” Gilbert, who has lived at Kowanyama most of his life, said it would take some people a long time to overcome the funeral tragedy.
“But the community just wants to move on,” he said.
“There was a lot of people hurt by it.
“Most of us are trying to move along with life and just … hope nothing like this ever happens again.”
Mayor Michael Yam said people didn’t understand the issues a Cape York community faced unless they saw it for themselves. He said he would like to see more visits from all levels of government to Kowanyama.
“We’re a pretty tight-knit community,” he said. “Even after the cyclone we managed to come together … and bounce back with very little resources.”
Mr Yam praised the cleanup efforts of everyone following the cyclone. “The way my community pulled together … you don’t see that anywhere but in our communities.”
Mr Yam said the emotional wellbeing of Kowanyama was better than 12 months ago “but it can be better”.
“We just need more support,” he said, adding that he was expecting funding to come through for the men’s shed programs as well as a women’s group.
“I think people suffer in silence and that’s the message we need to pass on to the community … don’t fight depression on your own because you’ll be fighting a losing battle.”