Kalkadoon History
Colleen Sam on Kalkadoon History
"My name is Colleen Sam, I am the Great Great Granddaughter and direct blood lineage from King Jimmy and Queen Nellie Senior Lore/Law man and woman of the Kalkadunga (Kalkadoon) People.
My family have held the true knowledges of my ancestors stories from the Dreamtime, through the impact of colonisation to the present day without combining European historical versions of my people to our own versions of my people.
Our knowledge was handed down from generation to generation from my family members that were given the responsibilities of Knowledge Holders.
Kalkadunga (Kalkadoon) people were extremely territorial whose lore’s and customs were very strict. They only did trades with groups that were connected, through their Dreamtime or Songline systems which governed their trade routes, ceremonies, and marriages. "
- Colleen Sam, February 2022
The black Cockatoo is our ancestral totem, Colleen Sam Kalkadoon Woman 2022
Frontier Wars
"My people’s connection to country is so profound that we know the spiritual connection is unceasing.
Our ancestors stand up in the mountains and they watch over us when we are walking around on Country.
They are still there, their spirits are still strong, they are still heard crying due to the massacres.
That’s why it’s important to tell our story to release the old people trapped in the trauma of the massacres that happened on our Country.
As in the words of my Mother Ena Sam who is a Kalkadunga Knowledge Holder. It’s our way of setting our ancestors spirits free and also our people free too" -
Colleen Sam, 2022
"In the early 1900’s the killings and massacres continued, and this led to almost the complete killing of all my people.
We have in our oral histories that we have less than 15 Kalkadoon families who survived the frontier wars and the massacre period.
Our family hold the knowledge of our ancestors first contact and massacres by the Europeans." -
Colleen Sam, February 2022
Massacre Times
Photos and Drawings of Direct Descendants of Queen Nellie and King Jimmy
Great Grandmother Annie and Great Grandfather Harry Sam
Uncle Reg Sam, Grandfather Doolan Sam, and Uncle Clive Sam
Aunty Judy Sam
Colleen's Mother's sister
Ena Sam
Collen's Mother (sketch)