Arabic version: وفاة كبيرة السكان الأصليين في تسمانيا، العمة باتسي كاميرون، عن 79 عاماً
According to ABC News, Tasmanian Aboriginal elder Aunty Patsy Cameron AO has died aged 79. Tributes have been paid to the Pairrebeenne/Trawlwoolway woman, whose work focused on improving educational outcomes for Aboriginal Tasmanians and preserving Indigenous culture.
Born in Launceston and raised on Flinders Island, Ms Cameron became the first Tasmanian appointed to the National Aboriginal Education Committee. She helped create the Aboriginal Studies course at the University of Tasmania and the Riawunna Centre for Aboriginal Education.
Ms Cameron also wrote numerous children’s books inspired by her Flinders Island upbringing and Tasmania’s ancestral history. In 2017, she received the Order of Australia for decades of service to improving educational outcomes for Tasmanian Aboriginal people and for her role as a custodian of cultural knowledge.
Her son, Nick Cameron, said his mother was passionate about accuracy in research and telling the truth. He said she hoped for recognition of history and a breakdown of racism, and that he and others close to her would continue her legacy. Emma Lee OAM said Ms Cameron had retrieved history and enabled new narratives of cultural strength, pride and tradition. Premier Jeremy Rockliff said her commitment to education, culture and community had touched countless lives.
