Wagga’s First Nations community have been left saddened by the news of the passing of Wiradjuri elder Uncle James Ingram, who ran cultural tours of significant sites in Wagga. Photo: Chris Roe.
WARNING: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are warned that the following article contains the name of a deceased person.
Wagga Wagga and its First Nations community have been left with a great loss after learning of the passing of local Wiradjuri elder Uncle James Ingram, who died unexpectedly late last week.
Uncle James Ingram was a beloved member of the Wagga Wagga community and was an invaluable educator on the history of Wiradjuri and First Nations culture.
His passing left many stunned and saddened, with Cr Dallas Tout, Mayor of Wagga Wagga, describing his time spent with Uncle James Ingram as a privilege.
“Uncle James was a proud Wiradjuri man who grew up in Leeton and both he and his family are local knowledge holders,” Cr Tout said.
“It was a privilege to hear from Uncle James about the stories of the many different Wiradjuri waterways and the many other cultural sites around Wagga.
“Uncle James lived in Wagga Wagga for over 40 years, and after working as a cultural expert for Local Land Services, he ran his own business, Bidya Marra, providing cultural tours of significant sites in Wagga.
“Uncle James was an esteemed elder who worked closely with many staff and councillors, as was the case for so many other organisations and community groups across their community.
“Uncle James was highly valued for his contribution to many of the council’s projects and strategic plans, ranging from staff, cultural awareness training, cultural burning and cultural site assessments, museum, cultural and oral history projects, and our biodiversity strategy through to our Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP).
“Uncle James’ words in our RAP were his vision for Wagga Wagga to become a more inclusive society, respecting Wiradjuri language and culture.
“To quote Uncle James, ‘To reach true reconciliation, we can’t do it alone. We need all the friends we can get.'”
Mayor Tout has urged members of the public to allow time for the family to go through their mourning process and to respect their privacy.
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