The family of the late musician Aunty Ruby Hunter say a monument recognising her impact in the Riverland will inspire young Aboriginal people for years to come.
Warning: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are advised the following contains the name and images of a person who has died.
Aunty Ruby Hunter, a Ngarrindjeri and Erawirung woman, and Uncle Archie Roach, a Gunditjimara and Bundjalung man, were partners in music and life.
While living along the Murray River they helped to house dozens of people struggling with homelessness, and inspired their own families through oppression.
Now, their significant contributions to the Riverland community have been immortalised on the edge of Barmera's Lake Bonney.
Aunty Ruby's nephew James Love, a proud Ngarrindjeri man who works with the Aboriginal Sobriety Group, said the monument paid homage to two leaders who were "a prime example for coming through brokenness".
"Let their lives shine the beacon of healing and hope and restoration to anyone out there who's tossing up lost, alone," he said.
Aunty Ruby and Uncle Archie went on a journey with addiction and recovery — something that inspired Mr Love every day through his own healing process.
"I draw strength from their story," he said.
Looking to future generations of young Aboriginal people who come to visit the monument, Mr Love hoped they would feel a sense of "royalty and traditional ownership".
"I want them to know they're not alone in the struggle.
"These old ones before us, they beckon us home and they want us to make the right choices so that we too can go home to them."
'The nori has landed'
The two pillars stand strong side by side, adorned with glass mosaic artwork designed by Aunty Ruby's sister-in-law, Aunty Rosslyn Richards.
Uncle Archie's totem is the eagle, while Aunty Ruby's Ngarrindjeri Ngaitye is the nori — the majestic pelican frequently spotted in the water and land surrounding Lake Bonney.
"One of Ruby's best sayings was 'the nori has landed'," Aunty Rosslyn said.
Aunty Ruby's eldest brother, Uncle Wally, said the monument honoured everything the pair achieved.
"Being homeless, being taken away … then they became singer-songwriters recognised right around the world," he said.
Brother Jeff also spoke about the importance of Aunty Ruby's music as a universal language.
"People can relate regardless of who they are," he said.
"All cultures here have music. It does wonders for you."
