Alice locals mourn Kumanjayi White
Isabella Higgins: And a warning, the next story mentions the name of an Indigenous person who has died with the permission of their family. There's been tears, anger and demands for answers at a vigil to mourn the death of Warlpirri man Kumanjayi White. The 24-year-old died in custody after being restrained in a supermarket by police officers. National Indigenous correspondent Carly Williams attended the sorry business ceremony in Alice Springs.
Carly Williams: Grief and loss on the streets of Alice Springs. Loved ones of Kumanjayi White used gum leaves to sweep, a traditional Warlpirri sorry business custom. Elder Valerie Napaljarri-Martin says this finishing up protocol must be done where he took his last breath in an Alice Springs supermarket.
Valerie Napaljarri Martin : Glance our spirit. I hope that we can get justice for this young fella. He was hungry. That's not a crime.
Carly Williams: Mr White was accused of assaulting a security guard in the store and passed away after being restrained by police who were not wearing uniforms. Members of his family and community travelled hundreds of kilometres for Alice Springs' third vigil mourning the 24-year-old. Mr White's grandfather, Ned Jampinjimpa Hardgraves, was among hundreds there.
Jampinjimpa Hardgraves: We want justice. Come on, say it with me. Justice.
Carly Williams: He renewed calls for an independent investigation and the release of CCTV and body cam footage to the family.
Jampinjimpa Hardgraves: We do not want police investigating and we want the two police to stand down.
Carly Williams: Speaking in a budget estimates hearing on Tuesday, the acting police commissioner Martin Dole said the footage is an exhibit in the criminal investigation and its integrity needs to be maintained. Like thousands who have rallied across the country over the past week, Gurindji Yarramun man Michael Smith supported the family's requests.
Michael Smith: We need to have an investigation, an independent one. Nobody's really listening. So I think the more people that show up and continue to keep supporting this, hopefully the people that do make those decisions will start listening to us for once.
Carly Williams: Acting Commissioner Dole has ruled out an independent investigation.
Martin Dole: That's not something we can just hand to somebody else. And if we were to bring in an independent investigator, they'd have to be sworn in as members of the Northern Territory Police Force in any case.
Carly Williams: Grandmother and Warlpiri woman Lynette Tasman wants to know why Mr White, who lived with disabilities and in full-time residential care, became one of almost 600 Aboriginal deaths in custody since the 1991 Royal Commission.
Lynette Tasman: Where are the carers?
Carly Williams: Arrentre woman Barbara Shaw also questions the care services.
Barbara Shaw: We're the only people who can care for our people. Service providers are not giving Aboriginal people a chance to take care of their own.
Carly Williams: In a statement, Life Beyond Barriers said it was deeply saddened by this tragedy, but could not answer questions about any carers involved at the time. For Valerie Martin, the place of this Alice Springs vigil is sadly familiar. It's here that the Yuendumu community gathered for every one of the 66 days the Northern Territory coroner heard evidence in the inquest into the 2019 shooting of Kumanjayi Walker, another Warlpiri man who died in police custody.
Valerie Napaljarri Martin : When are we going to have justice?
Isabella Higgins: Warlpiri elder Valerie Napaljarri Martin ending that report by Carly Williams.
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