Warning: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised this story contains the name and image of a person who has died.
By KATRINA BRANDON
WEEKS have passed, but tributes for late Morwell Indigenous leader Kaiden Morgan-Johnston continue.
Hundreds gathered in his hometown for Kaiden’s Last Dance, performed by the Gunaikurnai dance group, Boorun Boys, with whom he danced for more than 10 years, alongside the Dejeetung Girls.
“Today (November 1) is to help send my brother’s spirit,” Kaiden’s brother, William Morgan Junior, told the Express.
“We did a spirit dance, which is a dance to help send my brother’s spirit; to make sure his spirit is not stuck here and can go on to the Dreamtime – able to move on in peace.
“(And) to have our family and his friends and the community, (to know) he’s not stuck here, and he’s able to move on peacefully to the Dreamtime with the elders, be able to watch over us and be able to really help us know that he’s okay in Dreamtime.”
Community was a big part of Kaiden’s life, including dancing with the Boorun Boys, learning about his culture and advancing his skills with local community organisations, such as the Gippsland Trades and Labour Council.
Known for his strong leadership, William Jr said his brother touched many hearts, with people within his community respecting and loving him for his support.
“Without him, there’d be no me,” William Jr said.
“My brother touched hearts far and wide. That’s just who he was – his personality. He helped me; he shaped me into the leader I am. It’s a huge part for me too when I was dancing beside him, and now that I’ll never be able to dance beside him physically.
“But I know that his spirit is here with us, like it was today. That’s what his leadership showed, like he’s led a lot of youth, helped a lot of youth, in part with me and the rest of the Boorun Boys.”
The event on The Boulevard started around 12pm, with people gathering in conversation before the event, then walking through smoke to help cleanse their minds, hearts, and spirits.
After walking through the smoke, William Jr led the event, sharing memories of his brother and the dances.
William Jr shared that Kaiden started dancing when he was around seven-years-old.
“(It) brings yourself back to what reality is, and in our culture, and helps keep our minds at least somewhat level for the next step to be able to do what we need to do for his justice and to help his peace,” he said.
“(It shows) how strong a leader my little brother was, and his leadership and his courage to stand up in front of his community and do what he did as a young Aboriginal man that was just trying to help his community.”
Looking ahead, William Jr said he will keep fighting for Kaiden to ensure his story is heard by everyone, including police organisations and the government to address the shocking crime rate across the region.
“I won’t stop until my heart stops beating,” William Jr said.
“The education level is the first step for many. It all starts in the schools, and once you take it out of the schools, that’s when it becomes dangerous – that’s when it can become violent.
“We need to look after our kids and take care of them. If you don’t have control of your kids, they’ll do damage and break a community in half.”
Kaiden was the victim of an alleged machete attack last September.
His body was found by police around 10.25pm on The Boulevard, Morwell, before being rushed to hospital, where he died.
