...I can speak English like any bloody white man...

'Koiki, even though he might fail here and there, we all knew that he's that type of person that will eventually hit the jackpot. He often used to say "I can speak Meriam Mer like any Meriam. And also I can speak English like any bloody white man."

He would use that word. "I can speak English like any bloody white man."'

Keywords: language, Mabo, Edward Koiki, Meriam Mer, Townsville, Whaleboat, Donald

Koiki's cousin interviewed by Trevor Graham, Townsville, 1996.
Author: Trevor Graham
© Film Australia
Source: Whaleboat, Daniel