The End of an Era with the Loss of Two More Banaban Elders

[Stacey King]

- THE SAD PASSING OF BANABAN ELDERS -

Tebuke Rotan Buakonikai and Ata from Uma

It was sad to hear news from Molly Amon on Rabi today of the passing of two more of our Banaban Elders.

Many of the te I-Matang's involved in Banaba and Banaban history over the years will remember Tebuke as the young Banaban man who went to England to take the Banaban quest for justice to the UK High Court. His epic journey featured in various TV documentaries over the years including:
GO TELL THE JUDGE - BBC TV in the 1970s
AUSTRALIAN SIXTY MINUTES - Channel 9 in 1993
FOREIGN CORRESPONDENT - ABC TV Australia in 1995 when they took Tebuke back to visit his beloved homeland Banaba for the last time.

Our condolences to the families of both these men and a timely reminder of the struggle these Banaban Elders went through during their lifetimes to secure the future for the Banaban generations. Their legacy I am sure will proudly live on in every young Banaban today.

They will be sadly missed by many but never forgotten.

[Terenga. Sukong]

Sorry to hear that but that is where all human beings will all end up.