Why we’re not saying her name.

In absolutely awful news, a body has been found, believed to be that of a missing 5-year-old Alice Springs girl.

The Aboriginal girl had been missing from the Old Timers town camp near Alice Springs for five days. A body was found earlier today (Thursday). Northern Territory police have arrested Jefferson Lewis, a 47-year-old ex-prisoner who was allegedly seen with the girl last Saturday night.

While news reports named the girl before the body was found, they now don’t. Instead, she’s being called Kumanjayi Little Baby.

Let’s delve into the reason why.

There are deeply significant protocols surrounding the naming of Indigenous Australians who have died. Speaking a dead person’s name is believed to recall and disturb their spirit. That same goes for the use of their image and their voice. These protocols are part of the grieving process.

And these cultural practices vary across different regions. In the Northern Territory, where Indigenous populations are larger and traditional practices are more prominently maintained, these naming customs remain a cornerstone and a vital part of cultural life compared to many southern and eastern regions.

Who decides on the substitute name?

When I worked as a reporter in the NT, the most common substitute names were ‘Kumantjayi’ and ‘Kwementyaye’. There are others, such as ‘Kunmanara’ or ‘Barlang’.

The bereavement protocols are determined by the family or community.  There is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach. The use of a substitute name reflects the family’s mourning period. It can be used for weeks, months or years. The same goes for what’s known as ‘sorry business’, which is another term for Aboriginal death ceremonies and practices. And sorry business isn’t only confined to the direct family. The sorrow is shared by the whole community.

Other examples

When Indigenous musician Gurrumul Yunupingu died in July 2017, he was referred to as Dr G Yunupingu. His record label broke the news of his death, saying “Skinnyfish Music and Dr G Yunupingu’s family ask for your respect at this time”.

Six months later, after the final funeral ceremony on November 24, 2017, the family permitted Dr G Yunupingu’s name and image to be once again publicly used.

Mourning practices

Whether it’s wearing black to a funeral, throwing dirt on a grave, lighting a candle, bowing your head to a passing hearse, not saying their name, or gathering quietly in a chapel or loudly in a pub, we all follow some sort of ritual in death. Regardless of the setting, these rituals provide the respect and release we need to move forward.

We must continue to acknowledge and uphold the diverse ways we say goodbye. While the practices are cultural, the grief is universal.

May Kumanjayi Little Baby rest in peace.